Midway USA Round Ball

[Loyalist Dave]

So I was ordering modern cleaning supplies, and some accessories from Midway USA. I had a large enough order for free shipping, so I decided to add a box of Speer .530 Round Ball. Just wanted to compare them to the Hornady product.

So my Box 'o Stuff arrived, and the round ball were all rolling around inside the shipping box. The plastic bullet box from Speer had been crushed, and opened up during shipping. Of course many of the round ball had banged into each other so weren't so round any longer. :shocked2:

I voiced my less than satisfactory delivery in their customer survey..., you know one of those online ones that come via email. Well the following day I get a phone call from Midway USA. Sorry about the product problem would you like a refund or another box of bullets? WAY COOL! :grin:

I chose an additional box of bullets. I figured I can melt and recast the banged up ones from box one.

THEN the second box arrives and AGAIN the box is crushed and the padded bag holding the box is full of loose, .530 round ball. So I complained online in a couple of places. :cursing: I reviewed the product with only two stars though I pointed out the product was probably good if it arrived intact, and when I got another customer survey, I stated my concerns there as well.

The response was, "It appears that we won't be able to get our product to you undamaged." They wanted me to return both boxes to them for a refund. HUH?

They want me to package and ship 7 lbs. of lead, and pay for the return shipping and then send me a check? Not to mention the fact that I sent them photos of the containers and it's crush damage, probably from stacking too many of the full, plastic boxes of bullets on top of one another. The person or machine who fills the order doesn't catch the fact the container is damaged, but the jostling of the item in shipping causes it to open.

And what about any modern components that I might want to buy from them? So jacketed bullets might survive better in a damaged box, yet I need to store them until ready to put them into the reloader, right? When the box is heavily damaged I do what, put them in a zip lock bag? So much for stacking boxes of bullets until I'm ready for their use. And if they are match bullets I'd appreciate it if they didn't get tossed around the shipping box. GEESH :shake:

So I sent them a reply asking them how tough would it be to take a hard look at how they store the boxes of the bullets before filling orders, since Speer might have gone cheap on them and are using less resilient packaging, AND how tough would it be to give the boxed bullets three wraps with Mini Stretch Wrap on a Roll ??? I admitted that maybe they are moving so may boxes of bullets they simply can't take the time, but something should be done.

Maybe I should go to a different supplier.... :idunno:

LD

 

[nhmoose]

And Larry the owner made a complaint on me at GB for a double gun moved in the case they [midway] sold me and the stock got scratched.

Ask for a call tag for their product return and do your business elsewhere.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I'd say the writing is on the wall, when you can buy stuff off Amazon and return it simply by printing off a return label.

It's been some time since I ordered something from Midway but I've never had a problem like that... :shocked2:

In my experience Speer balls have always been superior to others.

 

[Kansas Jake]

I've had good luck ordering from Midway in the past year. So far no problem with damaged goods.

 

[dledinger]

I've ordered a lot of bulk bullets from Midway and never had an issue. Haven't ordered the Speer round balls, though.

Good to know.

I always read reviews on everything I buy...I'm glad you posted it.

 

[SDSmlf]

Had multiple orders from Larry's outfit with bullets in them. More often than not, they were scattered about in the packaging. Think of a couple thousand 30 cal bullets (milsurp, I know, different game) not in the container they left the shipping dock in. Ended bullet orders with them after finding a trail of bullets from the box to where the delivery truck stopped. Haven't ordered in a couple of years since receiving a snarky response over the phone while a explaining product damaged in shipment problem. Told them what they could do with their 'roundup' program and asked them to stop sending sales flyers that I still receive but toss without cutting tape to look at. Larry picks his stuff up at the distribution center. No doubt he would not stand for the poor packing quality. Don't blame him. Good thing there are other vendors.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Larry Potterfield is a great man and Midway USA has given me nothing but faithful service. Did the OP call them to explain the situation in more detail? They stand behind their products and I'm sure they would make it right if you spoke to someone on the phone.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

In the OP it was written..

I voiced my less than satisfactory delivery in their customer survey..., you know one of those online ones that come via email. Well the following day I get a phone call from Midway USA. Sorry about the product problem would you like a refund or another box of bullets? WAY COOL!

Alas but that didn't fix the problem, as I then wrote:

THEN the second box arrives and AGAIN the box is crushed and the padded bag holding the box is full of loose, .530 round ball.

The first box of bullets was in a much larger box, so it wasn't crushed in shipping. The second box was alone in a padded envelope, but was crushed in the same way. The boxes are damaged at the shipping point, OR arrive from Speer damaged and aren't caught. :wink:

LD

 

[coloradoclyde]

I can't help but wonder.....I assume everything was fine when the package left Midway... :hmm:

A lot of hands touch the package before it reaches you...

Did you report the incident to the shipping company?

The second box was alone in a padded envelope, but was crushed in the same way. The boxes are damaged at the shipping point, OR arrive from Speer damaged and aren't caught.

Opps! missed that....

 

[Kansas Jake]

Dave, I'm sorry to read of your difficulty with the Speer balls from Midway. I ordered a box of buck shot to from them to use in my 36. It was Hornady though and all arrived in good shape. I will also have to acknowledge that I have not had to return anything or have had any complaints with items received so have no experience when there is a problem.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I'd call them up and ask them if it is a problem they would like to solve, and offer my help.

Customer service works both ways.

But!.. In many cases it is simply retailers off loading damaged goods onto the consumer, because eventually someone doesn't return the goods.
Take Cabela's "bargain bin" for example...They sell crap outright.
The standard corporate operating principal is to have a ZERO waste stream...This means that everything gets sold and nothing gets thrown away.

Next time you walk through your grocery store check all the out dates....You'll be surprised....Found one last week that was a year and a half past it's expiration date.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I'd call them up and ask them if it is a problem they would like to solve, and offer my help.

I sent them photographs of the boxes so they could see the damage.

I suggested that the damage looks like crush damage. It's in both cases the sides of the box, not the tops/bottoms. I suggested that perhaps they are stacking the boxes of bullets too high, and exceeding the strength of the boxes, so the boxes on the bottom crack. I mentioned that perhaps the boxes are stacked in tight groups so the damaged boxes can't "flex" outward on the shelves and open and spill, so nobody notices. When packaged up, the handler doesn't notice, BUT when moved about, tossed onto a truck, etc, when they are not surrounded by other stacks of similar bullets, the plastic may then flex, open, and spill out the contents.

I also noted that SPEER has gone from yellow boxes to black, and that perhaps the new boxes are a wee bit weaker, so that stacking them as high as before isn't viable. Perhaps SPEER got a run of weak boxes, or simply has bought cheaper (and thus weaker) boxes.

I suggested that they might want to give the boxes a couple of wraps from some stretch film as a precaution to the boxes opening, and admitted that perhaps that' too much time and ads too much cost, as I don't know how many boxes of bullets Midway moves per day. I mean it just might not be possible. YET, the bullet boxes are used by shooters and reloaders to hold the surplus bullets until ready for use. If the boxes are being crushed, they might as well have the manufacturers switch to thick ziplocks and be done with it, eh?
:idunno:

So, Yeah, I did "all that"... :grin:

LD

 

[coloradoclyde]

I sent them photographs of the boxes so they could see the damage.

Please post pictures...

 

[50cal.cliff]

What these companies have to realize is. That shipping today is like the old 1971 commercial for American Tourister luggage!! :shocked2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C-e96m4730

I was rebuilding a snack bar in a major P.O. locally and was in and out of the sorting area while working on the snack bar!

I personally watched them sorting packages standing back and throwing them at different cloth covered carts (they called buggies), for the different areas they were being shipped too!

I walked in one day after lunch and now mind you they were throwing these packages at the carts from a distance of 12 - 15 feet. The guy misses and the package bounes of the cart and slids another 3-4", right up to my feet!

I bent down and picked it up, and it is clearly marked with a FRAGILE tape all the way around the box. He hollers at me and says just throw it in the last buggy over there, and laughs!

I have ordered blade steel and it was bent when it got there.

It is a wonder no matter who is the carrier that anything gets anywhere without being broke or lost!! Most of it is mishanlded by those in a hurry and those who could care less!!

Midway should understand that on heavy but breakable items they have to package it where it can't be broke!! Personally I am old school and the customer is always right!

 

[coloradoclyde]

the customer is always right!

I wish we could bring that back....Along with Woodsy the Owl and Iron Eyes Cody.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I used to order a lot from Midway. But, they did change their shipping policy and service went down the toilet. But, they still seem to be a major player and continue to grow. As long as that keeps up there will be no incentive to improve. Watch the bottom line shrink and they will get 'good' again.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Watch the bottom line shrink and they will get 'good' again.

The trend in the industry seems to be, getting bought out by a larger and even worse company....or disappearing altogether.
All businesses seem to have their tipping points....

 

[Sean Gadhar]

Didn't know they went to a new black box, I was about to say my biggest problem had always been getting the dang box open (old yellow box). I'll stop in a my local shop see if they have the new boxes and if so ask if they have encountered broken packaging.

 

[hawkeye2]

Those yellow boxes were bullet proof and like Sean I found them very difficult to open. I was wondering what it would take to crush one till I read about them changing to the new black box (haven't seen one yet). I shot Speer balls for years as I could get them at an excellent price and was often too busy to cast. My source went out of business and all I could get were Hornady, not as consistent and they came in a cardboard box though it was adequate for the purpose. I still have a large supply of the yellow boxes and I use them to store molds, sizers and other reloading supplies. BTW if you have tried to remove the labels they are as tough as the boxes.

 

[hawkeye2]

Watch the bottom line shrink and they will get 'good' again.

The trend in the industry seems to be, getting bought out by a larger and even worse company....or disappearing altogether.
All businesses seem to have their tipping points....

All too true, quality and service have no place in modern business ethics. It's about dividends for stockholders with no concern where the funds come from or how they were generated. :shake: