Reason I won't buy products online

[Rex Rugged]

I just looked into ordering some jags for cleaning my rifles. Jags could be dropped into an envelope and mailed for less than a dollar, but one company in particular wanted me to pay $27 to ship two jags that were high enough at nearly $7 a piece. Manufacturers are screwing the eyeballs out of their customers and I refuse to be shaken down by these greedy bastards.

[ghbucky]

I mean... don't buy small, cheap things online? Even if you can find them cheaper online, the shipping cost will get you.

Almost everyone does free shipping over a certain amount.

[ocharry]

i dont know what you are looking for in a jag but have you tried amazon...they have a boat load of cleaning stuff and jags......and free shipping

just a thought

[FrankenMauser]

I won't get into the intricacies and complications of shipping contracts and pricing in the modern world, except to say that some companies *do not want* to ship direct-to-consumer, so their software and shipping departments are not set up for it. As such, they use default rates (instead of calculated rates) that are often absolutely insane for the products that a typical customer will order.

What I really wanted to point out:
We are currently in the "holiday season" for shipping companies.
Every package that I ship through USPS, for example, has a $0.45 "surcharge", as well as a "temporary rate increase" that is roughly an additional 15%.
UPS's rate increases, tariffs, surcharges, and whatever else they're tacking on, are even higher.

For most of my customers, that's an extra $3, or so, for USPS; and $8-10 for UPS.
Why for my customers, and not me? Someone has to pay it, and it isn't going to come out of my pocket.

This isn't the time of the year to be complaining about shipping costs, without taking that into account.

[Rex Rugged]

$5 shipping for a $7 item is bad enough but $27 for a $7 item is BS.

[Scorpion8]

There are other reasons too. Some companies for example *only* ship UPS or FEDEX overnight in order to satisfy that "need it now" factor. But of course not everywhere has 2-day or 3-day delivery, but the company will charge you for it anyway. In my area, 3-day delivery takes 7-10 days. I also have been the victim of trying to ship a package the size of a deck of playing cards yet they wanted (McMaster-Carr prime example) ~ $100.

Yea, they don't get my business.

[jcj54]

I understand the frustration. I am frustrated just as much with all LGS in my area who have multiple empty pegs on their displays that have not been restocked for months.
This forces me to buy online so I try to order a number of things so the shipping is more affordable.

[jmr40]

I try to buy local anytime possible. Firearms locally are priced better than I can do online. The only times I've bought a gun online is when it wasn't available locally. But when it comes to optics or most other accessories online has become about the only option.

There are other options for what you seek at better prices.

[4V50 Gary]

While it's better to patronize local businesses (if they're not a total ripoff), I find myself buying on line a lot b/c I'm in the middle of nowhere and there are no supplier/sources that are brick 'n mortar that sell what I want. For example, .050 sheet brass can't be had and even the local machine shop didn't stock it. In the big city I can call a place and pick it up.

Now, the other reason to buy locally is the velocity of money. Buy from Amazon/on line big supplier and most profits go either to corporate or to an entity based elsewhere. Buy locally and the money goes to pay the clerk's or other store staff's salary. The clerk/store staff goes to a local restaurant and that pays the waiter/waitress/dishwasher's salary. The waiter/waitress/dishwasher goes to the local cinema house to watch a talkie. That pays for the projector's salary, etc. Most of the money you spent stays in the community. Send it outside your community and you send both the money and the jobs outside your community. This is why globalization doesn't work for smaller communities. All the jobs are outsourced elsewhere (they did this to our mfg jobs and my neighbors remember GM shipping their chrome plating equipment to China). Remember the local statonary store, pharmacy, produce market, deli, butcher, hardware store, bakeries, clothing or shoe store or other places that characterized your town's main street and added to its appeal/charm? Go toBedford Falls where Jimmy Stewart kept Bailey Savings & Loan and all those store fronts would be closed b/c of Wally World. Potter's bank wouldn't be immune b/c one of the Big 5 will have bought him out. Besides, I don't like supporting Gyp Bozos' Amazon.

Sometimes I use Amazon to locate a vendor and then search for the vendor's website and buy directly from the vendor. More profit to the vendor and no commission for Bozos. There are times when Bozos is the only game in town and I admit to using Amazon.

BTW, if you shop locally, please pay cash. Local merchant doesn't lose 3% to the credit card company. More profit for the merchant and less for the big banks. The more we use cash, the harder it is to digtialize our funds. MACA - make cash great again.

Let me get off the soapbox.

[tangolima]

They didn't hide the shipping cost to you, so I don't see they haven't done anything wrong. You don't have to buy from them. There are plenty of competitions to choose from.

Not to buy online at all is to short change yourself. You lose part of your pricing power by not being able to compare prices nationwide or even worldwide. Of course we should compare the total cost, including taxes and shipping. Some people don't.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[Rex Rugged]

Some good posts here that recognize not everybody has a "local" source. Also assumptions that I have not looked around online for better pricing are just that assumptions. One assumption is I'm looking for just any brass jag which is not the case either. I'm using BTE so knowledgeable folk will understand I can't use brass as it will give a false positive. Going to Academy for such an item is a complete waste of time and any other "local" (by local I mean 100 miles being the closest) store only carries brass and almost none in the calibers I need. (.22 and .270) I'm not at all convinced suppliers couldn't find a way to make a healthy profit without driving the price sky high for a plastic, aluminum, or SS jag. I will wait and add what I need when I make a larger purpose but that may be some time from now. Just a rant from me for a hobby sorry.

[tangolima]

I also use the same solvent. But I don't use jag to push patches. Instead I use pull through cable to pull patches (cut from paper towel) to pick up dirty solvent. Different from brush, a brass part for pusher or pulling patches is no problem. If you still want to have non-brass product, I bought nylon pull-through cable set from Amazon for very reasonable price. Let me know if you need a link to the product.

My cleaning practice is different from the norm. I use nylon brush as solvent applicator , instead of scrubbing tool. Let the chemicals do the work.

Hope it helps.

-TL

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[Rex Rugged]

Thanks for the sensible helpful reply I may have to change my methods.

[FITASC]

There are plenty of places that sell these items; it pays to shop around; I have used Amazon as well as many shooting-only types of online businesses with great success. Want to see a shipping nightmare? Buy a full case of wads for reloading shotgun - the shipping can close to what the wads cost. I shipped 1200 shotgun hulls to someone across the company. Luckily, he had his own shipping customer number with UPS as the shipping was more than he cost of the empty hulls.

[Rex Rugged]

Read Post #11 I have shopped, that is why I'm posting my experience.

[Ricklin]

4V50 Gary
I like the cut of your jib! Bravo make cash great again. It is not right that I can wander around for days with no cash in my money clip.

[1972RedNeck]

I hit every hardware store and grocer in town trying to find some copper Chore Boys. Nobody even knew there was such a thing. I could drive another 45 minutes to get some or order a 2 pack off Amazon for $3.99 delivered. I try to buy local, but sometimes I can't out here in the sticks.

[Nathan]

Yea, local vs online is a huge struggle for me. Local would be great, but once you get into something, local rarely can support.

I wanted a specific Tikka 6.5….no way to find it local and online had $240 off.

I want tikka mags…I’ve looked at several stores…no luck.

I wanted Hornady Precision Hunter 6.5 Creedmoor….found it. Paid $45 before tax and shipping. Not bad, but I think I just saw for $35 per online…..I’ll bet shipping is not $10 per box.

The local store wants to stock suppressors, $2000+ shotguns, high end AR parts, suppressors and machine guns. I think the position themselves to sell to people who do not care about price and want gun, ammo, targets and a place who will mail off to repair. Basics, no reloading, no tinkering, nothing for a serious enthusiast. After you hit any level of enthusiast, they basically have little to offer. Want to step up to good eye and ear pro? Nothing.

[Ricklin]

When it comes to guns when I finally figure out what I must have, I give my local guys a shot, while sharing the pricing I am seeing online. If they can get close I buy from them, if not they will do the transfer for me with a smile and their requisite fee of course.

[Unclenick]

The Bore Tech Proof Positive jags are a good product, but not essential. You can, for example, use a military steel jag or eyelet. You can use nickel-plated brass, like the set sold by Midway, or the polymer jags sold by Hoppe's, etc. Also, if your brass jag isn't too tight, you can pull a little plastic food wrap over it before the cloth patch, to minimize exposure to the Eliminator.

Sometime back, I went to Wally World and got some small pump sprayers from their travel section for personal products. At the end of a range session and after a little cooling time, I tip a gun barrel down and spritz in enough Eliminator (or Rimfire Blend for the 22s or C4 for the old cap and ball) to run down to the muzzle. Then I put stoppers in both ends of the bore and just let it stay there until I get home. At that point, the chemicals have done the cleaning work. Saves a lot of patches.

[2wheelwander]

Jags cannot be 'dropped into an envelope' and mailed. They will not make it through the mail sorting machines and will instantly tear open and get destroyed. They must be mailed as a parcel.

[stagpanther]

I put stoppers in both ends of the bore and just let it stay there until I get home. At that point, the chemicals have done the cleaning work.

I've seen you mention this before and it has always struck me as a great idea, I've just wondered how expensive that gets in solvent consumption when filling up the bore of a substantially long/larger caliber barrel. Do you by any chance recycle the solvent for re-use? (I recycle paint thinner).

[tangolima]

Originally Posted by stagpanther

I've seen you mention this before and it has always struck me as a great idea, I've just wondered how expensive that gets in solvent consumption when filling up the bore of a substantially long/larger caliber barrel. Do you by any chance recycle the solvent for re-use?

You probably don't need to fill the bore with solvent for that. I would just soak the bore surface with solvent, using nylon brush as applicator. Stoppers are there to prevent spillage and evaporation.

I did that for a short while then stopped, as I stopped cleaning the bore after each range session, to avoid cost of fouling shots.

-TL

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[44caliberkid]

There are plenty of on line retailers who have free shipping. Amazon has lots of gun accessories, cleaning supplies, and aftermarket parts. I get the email fliers from lots of ammo dealers, but I always wait for a free shipping or fixed shipping special before I order. In the case of a small item like a jag, how about calling a gun shop in the area and see if they would mail you one for actual cost.

[Hawg]

I buy a lot of stuff online because I don't want to drive 40 miles to get it "locally". I also buy a lot of stuff from Amazon because of free shipping with a Prime account.