I'm done with MidwayUSA

I don't know how y'alls orders always get screwed up. I ended up placing 3 orders this month so far and all have been in time or faster and have arrived in perfect condition. I've never encounterd a problem with them ever.


I don't see how so many of yall can have so many bad dealings with them.



Ike

Those that will give up liberty for security deserve neither and will lose both.

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I also have had issues with Midway shipping however they have more than compensated for the issues. I ordered 1000 Lapua bullets, they showed up with bullets everywhere on the inside of their shipping carton. The Lapua box had ruptured and their little air pillows did nothing to support the weight of 1000 6.5 bullets. I called and complained about the condition that my order had showed up in and they immediately shipped out another box of 1000 at no charge. When I asked them to include a shipping label so that I could return the damaged box they said there was no need for me to return the damaged box and apologize again for the condition in which my order had showed up. They told me to feel free to sort the bullets and discard the ones that were damaged and enjoy the ones that weren't damaged. The second box they shipped showed up in perfect condition I have since ordered another box which also showed up in perfect condition. I have absolutely no issues with how Midway responded to my ship issues and will definitely purchase from them again.
 
I also have had issues with Midway shipping however they have more than compensated for the issues. I ordered 1000 Lapua bullets, they showed up with bullets everywhere on the inside of their shipping carton. The Lapua box had ruptured and their little air pillows did nothing to support the weight of 1000 6.5 bullets. I called and complained about the condition that my order had showed up in and they immediately shipped out another box of 1000 at no charge. When I asked them to include a shipping label so that I could return the damaged box they said there was no need for me to return the damaged box and apologize again for the condition in which my order had showed up. They told me to feel free to sort the bullets and discard the ones that were damaged and enjoy the ones that weren't damaged. The second box they shipped showed up in perfect condition I have since ordered another box which also showed up in perfect condition. I have absolutely no issues with how Midway responded to my ship issues and will definitely purchase from them again.

That's funny, I ordered 2k of the same, one box was broken open, and a hole in the packing box, lost about 350 bullets, yes I counted!
I called and was told to return the open box, asked for a call tag, no dice, I had to pay shipping, was reimbursed on the next 2k I ordered by canceling out my ship charges.

Today, I only use Midway for great buys, like these bullets.
 
Just placed a fairly small order with Midway. Two items I wanted were backordered. I placed the original order December 14th and got the usual your order has been shipped email. Then yesterday I got a notification that one of the BO items was ready to ship. It is a $4.39 item and estimated shipping is about $6 so it will cost me almost double. I pass.
 
Did you get an email saying "Your order has shipped?" If so, it ain't Midways fault.

Also, "upgraded USPS Priority Shipping" is a HUGE oxymoron.
Ha!!! It is indeed!

I did get the email saying it was "shipped", but that doesn't always mean it was actually shipped. That just means they created a label. However, in this case, I do think it was shipped when I received the email b/c it was 9:47 PM on Dec 10, and I had ordered at 2:00 am Dec 10. Looks like there was an issue with USPS. Looks like it took 2 days to get from Columbia, MO to San Antonio (937 miles), but then took another 2 days to go 60 miles up I-35 to Austin, yet was miraculously able to travel the remaining 60 miles to La Grange and then to Scout Supply Company in half a day.

USPS+Shot.jpg




And just because we'd all rather look at this than a stupid USPS tracking email.......here's the newest member of the family....my first custom built for me by Russell Banks at Scout Supply Company. A 300 WSM picked up on Friday!

IMG_20131214_161416_125.jpg
 
Dear Larry,
I would like to share two very different transactions I have had recently.

1. I placed an order with a small mom and pop internet store front that showed real time inventory and pricing at the order page and each step of the order process. It was great. So great that I realized I could easily order the same thing for a Christmas present. As I placed my 2nd order I saw they did not have as much as I wanted to order so I took what was in my cart. I then called in to see if I could order more and the person said that the inventory was, in fact, real time and they were out. However, he offered me a similar product at the same price that I could swap out or mix and match. Great experience and I will be back
2. I placed an order on your website and ordered 7 of one item. I put those in my basket, went through all the check out pages and after hitting the very last accept/place order button it came back and said that you only had 4 of the 7 and did I want them. So I went back through your system to accept the remain 4 only to get to that same place and be told you had 0 in stock. AND you had changed the amount to 6. The good news was that you said you would honor the price and amount and you would be really happy to get me my order in about 7-8 months. So I called, certain that no one would support that type of customer experience, and I was surprised that your chipper sounding agent said mostly nothing except what I got from your website. And then I got the scripted closing. I expect that from the IRS, USPS and other organizations that are generally hated and loathed for lack of ability to perform at lowest industry standards.

If your organization cant execute against a basic business plan then I will join the growing legion who will gladly help you take yourself out of the market place. Dont confuse your lack of ability to find an answer to improve your business processes with the concept that it cant be done at all. Dont confuse your gross sales with the idea that you cant fail. Dont confuse the number of items listed on your website with your value to the markteplace. If you promise to not be confused by the former I promise to not be confusing when I share my experience with your org to my 5 nephews (all of whom shoot, are in the military or shoot competitively) in such a way that when each of them tells their 5 best friends (let me do the math here for you....thats 25 more active shooters) the poor experiences of your organization. Being really smart kids I am sure their friends are also smart and they will tell 5 of their friends (do you really need me to do any more math?). And so it goes.....

Given my description above I am certain you can quickly run a report to access the transaction records to identify how to reach me and please consider this an offer to help in anyway I can.

I understand that frustration only comes from the delta between expectation vs reality. And its my mistake that I expected even a modicum of professionalism from your organization which resulted in my frustration. That aint likely to happen again even though I will never get that 20 minutes of my life back.

Lest you think my feedback is all negative let me congratulate you on the fine, slightly self indulgent photo of yourself. Not sure I have ever seen such flattering pic of a mouth breather or were you just silently mouthing the word 'smile' as you read the prompter as they snapped the photo?

warmest regards, Merry Christmas and please let me know if you want any more feedback on how I think you might improve your customer experience
 
All these people bitching about midway usa sound like they should pony up few million and start their own online business. Report back after you have started that business on how easy it was to deal with suppliers shippers and customer base etc. And then show us all the great feedback you get
 
All these people bitching about midway usa sound like they should pony up few million and start their own online business. Report back after you have started that business on how easy it was to deal with suppliers shippers and customer base etc. And then show us all the great feedback you get

You would have a valid point if a litany of other companies seem to do just fine.
 
All these people bitching about midway usa sound like they should pony up few million and start their own online business. Report back after you have started that business on how easy it was to deal with suppliers shippers and customer base etc. And then show us all the great feedback you get

Agreed that starting and running a retail business is not easy.

While my post, in hindsight, could have more to the point and, admittedly, contained less 'bitching' and been less snarky the intent was to provide feedback. And to be fair to Midway its probably ill advised to post while sitting in an airport, waiting for a delayed flight with a head cold just wanting to get home. Nonetheless, Midway does not have an internal escalation path for resolving customer concerns and, to me, that says a lot.

Patrol nailed it, there are a lot of companies that get it and actually want to hear the feedback so they can improve. As an example, I needed to order some consumables for my current business and I saw that Grizzly Tools had what I needed and it was on sale. I called in to place my order but they could not fill it completely. Instead of just leaving it there the C/S person offered a very comperable product at the sale price. I still try to support my local vendors however Grizzly Tools problem resolution strategy keeps them high on my 'go to' list while Midways problem resolution strategy takes them near the bottom. Lastly, I dont want Midway to fail. I want the shooting market to grow so large that there is room for Midway, Sinclair, Grizzly and other large suppliers as well as more small innovators to prosper. Just not sure how Midway does that with its current business processes and service strategy.
 
You can tell who has worked in retail before and who has not. Having worked in retail before, someone really really needs to go out of their way to fuck up my order for me to get pissed off. Ive ordered an insane amount of items and a stupid $ amount of stuff from midway with absolutely no problems.

It was only about three to two generations ago when someone wanted to travel, to say Wisconsin to California, that it took months of hardship, getting stuck in the snowy Colorado mountains and eating the person next to your ass for food because you had no other option type shit. Hell, two generations ago, general mail delivery was considered amazing! Now amazon is talking about delivering your lazy ass package right to your lazy fat ass door step in less than 30min with a fucking drone is unreal... I'd bet money that once people got accustomed to having a fucking drone deliver their rifle right to their fat ass in less than 30min, that if it took 1hour they would start bitching up a storm! No shit! you know that would happen!

The very fact that your lazy bitching ass ( talking about what our society has turned into in general ) can order an item from a computer and have it delievered right to your lazy ass typically less than one week is down right amazing. The very fact that I'm bitching about you bitching about being a waste of space over the NET with this amazing thing they call a computer is amazing! God forbid electricity shuts down & fuel runs out in this nation. I think louis ck explains it better here.


Every single time I think I'm having a bad day OR an issue with a retail store, I think of this video and everything is right as rain. Stop being a bunch of little bitches! ;)
Louis CK - Hilarious - Part 6 - Cell Phones And Flying - YouTube
 
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Here's an email Midway sent, have a nice day. :)


Earlier this year, the NY Safe Act was signed into law. Part of this law goes into effect January 15, 2014, which requires all sellers of ammunition to register with the state. As of today, the State of New York does not have a mechanism in place for us to comply with the law. You currently have one or more of the products, affected by this law, on backorder with MidwayUSA that are in stock and ready to ship, but are waiting on other products to arrive. If you still want these products, please release them on or before December 31, 2013. To release your product(s), please sign in to your account on our website and visit your shopping cart. Once signed in, you'll see the items listed under the "Backordered Products Available to Ship" heading. Just add them to your cart, check out as usual and we'll ship them to you right away. If you no longer want certain products, feel free to cancel them by visiting the Order Management area of your account. Please be aware that all backorders not released by December 31, 2013 will be canceled. On January 1, 2014 we will put all ammunition sales to the State of New York on hold until we can ensure we are fully compliant with the law. We hope you understand our actions and are very sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Sincerely,
Customer Service
MidwayUSA
 
Based on the numerous bad things regarding Midway USA, how long do some of you experts give it before Midway goes out of business? Doesn't sound like anyone that has ever done business with them would ever buy another thing. Would you put it at 6 months or less?
 
Having been a midway customer sense 2001 it's took me this long to realize they think there are no repercussions, no matter how they treat their plate providers. One less provider here after the last C/F on the net followed up by a CS person that is/was clueless about CS as well as their products or produce lines. I recall Eastern Air Lines and a few others over the years had this mind set, as well. There are those who always have to have it yesterday, and that is what midway was built on, fast shipping. One day the war will be over and the want-a-bees who throw money at their mental ejaculations will be gone.
 
I guess we can all expect a HUGE going out of business sale by June! Thankfully, none, and I mean Not One sponsor here on the hide has ever had a single problem, that wasn't fixed to at least 110% of the customer's satisfaction! It appears that Midway is "giving" stuff away, they could charge more, and kiss a few asses when someone has a problem, and the vast majority of the posters that hate 'em would come back! Same thing goes for Bud's Gun Shop, just, "if they would charge more", and fix that occasional problem faster-to the satisfaction of the some of the negative posters, they would sell a lot more guns! When will they ever learn? Net buyers for the most part don't want low prices!! They want first class, customer service-they haven't been getting it from their local gun stores so they are turning to the net for Super Service, even if they must pay the same price plus shipping. I must admit, I'm looking forward to the big sale. How much of a discount should we expect?
 
I'm guessing you guys with the smart ass comments haven't had to deal with Midway's shitty customer service. I still buy there but it's for stuff I can't find from the vendors on here. After dealing with some of the great vendors from here on the Hide, I try to keep all my business with them. I have done business with 5 or 6 hide vendors and the one thing I can say about them is that when you call them, they actually give a shit about the customer and keeping them happy.
 
I wonder what the statistics are, satisfied customers vs unsatisfied? I have never had a problem with MidwayUSA, they are always my first place to shop when I'm looking for something. But the problems people have described would drive me to outrage as well. I doubt they are going anywhere, they do a ton of business, but I do wish their customer service would address unsatisfied customers more generously.
 
Satisfied customers typically don't take to interweb forums to sing the praises of a vendor that did, well, what they were supposed to do.

As my boss says, "It only takes one 'aw fuck' to ruin 100 'atta boys'."
 
I have placed tons of orders with Midway over I don't know how many years. The only problem I've had was when I ordered an AICS 1.5 when I lived in my apartment and it was delivered to a different unit. Someone stole it because it was never found again. Midway went ahead and refunded my money to me and stated that they would handle the UPS claims process. They also gave me $50 in Midway bucks because the chassis was now out of stock and backordered for a while. I have 2 sets of Ultra Micrometer dies coming right now so we will see what condition they arrive in.

I like Brownell's too.
 
I just got an order from midway that took 10 business days to arrive. They charged me 7.95 or something like that for UPS shipping on a $30 item that weighs less than 2 oz---final delivery was by the USPS. I live in the same state as midway, just a couple hours away. This is unacceptable. It could have been shipped USPS for $1 and probably would have got here to the southern part of the state much quicker. It went from Columbia, to KC, to Springfield, to St Louis, to Cape Girardeau, then I assume back to St. Louis, then to my local post office which is 35 miles from Cape Girardeau---the last part tracking doesn't show, but that's where the post master said it came from.

Needless to say I am a bit irritated.


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To be fair, MidwayUSA doesn't really control the logistics network of UPS.

The UPS Worldport is about 15 miles from my house, yet all my packages go to Indianapolis first (even the ones that come from UPS Supply Chain Solutions warehouses in Louisville!) before coming 95% of the way back south to my local hub. FedEx isn't much better, having bounced packages between Cincinnati and Indy before going to the local hub.

Loving logistics can be a PITA sometimes.
 
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This is a new phenomenon. Used to it was straight UPS, but one it's a mix of UPS and USPS unless I want to pay $20 to get a $30 part. $9 for a $30 part that weighs a couple ounces is silly. They should just use USPS flat rate or a simple envelope. I used to be able to get stuff from them next day for $7.95.


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I just got an order from midway that took 10 business days to arrive. They charged me 7.95 or something like that for UPS shipping on a $30 item that weighs less than 2 oz---final delivery was by the USPS. I live in the same state as midway, just a couple hours away. This is unacceptable. It could have been shipped USPS for $1 and probably would have got here to the southern part of the state much quicker. It went from Columbia, to KC, to Springfield, to St Louis, to Cape Girardeau, then I assume back to St. Louis, then to my local post office which is 35 miles from Cape Girardeau---the last part tracking doesn't show, but that's where the post master said it came from.

Needless to say I am a bit irritated.


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Same reason I have stopped using them if I can help it...some of these companies' shipping is just stupid. It's no wonder the products are cheaper, it's because the profit comes from the shipping! I have still used Midway, and will continue to do so, but only when I'm held over a barrel and they're the only game in town.
 
I don't disagree about companies using Flat Rate boxes...

I don't either as long as they charge that. I have dealt with companies that will charge a high shipping price then ship it in a flat rate box. The one that comes to mind is a company that sells mustang parts, I was charged over $15 shipping and it came in the small flat rate box. I'm guessing they made more on the shipping than they did on the part.
 
I still use midway because it is very convenient, but about a month ago. I received a cadwell bipod that had a bent rod that prevented it from installing properly, there were wear marks all over it, and there was dirt in the leg shafts. The bipod was garbage, and I was shocked that the thing wasn't thrown away let alone shipped to me as a "NEW" product. Seriously, that really happened.
 
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Unfortunately, I've become increasingly disappointed with them. First, they did away with the dealer discounts (I have a C&R). Next, their shipping charges became more and more ridiculous, and finally their packaging has gone way downhill. I recently received a Timney trigger that had the bolt release bent 90 degrees. I used to always go to Midway first. Now I'm shopping around and buy at Midway maybe 10% of the time.

They also seem to have a lot more "out of stock" than they used too (not counting ammo).
 
you guys should see how their UK Branches Jack the price up 2 or 3 time the price that they charge in the US, I dont have an issue with making a profit but here they just tear the Ass out of it and what really takes the piss is they only have very little stock and the stuff they advertise is never in stock

They coundnt organize fuck in a whore house with a fist full of fivers.

john
 
I may as well join in. I used to consider Midway a "go-to" vendor, but then the shipping and handling costs starting creeping up, and the discounts became fewer and farther between. And then I ordered some .30-.30 brass along with some other items. The ".30-.30 brass" box was labeled as such, but I could tell even before I opened it that it did not contain brass. Sure enough, it was a bunch of truncated cone .40 caliber bullets. I contacted Midway, and they offered to let me send them back and they would credit my account. I asked for a return label, and they said they don't do that. So I asked why I should incur the shipping for something that was clearly their fault, and they simply apologized but made no further effort, except to inform me that, oh, by the way, we don't have any .30-30 brass in stock anymore, either.

I still buy at Midway once in awhile, if no one else has what I want, but I'd much rather go to Brownell's or Bruno's or any number of other places. Yes, these other places have problems sometimes, too, but they take responsibility and fix it.
 
I dislike Midway because you can't calculate what you're spending even when you finally submit an order. Will it be one shipping charge? Two? Three? One for each item I order?

When I put items in my cart with nearly any other retailer, it tells me exactly how much of my money they will take. Midway doesn't do that, so I don't do business with them.

Pricing roulette just doesn't work for me.
 
I dislike Midway because you can't calculate what you're spending even when you finally submit an order. Will it be one shipping charge? Two? Three? One for each item I order?

When I put items in my cart with nearly any other retailer, it tells me exactly how much of my money they will take. Midway doesn't do that, so I don't do business with them.

Pricing roulette just doesn't work for me.

I've NEVER had that problem.

Then again, I don't order stuff that is backordered with stuff that is in stock.
 
I've NEVER had that problem.

Then again, I don't order stuff that is backordered with stuff that is in stock.

Two of the three times I've ordered with them the stuff was "in stock" when I ordered, but then one item was declared "back ordered" shortly thereafter. The first time it happened, I thought we had already agreed to a price, so I didn't do anything. They charged me for extra shipping when the item came in the very next day (and the two shipments arrived to me the same day).

When it happened the second time, I just cancelled the whole order. Haven't ordered anything since.
 
i have just about sworn off midway.........the biggest reason is they decided to get rid of legitimate shipping services in leui of that bs ups garbage. i ship between 5-7 packages a day with usps priority mail......20 bucks and its there in 2 damn days. they used to offer this service as well as fedex........now its 20 damn dollars for ups "SURE POST" which is a 10 damn day delivery for 20 bucks. i dont like being jerked off by the price of shipping. its a deal breaker for me.......imho it makes them a untrustworthy company to do business with. brownells now gets most of my business. too bad,i used to enjoy shopping there.
 
Don't want to jinx it but, must be one lucky bastard. Am about a dozen year customer and never had any issues, stuff usually gets here in about 3 to 5 business days. Smaller stuff comes in mail, bigger heavy or explosive stuff comes by brown truck. Happy to living in a place where can still order stuff by mail.
 
Sorry so many of the posters have had trouble or have felt jilted by Midway. I made my first order to Midway in 1986. Purchased a sealed case (1,860 or so) of Winchester 230gr .45 FMJ's for $89.00 delivered. That was their regular price, not some sale, or special dealer price. I have placed an order from them, approximately once every two months or so since then. During that time I have lived in 4 states. I have only had one issue with an order, and Midway made it right. Times and prices everywhere have changed. Diesel was 79 cents a gallon, certified lead was 12 cents a pound, and Dupont IMR 4895 was $80.00 for an 8 pound tin on Commercial Row at Camp Perry during the National Matches.

When I need a component or part that I cannot make myself, or purchase locally I write it down on a shopping list. When I have more than just a couple of things I use the wonderful world-wide interweb to find a vendor who can supply the most items on my list, and make a purchase. That sometimes helps the sting of shipping, unless it is a heavy item. If I need one of something, I sometimes buy two. That is because I know myself, and I can be clumsy, and going through 4 of these "panics" since the "Machine Gun Ban" around "86 I know how folks panic buy.

I believe in "Murphy's Law". I can tell you for a fact Murphy has bad breath, as he is breathing on the back of my neck every second of the day. Every so often I have an "Oh Crap" moment, and need one thing, ASAP. Like having to go to a "Convenience Store" on a holiday, I know I sometimes will have to pay a premium if I need one or two things in a hurry.

At least as of today, in the United States, You can choose to purchase from a variety of vendors. Purchase from whatever one You like. I doubt Midway, or any of the other big vendors will be closing their doors any time soon. I just think they are praying their suppliers can keep them supplied whilst all the folks are out spending their 401K's panic buying.

FWIW & YMMV
 
Glad to see this thread still alive.

I have voted with my feet and Powder Valley and several others have gotten my money for the last several months.

Speedy and cheap shipping is the way of the future, led by amazon (which now stocks more and more shooting stuff) Prime and ebay now following suit, and Walmart, all competing to ship faster and cheaper.

No surprise to me that Larry is not in tune with the way of the future. He's too busy posing with water buffalos for the cover of the catalog.

Anyway, I got nothing against them, they can do what they want. As I said, I've voted with my feet because I'm sick of going there and wasting time to learn that a.) the prices are too high; and b.) shipping is obnoxious.
 
Yep me too!!
Until the next time they are the only source for what I have to have at the time. The fact is they are big enough and have enough pull to get the products in stock that we all need and use up faster than we can replace it these days. They are not my favorite for many of the reasons that are stated in this thread but hate em or love em they are one of the links that keep me and many of us shooting
 
When I need "stuff" I always check current price and availability at a few places and Midway is my least preferred. When I had dealer pricing it was just OK because the only good deals there were sale and close out items. Most of the dealer priced items could be had for less at other places without requiring a dealer account. When they dropped the dealer pricing program I stopped ordering anything ( including sale & closeout items ) from Midway. Their shipping costs are a joke.

They never screwed up my orders and were generally pretty quick about shipping, to their credit, most of the time.
 
Have ordered thousand's of dollars with them and next thing you know they send me a email talking about the going to give me a birthday discount so I said this would be a great time to order a Swarovski Rifle scope and called to check availability and see how much the scope was going to cost! Well they come up with a lame excuse that the scope was already discounted and they would not allow me to use my so called birthday discount to put down on the scope? Needless to say my business has moved on to retailers that actually respect their customers! Adios Larry
 
Thought I would add my experience to this thread. I recently placed three orders.

2/7 Brownells, 1lb package $8 shipping, arrived in 4 days.

2/10 Stocky's, 4lb package $40 shipping arrived in 2 days.

2/8 Midway, 4lb package $40 shipping, was sent via UPS to my PO box! After wandering around the lower 48 it was transferred to USPS in Federal Way, WA on 2/13. Nine days later and two weeks after the initial order it still has not arrived. I'm sure it was transferred as cheaply as possible so that means the package is likely on a truck somewhere in Canada.

Seems like the shipping department at a large company would know better than to send a UPS shipment to a PO box.
 
2/8 Midway, 4lb package $40 shipping, was sent via UPS to my PO box! After wandering around the lower 48 it was transferred to USPS in Federal Way, WA on 2/13. Nine days later and two weeks after the initial order it still has not arrived. I'm sure it was transferred as cheaply as possible so that means the package is likely on a truck somewhere in Canada.

Seems like the shipping department at a large company would know better than to send a UPS shipment to a PO box.

That is the new "cheap" S&H option at MidwayUSA now and its called "UPS Sure Post." Apparently, someone in "logistics" has figured out that it is cheaper (a real contradiction in terms at MidwayUSA when it comes to most things, but particularly S&H costs) to give the package to UPS initially, then have them just deposit it with your area USPS location for "final" delivery (although in my case, it was "deposited" with a USPS location four states away). I got nailed using that pitiful excuse for a service once and it took my package roughly 18 business days to make its way to my delivery address when stnd UPS shipping from Midway generally takes 3-4 business days. Its a complete joke and at the end of the day, offers no real "savings" to the customer whatsoever if you want or need your items in a timely manner!
 
Have ordered thousand's of dollars with them and next thing you know they send me a email talking about the going to give me a birthday discount so I said this would be a great time to order a Swarovski Rifle scope and called to check availability and see how much the scope was going to cost! Well they come up with a lame excuse that the scope was already discounted and they would not allow me to use my so called birthday discount to put down on the scope? Needless to say my business has moved on to retailers that actually respect their customers! Adios Larry ��

"Happy Birthday. Now go Fuck Yourself."