# McMaster-Carr Shipping



## ddickey (Mar 28, 2017)

I made a small purchase and since they didn't have all the parts in one warehouse I got charged two shipping fees.
Does this sound like good business practice? Personally I think that's bad business but who am I to say. They appear to be a very successful company. Over & out.

EDIT: They refunded one of the charges after I complained. Forget what I said above.


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## NCjeeper (Mar 28, 2017)

I have never had that issue and I am just a small time shop.


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## darkzero (Mar 28, 2017)

I'm not a shop but shipping from Mcmaster has always been one of the best for me, they don't over charge like most places ridiculously do.


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## ebolton (Mar 28, 2017)

I love McMaster-Carr like my wife loves Amazon. Their website is simple and fast. They ship quick and provide tracking. They tend to be more expensive for both items and shipping than more specialized outlets for individual items, but there are many times where convenience beats a few bucks.

I went in person to their New Jersey warehouse to pick up something for work once, while working on-site in NJ. What a place! Huge, automated, and efficient.

-Ed


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## Terrywerm (Mar 28, 2017)

I have been one of their satisfied customers for a LOOOONNNGGGGG time. Long enough that as an individual I've got an open charge account with them even though I usually pay by credit card. They have always been fast and efficient and I cannot think of one single time where an item that I ordered was out of stock or on backorder. Yes, I might be able to get the same item a little cheaper elsewhere, but only after much shopping around and time lost trying to find a good price. Instead, I just order it from them and I have it in no time. Shipping charges are always reasonable. I suspect that you may have experienced an isolated incident, but cannot say for certain. Either way, they refunded you on one of the shipping charges, so that's a good thing for you! I trust that you will continue to have good experiences with them in the future.


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## Rustrp (Mar 29, 2017)

I think the double dipping on the shipping charges was probably a computer generated problem. I don't call it complaining, I call it standing up for what's right. I have never had a problem with McMaster Carr.  They have a stock selection that's really stocked.

When I want a charge reversed. I seldom get pushback and if I do I ask for a second tier supervisor.  Companies earn huge revenue on service charges, simply because we don't ask and I live by "the most they can do is say no."


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## ddickey (Mar 29, 2017)

I agree Rustrp, 
I think it must of been a computer glitch. I will continue to shop there.


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## Eddyde (Mar 29, 2017)

It's not a computer glitch. Mc Master sells primarily to industry where time is money, so they try to get you the parts as fast as possible. They are completely upfront about this; if you look at the items in your cart, it says when each item will ship, shipping method and from which warehouse. If you see items coming from more than one warehouse or shipping method, expect more than one shipping charge. If this doesn't work for you, call customer service and the'll ship all items when in stock at the closest warehouse, However, heavy items shipped by fright truck will always incur extra charges.


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## BFHammer (Mar 29, 2017)

I have been a McMaster customer for years and always been satisfied with their products and service.  It is better than amazon prime for me.  Most items ship to me (in Chattanooga) from their Atlanta warehouse.  Consistently I can order parts this afternoon and they will arrive tomorrow.   Usually a day or two before the actual invoice.

Glad to hear that your issue was resolved.


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## projectnut (Mar 29, 2017)

I had the same double shipping charge assessed one time many years ago.  I did call and the charges were immediately dropped.  If speed of delivery isn't a prime concern you can talk to customer service and request that they only send a order when it's complete.  They'll make a note on your account to notify you if items are coming from multiple sources and only ship complete orders.  If I recall correctly an online order I made last year was coming from multiple sources.  The items must have been back ordered for sometime because I immediately got a notice that some items were out of stock.  I had to choose whether I wanted the remainder of the order shipped immediately or wait for the order to be complete before shipping.

I don't know if this service is extended to those without a standing account.  I do know you can open an account and use a credit card as payment without them keeping the credit card number for future orders.  I've purchased from them for over 40 years and never left a credit card on file.


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## JPigg55 (Mar 29, 2017)

Eddyde said:


> It's not a computer glitch. Mc Master sells primarily to industry where time is money, so they try to get you the parts as fast as possible. They are completely upfront about this; if you look at the items in your cart, it says when each item will ship, shipping method and from which warehouse. If you see items coming from more than one warehouse or shipping method, expect more than one shipping charge. If this doesn't work for you, call customer service and the'll ship all items when in stock at the closest warehouse, However, heavy items shipped by fright truck will always incur extra charges.



I wish all places were this upfront.
I recently ordered some electronic components through Amazon with Prime free shipping.
I'd ordered on a Thursday so I didn't expect it to arrive until the following week.
Most of the stuff I ordered had arrived by Monday except for a couple things.
When they hadn't arrived by Tuesday, I went and checked the shipping email notice.
Turns out these last 2 items were on there way on a slow boat from China with this expected delivery date: Arriving Mar 30 - Apr 14
The "Item has Shipped" email was received on March 16.
Had I known this up front, I would have found somewhere else to order from.


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## Rustrp (Mar 29, 2017)

Eddyde said:


> It's not a computer glitch. Mc Master sells primarily to industry where time is money, so they try to get you the parts as fast as possible. They are completely upfront about this; if you look at the items in your cart, it says when each item will ship, shipping method and from which warehouse. If you see items coming from more than one warehouse or shipping method, expect more than one shipping charge. If this doesn't work for you, call customer service and the'll ship all items when in stock at the closest warehouse, However, heavy items shipped by fright truck will always incur extra charges.


This may be true for some who allow someone to apply the charges. Being in business for 30+ years, I've been around the corral a few times and had a chance to listen to the sales pitch and PR, or in many years past, snake oil. When a company says; "Let us be your stocking distributor" I extend this to how they stock and ship. If they only have 5 of the dozen items I ordered online and choose to ship from two locations that's their call, and it's just good business to pick up the phone and ask for a credit on the freight if it's applied. If their standard stock is a 1,000 pieces in the warehouse and they only have 5, it's their issue, not the customer's. I don't see the issue as a glich or fault, it's just part of the shipping program. If I order product that's over the UPS weight limit then I expect the extra charges for more than one package, or I have the option of shipping common carrier and waiting. Picking up the phone and asking for a credit takes less time than it took me to type this, so rather than give a company a negative review, allow them to make it right like ddickey did. 

Some less than straight forward online business's go with the lowest price then recoup their bottom line in shipping and handling charges, but this isn't McMaster-Carr's angle. I always ask if there's a question on pricing or shipping charges and the most they can do is say no.


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## FanMan (Mar 29, 2017)

ebolton said:


> I love McMaster-Carr like my wife loves Amazon...



My wife likes McMaster, too!

They are a class outfit.  I've placed an order in the morning and had it on my porch later that same day (NJ warehouse to CT, no special shipping requested).  Their prices are somewhat higher than other suppliers, yes; you're paying for the convenience.


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## EmilioG (Mar 29, 2017)

I like and use Mcmasters but I wish they offered a less expensive shipping option. I don't always need something in two days.
My other gripe is that it is often hard to tell what your going to get with some items. MC is good generally but not always for specific items.
They're metal stock prices are a bit high, so I pick and choose carefully and call or write to ask about specifics/brand, COO, etc...
Overall, they're great for quick processing shipping, so fast that you don't even have time to change an order., so be certain.


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## darkzero (Mar 29, 2017)

EmilioG said:


> I like and use Mcmasters but I wish they offered a less expensive shipping option. I don't always need something in two days.
> My other gripe is that it is often hard to tell what your going to get with some items.



Cheaper shipping? USPS might offer cheaper shipping for the smaller items but when it comes to larger stuff & volume shipments, USPS costs way more & they often can't compete with the volume pricing that the big box trucks offer.

Mcmaster's UPS pricing that they give to their customes is really good, which means they get great discounts. Mcmaster usually gets you your package delivered the next business day for most in the US but not cause they are shipping with a faster delivery service. They ship ground & their delivery speed is due to their warehouse locations that they stragically set up across the US. MSC is very much the same.

At my old job, we shipped over a thousand packages daily. With our discount, our rates were cheaper for 2 day than ground. USPS couldn't come close to meeting our our rates provided by UPS, FedEx, & DHL nor the delivery times.


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## David S (Mar 29, 2017)

One of the things that I like about our family here is that they state a problem so we can be informed...and then it things take a better turn they come back and update us.  In this case is seems like MC took the high road even if perhaps they didn't have to.

I am glad to hear of all the positive feedback for McMaster Carr.

David


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## timcorrey (Mar 31, 2017)

McMaster has always been good to me in industry and at home. They have a huge selection and deliver Fast!


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## SonOvaSailor (Apr 1, 2017)

ddickey said:


> I made a small purchase and since they didn't have all the parts in one warehouse I got charged two shipping fees.
> Does this sound like good business practice? Personally I think that's bad business but who am I to say. They appear to be a very successful company. Over & out.
> 
> EDIT: They refunded one of the charges after I complained. Forget what I said above.


I've ordered thousands of things from McMaster over the years, most for business. Everything seems to be there the next day. But I never worried about the freight because I wasn't paying for it LOL.

So while back I purchase something for myself, and was a little unsettled when I got to the check out page and there was nothing telling me what the shipping would be. When I got the item in the shipping did look kind of high, but of course it was here the next day almost.  I agree completely McMaster is an awesome company. But everyone put the shipping charges on the checkout page, I think they need to do that.


Better yet McMaster-Carr Prime!!!!!!



Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk


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## ewkearns (Apr 1, 2017)

I've always found McMaster-Carr to be prohibitively expensive. They certainly have selection and availability, but prices are hard to swallow. Most companies will ship a partial (or not) based on your needs. Sometimes getting Item 1 & 3 is a plus, giving you time to modify or install them, while waiting on items 2 & 4 that are required to finish the job. You can always ask them to hold until the order is complete.

Sounds like they get points for customer service......


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## astjp2 (Apr 1, 2017)

I have my mcmaster account set up to ship USPS, I get parts in less than a week and I am good with that, they are absolutely one of the cheapest places to find true industrial hardware and equipment compared to any big box store who has chicom crap.  I prefer made in USA or Europe and am willing to get the better quality vs. the walmart quality you get from Lowes or HD.  You may find a better deal on ebay on some things but McMaster is one stop shopping.


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## Steve Peterson (Apr 1, 2017)

I have always been happy with McMaster when I have placed an order.  I wish they could tell you the shipping charge upfront, but at least their shipping rates are very reasonable.

My last order told me that most items would ship from one warehouse and one item would ship from a different warehouse.  That item wasn't that important to me and I decided it wasn't worth paying the separate shipping charge so I deleted that item.  Still a happy customer.

Steve


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## ewkearns (Apr 1, 2017)

astjp2 said:


> I have my mcmaster account set up to ship USPS, I get parts in less than a week and I am good with that, they are absolutely one of the cheapest places to find true industrial hardware and equipment compared to any big box store who has chicom crap.  I prefer made in USA or Europe and am willing to get the better quality vs. the walmart quality you get from Lowes or HD.  You may find a better deal on ebay on some things but McMaster is one stop shopping.



I agree, wholeheartedly, that the big box stores are not a good source[except for Sheetrock™], but don't forget your local mill supplies and a zillion of other online suppliers. It isn't McM-C vs. Lowes or HD. there are LOTS of options....


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## MattM (Apr 1, 2017)

You want high shipping charges?  Try Speedy Metals.

I've ordered from McM and they are quick but quick comes with a price.  Most times I couldn't give a rat's ass if it comes next day or next week, but I'd like to know the cost of the options.


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## David VanNorman (Apr 1, 2017)

The generally have what you want and they ship fast. If you are looking for price check the others first. What gets my goat is the places that have a minimum  charge. I went to order something from Victor and  the piece was 15 or 16 dollars with shipping was 32 dollars I went to order they came back with the minimum . I then ordered from Wholesale tools . It cost me a dollar more than I would have paid from Victor but they did not have a minimum. That is just me.

Dave


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## 4GSR (Apr 2, 2017)

Never had an issue with buying from McMaster -Carr.  Always top quality products, get my stuff in a few days with reasonable shipping charges too.

Ken


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## johnnyc14 (Apr 2, 2017)

I just wish they would ship to Canada


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## 65Cobra427SC (Apr 2, 2017)

I've been ordering from them since 2006 and I wouldn't think of going elsewhere. Any order I place by dinnertime gets to my house the next day since their warehouse in OH is only 2 hours from my house. Just pay attention to your order. Anything that's coming from another warehouse or temporarily out of stock will have a separate shipping charge. It caught me off guard early on but in my case their OH warehouse has 99.9% of what I need, so it's rare. I make a decision based on what the item is. If it's something I can get locally, I'll remove it from the order. Otherwise, I just let them do their thing. Also, if I need 8' of bar stock, but will be cutting it in 2' sections, I may order shorter sections instead since longer sections are more expensive to ship. I just look at the price difference and make a judgement call. You can also return anything at any time. I returned a specialty brass valve 4 years later because I  never ended up using it, and they promptly credited my charge card for the full amount. You can also send them an email if you have any questions. I did that just recently while I was putting together an order and wasn't sure about one item. They responded in about half an hour. It wasn't what I wanted so I removed it from my order, submitted the remaining items and received them the next day. They also have 3D and 2D Technical drawings for everything in multiple formats (.dwg, .pdf, SolidWorks, etc.). This is the ultimate candy store for hardware.


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## Ken from ontario (Apr 2, 2017)

johnnyc14 said:


> I just wish they would ship to Canada


I think the only way for MCmaster to ship to Canada is if you already have a business account with them otherwise you're right they don't ship to new customers /  home addresses , that's what I've heard but no worries, Fastenal  carries most of their stuff and their service is great.


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## 65Cobra427SC (Apr 3, 2017)

Didn't know that about Canada... bummer. Glad you at least have Fastenal to deal with. I've kept them in mind over the years but never had to go elsewhere. I'd like to take a ride to McMaster one day just to see the place. One of my friends orders from them all the time as well. I'll have to talk to him about taking a ride out there on our bikes. Their website even has detailed driving directions. Wonder if they give tours


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## Sleddog (Apr 3, 2017)

Like many others I've ordered lots of supplies etc from McMaster-Carr, for work, over the years. They're my favorite supplier for home use also. With many, many suppliers having exorbitant shipping & handling charges I was a little put off by McMaster's "Applicable shipping charges will be added to your order"  So, at the end of each order I would ask for the cost of shipping before the order shipped. Very quickly I would get an email with the amount. I would reply  I accepted & to go ahead with shipping. I've since quit requesting the amounts since their charges have always been lower than expected. 

I did get the chance to visit & pick up items at the New Jersey facility when working at one of our plants a few years ago. Very impressive.


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## EmilioG (Apr 3, 2017)

OK, the shipping charges are reasonable, but I've stopped buying drills and taps from MM. I find better quality/price from Msc.
I can get a Guhring tap from Msc for the same price McMasters charges for Widia or off brand names.  Same with drills. Msc makes it easier
to find the right drill and you have a better choice of good brands. 

I'll use MM for a variety of other supplies and small tools, but it gets tiring emailing
back and forth trying to find out who the brand is. MM does not make it clear due to constant supplier changes.  

This is not anything against MM.
I buy from them all the time. Like anything else, I comparison shop and weigh the time/brand/value/price factor.


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## KBeitz (Nov 8, 2018)

McMaster-Carr


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## paoldschool (Nov 11, 2018)

I wish they had a tool of the month club or something like that...  I have used MC for 3 decades, living in Northwest PA, stuff is always here in two days or less.  I have never had an issue with the shipping, it is almost always faster and cheaper than USPS.  The other thing is if I need something,  I order it and know it will be in my hands quick!


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## 7milesup (Nov 11, 2018)

I live in Northwest Wisconsin.  I order from McMaster Carr and have it delivered it to my friends buisiness up the road.  If I order by 5pm I will have the parts the next day (if in stock of course) usually by 10am the next day.  A Midwest delivery company called Spee-Dee makes it happen, and for literally about 1/3 the price of UPS.


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