How to get best price on shipping from McMaster......?

[DR]

I've read on various forums and been told by locals there's a way to get a better price on shipping. I'm not a frequent buyer.

My last order was $6 merchandise and $9 something for shipping. I'm spoiled by Amazon Prime.

One person said to call in my order for a discount on shippping...is that right? Another buys frequently which he says gives him a shipping discount.

[Bob La Londe]

I cringe on bulky items from McMaster, but its part of the cost of getting things done for me.

I was a fan of Amazon Prime for a little while, but then I needed a microswitch that was listed as available (for a fee) the next day. I bought it, and it didn't show up the next day, or the next day, or the next day. When I contacted Amazon to complain they said it was an "option" for overnight but that I didn't pay it. That was a lie. I did pay it, and when I clicked on the item in my order history it showed the item for overnight delivery for the price I paid. They stopped responding after I pointed that out. I ordered the part I needed from... McMaster. LOL. I had it the next day, made the repair, and was on to the next project. A month later the switch I had paid for overnight arrived from China. I now have a spare.

That was the one that pretty much ended my buying from Amazon for anything I "NEED." Another time I ordered a 6 relays from Amazon Prime. They arrived next day like they were supposed to, but I received five relays and a stick. The stick was in a nice cellophane bag labeled relay, but it was still a stick. Fortunately I only needed one relay, and the others were ordered as spares, but I can't imagine how the order puller didn't realize, "One of these things was not like the others. One of these things just wasn't the same."

I have not been spoiled by Amazon Prime. LOL.

[DR]

Bob, it's a rare day we don't have an Amazon package on the porch. My wife orders all sorts of things that we previously bought locally.

I have noticed their 2 day Prime shipping has been slipping. Like a birthday present for a grand child didn't come and it didn't come. Finally they said it'd be thirty more days and still not here.

Now I'm looking at a one foots section of thin wall tube. $2.98 at McMaster, $9.39 and a short drive to online metals. If McMaster charges 9 bucks shipping it's less expensive at online. Not that I'm that worried about a couple bucks, it's that soon I'm going to order lots from McMaster and I'd like to know is there's a trick to cut shipping costs.

[Bob La Londe]

Yeah, my wife gets a lot of stuff from Amazon still. She is the one who pays the Prime membership now though. I think that microswitch was the last thing I ordered from Amazon myself. Its been a while.

[wierdscience]

McMaster is having supply chain problems like everybody else. Not all locations have all products in stock,so what happens is your order for multiple items, may ship from multiple locations depending on stock.
That can get expensive as each shipment adds an additional shipping charge.What I do ordering online from them is check the shipping costs as I add items to see if the shipping costs jump.If they do, then odds are the shipment is being split.
I have asked them to advise on shipping charge options and gotten a reduced rate by accepting later delivery. So what would normally show up next day, takes two or even three days instead, but at a lower cost YMMV.

[oxford]

My last order was $6 merchandise and $9 something for shipping. I'm spoiled by Amazon Prime.

You do get a little spoiled by free shipping but you also get a little piece of mind with McMaster. Order a set of Mitutoyo digital calipers from them and that’s what get get.

Order a set off of Amazon and you may get a legit set. You may also get a nicely done fake.

[A.K. Boomer]

For comparison purposes in the automotive world I have to bring up "parts geek" and RockAuto, no comparison actually --- R.A. wins hands down in every category,,,

Parts geek is not only more expensive for the same parts but they try to skin you alive in shipping charges....

It's consistent too - I simply will not deal with them unless the very rare occasion they have something that RA does not,

R.A.'s hungry - they want your business - they make an effort, they may not make as much money "per part" but they probably make many times over just in the quantity due to keeping their expenses down and selling and shipping at great rates...

Not to long ago I ordered a rack and pinon unit for a full size truck,,, not only a great price ---- $9.99 shipping! that's a huge box and not light either....

You guys also seen the radiator repair I had to pull off, first time it ever happened in fact think it was the first thing I ever ordered from them that got damaged, a simple questioneer - boom they covered what I told them id need to fix it and the funds were in my account the next morning....

Good companies deserve bragging about... I think the last time I went to order something from McMaster it's like the shipping was a mystery until you hit the last confirmation button after you already gave your CC number and everything? that's when I bailed and bought the part on e-bay....

if it was not the case and there was another step after confirming then still it's their bad for not spelling it all out ahead of time - level with me or no sale... I don't like "surprises".....

[GordonL]

McMaster would do better on shipping is they offered options like priority mail. A while back I ordered some small parts and they would have fit in a priority box but I ended up paying for next day UPS for something I could have waited for. Not everything has to be next day. Sometimes I am just replacing the last piece that I had in stock.

[Frank K]

McMaster is having supply chain problems like everybody else. Not all locations have all products in stock,so what happens is your order for multiple items, may ship from multiple locations depending on stock.
That can get expensive as each shipment adds an additional shipping charge.What I do ordering online from them is check the shipping costs as I add items to see if the shipping costs jump.If they do, then odds are the shipment is being split.
I have asked them to advise on shipping charge options and gotten a reduced rate by accepting later delivery. So what would normally show up next day, takes two or even three days instead, but at a lower cost YMMV.

You should give them a call because that has not been my experience with McMaster. If I place an online order and it ends up being split up among multiple distribution centers they charge me only one shipping fee as if it all came from one place. One phone call might save you some $$$.

[Lee Cordochorea]

I regretfully have no advice for the OP as I have a McMaster outlet within driving distance and on the way to one of my frequent destinations.

I do wan to point out: there is no such thing as "free shipping." There is only "shipping included in listed price." 😎

[DR]

"Good companies deserve bragging about... I think the last time I went to order something from McMaster it's like the shipping was a mystery until you hit the last confirmation button after you already gave your CC number and everything? that's when I bailed and bought the part on e-bay....

if it was not the case and there was another step after confirming then still it's their bad for not spelling it all out ahead of time - level with me or no sale... I don't like "surprises"....."

I really didn't notice a shipping charge during the order process. Maybe it was there.....

[jwmelvin]

I think the last time I went to order something from McMaster it's like the shipping was a mystery until you hit the last confirmation button after you already gave your CC number and everything?

That used to be their way, but now they show the shipping as you add items to the cart. Much nicer.

[A.K. Boomer]

That used to be their way, but now they show the shipping as you add items to the cart. Much nicer.

That's good to know - im sure even if shipping is a little on the pricey side that their sales went up just due to people knowing ahead of time, nobody want's to click the confirm button without having everything tallied up before they do.... that would be comparable to shopping without the price tag as in "yeah just send it and charge me whatever you want"

well - nobody I know of want's that...

[rws]

What I have noticed, every time you add something to the cart, it has a shipping fee and it says when it will arrive. So if you bought two screw drivers, and each had a shipping fee, even though both could fit in the same box, you are charged the two fees. I think there is the flaw, they add up. In the old days, they would pull your items them use the best method to ship. Yes, you trusted them with your CC, but they were always fair. I don't like this new method.

I ordered several pieces of aluminum from Online Metals, they used the biggest piece, taped the others to it, wrapped it and shipped it. And it was reasonable. Can't ask for better than that.

[oxford]

What I have noticed, every time you add something to the cart, it has a shipping fee and it says when it will arrive. So if you bought two screw drivers, and each had a shipping fee, even though both could fit in the same box, you are charged the two fees. I think there is the flaw, they add up.

I’m not saying there system isn’t flawed but I just tried this in the cart and it isn’t what happened.

I put a small roller bearing in the cart, ships Monday and shipping was $9. Added another of a different size that also shipped Monday and shipping stayed the same. It took quite a few different bearings added to change the shipping and it went up $1. I don’t know if they are calculating weight or what.

What did make it change was adding a bearing that didn’t ship Monday, that added an additional shipping charge on.