So I purchased a few parts (YHM Diamond Free Float Quad Rail, DPMS Buffer Tube, and KNS Pin set) for the AR project on April 26th. They charged me $9 for Postage, Handling & Insurance.
I received the parts shipped USPS but they were simply put into a USPS shipping bag. The bag had holes in it, and drag marks that appeared as though it was dropped, then dragged across the ground.
The YHM Quad Rail and the Buffer tube are both metal, and painted a flat black to match every other flat black AR part out there.
So, I opened the shipping bag, and found these parts simply in a plastic baggie. Both the buffer tube and the Quad Rail had scratches, but I didn't care too much about the buffer tube as you'll never see them. The Quad Rail on the other hand really pissed me off. Not only were there scratches on it, but there were dents and you could see shiny aluminum against the flat black paint job.
I contacted Midway USA, who surprisingly replied to my email over the weekend and indicated that I would need to fill out an RMA form and send it back to them. I was shocked. My email to them included pictures of the damage and there was really no apology about the inconvenience. Just a statement saying they were "apologize that your order arrived in less than perfect condition." I'd say so. I think the problem is their shipping & handling methods.
They also do not provide pre-paid shipping labels so you must pay again to ship the products back to them and they will reimburse you afterwards. I also found out afterwards that they will only pay for ground shipping back. Luckily, I decided to ship it ground or I would've been screwed there too.
Lastly, they make you fill out this arcane RMA form and include it in the shipment back to them. This is a company that has to be selling tens of thousands of dollars of products a day on their website, and their policy is to print out a PDF, fill it out with a pen, and include the hard copy in the box?
They said that once my package has been received, they will process my full refund within 1-2 days. They said it would include the cost of the shipping (receipt left in box) back to them also. Since UPS ground has been pretty slow in getting to them, I'm still waiting for my refund. I was luckily able to find another vendor that properly packaged my order and got the delivery of these parts to me in once piece.
I don't know how many people work for Midway USA, but I've dealt with some small companies before, and they had at least the minimum requirements met for running a typical Internet retailer. Making sure the products are delivered safely starts with packaging the products properly.
Come on Larry Potterfield! Get your company into 2012.
Needless to say, this was my first and last experience with Midway USA. Their prices aren't the most competitive, and we'll see once my refund is issued how their refund policy works.
Update to follow!
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