Subject: Mail Order Suppliers (1st of Several -- long)

From: [email-masked] (Stuart Friedberg)
Date: 30 Dec 92 05:38:59 GMT

This is the first of several messages I plan to post about mail
order suppliers of metalworking tools and materials that I've been
happy with.  In this message I want to give some tips for successful
mail order (telephone, actually) shopping.

Get the catalogs and know what you want.  There are often many
sizes, models, and sources of an "X", so you need to know which
particular X when you write and especially when you call to place
an order.  Even the smallest industrial supply houses deal in tens
of thousands of items, which means even very knowledgable order-takers
can't always give you the information you need over the phone.
Reserve queries about details for stuff that you couldn't figure
out for yourself.

Many of the order takers are very helpful and knowledgable.  At
*SOME* sources the order takers can actually go look in the stock
bins, take a micrometer to measure a shaft diameter, etc.  I have
had people at three different companies do something like this for
me.  However, some companies have computerized centralized order
taking at a location completely separate from their stocking
locations, so don't *assume* people can tell you anything that's
not written in the catalog.  I've had one company tell me to just
order a set of change gears and return them if I couldn't use them.
This wasn't crazy, the order taker simply had no relevant information
available.

Get the catalogs and shop around.  Very often there are *big*
differences in price between identical items, and even more often
one source will have a unique or slightly different item at an
excellent price compared to the "standard" item.  There are lots
of reasons for this.  I have seen 2 to 1 price ratios on things
like shim stock (from the same manufacturer) and "can't twist"
clamps (from different manufactures but of equal quality).
Occasionally, you will find 10 to 1 price rations on things like
boxes of hose clamps.  Great deals if you look around.  If you can,
examine a tool at a local store (where the prices may be higher)
to see what the quality is like, before placing the order by mail
or telephone.

You can also learn a great deal by perusing the catalogs, both
about tools in general, and about specific details of specific
tools.  There's seldom enough room in a catalog to print all the
manufacturer's data, but different sources will select different
stuff to print.  I have many times used one company's catalog to
select the precise thing I wanted, then bought it from another
company because the price was better.

Most suppliers ship quickly if they have a credit card authorization.
If they don't ship within two working days on a routine basis, shop
somewhere else in the future.  One full working day is quite common.

I have had only one bad incident in the 4 or 5 years I've been
buying industrial stuff by telephone, and came through with no
losses.  A supply company (which entered bankruptcy proceedings
just a little while ago, by the way) charged my credit card for
the full amount of my order, didn't ship for a month, and was
completely clueless as to when they would ship my order.  That is
intolerable, and protection against abuse like that is one good
reason to use a credit card rather than sending a check.  You don't
need to sue to get your money back if the merchant doesn't come
through.  (If it's not obvious, I got my money back and started to
throw out that company's catalogs as they arrived.)

Some industrial suppliers don't do back orders because it slows
things down.  The stock pickers send what's in stock and mark out
of stock items on the invoice.  This may be a little different from
retail mail order sources you've dealt with in the past.  Contact
them about what's in stock and when it's expected to be available.

Be prepared to return an item.  Having to return an item because
it was misshipped, defective, or of unsatisfactory quality is *NOT*
an indictment of the supplier.  If you do enough shopping for
industrial supplies, you will find that you have to do a partial
return maybe 1 time in 5.  Don't get mad; don't get upset.  It's
routine.  Industrial supply and consumer retail have different
expectations about quality control.

When you return an item, follow instructions.  Many, but not all,
suppliers require you to contact them for a "return authorization"
number, which you must write on the outside of the package.  You
should include a copy of the invoice in the package.  This is *NOT*
an opportunity for the supplier to screw you over.  This is a
routine matter, and most of them just ask you to note on the invoice
what was wrong and if you want credit, a refund, an exchange for
something else, or whatever.

That's enough for now.  I will send out an initial list of suppliers
I've been happy with immediately after this message, and some
additional lists in a day or two.

Stu Friedberg ([email-masked])