What is it with online vendors not wanting to use USPS flat rate shipping? It's not like they have stop what they're doing and go to the PO. The PO will drop off flat rate boxes and pick up the packages and give a discount for printing the shipping online.

I tried to order 6, RCBS Lil Dandy rotors from Optics Planet to fill in my gaps so I'd have a full set. They would easily fit in a small flat rate for $5.25 but they want to charge $24.30 to ship these to Alaska. "I'm sorry sir but we don't use USPS flat rate."

I get sick of getting hosed on shipping because vendors won't use USPS.

Okay rant over. Thanks for letting me vent.

I have often wondered the same thing. I include shipping cost with the total price of the item. Sometimes I find that I don't need it all that bad.

Flat rate kills their profit margin. Everyone knows what flat rate costs so we know what they're really charging for 'handling'.

I was looking to buy a trigger yesterday for a mauser project I working on. Went to checkout with Boyds and they wanted to charge $44 to ship it to ANC! The damn trigger is only $44!! Midway will ship it for $4.99.

I wanted to buy a magnet recently...damn thing was no bigger than my thumb...whoever I was ordering it from (I forget) wanted $16 to ship it...no freeking thank you...

Cheers/bg

I have a Vortex Scope coming tomorrow from Optic Planet and it was free shipping

You will have to pay shipping sending it back to vortex for repair so it will all even out.

I have five Vortex Scopes and so far never had to send one in for repairs or replacement

That is jacked up. I would be done with them too; just trying to make extra coin off of shipping - you can do better if you shop elsewhere.

It wouldn't be free shipping from them if you lived in Alaska.

last two times I have ordered from them, they have been out of stock on the item, and did not tell me. Just left me hanging , waiting for delivery until I called and got the news.
Now I just try someone else first.

You just don't understand the charges, Mart, you obviously live in one of those "57" states Obummer says we have, and they just haven't figured out your zip code. Hang in there buddy!

I just got a crossbow fr rom cabelas and the box has a set of boot prints on top of it.
WTF?
really?

That's why I quit dealing with them years ago. They'll tell you something is in stock, when actually it's not, take your money, and hope they can keep you (and your money) on the hook til their next delivery of said item. If I want something, I want it NOW. If you don't actually have it, IN STOCK RIGHT NOW, I don't appreciate having smoke blown up my azz, which is their standard operating procedure. It also irks me that they have like 20 different websites, with different names, set up with the SAME stuff.

bought from them a couple times. they had best price each time, once got free aluminum scope lens covers at n/c. shipped great. no problems.

That happened to me waiting for a flash light no more for sure. It really burned my azz.

I beat this drum on a pretty regular basis, but Amazon has a lot of the stuff we use, and free shipping on orders of over $35, I think, and free 2-day for Prime members. The Prime membership is $100 per year, but I save that on shipping in just a few months. It also includes a video streaming service, music streaming, and loaner Kindle books. You just have to be sure that your item is either actually sold by Amazon or fullfilled by Amazon.

I just bought a scope and mountsfrom Opticsplanet, but it shipped from Amazon for free and was here in two days.

From "Oh Brother Where Art Thou"...


"Aren't you a [bleep] geographical oddity, you just happen to be 2 weeks from everywhere"

OpticsPlanet has pissed me off a couple times, too. The only thing that keeps me going back isn't their customer service dept. They suck. Had one broad busting my chops over the phone for a pittance. I asked her "Have you checked my purchase history?". She says "No, I don't need to".

The really good salesmen always check my history and that's the only reason I continue buying from them. I've negotiated some good deals over the phone with them, then use my loyalty and purchase credits on top.

One of my buddies here is so done with them, and that's a bad idea on their part. He makes my money look like poker money and is constantly buying all kinds of cool stuff and building really nice rifles.

Amazon Prime is a great deal, even for those of us up in the Great Land, at least so far! I've ordered stuff from them with free shipping that I was sure would be cancelled once they saw the shipping Zip code, but every time the item has shown up on my doorstep.

One of my big gripes is with vendors who openly advertise shipping for an item is via USPS Priority Mail, but then refuse to ship to Alaska due to the "higher shipping costs." Even when I have tried to explain that the Priority Mail flat rate boxes cost the same to ship whether it's going across the state or across the Pacific to Hawaii I usually just end up slamming the phone down in frustration. Especially when the idiot on the other end tells me that the flat rate is only good within the United States. Sigh...

Chris

We get that garbage all the time, here in New Mexico!

I have had nothing but good experiences with Optics Planet.

I've never had any problems with Optics Planet, in fact, just the opposite. It has always been a pleasant dealing with them.

Respects,
Richard

wait until you try to return an item. More paperwork than the IRS.

Just shipped 5 lbs. to Fairbanks , insured for $800.00 USPS $ 29.41.
I have an UPS account . UPS wanted $ 135.00 same package and insurance.
UPS said 4 days…. but they never make it.
I do ship a lot of parts UPS all over the planet. I don't pay the shipping but some issues with UPS we spend time straightening out.
Only ship US with USPS.
I quit optics planet years ago for a variety of issues.
I will not go back and at that tie their website was poor.

Is it's Optic Planet's fault or is it the fact that it may be deliverd by a bush pilot or a sled dog team to Alaska?

I loved Lock, Stock & Barrel when I live in AK, of course they are tits up. Cabelas was good too, especially when they had free or $5.00 shipping.

I wouldn't deal with anyone that wouldn't mail via USPS. Dealing with companies whilst living in AK is nothing if not comical at times.

One lady couldn't grasp the concept that I didn't have a physical address, she said everyone has a physical address so an item can be shipped to.

prefer to do business with "vintage" shooting industry supporters but am not made of money...

have been treated well by optics planet on a couple deals

that flat rate thing cuts both ways--Huntington, who I once held in the highest esteem, offers(ed) "cheapest possible" shipping, and then shipped flat rate in a larger than required flat rate box, netting a punitive shipping cost on the order. When I whined I got a nasty customer service reply email from some lovely...

shipping could stand some fine tuning, but I imagine that shipping providers are in a constant competitive flux too, to gain market share

starting to look like there may be too many of everything offered by everyone...

Yep. That's for sure. And, oh by the way, their sister ship Dvor doesn't accept returns at all. I had to move a mountain to get them to take a $35 item back. This, after going up the food chain with customer service. The first 3 idjuts told me "read the fine print" on the website. I said "Where on the website?". I couldn't find it after looking for it!