Gladiator GarageWorks shipping damage?

[quasi_accurate]

Does anyone have Gladiator GarageWork stuff? I want to order some of their stuff and found it to be much cheaper online vs brick-n-mortar. But I kept reading horror stories about their products getting damaged during shipping. Does anyone have experience with this? If you have any Gladiator stuff, did you buy it in stores or online?

 

[nolimits76]

I don't have their stuff, but just thinking out loud I am curious why you would want to order it online? Is pricing that much better? Seems like shipping would be $$$.

 

[GarageWrench]

I've bought both from Sears and directly from Gladiator. Never any problems from Sears, only one gear locker I purchased had a small dent on the side. Recently bought the 77" rack shelving from gladiator and it arrived damaged so I had them send it back. Quick call took care of it and the following week received another that was perfect. I still have more items to buy and won't hesitate to buy from either place.

 

[quasi_accurate]

I don't have their stuff, but just thinking out loud I am curious why you would want to order it online? Is pricing that
much better? Seems like shipping would be $$$.

Well, it's about 20% cheaper buying it online. Since I'm planning a several thousand dollar purchase, it's not an unsubstantial amount of savings.

I've bought both from Sears and directly from Gladiator. Never any problems from Sears, only one gear locker I purchased had a small dent on the side. Recently bought the 77" rack shelving from gladiator and it arrived damaged so I had them send it back. Quick call took care of it and the following week received another that was perfect. I still have more items to buy and won't hesitate to buy from either place.

Did you buy from sears.com and have them shipped to your house, or did you buy them from a brick-and-mortar Sears store?

 

[GarageWrench]

Did you buy from sears.com and have them shipped to your house, or did you buy them from a brick-and-mortar Sears store?[/QUOTE]

I bought them from brick and mortar.

 

[KenB]

I've bought Gladiator stuff online from Sears.com when it's been on sale and had it shipped to my local Sears store with excellent results - usually with free shipping. Boxes with obvious damage I didn't accept - and had the warehouse guy (or summon a manager, if necessary) right there to confirm; items that were OK I took home. I like the stuff, too.

Ken

 

[Lombie]

I just purchased 4 cabinets and a bunch of gearwall from Sears. Having read some of the same horror stories, I ordered the cabinets to the store for p/u, but the gearwall to my house because I figured it would be tough enough to stand up to shipping abuse. Good move, bad move, in that order.

3 of the 4 cabinets were significantly dented or scratched and one section of gearwall lost a 4 inch "chunk" out of the corner. It was not a clean break, but rather more like an oversized chip, like the stuff is brittle.

The store had another segment of good gearwall on hand from another pair that was returned with the same issue I had.

After digging through some cabinets that they had in stock, we managed to find enough undamaged units to fill my order.

The cabinets seem to be packaged really well and dents did not correlate to any damage to the packaging inside or out. Somehow they're being damaged before they get packaged.

Now that I've installed everything, I'm really happy with it. I'm just surprised that there were so many packaging issues with a product that's otherwise great.

Pro tip: Turn the boxes upside down, cut the tape there, then turn them over and lift the box away or use the packing bag as a lift to pull them out. They're wrapped up in a bag that opens at the bottom, so this makes it much easier to repackage them for the trip home or return to sender.

Good luck!

 

[quasi_accurate]

Yikes, it sounds like buying it in store is the way to go, despite the extra cost?

 

[Ray916MN]

I bought a roll around bottom earlier this year from Sears. Picked it up at the store. The first box they brought out was visibly crushed. Asked them to bring out a box without any apparent damage. All was good when I unpacked it at home, but the packing materials did not impress me. Given the weight and size of the box (160lbs), I don't think the box would have protected the roll around from anything much more than an inch or two inch drop on an edge or corner.

I wouldn't order this stuff for delivery.

 

[matty d]

I have several Gearboxes and Geardrawers and Cabinets in my set up. I only had to return one Gearlocker because it was damaged during shipping.

On one occasion I purposely bought someone's returned wall cabinet for $85. It had a dent in the back which you cant even notice when hung.

These welded cabs are pretty high quality IMO. You are always hearing about shipping disasters. Makes you wonder about the durability of metal cabinets in general...

I always p/u at Sears. When I pick up opened, unpackaged cabs (e.g. used, etc.) I put lots of blankets down in the car and treat it with kid gloves.

Anyway, ive been at this for 3 years and am finally just about done...getting the rest of the tiles for my floor later this week!

Check out my set-up:

 

[quasi_accurate]

I have several Gearboxes and Geardrawers and Cabinets in my set up. I only had to return one Gearlocker because it was damaged during shipping.

On one occasion I purposely bought someone's returned wall cabinet for $85. It had a dent in the back which you cant even notice when hung.

These welded cabs are pretty high quality IMO. You are always hearing about shipping disasters. Makes you wonder about the durability of metal cabinets in general...

I always p/u at Sears. When I pick up opened, unpackaged cabs (e.g. used, etc.) I put lots of blankets down in the car and treat it with kid gloves.

Anyway, ive been at this for 3 years and am finally just about done...getting the rest of the tiles for my floor later this week!

Check out my set-up:

Looks awesome Matty! I actually posted in one of your older threads about the power strip earlier. Waiting for your reply

 

[Lombie]

matty d, that looks sweet! I wish I had room for a sink.

Also, side note. I discovered my Akro bins snap firmly into place on the gearwall, which opens up several options beyond those offered by Gladiator. I haven't found any other brand of track-type accessories that fit. If anyone else has, I'm all ears!


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[matty d]

matty d, that looks sweet! I wish I had room for a sink.

Also, side note. I discovered my Akro bins snap firmly into place on the gearwall, which opens up several options beyond those offered by Gladiator. I haven't found any other brand of track-type accessories that fit. If anyone else has, I'm all ears!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks! A lot of the Craftsman Versatrack/Husky Securelock accessories will fit. The best thing to do is try them out at Sears before you buy.

I dont know what your Akro bins look like, but the Craftsman bins are somewhat larger than the gladiator smalll parts bins. They snap right on the Gladiator track.

 

[freakinout]

If the pricing is that much lower you might be able to get one of the big box stores do a price match for you. Depending on where you are looking places like HD & Lowes will even beat the price by 10% if it's not a sale price. Might be worth looking into.

I have been buying a bunch of Gladiator stuff recently for a house we are building. Last month Lowes had the 28" cabinets on sale for $99. I have also seem some deep discounts at Sears a couple times in the last month or so.

 

[popper]

I have quit a few. Purchased all at Sears store and picked them up myself. Only had one cabinet that was dented, but alot of the boxes were bruised and torn. Shipping meatheads apparently just don't care.

popper
John Lynch

 

[NewShockerGuy]

I have 5 30" welded gladiator cabinets.. Most of which have been purchased when someone posts the GLADIATOR CABINETS SALE @ SEARS in the hot deals thread...lol Normally get them for under $90. Order them online and pick them up at sears. I believe my last one that I got was the only issue I had that was dented and pretty badly. It looked like something fell on it as the box was crushed up top.

For the most part I like these cabinets and they are easy to hang and hold a fair amount of stuff.. Looks good too! Agreed that the shipping box should be a little beefier with more packaging.

I would have a hard time ordering a complete cabinet set and then not looking at it AT the store to verify that I wouldn't have to make another to exchange... but that's only after the last experience... prior to that I didn't open the boxes in the store, just took it home.

-Nigel

 

[Truman Sparks]

I ordered a NewAge wall cabinet through Sears (was the best deal at the time for a single cabinet), and it arrived damaged--looked like it had been dropped on a corner. It had been shipped via FedEx Ground.

I had much better luck with larger shipments (one from Costco, and one from GarageAppeal.com). Those arrived via truck freight companies, with multiple boxes strapped to pallets.

Your mileage may vary, but a larger order may improve the odds. I suspect a lot of cabinets are just not packed to withstand FedEx, UPS, or USPS.

 

[TAMPAGT07]

One of our members (Haugy) bought some cabinets last year... I believe he will find some of his cabinets dented (when he finally opens them up)...He will probably swear that they were dented in shipping, but we all know that they not designed for slamming your hot neighbors on top of them...

 

[quasi_accurate]

If the pricing is that much lower you might be able to get one of the big box stores do a price match for you. Depending on where you are looking places like HD & Lowes will even beat the price by 10% if it's not a sale price. Might be worth looking into

Do big box stores do price matching with online stores?

I ordered a NewAge wall cabinet through Sears (was the best deal at the time for a single cabinet), and it arrived damaged--looked like it had been dropped on a corner. It had been shipped via FedEx Ground.

I had much better luck with larger shipments (one from Costco, and one from GarageAppeal.com). Those arrived via truck freight companies, with multiple boxes strapped to pallets.

Your mileage may vary, but a larger order may improve the odds. I suspect a lot of cabinets are just not packed to withstand FedEx, UPS, or USPS.

That's what I've read as well. Stuff is almost guaranteed to be damaged if shipped via FedEx or UPS. Where as it generally arrives intact if shipped on pallets by freight.

 

[freakinout]

Do big box stores do price matching with online stores?

you can call or do a chat and get their online store to price match and ship to a retail store. the retail stores of Depot and Lowes don't carry much Gladiator anymore as they are pushing their inhouse brands, so selection is fairly limited at most Lowes stores and pretty much non-existant at Depot stores. Sears has a pretty good in stock selection but their pricing tends to be higher.

If you are looking for alternatives, I have read great reviews about a line that is stocked in most Sam's club locations. I was going to buy those until I found some great deals on Gladiator stuff in Lowes, since many stores are starting to clearance much of this stuff

 

[Jsf721]

I purchased a whole Gladiator Garage package, and everything was shipped. I did not have any damage issues. I ordered the Premier line of welded cabinets and tool boxes.

Sorry for the crappy pictures but these were taken after hurricane sandy and my phone was messed up. Will post better picks if you want to see anything just PM me.

 

[quasi_accurate]

I called the online store (Garage Storage Direct) and asked about their shipping. Apparently all Gladiator Premier products are shipped directly from Gladiator on pallets by a freight company (JB Hunt). I think this might actually be the safest way to go.

 

[quasi_accurate]

Just saw on Gladiator's website that they are running a big sale until 02/25. It's 30% off $1500+ and free shipping. That's pretty much the best price I've seen anywhere in the last few months since I started planning. My question for you guys is, can I expect better sales in the future, or is this pretty much as good as it gets?

 

[matty d]

Just saw on Gladiator's website that they are running a big sale until 02/25. It's 30% off $1500+ and free shipping. That's pretty much the best price I've seen anywhere in the last few months since I started planning. My question for you guys is, can I expect better sales in the future, or is this pretty much as good as it gets?

You probably can get a better deal when Sears puts their stuff on sale over the big holidays. For example, the Modular Gearbox was on sale for $199 on Black Friday.

30% off of Gladiator's retail price only puts the Modular Gear it at $307, however for $100 more, you dont have to wait for the sales and comparison shop, and you get the stuff shipped free to your door, however Sears may offer free shipping but you run into shipping/damage risks like everyone says.

P/U at Sears can be a hassle if you dont have a big car and someone to help you get the cabinet(s) out of the car. Trips to Sears costs gas too. If you enjoy bargain hunting though, Sears is the way to go.

Home Depot started selling GW stuff too. For black friday, they sold their Jumbo RTA GearBox for $240 ($260 after taxes). Gladiators price is $494: after their 30% discount, its $345. I almost bought this...

If you like Gladiator's sale and want your stuff sooner and dont want to wait for sales, maybe you can cut down on the price even more if you ask another authorized on-line retailer (e.g. garageappeal.com, texasgarages etc.) to price match or beat the price, and give you the same deal, shipping AND tax-free.

BTW, Gladiator has quite a few new products for 2014. These just came out at a national trade show just this week and have not hit the shelves yet....you can see more pics of the trade show on the gladiator garageworks facebook page, however here's a description of their new stuff. Too bad Im done with my set-up...

http://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/w...-IBS-2014-241095501.html#sthash.G1NcRjEf.dpbs

BTW, I still have to answer your powerstrip question!

Did you see my blog?

http://matthewsgarage.blogspot.com/

 

[quasi_accurate]

You probably can get a better deal when Sears puts their stuff on sale over the big holidays. For example, the Modular Gearbox was on sale for $199 on Black Friday.

30% off of Gladiator's retail price only puts the Modular Gear it at $307, however for $100 more, you dont have to wait for the sales and comparison shop, and you get the stuff shipped free to your door, however Sears may offer free shipping but you run into shipping/damage risks like everyone says.

P/U at Sears can be a hassle if you dont have a big car and someone to help you get the cabinet(s) out of the car. Trips to Sears costs gas too. If you enjoy bargain hunting though, Sears is the way to go.

Yeah pickup is definitely a hassle for me as I have a small car. So if I buy them from a physical store, I'd have to rent a truck and have a friend help me get the cabinets. Especially if I can't pick up everything I want in one sale. I'd have to do this each time I buy.

Home Depot started selling GW stuff too. For black friday, they sold their Jumbo RTA GearBox for $240 ($260 after taxes). Gladiators price is $494: after their 30% discount, its $345. I almost bought this...

I looked at that one, but it was not well reviewed. So I decided to stick with the Premier GearBox for my build. It's a bit smaller, but supposedly better built.

If you like Gladiator's sale and want your stuff sooner and dont want to wait for sales, maybe you can cut down on the price even more if you ask another authorized on-line retailer (e.g. garageappeal.com, texasgarages etc.) to price match or beat the price, and give you the same deal, shipping AND tax-free.

Does Gladiator charge tax? I thought they did not.

BTW, Gladiator has quite a few new products for 2014. These just came out at a national trade show just this week and have not hit the shelves yet....you can see more pics of the trade show on the gladiator garageworks facebook page, however here's a description of their new stuff. Too bad Im done with my set-up...

http://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/w...-IBS-2014-241095501.html#sthash.G1NcRjEf.dpbs

Cool, thanks for the link

BTW, I still have to answer your powerstrip question!

Did you see my blog?

http://matthewsgarage.blogspot.com/

No hurry, whenever you get a chance. I did see your blog. I actually found it while searching for info on the power strip. Your setup looks awesome I hope mine will look as good as yours one day!

 

[Lombie]

Ironically, when I picked up my first set of 30" cabinets at Sears, one of the boxes was absolutely mangled on one side. The other was perfect. I had them open the mangled one and we confirmed that there was not a mark on the cabinet. Unfortunately, I assumed the other cabinet would be fine because the packaging wasn't visibly damaged. Once I opened it...in my garage...I discovered a half-inch deep crater next to one of the corners.

I've checked every box at Sears since then.

-Lombie