Grainger/Miller Welder deal thread
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LawnDart79
Well-known member
I think the reason people are angry is because of the inconsistent stories being told by Grainger. Why can't they just tell the truth?
kc-steve
Well-known member
I have a little experience with website inventories and agree that it should actually be relatively easy compared to an actual physical count. When I first started my website I found a glitch where it allowed someone to order more than I actually had of an item. The site notified me of the back-ordered item, multiple items ordered by the same person. When my site runs out of an item, that specific item disappears from the public's view automatically. But a lot of my tool inventory are vintage items, one of a kind, so no back orders are possible with those vintage tools. Needless to say I fixed that problem and now only back order items on new(er) tools are allowed by the website. But the website is much better at keeping track than I am.
Maybe they just need a new IT department.
My Grainger order has not been canceled yet either. It has been over 32-hours since I called the local rep, made the order, and received my confirmation number. But I still hope that writing this doesn't jinx my order, fingers crossed.
Steve
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Why is it that everything you post makes me feel worse about my chances!
Sorry,
I was almost tasting the Kool-aid on that Miller deal. It was for an item I wanted, at a price I could afford leaving me with extra money for goodies.
Back in the real world, I just finished roughing in one of two 1ph 220 boxes in my shop. I have plenty of room in the breaker box (thanks, Dad for the advice on the huge panel years ago) - I will install box two and wire them up with 30A service Monday morning (when there is someone around to call 911 for me if needed).
In the mean time, I have digested the Hobart 187 manual. I have located my copy of "GMAW Wire Feed Welding" by Steve Bleile and I will be watching it after dinner.
Don 18
Well-known member
You got the Hobart? I have the TSC coupon sitting on my desk starring at me right now
I did.
When your prom date cancels on you, sometimes you have to call your homely cousin.
Hobart with discount - 10% (coupon) was $494.99 before tax. Its a less snazzy machine (no autoset) at a $100 more with no cart.
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kc-steve
Well-known member
Ha-ha-ha, now that's funny!
I almost bought a Hobart 187 a few years back at around $600. I ended up buying a Miller Thunderbolt XL after getting a good deal though. I'm sure you'll like the Hobart.
Steve
I'm sure you'll like the Hobart.
Steve
I should be better off then I was at prom: my cousin was a surprisingly agile dancer, buy he kept taking his wig off in front of the other kids...
Knock on wood but I am in Pittsburgh PA, ordered at 930 AM EST on the 9th
So far no call, no email, no contact of any sort.
Website still has order and PO listed, no updates or anything about order.
Keeping fingers crossed.
I find it too funny how they say the welder is not legal to sell in your state at the sale price, but at full retail we can bend some rules hahaha
So far no call, no email, no contact of any sort.
Website still has order and PO listed, no updates or anything about order.
Keeping fingers crossed.
I find it too funny how they say the welder is not legal to sell in your state at the sale price, but at full retail we can bend some rules hahaha
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Don 18
Well-known member
Good luck. I ordered mine last night and the cancellation email was this morning at 9AM
I hope all of you get one. Honestly, what is the purpose of a vendor who will not vend?
Guy on Pirate ordered in the evening on the 8th and his has already been canceled. It's all very random.
ZRX61
Well-known member
I think I'm gonna have to call them up. I placed my order for the 180 early Thursday afternoon, as a new customer. I received an email confirmation, but when I ordered the site said they would have to approve my account first. I did receive the initial confirmation email, but haven't heard another peep either way. I don't think my account is approved, so I doubt my order got in in time. My order status says access denied, but order history still shows the order, though when you click details it's blank with only a total amount. I do hope it got through, but if not, I'd like to know so I know whether or not I should look at other items. It would be nice to hear something from them at all.
LMFAO! Classic!
Well, you have to put it into context, the last two times I tried trade money for a welder resulted in failures. I was beginning to think my consumer mojo had petered out with middle age (so may other things did...).
Granger will be not be sending any welders at this price. Just got off the phone with them and they will offer you one at 30% off which is still higher than the same model on e-bay. Call and complain then turn them into the BBB for false advertizing.
mngundog
Well-known member
ekeller, are you one of their long term customers that place monthly orders through them, or are you like me who opened up a account with them in the last few days in hopes of getting a deal that was to good to be true and never planning to order from them again? A local gas station recently (by mistake) set one pump price at $1.15 a gallon and it wasn't caught till the following day, a few thousand gallons went through that pump. Should I contact the BBB because he didn't continue honoring that price till every costomer received gas at the low price. Is it bait and switch when he raised the price on it? You bitchers need to get a life. Yes, I placed an order, no I didn't think I would get it. I think 30% off would be more than fair. If the price was set at $39.50 would you still say they should have to honor the price to a couple thousand people?
Carl B
Well-known member
In my opinion - any true Businessman, would make arrangements directly with Miller to ship all orders to the end users - at 10% less than Grainger normally pays Miller for the welders offered.
Grainger would lose 10% of the wholesale value - but might gain advertising by word of mouth from what looks like hundreds of customers, and retain the good name that they have built over the years. That kind of Goodwill can't be purchased at five times the price.
Miller would retain Grainger as a major and happy customer - plus Miller might clear out a lot of overstock during this depressed business environment. Why let those customers go to China suppliers?
You see the 240V models of the Miller selling on E-Bay just below $700.00, offered by fairly small vendors - with Grainger's buying power - I'd be surprised if their Cost was much over $500.00 per unit... So Grainger should offer to fill all orders desired at $450.00 PLUS SHIPPING FROM MIller on the 240V units.... slightly less on the 110 V units...
This is an easy problem to solve where most everyone can win...
FWIW,
Carl B.
Grainger would lose 10% of the wholesale value - but might gain advertising by word of mouth from what looks like hundreds of customers, and retain the good name that they have built over the years. That kind of Goodwill can't be purchased at five times the price.
Miller would retain Grainger as a major and happy customer - plus Miller might clear out a lot of overstock during this depressed business environment. Why let those customers go to China suppliers?
You see the 240V models of the Miller selling on E-Bay just below $700.00, offered by fairly small vendors - with Grainger's buying power - I'd be surprised if their Cost was much over $500.00 per unit... So Grainger should offer to fill all orders desired at $450.00 PLUS SHIPPING FROM MIller on the 240V units.... slightly less on the 110 V units...
This is an easy problem to solve where most everyone can win...
FWIW,
Carl B.
mngundog
Well-known member
I looked on Ebay and the 180 is selling at the cheapest for $830 and with the cart $910 not the "less than $700 that you mentioned". As a business man are you willing to take a hit of $250 a unit X say 500 units and take a hit of $125,000 for good advertising? Not to mention that 99% of those sales are to accounts that just opened up for this 1 purchase. Even if you did, your still ******* off half your people because they want it for $395 not the discount your offering.
Underdog
Well-known member
Thats the reason Industrial supply house's don't want to deal with the public.
Go to Harbor Freight, they sell welders, plus they are a lot cheaper on their prices.
Don 18
Well-known member
The gas analogy is close, but let me give you a twist.
You see that gas is advertised NATIONALLY for all Mobile gas stations at $1.15. All you have to do is sign up online and give them your credit card number to reserve your $25 purchase. You think, "gee, I don't need gas today but at that price I'm going to buy it"
You get to the gas station and they tell you one of the following:
"We can't sell that product in this state"
"The manufacturer is out of stock"
"That product was discontinued"
Anything but "We made a mistake on the price sorry for the inconvieneince"
What do you do? It doesn't cause you any harm its just irritating. Everyone makes mistakes, its all about how you handle them. The jury is still out on this one.
PS I have been buying from Grainger on and off for 15+ years through various companies, but this was the first time I set up my own account. I probably would have bought wire, helmets and other accessories from them as well.
mngundog
Well-known member
Don, I would agree with you if Grainger had posted it on the front page of thier webpage or a tv advertisement. When I first read of the deal I thought it was a mistake, however I did try to buy one with no expectation of getting one.
Don 18
Well-known member
Yeah, I never expected to get anything for free, and I was pretty skeptical about the deal, then got excited with the email confirmation. Maybe they wanted to advertise $395 off the price... dunno. That still would be a good deal and sign me up for that one too.....
The fact that they listed both items as Hot Buys was special advertising. That is what made me believe in Grainger.
I called today to get some info, branch is closed so it went to the 24hr help line.
lady had no clue what i had ordered or what it does.
Was reading something and said the order is coming from the 3rd party and you need to contact the branch to see when it will arrive.
didn't mention anything about it was a deal or anything, or it couldn't be sold in my state at that price lol
lady had no clue what i had ordered or what it does.
Was reading something and said the order is coming from the 3rd party and you need to contact the branch to see when it will arrive.
didn't mention anything about it was a deal or anything, or it couldn't be sold in my state at that price lol
No im not saying that. But the customers who ordered one for $395.** should get one at that price. After all, we put down money or a credit card on it. I run my own business, and yes have screwed up a time or 2 and quoted a cheeper price. But I took it like a man and went ahead and gave it to the customer at the price I quoted. Did I loose money-Yes. Did I loose my reputation-no. Don't make a deal you can't keep.
Umm they wanted just about $1200 for the miller 180 package, less 30 percent. Then put on 6.25% sales tax, and $70 shipping. Ebay was free shipping, and no tax. So im still looking at just under $1000 for it, no thanks. Still cheeper on e-bay. I already have a Miller 251 MIG which has been used very little. Just was looking for another more portable welder. Im done with Grainger, they are over priced big time and just won't live up to the deals they make.
Did your screw up involve the internet with thousands (most likely) of orders at that misquoted price of almost 75% off retail?
This is the cheapest I can find the same item on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Miller-951374-M...50836273153?pt=BI_Welders&hash=item3a6701c801
1200-360=840 dsicounted
*.0625= 52.50 tax
+840=892.5
+75 shipping
= $967.50 total
where are you finding it for $700, cause Ill buy it for that.
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The hotdeals tab is most likely generated from the system of any item that has sold multiple items in a short period of time, similar to amazon's hot items page.
I didnt see anything else on that page besides the 2 welders and I never did find the welders in the clearance page
dabirdguy
Well-known member
Looks like SOMEONE got one:
http://stlouis.craigslist.org/tls/2432948021.html
http://stlouis.craigslist.org/tls/2432948021.html
Carl B
Well-known member
That's today - I've seen several of them go with the Cart for less than $700 when sold to the highest bidder at auction. Sold by companies much much smaller than W.W.Grainger.
Actually I'm not a Businessman, nor did I say I was. I have however owned and operated my own small business and worked for a very successful Businessman for a couple years - studying why he was so successful. For the past 25 years I worked for a very larage corporation.
Are you willing to read what I actually wrote? Perhaps then you could write a response to that. If you want to make up your own figures - you are free to do so - but then they would have nothing to do with my statements.
BTW - When they reviewed the orders on line Friday - there were about 148...not anywhere near 500. That's about $7,400.00 write off if their cost from Miller is $500.00 Lets say the number was twice that - $15K write off for a corporation the size of Grainger is petty cash - compared to what they have to spend to get every new customer in the door, in the first place.
W.W. Grainger has a Market Cap. of $9.8 Billion and does $ 6.5 Billion in revenue, their annual advertising budget is around $440 Million per year.
New customers or old - they are all on the Internet talking about this. Offered at $450.00 plus shipping - I'd bet that 90+% of the buyers would still buy - and be very satisfied with the alternative of NOTHING but confusiong stories and prices higher than you can get on E-Bay.
FWIW,
Carl B.
Carl B
Well-known member
I've been watching E-Bay for the past couple years for deals on the 180 - I've seen several sold at auction for $700.00. Larger Welding Supply Companies will sell a unit at auction and take a small loss if necessary - because the value of the advertising, directly to buyers wanting their products, and watching E-Bay - far out weighs the the loss on that one or two units. They also usually sell additional supplies or options to the same customers. Lots of stuff is put on E-Bay strictly for it's advertising value.
As an aside - if you watch long enough - you'll find several Miller 180's "used once" - or very few times - by "hobby" users. They represent perhaps your best deal... Especially if there is one in a town near you.
FWIW,
Carl B.
mngundog
Well-known member
Carl, we are talking about price point in the present, not a couple of years ago. Presently the Miller 180 is selling at $910 (the cheapest one I could find in closed auctions) so when you mention they sell for "less than $700" and then come up with your wholesale guess from that, I think you are feeding people false info. You also guessed at "hundreds" of sales, now you are back peddaling from that and say 148.
What you did is simply guess at figures then said "Easy problem to solve where most everyone can win..." LOL
What you did is simply guess at figures then said "Easy problem to solve where most everyone can win..." LOL
http://cgi.ebay.com/MILLER-MILLERMA...30480040702?pt=BI_Welders&hash=item1e61376afe
New Miller 180 Mig, package deal less cart $825.77 shipped to your door free. Plus no tax if you live anywhere other than Indiana. The cart has little value to me, as it is the low end cheep model anyway.
http://cgi.ebay.com/MILLER-MILLERMA...60347182362?pt=BI_Welders&hash=item53e65da51a
Miller 180 MIG package deal including cart $909.77 shipped to your door free.
Grainger can take their 30% discount and shove it as far as im concerned. The are already priced 30-40% higher than the competition to start with.
New Miller 180 Mig, package deal less cart $825.77 shipped to your door free. Plus no tax if you live anywhere other than Indiana. The cart has little value to me, as it is the low end cheep model anyway.
http://cgi.ebay.com/MILLER-MILLERMA...60347182362?pt=BI_Welders&hash=item53e65da51a
Miller 180 MIG package deal including cart $909.77 shipped to your door free.
Grainger can take their 30% discount and shove it as far as im concerned. The are already priced 30-40% higher than the competition to start with.
MrMark
Well-known member
My order just disappeared. Customer service stated that they don't have the product and have no way of getting it. Just sold out and I'm out of luck. Apologies for the lack of communication and the online system not reflecting inventory. So, the latest story is that they don't have the product, have no way of getting the product, and what they did have is gone.
See my link, you can have it at your door for $910.00. Screw Granger and save $57.50. So much for their 30% off.
we get it, someone made a mistake, you didnt get to profit from it, and therefore they are the lowlife greedy scum. its ok , just move on and let the rest of us that still have orders placed and money missing (not pending) keep wishing.
To keep arguing about grainger and their pricing mistake is silly.
When/If my order does get canceled, I will be calling them and seeing if I can work out a deal like a civilized human being instead of threatening litigation. If Im offered a discount, im going to try to work it in my favor by putting them against the competition that has a lower price with no discounts applied.
I ordered the welder in my local store on Thursday at 10:30am CST. I just called customer service tonight with my order number and they said it was cancelled. I asked why and they said it was a pricing error and all orders were cancelled. I asked them if they are going to make this right for me and they said they could offer me another welder in this price range. Well they offered me a Lincoln 125 without running gear for over $500 dollars.
They seem to have there their story straight now but they should do more to keep us consumers happy after they just cancelled all of our orders.
They seem to have there their story straight now but they should do more to keep us consumers happy after they just cancelled all of our orders.