Zoro Vs. Amazon

[winlinmac]

Lately, I've been ordering through Zoro, and they always got it right the first time around. Fast Shipping, appropriately packaged, and Items As Described. Prices are a tad cheaper as well. Their customer service is swift and courteous; shipping rates are also decent.

Whereas Amazon has sent me the wrong thing twice, and sometimes their tools have arrived with some surface rust and other defects rendering the products useless. The only benefit I see with Amazon is fast shipping. Occasionally, there are processing delays depending on what is being ordered. The fast shipping requires Prime.

Would like to hear feedback from others on their take of Zoro Vs. Amazon. Perhaps its time to shop for tool necessities on Zoro from now on.

 

[PoorOwner]

Its very hard to find something on Zoro. Even if you go through google. Price are only reasonable if you have at least a 20% discount code.

 

[Strouty]

So what do you order from Zoro?

 

[firworks]

I don't think I've had any bad experiences yet buying tools from Amazon, and I buy a ton of tools from Amazon. The only "screwup" type thing I've been involved in was the 3/4" SK impact sockets for 50$ from the Amazon Warehouse Deals thread but obviously that was a big mistake in the database and I wasn't really expecting to get the sockets.

I've also ordered from Zoro and for the most part my order went well. It shipped fast and I like their Pakkit Pikkit thing for codes. However, they charged my sales tax they didn't show in the order confirmation and I was mad about that because it negated the deal. I didn't know Zoro was an Illinois company, and when I got to checkout it showed 303$ as the final total. Hit confirm. Checked my credit card bill a few weeks later and the charge was 324$. Even now if I go back into the order it shows the total as 324$ but shows the subtotal as 303$ and Tax as 0$. If I would have known I was going to get hit with tax anyhow I would have bought it local and not waited the extra few days to save almost nothing. There's some bug with their website or something at least for Illinois residents.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I think Amazon is betting 1.000 with me also. I am a Prime member. I order a small part for my car (Ford/Dorman EVR) and it was delivered SUNDAY !

 

[winlinmac]

Packaging Supplies, Hand Tools (A lot of Hand Tools), and Paint Supplies

I haven't ordered from Amazon Warehouse Deals before.

Both Zoro and Amazon charges me tax

 

[BD1]

Zoro has been great with all my purchases. However , the items I bought were using the 30% off code. GREAT deals on everything and no shipping issues.
Amazon Prime has been equally as good. Many items on Amazon are generally less money ALL the time and they do have instant rebates at times. I try to buy the sold and ship by Amazon goodies. You need to be a wise shopper .

 

[DougWil]

I have started ordering more from Zoro lately.
I find their website hard to search for items, but like the free shipping over $50!

That said, they have screwed up a couple of orders. One their in stock count was wrong.
Ordered 2 pieces of threaded rod for a construction project and 3-4 days later they notified me that they only had 1.
1 is zero if it isn't enough to do the job, had to run out and buy it locally and wasted days.

2nd blunder was shipping an item that had been mislabeled and then they didn't have the correct one in stock.

I am starting to learn to not order stuff from them that you need quickly.

 

[Plump]

Found a wall hydrant for almost 50% less than Grainger on Zoro and was tickled that my order took less than a day to get. Another department ordered a rolling ladder and the same thing. So far, really happy with price and shipping.

Where can I get a 30% off coupon!?!?

 

[PoorOwner]

I found they have wrong or higher tax rates when checking out, but it is always corrected later.

 

[marlinspike]

Amazon does a good job of tricking people without tricking them - if you look closely it's all there to see, but at first glance it looks like everything is being sold new from a in-country authorized deal. So much of the stuff instead is fulfillment by amazon, which can be wholesale liquidation, customer returns, seconds, knock offs, or grey market imports. I never have a problem ordering from amazon or from a reputable company on amazon, but FBA leaves too much to chance. That said, Zoro's list prices are terrible, and I buy things elsewhere.

 

[winlinmac]

Amazon has a lot of old stock, and I wouldn't be surprised seeing them reselling returned tools as new. They sure do a great job in repackaging. Even the Home Depot does this, but they put some on the clearance section and call it a day.

 

[marlinspike]

Amazon has a lot of old stock, and I wouldn't be surprised seeing them reselling returned tools as new. They sure do a great job in repackaging. Even the Home Depot does this, but they put some on the clearance section and call it a day.

It's not that Amazon sells returned tools as new, but that sellers who sell as Fulfilled by Amazon sellers buy lots of wholesale liquidation (which can be returns) and sell them as new on Amazon.

 

[winlinmac]

Amazon needs to do something about that. It's not customer's fault that the item received was defective / not as described or damaged out of the box.

It's not that Amazon sells returned tools as new, but that sellers who sell as Fulfilled by Amazon sellers buy lots of wholesale liquidation (which can be returns) and sell them as new on Amazon.

 

[Rhyno]

Thanks for the "fulfilled by amazon" info.

With this new info, their overseas customer service, and their newest "free Shipping" policy B.S.......

I'd suspect that Amazon has crested, and is now on the "downhill slide."

They are not getting any more of my $$.

(Oh,.... a majority of their pricing *****, too!!)

 

[firworks]

To add a positive story to this, I bought a 20mm case hardened shaft this weekend. I bought it around 3PM Sunday. It shipped out at 4PM... And arrived at my house Monday at noon. That is beyond insane service especially for free shipping.

Monday, Feb 29
12:18 PM	Your package was left in the mailbox. 
Peoria, IL, US
7:25 AM	Out for delivery 
Peoria, IL, US
6:44 AM	Package arrived at a carrier facility 
Peoria, IL
5:07 AM	Package has been transferred to the USPS and will be delivered by your local postal office 
Naperville, IL, US
12:17 AM	Shipment departed from Amazon facility 
Kenosha, WISCONSIN, US
Sunday, Feb 28
11:16 PM	Shipment arrived at Amazon facility 
Kenosha, WISCONSIN, US
4:03 PM	Package has left seller facility and is in transit to carrier

 

[TK-421]

I find amazon has better prices and free 2 day shipping, so I buy from them. When you need a 20% coupon for zoro just to get their prices in the ball park with amazon, that tells you something about how ridiculously overpriced they are.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Amazon has a lot of old stock, and I wouldn't be surprised seeing them reselling returned tools as new. They sure do a great job in repackaging. Even the Home Depot does this, but they put some on the clearance section and call it a day.

What you are saying is absolutely not true!!! And rust on new tools from Amazon? I've never had that happen. And I have never received NOS from Amazon, NEVER!
Not sure why you're bent on saying these things which are untrue about a great company, which has excellent service, fast delivery, even on Sunday, and if Amazon were doing the things you say, or had bad business practices, then it would be all over the internet.

I hope people who are reading this know to take your information with a grain of salt.

Oh, and I have never received anything 'used' or customer return, from Amazon, unless I ordered from Warehouse Deals, and in that case I knew I was ordering a used or returned item. And even in many of those cases, I thought I was ordering used, but it turned out to be brand new, just with damaged packaging. Which was a nice surprise.
I've been thrilled with Amazon's service, selection, and products which I have received.

And as far as Zoro, decent company, owned by Grainger, had good experience with them as well, but as others have mentioned their prices are not cheaper, in many cases, not by a long shot, unless you have one of their 20%-30% off discount codes.

 

[winlinmac]

What you are saying is absolutely not true!!! And rust on new tools from Amazon? I've never had that happen. And I have never received NOS from Amazon, NEVER!
Not sure why you're bent on saying these things which are untrue about a great company, which has excellent service, fast delivery, even on Sunday, and if Amazon were doing the things you say, or had bad business practices, then it would be all over the internet.

I hope people who are reading this know to take your information with a grain of salt.

Oh, and I have never received anything 'used' or customer return, from Amazon, unless I ordered from Warehouse Deals, and in that case I knew I was ordering a used or returned item. And even in many of those cases, I thought I was ordering used, but it turned out to be brand new, just with damaged packaging. Which was a nice surprise.
I've been thrilled with Amazon's service, selection, and products which I have received.

And as far as Zoro, decent company, owned by Grainger, had good experience with them as well, but as others have mentioned their prices are not cheaper, in many cases, not by a long shot, unless you have one of their 20%-30% off discount codes.

You must living on the other side of town, different warehouses depending where you reside


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[graffix000]

For me personally, Amazon is the way to go as it seems to constantly have cheaper pricing and with Prime, quick "free" shipping. I've never had an issue with them. With Zoro, they only seem to be competitive when you add in a coupon code.

 

[mikebaker1129]

I just put the items in my cart on Zoro and wait for a good coupon code .
Then I purchase the goods.

 

[OccupantRJ]

Zoro is purported to be Grainger in disguise, with lower prices for us common folk.

 

[winlinmac]

The only aspect of Zoro I am not pleased about is that they charge sales tax even when they don't have any warehouses in New York State.

Other than that, shopping at Zoro during the Holiday Season is quite pleasing.

 

[Brownsfan]

If looking for specific tools I found searching through Zoros eBay store to be easier than the site.

 

[Vinko]

Has anyone found Zoro or Amazon (or Amazon Business) cheaper than MSC or McMaster-Carr. McMaster has pretty good everyday prices, I've found (I think I've posted here in the past on items that I've shopped from everyone). But MSC has good prices but you need the code. I haven't purchased from Zoro but I've found that maybe with the 30% code I found some stuff that was a little better priced than Uline (like ladders and heavy-duty step stools).

For me -- unless it's certain tools (Metabo or amazon "deals"), I find having to spend to much time searching and you've negated the savings. Maybe big tickets are worth searching for.

 

[aslack99]

Zoro is purported to be Grainger in disguise, with lower prices for us common folk.

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[Vinko]

Makes sense. Start up your own competition before someone else does.

I've been looking for an LPG cylinder cage for a while. They're about $675-$800. Don't need it right away (and yes, I guess we could make one far better than what's offered) for about half that in materials and time, but I just don't have the time right now.

Anyway -- I'm not finding too many good deals on big ticket items like that because it sometimes seems on some of these places (and I don't have any particular one in mind) that the retail price is inflated, so the 20 or 30% off deal only takes it down to an amazon price or thereabouts.

That said, I remember on here someone posted when MSC was having a sales on Durham parts cabinets -- that and the 35% off and free shipping made it a steal. But I'm finding those deals few and far between.