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Thread: Stewmac shipping outrageously expensive and NOT eco-responsible

  1. #26
    Adrian Minarovic
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    Default Re: Stewmac shipping outrageously expensive and NOT eco-responsib

    In the meanwhile, I ordered $1000+ stuff from StewMac (mostly their tuners) and took their offer for 1 year stew max membership for some $28 or so... that makes all shipping free for me. I'm in EU so the single first order made it worth it. Last time I needed some gold fretwire for a friends mandolin so I ordered it and it came in a large box that would probably be large enough for mandolin kit... stuffed with some paper so no plastics but shipping was still free. I'll reuse the box sometime...
    BTW, I suppose they ship most EU orders from a store somewhere within EU as I was never asked to pay taxes or import duties...(there was swedish stamp on the box).
    Adrian

  2. #27

    Default Re: Stewmac shipping outrageously expensive and NOT eco-responsib

    Not S-M but I was just notified a couple days ago that Elderly had finally got stock of a music/mando book I'd been wanting to buy. $25 for the book. The only shipping option was $15 for 2-day FedEx! Ouch. Their info page said they would use "Media Mail" when appropriate, but when I called they said the only other option was Priority Mail for $11. My pointing out that if they'd had the book in stock when I made my previous two orders it would have cost me nothing to ship it fell on deaf ears, as they say.

    I do understand that shipping is not free, but $15 for a music book was too much to swallow, though, in the end, they probably accomplished their real objective - I added another book to the cart to qualify for the free shipping :|.
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  3. #28

    Default Re: Stewmac shipping outrageously expensive and NOT eco-responsib

    Well, at least your money got you something instead of being wasted on shipping.

  4. #29
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    Default Re: Stewmac shipping outrageously expensive and NOT eco-responsib

    I found myself in the same situation when ordering a pair of Gibson style strap buttons. Stu Mac and Kluson had them at a fair price, but the shipping was several times more than the purchase. I'm thinking these guys have the resources to stuff 'em in a mailing envelope, right? The compromise was $9 Kluson (black) shipped from Amazon...we'll see how this works out.

  5. #30
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    Default Re: Stewmac shipping outrageously expensive and NOT eco-responsib

    The black Kluson Gibby strap buttons came the other day. They were real Kluson and the pair set me back $7.90 shipped.

  6. #31

    Default Re: Stewmac shipping outrageously expensive and NOT eco-responsib

    just read stew mac changed hands and a lot of people quit , a new business is being used.

    Originally posted by marcusb
    They are local to me. The founder/owner recently sold the company to an investment group. Lots of life long employees jumped ship. I have noticed prices have went up and offerings have went down. They used to make most products locally. No longer the case. Way of the world sadly.

  7. #32
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    Default Re: Stewmac shipping outrageously expensive and NOT eco-responsib

    Is this buy out confirmed??

  8. #33
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Stewmac shipping outrageously expensive and NOT eco-responsib

    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  9. #34
    Teacher, repair person
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    Default Re: Stewmac shipping outrageously expensive and NOT eco-responsib

    Stew-mac was never the cheapest place around. Since the buy out, they are now perhaps the most expensive.
    They sell stuff you can't get anywhere else. Most of what they sell is of high quality.
    If I can get it somewhere else, I get it somewhere else. If not, I get it from Stew-mac and try to fill in the holes in my supplies while I'm at it. But nobody's prices are going down.
    Gas is up 30%. Beef is up 25%. My homeowner's insurance and property taxes are up about the same amount.
    The current UPS rates make me cringe. At least they deliver on time, most of the time.

    Welcome to the 2020's. Start cooking at home, you can save a lot that way and you'll probably eat better. Those of us who have been around a long time have seen this sort of thing before. We'll get through it.

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  11. #35
    Scroll Lock Austin Bob's Avatar
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    Default Re: Stewmac shipping outrageously expensive and NOT eco-responsib

    Quote Originally Posted by rcc56 View Post
    Gas is up 30%. Beef is up 25%. My homeowner's insurance and property taxes are up about the same amount.
    The current UPS rates make me cringe. At least they deliver on time, most of the time.

    Welcome to the 2020's. Start cooking at home, you can save a lot that way and you'll probably eat better. Those of us who have been around a long time have seen this sort of thing before. We'll get through it.
    I would add to that by saying that right now is one of the hardest times ever for small businesses. Expenses are going up at the same time that supply is going down.. Many businesses are lucky to have any inventory at all, and on top of that, it's impossible to get entry level workers in many parts of the country.

    Support them if you can, otherwise they will be gone forever.
    Last edited by Austin Bob; Nov-08-2021 at 9:09am.
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  12. #36
    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Stewmac shipping outrageously expensive and NOT eco-responsib

    Stewmac, while itself a very niche business, is a small part of a private equity firm. It is certainly not a ‘small’ business.
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  13. #37
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    Default Re: Stewmac shipping outrageously expensive and NOT eco-responsib

    Might as well just let this thread die. The original post was from over a year ago and the OP never even chimed in so probably just wanted to vent.

  14. #38

    Default Re: Stewmac shipping outrageously expensive and NOT eco-responsib

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill McCall View Post
    Stewmac, while itself a very niche business, is a small part of a private equity firm. It is certainly not a ‘small’ business.
    If I remember, the federal classification was ‘small’ below 500 employees, which meant my company must have been ‘micro’.
    I was in direct competition with some really big outfits for gov’t work and the volume of paperwork often drove me nuts, in comparison to the job itself.

  15. #39
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Stewmac shipping outrageously expensive and NOT eco-responsib

    Quote Originally Posted by Richard500 View Post
    If I remember, the federal classification was ‘small’ below 500 employees, which meant my company must have been ‘micro’.
    I was in direct competition with some really big outfits for gov’t work and the volume of paperwork often drove me nuts, in comparison to the job itself.
    If I recall there was an employee size limit as well as the amount of money you made in the last year. Either could disqualify you and neither was a small amount. I just took a quick look at the documentation for the SBA determinations and I'm pretty sure that General Motors could fall under those classifications as a small business. You are correct, Stewmac is a small business.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  16. #40
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    Default Re: Stewmac shipping outrageously expensive and NOT eco-responsib

    Thanks Mike,, ergo, nothing new.

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  18. #41
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Stewmac shipping outrageously expensive and NOT eco-responsib

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff Hildreth View Post
    Thanks Mike,, ergo, nothing new.
    Yup.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  19. #42
    Registered User Bob Buckingham's Avatar
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    Default Re: Stewmac shipping outrageously expensive and NOT eco-responsib

    I used to be a regular customer but have not been for over a year now. Their prices are high and not everything they sell is top notch. I've found tools that were equal to or better elsewhere by looking around a bit. Their focus is too heavily on guitars and electric guitars. Of course they are going for the money.

  20. #43

    Default Re: Stewmac shipping outrageously expensive and NOT eco-responsib

    FWIW, Stewmac sells on eBay with the seller name stewart-macdonald. NFI. They currently have over 1500 items listed on eBay and all have free shipping. I'm sure the prices are adjusted accordingly, but this is a handy option if you only need one item....

    Agree with others that while some Stewmac items are specialty tools that you can't get anywhere else, other items are common import tools that are available elsewhere (and cheaper) with a simple search. Example: file cleaning brush by Stewmac is $26.84 on eBay, while another eBay seller has the same one for $6.49 -- obviously there is nothing "guitar specific" about a file cleaning brush, IMHO......
    Last edited by Jeff Mando; Nov-09-2021 at 11:11am.

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  22. #44
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Stewmac shipping outrageously expensive and NOT eco-responsib

    They sell on Amazon as well with the prices adjusted for free shipping.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

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