Metal Vending

[Bob La Londe]

You may recall the guy who was on here shilling for Online Metals a
while back. I figured what the heck. I'll give them a chance to quote
a decent size (for me) order. Around 600ish lbs of aluminum and a piece
of stainless. They were more than $1100 higher than Coast. Before
freight they were over $600 higher. Coast drops an order that size for
free on their truck so they have an edge there. ($50 drop charge for
smaller orders)

Well, that's no big deal I guess. The guy did say maybe on larger
orders, but for onesy twosy Online was only going to be a little
different. No. I priced off their website a couple weeks ago for a
couple fill-in pieces Coast was out of stock on and they were quite a
bit higher than Xometry where I bought them. The funny part? I seem to
recall the packaging seems to indicate those pieces drop shipped or were
sourced from Online Metals. They obviously could be competitive if they
wanted to.

Midwest was actually cheaper than anybody for the base price, (by a
couple hundred dollars) but shipping costs made them more than Coast by
a couple hundred. That was with just straight off their website
pricing. Not a quote request. I did drop them a quote request to see
if that makes any difference. I probably won't buy from them anyway
though since their order fulfillment time is pretty terrible. Actually
their terrible fulfillment time is why I contacted Coast in the first
place.

Now I won't say I won't ever do business with Online Metals (I think I
bought some brass from them a few years ago), but you can't tell people
things that just aren't true when you are shilling. Certainly not
people who are going to check. The guy came off as an asshole, but
that's not a deal breaker for me. I'm an asshole. The deal breaker is
they aren't competitive for small quantity and they aren't competitive
for modest quantity. I can't speak to truck loads. I can never do
enough work to justify buying a truckload. Besides at truckload
quantity even ALRO starts to get competitive.

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[Corvid]

Your reply to the shill/troll/netcop was good enough that I have it in
my archive folder. Thanks.

Google had to ban that pest for trolling on YouTube.

Subject: OT: Easiest way to make new anonymous YouTube accounts?
http://al.howardknight.net/?ID=160878195400

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"... but posting under YouTube videos is fun"

[Bob La Londe]

I sent a quote request out to multiple vendors on this one including a
couple like Online Metals whom I normally don't bother with because
historically they are just to high to buy from except in desperation.

Ok, this is funny. Re: Metal Supermarkets.

My RFQ was for 600ish lbs of aluminum flat bar and one piece of
stainless sheet.

The first response included a quote for the stainless sheet at about 4
times market price and a claim they didn't have any tube. There was not
any tube on my RFQ.

I let them know they misunderstood. All those dimensional items were
supposed to be 6061 aluminum rectangular flat bar, not tube.

The reply was basically sorry for the type meant stainless. Still no
complete quote.

I asked if they were going to quote the aluminum flat bar or if the "we
don't want your business" price ont he stainless they don't even have
was their final answer.

The claim then was we don't have any stock company wide, but they will
check local vendors.

Oooooo-kaaaaay. Somebody who is less likely to get a quote request in
the future than even On-line Metals.