Barlow's Tackle

[Fishin Big]

Does anyone shop at Barlow's? I wanted to order one bottle of colorant as I didn't to buy anything else. At the checkout I was informed I needed to make a purchase of fifteen dollars or more !? I don't feel the need to shop at Barlow's ,for this reason alone. And I know they won't miss me not being a customer, as that big business doesn't really give a darn !  I'm just wondering how others feel about this.

[basscatlildave]

I buy from em but I guess I spend so much I've never had that problem. I'm sure it has to do with credit card charges  

[SlowFISH]

3 hours ago, basscatlildave said:

I buy from em but I guess I spend so much I've never had that problem. I'm sure it has to do with credit card charges  

Yeah at times that $15 is annoying when you only want one thing.... but I shop there for hooks quite often and understand between CC charges and time/labor to grab the item, creating a shipping label and receipt, pack it and mail it - they probably don't make enough profit on 5-10 dollar sales to deal with those orders.  

Yeah its annoying - but also understandable.  I'd rather deal with that type of restriction - and them being 100 percent up front about it - rather then after you fill out the entire order form to find out the shipping charge is 14.95 or something ridiculous on a 5 dollar item - which ALOT of online retailers do to account for the labor in fulfilling orders. 

J.

[Anyfish]

I have bought a lot of items from barlows over the years.  It honestly doesn't bother me.  I just order enough items that it doesn't matter or look someplace else.  When I'm ordering items on-line, I really look over shipping costs as some retailers charge a lot and others not so much.  

Edited March 9, 2022 by Anyfish

[alsworms]

I agree with you guys.  My line to my wife is always something like....

"But honey......it was only 18 bucks!!" 

Something under 15 bucks?? My wife's not believing it........she knows better. 

Hopefully you can add an item or 2 to your list to bring it to 15 bucks. 

Best of luck :-)

[azsouth]

I find it funny "whining about $15".... if your "Fishing Big" you're dropping more money than that on snap rings alone.

to think there was nothing else on the site you could not of used.

[Canga~]

if spending $15 at a shop is too much, this isnt the hobby for you! i get most of my hooks from barlows so its never been an issue for me to spend 15,  have been shopping with them for years now and never had any kind of issue, and will continue to do so!

[Big Epp]

I hate spending money, and I'm always looking for ways to save or get a good deal.

I did have a complaint with Barlow's. While I wasn't particularly happy with their solution, they were very friendly and engaging, and they made a good effort to resolve my complaint. I'd try them again if the need was there. 

I've had good luck and great service with LurePartsOnline, and I've found the best prices for what I'm looking for at Jann's Netcraft.  So many places to spend the money I don't want to spend for stuff I definitely need...oh the luremaker's dilemma!

[Good Fishing]

On 3/9/2022 at 10:10 AM, SlowFISH said:

Yeah at times that $15 is annoying when you only want one thing.... but I shop there for hooks quite often and understand between CC charges and time/labor to grab the item, creating a shipping label and receipt, pack it and mail it - they probably don't make enough profit on 5-10 dollar sales to deal with those orders.  

This is correct. Unfortunately, with mail order it's simply not possible for us to make much, if any, profit on orders below $15. We run a very streamlined business, but even small orders have to pass through at least 2 to 3 people before they're out the door. Larger organizations can afford to simply take the hit on small orders (or they haven't done the analysis to determine if it's profitable), but we're small (around 15 employees) and plan on staying that way, so we have to be more diligent on issues such as this. 

We recognize this is frustrating, but we do try to be upfront and honest about it. We're also always looking for ways to better serve all of you, so if we can identify a way to fulfill smaller orders without losing money on every one, we'll certainly make it an option.

Matt Barlow

 

[alsworms]

42 minutes ago, Good Fishing said:

This is correct. Unfortunately, with mail order it's simply not possible for us to make much, if any, profit on orders below $15. We run a very streamlined business, but even small orders have to pass through at least 2 to 3 people before they're out the door. Larger organizations can afford to simply take the hit on small orders (or they haven't done the analysis to determine if it's profitable), but we're small (around 15 employees) and plan on staying that way, so we have to be more diligent on issues such as this. 

We recognize this is frustrating, but we do try to be upfront and honest about it. We're also always looking for ways to better serve all of you, so if we can identify a way to fulfill smaller orders without losing money on every one, we'll certainly make it an option.

Matt Barlow

 

Very understandable........and thank you for clarifying. 

[Apdriver]

We recognize this is frustrating, but we do try to be upfront and honest about it. We're also always looking for ways to better serve all of you, so if we can identify a way to fulfill smaller orders without losing money on every one, we'll certainly make it an option.

Matt Barlow
 

And this is important to me. Having this dialogue and the owners come here and help in our tacklecrafting is priceless, IMO. They answer questions, fit and post a series of hooks that fit in the molds we order. If I called and asked to speak with Matt, he would prolly take my call. I can’t complain about that kind of customer service. Thanks Matt for being a member here.

[Big Epp]

15 minutes ago, Apdriver said:

Thanks Matt for being a member here.

Second!

[Good Fishing]

12 hours ago, Apdriver said:

And this is important to me. Having this dialogue and the owners come here and help in our tacklecrafting is priceless, IMO. They answer questions, fit and post a series of hooks that fit in the molds we order. If I called and asked to speak with Matt, he would prolly take my call. I can’t complain about that kind of customer service. Thanks Matt for being a member here.

Happy to be here, and we're grateful to LPO (the owners of this forum) for allowing us to participate. Not many competitors would tolerate that, and it speaks volumes to their commitment to the craft.

And thanks to all of you for the engagement. Over the years you've helped us identify ways to improve our service, suggested products that have sold well, and been an incredible resource to us and our customers. We try to stay engaged here and on other forums, though it's sometimes tough to keep up with everything, especially during the busy season. You can always email me at mattbarlow@barlowstackle.com or call at 972-231-5982 with any questions or needs.

[Bentrod425]

Wow, great thread!  And kudos to Matt. 

I've done business with Barlows once.  Was fairly happy.  Only complaint was that they didn't have the full supply of spinner wire I ordered.  They sent me what they had and prorated the charges to reflect the amount.  I didn't find out until the order arrived.  Would have been nice to told prior, but had enough stuff in the order that I wouldn't have changed it for that little thing.  I did not follow up with Barlows about that, but wouldn't hesitate using them again.  

Getting a small (or inexpensive) items via mail order has always been a challenge.  Usually the shipping charge outweighs the actual item cost.  I can understand the minimum order request..even if I don't like it.  I usually will end up ordering more stuff anyway just to justify the shipping charges!  

[mark poulson]

On 3/14/2022 at 12:48 PM, Good Fishing said:

This is correct. Unfortunately, with mail order it's simply not possible for us to make much, if any, profit on orders below $15. We run a very streamlined business, but even small orders have to pass through at least 2 to 3 people before they're out the door. Larger organizations can afford to simply take the hit on small orders (or they haven't done the analysis to determine if it's profitable), but we're small (around 15 employees) and plan on staying that way, so we have to be more diligent on issues such as this. 

We recognize this is frustrating, but we do try to be upfront and honest about it. We're also always looking for ways to better serve all of you, so if we can identify a way to fulfill smaller orders without losing money on every one, we'll certainly make it an option.

Matt Barlow

 

If Jon would just cut down on all his online gambling...Hahaha

[Good Fishing]

12 hours ago, mark poulson said:

If Jon would just cut down on all his online gambling...Hahaha

We'd be happy if we could just get him to stop buying Beanie Babies on eBay. We keep telling him the '90s are over!