McMaster-Carr Reply

Jim, After I sent my email explaining my disappointment. Please see their reply below. It is very clear there are no restrictions on nuts and bolts and common hardware items. They clearly have enough customers and consider their market position impervious to public opinion. I find this extraordinary considering the amount of business this company has done with the GSA for so many years. I am angry over this and every other American that supports our forces should also feel the same level of outrage. I have no idea what could be done about this, except inform the public. I am not and never have been a protester, so I have no idea what else to do, but their position, in view of all the business given to them by our government, should have an associated cost.

Steve,

We apologize for any inconvenience our policy may cause you. The United States government regulates the documentation required for material shipped outside the US and also controls what material companies are allowed to export. This is a serious responsibility for any exporter, and we have chosen to minimize the risks involved in these transactions. We are unable to ship to private individuals overseas using the APO system. If this is a military requisition, we must receive the order through proper military channels.

Valerie

For anyone else that wishes to send a comment, their email is below: snipped-for-privacy@mcmaster.com

Steve

Which means "we can't be bothered" or "we can't trust our employees to do it right".

My little company ships about 40% of our production overseas. There's nothing excessively difficult or risky about it.

I never ship anything overseas. (ebay context here)

Any foreign transaction, even if it ends with a payment, which is not a given, was a headache that definitely was not worthwhile.

I cannot think of any past overseas transaction that I did not regret.

Therefore I say "No Foreign Bidders. No Exceptions".

I would not want to subsidize McMaster Carr's time spent filling out customs forms and followup phone calls, etc.

Personally I do ship to APO, just out of respect for military, but I understand why McMaster does not do it, then need to make money and not piss around with mountains of forms.

McMaster ships literally tons of stuff overseas and have a compliance department just for that.

They just do not want the hassle of any *new* non-US customers (especially small ones), and no non-US individuals. They have all the overseas customers they need (big overseas companies, foreign universities etc. etc.). Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

Perhaps some folks should write their congress critters about a company that gets government contacts but doesn't support our troops?

Jon

• * Anything being cooked a second time needs a hot oven.

\Do you have a good, hard, brick wall anywhere near you. Why don't you just run at it full tilt and ram your heaad into it. You'd probably get more satisfaction from that than from any of the congresscritters. At least you'd achieve the expected results. :-)

Jim

perhaps you have never seen the problems that come with a violation of ITAR regulations, intentional or otherwise - not to mention all the other export/import regulations - this is not a "support the troops" issue, this is a "your government at work" issue - cut McMaster some slack

William, I'm sorry I can't buy that excuse. I deal with ITAR issues everyday. I understand the rules. It is not rocket science. The process is cumbersome and at times takes 6 months to accomplish, but there is a list of what requires the Dept. of State approval and what doesn't and 99% of the entire McMaster-Carr catalogue is not on that list. So no, I cannot cut this outfit any slack in this matter. This "IS" a support the troops issue. Please keep in mind that APO/FPO addresses are domestic. The mail never leaves the control of either the USPS or the DOD and the recipients are never outside US Government personnel or facilities. Steve