[Halfhalting]

I like Dover, hate shipping costs. This morning I tried to place an order to be shipped to a local store (minus ship charges) and was told that they didn't do that anymore! Urg!!! When did they change that policy I wonder?

[gumshoe]

I tried the same thing about two months ago. I just wanted my brother in law to pick something up for me and not have to mess around in the store. They said they wouldn't ship to the store and there was no way for me to do a phone order with the store.

[emeraldcity]

try talking to a supervisor/manager at the store where you want to pick up the item- they will usually get it in to the store for you and then you can go get it.

[trubandloki]

try talking to a supervisor/manager at the store where you want to pick up the item- they will usually get it in to the store for you and then you can go get it.

The point is not that you can guilt a certain store manager into doing it for you but that Dover has very not user friendly shipping policies.

Having to contact that store owner and state your case to make it a possibility is as logical as their different prices for the same item in every catalog/flyer/page.

[Halfhalting]

The sale on Oster Clipper blades was enough to make me pay the crazy shipping... Buy one (at $23) and then get one free is pretty good! Wonder if they would honor that in the store???...

[trubandloki]

Probably only if you have the sales paperwork right in front of you and you remember to point it out to the cashier.

[meupatdoes]

Dover's ability to do anti-marketing never ceases to amaze me.

Next they will charge shipping and handling for items you buy off the shelf.

[HRF Second Chance]

I know that if you come into the store we are always more than happy to order whatever item you want and have it shipped in to our store for you. I guess it doesn't work the other way around. I second (or third) calling your local store manager. We don't usually take orders over the phone but you never know. Usually the managers are really cool. I know ours is.

[HRF Second Chance]

Probably only if you have the sales paperwork right in front of you and you remember to point it out to the cashier.

This is actually true. Just ask for the sales price, sometimes they turn the sales 'on' and sometimes they don't. Sadly there are just way too many items for us to know what's on sale but we will always honor the sales price.

[yellowbritches]

Hmm....I WAS thinking about getting a blanket from Dover that I like that Smartpak doesn't carry. But I was going to have it shipped to the store. Guess I'll go with my close second favorite from SP.

[trubandloki]

This is actually true. Just ask for the sales price, sometimes they turn the sales 'on' and sometimes they don't. Sadly there are just way too many items for us to know what's on sale but we will always honor the sales price.

Maybe Walmart (or some other big retailer that you pick) should use this theory. Sure we put things on sale but it is up to the customer to flag it at check out an show the ad to the cashier to get the sales price.

Are you using an old fashioned cash register or a computerized system? I am guessing it is computerized so there is no reason to not show all the sale prices when the UPC is scanned.

[pds]

Ever since Dover became a publicly traded company on the NASDQ, I think they have been on a downhill trajectory. If Dover continues to operate while ignoring the consumer and market pressures, the company will continue to decline and no amount of store openings will help.

[MMF]

If you call and try to order it and get it shipped to the store they will not do it, but if you go to the store and they do not have what you want they will charge you the sale or closeout price and ship it to your house without charging for shipping! I only know because they had show shirts for a good price on closeout and I had to go to my local dover and order them and they will be mailed to me within 7-10 business days with no shipping fees! Hope that helps. (this was at the NJ Dover store)

[HRF Second Chance]

It is a pretty aged system, yes. Oddly enough I use a similar computer system here at my day job (I do property management) and we have some unusual quirks with it as well. And sadly, we use it for accounting purposes.

[danceronice]

Ever since Dover became a publicly traded company on the NASDQ, I think they have been on a downhill trajectory. If Dover continues to operate while ignoring the consumer and market pressures, the company will continue to decline and no amount of store openings will help.

So they're the anti-Burger King? (BK was taken private by new owners who KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING D*MMIT and promptly lost more market share than they ever had in the past, finally losing the #2 spot to Wendy's. Mostly because "We know what we're doing" turned out to be "see what McD's and Wendy's do, wait six months, and copy it.") Dover apparently is going for "Whatever SmartPak does...do the opposite."

Not something that would STOP me buying from Dover (I'm nowhere near a store) but I have to think carefully when looking at their catalogs because the shipping adds so much to the cost.

[TarheelJD]

If you call and try to order it and get it shipped to the store they will not do it, but if you go to the store and they do not have what you want they will charge you the sale or closeout price and ship it to your house without charging for shipping! I only know because they had show shirts for a good price on closeout and I had to go to my local dover and order them and they will be mailed to me within 7-10 business days with no shipping fees! Hope that helps. (this was at the NJ Dover store)

This has been my experience at the GA store. I hope that isn't changing - if it is I will buy a lot less from Dover.

[kisstherain]

The sale on Oster Clipper blades was enough to make me pay the crazy shipping... Buy one (at $23) and then get one free is pretty good! Wonder if they would honor that in the store???...

I believe it's Big D's who also has this special every few months. I think (?) over the holidays they maybe had a buy one, get two free on the Oster blades?? Can't exactly remember, but they do free shipping on orders over $70. I just order at least $70 in the blades and that lasts me for a while.

[HenryisBlaisin']

Maybe Walmart (or some other big retailer that you pick) should use this theory. Sure we put things on sale but it is up to the customer to flag it at check out an show the ad to the cashier to get the sales price.

Are you using an old fashioned cash register or a computerized system? I am guessing it is computerized so there is no reason to not show all the sale prices when the UPC is scanned.

Dover doesn't have the same price consistently on an item in its own catalog or website; you often see two or three prices for the same item. Why would the store's computer be any more accurate?

[kisstherain]

If you call and try to order it and get it shipped to the store they will not do it, but if you go to the store and they do not have what you want they will charge you the sale or closeout price and ship it to your house without charging for shipping!

I had this experience, too, with a safety vest I ordered from the Dover store. I wanted to physically try them on since I have never had/worn a safety vest before. They didn't have the size I needed, so I ordered one and it shipped to my house for free. However, when I looked at my sales receipt once I got home I was charged $18.95 for "tax on item shipped," or something like this, which was essentially the same as the shipping charge! I don't know, maybe this was a taxable item anyways (no tax on apparel in my state), but I felt like I was getting duped! I went and ordered the exact same item from SmartPak, with free shipping and no tax, and it came about 1.5 weeks faster than the vest from Dover (I was told the vest was in stock in the Dover warehouse). Good thing I ordered it from SmartPak too, as the Dover vest arrived too late for what I needed it for anyways.

Dover really needs to get with the times on shipping cost issues.

[Finzean]

I was just in the Raleigh store (GREAT experience, btw) and inquired about the metal stall gates. No, they don't keep them in the store - was told one had to order them via website or catalog. Which means paying what I consider excessive shipping for those items. We just decided to go through a different company. But I do want to give props to the Raleigh store's staff - they were lovely and we will go back b/c aside from the shipping issues, it's a lot closer than driving to my fave store in Camden.