Order Information & Standard Policies

How to Order

Call, email, or fax according to your own format, procedures, or preference.  Many products lines include  "Design-Your-Own" illustrated inquiry forms for your convenience:

• Phone: 816-763-7277 (local) or 800-545-8578 (toll free) – Ext. 302 or 350 (or 0)
• Fax:     816-763-0476
• Email:  custserv@metrogasket.com

Please include to the extent known:

• How to Contact you.
• Billing Address.
• Shipping Address (if different from Billing; no P.O. Boxes, please).
• MI Style Codes, Part Numbers, and/or Specification References, if known.
• Additional Information, Specifications, Drawings.
• Order Quantity, Price, and requested Delivery Date.

NOTE: Please DO NOT include Credit Card information via insecure electronic means like email and online inquiry forms.

Order Processing

• Your order will be personally reviewed, assigned a Control Number, and entered into our system.
• If Credit Card or other information is needed, our customer service representative will contact you.
• Your order will be acknowledged within one business day with a projected ship date.

Minimum Orders

There are no preset minimum order requirements on standard items besides minimum quantities listed on Price and Discount Schedules.  However, to essentially the same effect, there are Shipping & Handling charges on all standard product orders under $100 (products only; tax, tooling, other charges excluded).  Please see below for details.

Quantity and Multiple-Item Discounts

Most standard items already reflect substantial quantity-based price breaks plus generous multi-item discounts on their respective price-discount schedules.  We would be pleased to quote cases meriting special consideration, such as:

• Multiple item orders going beyond listed quantity-pricing tiers or that involve more than one standard product group.
• Large quantities that substantially exceed high quantity list pricing.
• Combinations of items that might be produced together at notable savings (e.g. like gaskets that can be made within the center of another, or parts made of similar materials that might yield lower raw material costs).
• Custom die cut, extruded, or molded products:  Send us your description, specifications, and/or drawings (noted with quantities and annual usage), and we'll give you a no-hassle quotation or custom price list.

Payment Options

• C.O.D. or Payment in Advance by Cash, Money Order, Cashier’s Check, or approved  Company Check.
• Credit Card – We will gladly process your Discover, MasterCard, Visa, or American Express cards.
• Electronic Wire Transfer – We are happy to accept payment by wire transfer, although there will be an additional $10 charge to cover our banking fees plus customers are responsible for initiation, transfer, and any other related charges or fees.
• Establish Account – We would be happy to invoice your established company (Net 30) with approved credit.  To establish an account, please provide at least three trade and one bank references.   Past due accounts are subject to a 2% surcharge on the 31st day following shipment from Metro and an additional 1% every 30 days thereafter.

Shipping & Handling

• All shipments are F.O.B. Grandview, Missouri (zip code 64030), meaning goods are billed and become the property and responsibility of the customer upon shipment, not delivery.
• For the of determining Shipping and Handling charges, those related to shipment values include only actual product costs, not taxes, tooling, or other charges.
• Custom quoted products are typically quoted with collect or prepaid/add freight terms and shipped via customer preference. 
• Standard priced products are subject to the terms detailed below.

Standard Shipping

Unless otherwise arranged, orders shipped within the continental United States will ship via standard UPS Ground, USPS, or other means chosen at our discretion.   Serving also to cover our processing costs on small orders, Shipping and Handling charges are assessed as follows on standard shipments:

• $100 and up: No Charge for standard UPS Ground, USPS or equivalent (chosen at our discretion). 
• Under $100: Flat charge equal to lesser of $25 or the difference between $100 and actual product costs (excluding taxes, tooling, and other charges).

Non-Standard Shipping

We will gladly ship via any available means requested, including all available UPS and Fed-Ex options, with shipping and handling fees on shipments within the continental United States* assessed as follows:

• $100 and up: Flat charge of $10* plus actual shipping costs, unless billed to your account.
• Under $100: Flat charge of $10* plus actual shipping costs (unless billed to your account) plus lesser of $20 or the difference between $100 and actual product costs (excluding taxes, tooling, and other charges).

* International (plus Alaska, Hawaii) shipment terms are the same as above except for a flat charge of $25 rather than $10.

Quantities

Order - Shipment Quantity Variances

Because of production and material variables, production runs typically yield  minor variances in quantities, usually slightly over target.  Therefore, unless otherwise arranged, orders may be shipped, invoiced, and considered complete within +/-5% of order quantities.  We can routinely honor most 'Do Not Ship Over [Under]' requests by stating this as +0/-10% [+10/-0%], and will gladly consider alternate terms on a case-by-case basis.

Shipment Quantity Accuracy

Most of our products are precisely counted by mechanical means as they are produced and/or hand counted in packaging, eliminating most quantity errors.  Some are counted using electronic counting scales, also, though this method is often unsuitable for precision counting very lightweight or parts that normally vary more than a percent or two in weight.   For instance, 10,000 small die cut Mylar parts may weigh less than a pound, making even scales calibrated to +/- 1/100 of a pound accurate to only +/- 100 pieces before any other variables are considered, at best.

Because of these and other factors, and to avoid frivolous contentions, we have established standards based on the economic value of our products and the time and expense required for various levels of shipping quantity accuracy, as detailed in the table below.  This ultimately saves us and our customers money, as the cost of precision counting parts that cost a few cents or even less than a penny each can easily exceed the value of the products themselves. 

Therefore, unless otherwise established, the following quantity variance tolerances apply to all shipments of standard, semi-standard, and custom products: 

Tooling Setup Charges

• Flange Gaskets: No tooling charges on any standard low or high pressure (ANSI B16.5 125-150#, 250-300#) ring type or full face styles, even in custom quoted material options.  If necessary, semi-standard custom designs quoted using low cost steel rule dies, which average around $120.
   
• Rubber and Plastic Washers: Tooling on standard styles only IF we don’t have suitable tooling amongst our 12,000+ die inventory AND your order is less than $500. Non-recurring (one-time) charge based on extended item list price:  <$100 @ $75; $100-$249.99 @ $50; $250-$499.99 @ $25; No Charge on $500+.
   
• Sponge Weather Stripping: No tooling charges on any standard, semi-standard, or custom style.
   
• Rubber O-Rings: No tooling charges on standard sizes, even in custom quoted materials.
   
• Rubber Grommets: No tooling charges on standard sizes, even in custom quoted materials.
   
• Custom Die Cut, Extruded, Molded Products: Tooling, Dies, Mold costs quoted on case-by-case basis as needed.  When required, Steel Rule and Punch Die charges (our most common tooling option) begin around $25 and average a little over $100.  Rubber Extrusion Dies usually cost between $100 - $500, and Rubber Molds begin around $500 and run upwards of $20,000 on complex, multi-cavity molds.

In most cases and unless otherwise specified, applicable tooling or production setup charges are intended as offsets for our actual costs.  This means two things: 1) we maintain ownership of tooling, and 2) we physically maintain it at our cost in order to insure quality products on subsequent runs.  There are exceptions to this on custom quoted items, generally in cases where rubber molds or other expensive tooling is involved.  Since most of our tooling costs involve inexpensive (<$200) steel rule dies which require ongoing maintenance and periodic replacement that often exceeds the initial cost over time, this policy is generally advantageous to our customers and simpler for us.

We do not, however, use tooling made for non-standard shapes designed to customer specifications for anyone other than the customer for whom it was originally made, even if we wave tooling costs, as we often do on higher value orders.  As a matter of strict policy, we will not disclose any details about customer designed products with anyone not employed by that customer or otherwise authorized.   We even make a practice of concealing our customers' identity on drawings sent to tooling manufacturers and otherwise protecting their confidentiality.

(Please review our Warranties, Liabilities, and Limitations policies for information on returns, credits, and additional terms and conditions.)

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Metro Industries, Inc. 4018 E. 137th Terrace  Grandview, Missouri  64030 (USA) Centrally located in the Greater Kansas City area . © All materials copyright  Metro Industries, Inc., 1967-2005      Last modified: January 17, 2010 For Large Orders, Custom Quotes, Company Info, Technical Assistance: Email: sales@metrogasket.com Phone: 800-545-8578/ 816-763-7277 x302 Fax: 816-763-0476 Attn: Sales For Existing Orders or Standard/Semi-Standard Product Inquiries (O-Rings, Flange Gaskets, Rubber Washers, Sponge Stripping, Sheet Rubber, etc.): Email: custserv@metrogasket.com Phone: 800-545-8578 / 816-763-7277 x350 Fax: 816-763-0476 Attn: Customer Service

Metro Industries proudly operates under an ISO 9001:2008 Quality System (click to view certificate)