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4 Reviews 5 Complaints
- 2 out of 5
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Bolt Depot overview
Bolt Depot is an online fastener retailer. Staying true to the tradition of the old hardware store, Bolt Depot maintains a family-owned atmosphere and a strong commitment to customer service, all while offering its complete catalog of fasteners online.
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Bolt Depot is an online fastener retailer. Staying true to the tradition of the old hardware store, Bolt Depot maintains ...Read more
Address
100 Research Road Hingham, MA 02043
Website
Phone
$ Monetary Loss
36
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907
Some Screws Were Off-Center
My order arrived on time, which was good. Most of the screws were fine, but a few (#5 brass) had off-center slots on the heads. The ones that were properly aligned fit well and worked with a gunsmith’s screwdriver. Overall, it’s decent quality, but not quite five stars for me.
Bolt Depot has a great selection, especially for harder-to-find hardware. I really appreciate that there’s no minimum order—if you need 10 pieces, you don’t have to buy 100. The packaging was way better than expected: each item came in its own labeled, resealable bag, with clear info including wrench size. The bags are easy to open and the labels peel off cleanly if you want to reuse them on storage bins. Ordering online was simple, shipping was fast, and everything in my order was correct. Solid experience all around.
I ordered a product with USPS 1st class shipping, expecting it Thursday but it didn’t arrive until Monday. Shipping is a big deal—Amazon’s success shows how important good shipping is. That said, Rick did a great job understanding my issue and offered to contact USPS on my behalf. Still, I ordered well ahead of time and didn’t get the item when I actually needed it.
Inaccurate Thread Length
The thread length chart showed that bolts under 80mm would have a 30mm thread length, but the 75mm bolts I received have a 36mm thread. I needed 45mm of shank, so now I’m 6mm short. I don’t have time to call and resolve this, so I can't comment on their customer service. My advice: always double-check measurements before buying. If they can’t give you a clear answer, move on.
Minor issue: Silicon bronze fasteners are ridiculously expensive. Other than that, this merchant offers fair prices, reliable accuracy, and fast shipping. I’ll probably keep ordering, but I’ll be looking for bronze elsewhere.
Shipping Delays
The good: They have a solid selection of hardware at great prices, and I’ve always received exactly what I ordered. The bad: Don’t waste your money on expedited shipping. I paid $50 for 2-day air, and it’s still going to take a week. I called customer service, and the rep didn’t seem to care about the issue. Now, I’m behind on a customer’s vehicle, and I can’t deliver the car as promised. This puts me in a tough spot with my customer and likely cost them my future business. If you're not in a rush, they’re fine, but if you need things fast, don’t bother. Find another option.
UPS Makes Expedited Shipping Useless
Bolt Depot is a great online source for screws and hardware—no complaints there. But the shipping is a problem. They only use UPS for expedited shipping, which is a major downside. I paid for 2nd Day Air on a Thursday, expecting delivery by Friday or Saturday. Instead, UPS counted Monday as the second day. Unlike other carriers, UPS doesn't include weekends in their delivery times, which makes their "2nd Day" service pretty misleading. Bolt Depot should seriously rethink using UPS.
I ordered some hardware from Bolt Depot, and the delivery took 4 days from MA to NJ, which felt way too long. On top of that, the shipping was pretty pricey, especially since I later found out other sellers offer free shipping. The real frustration came when I tried installing the bolts—I went through several that snapped one after the other. Honestly, they were complete garbage. I ended up having to drill out and tap each bolt hole, which added hours of extra work. Overall, I’m really dissatisfied with the quality of the products I received from Bolt Depot, and I wouldn’t recommend buying hardware from them.
Great Customer Service Despite Shipping Issues
My order was delayed, so I reached out to Bolt Depot to see what was going on. It looked like the issue was with USPS. Our local rural post office even did a search through their trucks and tracking system, but the package had completely vanished from their end. Once I updated Bolt Depot with what we found, they immediately sent out a replacement at no cost to me. I also found out they had originally shipped it via priority mail, which meant it was insured. Overall, I really appreciated how they handled the situation—it showed great customer service.
Poor Quality Stainless Steel Bolts and Nuts
I bought these stainless steel bolts and nuts, and I was really disappointed with the quality. They were 5/16" bolts, but when I tried tightening the nuts, they wouldn't tighten properly. The threads seemed off. When I tried to loosen the nuts, the bolts actually bent. I was only using a 6-inch wrench and a Phillips screwdriver to tighten and remove them. Looks like more poorly made products from China. Definitely not worth your money.