This is a really tough place for me to review. In the past, when I've needed specific bolts for specific projects, Fastenal has been there for me. For example, when installing a racing harness in a car, you need a specific grade of hardware to install it and nobody else carried them in town. I was able to buy a handful of the bolts I required and the service was great.
I had needed about 10 bolts so I headed to Fastenal to see if they could help as they had been excellent in the past. When I walked in the store, I was greeted by a sign saying that they no longer sell to the public. So without a business and without starting an account, you can no longer purchase anything from them. I do own a small business (which is totally unrelated to what I needed to purchase) but I figured, why not? Then the employee said they no longer sell individual bolts and I would have to buy a box of 50 or 100. Since I needed two different types of bolts and only about 5 each, obviously this wouldn't make sense for me.
So I walked out pretty disappointed. Obviously retail sales from individuals would not make up a strong percentage of their sales and I understand that. It's probably more trouble than its worth to sell bolts piece by piece rather than by the box, so I get that too. But it's disappointing nonetheless. read more