Ned Simmons writes:

I'm puzzled by the folks who think that a business is
obliged to send them an obviously expensive catalog just
because they ask for it. Especially when the whole catalog
is available online in a very convenient format.

Some companies actually *sell* their catalogs (although they
usually also send free ones to good customers). What's
interesting to me is that McMaster doesn't seem to mind providing
an exceptionally high level of service to people who apparently
don't deserve to get a catalog at *any* price. Do they want my
business or not?

I've never looked at their online catalog, but I've never seen
one that was a complete replacement for a paper catalog. Anything
that uses a database has the problem of how to find something if
you don't whether it exists or not. Browsing through the
appropriate section of a paper catalog is more likely to get
results in that case.

"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" writes:

I'm a bit confused by people who insist they must lie to get a service. If
I knew they'd lied to get a catalog, I think I'd automatically assume
they'll lie to me and their other customers. I have enough other problems
to make me want to avoid dishonest businessmen.

It would be nice if people were that consistent, but it's well
known that people behave differently in different situations.
In particular, many people lie in some situations but not in
others.

One source on this is "The Person and the Situation" by Ross &
Nisbett (1991), but any book on lying is likely to mention it.