This is a little off topic but perhaps Paul will indulge me here.

I am a firm believer in passing on kudos' when they are due. I saw a
statistic once that said something like one in a hundred people will
take the time to saying something positive about good service yet one in
ten will take time to rant about bad service.

I have seen McMaster Carr used by Paul for years now, I have used there
site to garner information and today I placed my first order with them.
I tried on-line but there system kept telling me that my credit card
number was not a valid number. So I phoned instead. I can't remember the
ladies name who took my order but wow was she good. She was everything
an employer could want, fast, friendly, polite and efficient. I
explained the problem and asked if there would be any problems shipping
a small order to my Canadian company. "Not at all sir, how can we help
you ?". I placed the order, I only needed one #10-24 4 inch machine
screw but was happy to order ten. They were available in five packs and
I have eight in the solenoid valve I'm repairing, one broken and seven
seeming OK. But whilst I'm in the belly of the beast, why not just do
them all. So five minutes on the phone with this delightful lady and I'm
good to go. This after a day and a half and a couple of hundred miles
trying to get one little bolt.

One hour later my cell phone rings. Another lady from McMaster Carr.
"There is a problem with your order".
"Oh, what's the problem" I ask reaching for my credit card.
"McMaster Carr is not exporting to new foreign customers at the present
time".
"Oh, why is that ?"
"There are a lot of complex reasons why".
"Damn, that's inconvenient, can you put me on the list for when you'll
resume ?"
"We don't foresee resuming exports any time in the future"
"I guess I'll have to get a friend down south to order them and then
ship them up to me then"
"If we were to determine that they being bought for export then we would
decline the order sir"

Now I don't take this personally, I am sure that Mr McMaster or Mr Carr
would be delighted to sell me ten little bolts, after all it is the
American way, free enterprise and all that. But it strikes me that Big
Brother has said no thou shall not do so, which begs the question "what
happened to the land of the free" ?.

Thanks for the rant Paul,

John (boltless in Canada)

I bought something a few days ago. They are not the lowest cost but their
service to U.S. customers is the best. Tell me what you want and I will order it for you and send it. Shipping to Canada is some what of a hassle but I'll do it for 15 dollars plus the cost of the bolts.  I do not do credit cards so send me the cash in U.S. green backs. I'll trust you and ship the bolts before the cash arrives.

Also have you tried Grainger?
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/fasteners/ecatalog/N-bi6

Paul Lamar