Here's a "What would you do?" for you...

[Pat Whatley]

Had a customer running for a County Commission seat come in to order 20 pair of magnetics. All he had for the artwork he needed to match was one t-shirt left over from his last campaign. He didn't want to leave it so I scanned it while he waited.

I pulled the scan into FlexiSign, set up the artwork on top of the image so my art would match exactly, double checked spelling and such, then sent them to be printed.

He called the next day and asked if I could send the artwork to his new t-shirt guy so it would match. Since he'd paid me $65 for setting up the artwork I happily sent it over. He later had the t-shirt guy send it to the flyer/business card guy.

Friday he picked up the magnetics, thought they looked great, and everybody was happy. This morning, however, I have a message on voice mail that the P.O. Box on his disclaimer at the bottom is wrong. My artwork has P.O. Box 6056 instead of P.O. Box 5056. I pulled up the file and I'd deleted my scan when I'd finished so I have no way of knowing whether the old t-shirt info was right or not.


I tried to call him but he's in court until 1:00 today. I called the t-shirt people I'd sent the artwork to and they ran the shirts over the weekend, I left a message with the business card/flyer people but I'm pretty sure they're just a reseller for someone like Partner Printing.

So, don't bother with the lecture about getting signed off proofs, I know I should have done it and didn't. If he shows me the old t-shirt and the PO Box is right on there then I'm willing to correct all the magnetics, no problem at all. My question is the t-shirts and business cards. Think I'm liable for those too? He did pay me for the artwork and I did send it. I'm sure the t-shirt company's response to him is that they printed directly from the artwork he sent (same thing I would say) and the other printer will do the same.

I'm just trying to think this through so I'm ready for whatever comes up when I talk to him this afternoon.

 

[J Hill Designs]

ugh

 

[Letterbox Mike]

Oi. I'm inclined to say since you didn't have him sign a proof, if the typo is your fault, you might be liable for all of the printing and shirts too. He'll definitely argue that and frankly I can't blame him, I would too. If I were in your shoes and I made that mistake, as much as I'd hate it I'd probably offer to reprint everything, but I'd insist on using my own shirt suppliers and printers so I'm not paying full retail for it...

If the original shirt you traced off was bad, you didn't do anything wrong, tough luck, it's his problem...

 

[Gino]

If the old T-shirt was wrong.... you're in the clear for everything. If your software transposed a 6 for a 5.... I believe it's your fault, even if he would've approved it.

I would imagine most of these things can be patched instead of reprinted, but be prepared for the worst. These people are ruthless and will not settle for arguments.

I would think a patch on the shirts and a rubber stamp for the brochures should do the trick.

 

[signgal]

I hate to say it but yeah, without the signed proof, I'd say you're responsible for the shirts and cards/flyers. That really stinks and I feel for ya. I hope he's a good guy and gives you the tee shirt to check.

 

[imagep]

Truthfully, it really doesn't matter. It's not like anyone is going to see a car mag or a tee and send him a snail mail letter from the address printed on it. Even if they did, it is highly likely that the post office may see the mistake and just put it in the correct box, or that the the letter would get returned and the origional sender would likely look up the correct address. And, any good manager (I would assume that a councilman would be considered a manager) should know that they need to double check everything. No way in hell I would have anything printed without seeing a proof. He should man up and accept some responsibility for not asking to see a proof. Who the hell puts their PO box on a car mag or shirt anyhow?

In theory, probably both the offset printer and the screen printer should have sent the artwork to the customer to get him to sign off on it. How do they know that the fonts are correct or that your magnet art is correct for their needs? Of course they won't see it that way. I know that the customer wont see it that way either.

 

[Mosh]

Who the hell puts their PO box on a car mag or shirt anyhow?

NO WAY I would let my customers put that on a shirt or sign. That is stupid.
If they insist on it, I would tell them to go somewhere that does crap work, cause it
wouldn't come out of my shop....

 

[TheSnowman]

I'm hoping that the shirt was wrong...but I'm with what Insignia said...if you don't settle on anything, and you take the blame for it, tell him you can re-print everything through YOUR vendors, and sure as heck don't let him make any changes, and if he does...cha ching him to death for it.

I've had an instance like this before (not quite this involved though, my own stuff, not other printers) and then the customer started making changes. I'm sure you already would be covering yourself, but don't give them the first inkling that you are making changes for them. We cover ourselves, and ourselves only...

 

[Marlene]

question is the t-shirts and business cards. Think I'm liable for those too?

that is a good question. since he paid you to set up the job for the magnetics the art you did was that only. sending it to the tee-shirt guy and printer was at no extra cost to the customer and was done as a courtesy. since it was up to the tee-shirt guy and printer to provide proof for their customer, seems like it wouldn't be your fault. had you sold him the service of providing art for the other guys, then you would be liable for errors.

 

[Deaton Design]

NO WAY I would let my customers put that on a shirt or sign. That is stupid.
If they insist on it, I would tell them to go somewhere that does crap work, cause it
wouldn't come out of my shop....

Its the law when you are running for political office. I called our state office and asked them what all had to have the disclaimer on it, and she told me everything that is bigger than 3.5x5" . So mags, teeshirts, flyers, bumperstickers, signs, etc. have to have that tag on there.
In your case Pat, I cant see where having the po number messed up somewhat is going to matter. Some people down here are only putting paid for by candidate on their stuff. If his competition is looking for things like that though, they may report it, and that would change things. You might call someone at your state office and ask them if that small of an error would matter...

 

[300mphGraphics]

a rubber stamp for the brochures should do the trick.

Cheaper to re-print. Shirts on the other hand, I wouldn't sweat that one if I was the customer, nobody will utilize it off there anyway. Magnets, sounds like you have that covered.

 

[Letterbox Mike]

NO WAY I would let my customers put that on a shirt or sign. That is stupid.
If they insist on it, I would tell them to go somewhere that does crap work, cause it
wouldn't come out of my shop....

For election stuff, be they shirts, magnets, signs, cards, etc., it's required by the election boards that the contact info for the committee to elect whomever/whatever be on there somewhere. If you stick a yard sign out that does not have that info you can be fined or removed from a race. We've gone through that before a few times. I had one customer running for city council not want to put it on their shirts and signs and he was removed from the race because they deemed it illegal advertising. I assume the rules are the same across the country. They're super strict about it here though.

 

[TheSnowman]

I hadn't ever heard "official" rules, and I had a customer call me back last week and said she had to take a sharpie (UGH) to her 25 signs that we did for her, and add "Paid for by the committee..." to all of them. She didn't have it on her sketch, and she approved my final proof, so I sent them to print. She just told me for future reference I may wanna just tell the people so that they know. I guess someone told her that they would normally write her a ticket, but they hadn't received any complaints on it yet. WHO COMPLAINS ABOUT THAT!? GET A LIFE!

 

[Letterbox Mike]

WHO COMPLAINS ABOUT THAT!? GET A LIFE!

Competing politicians in the race, that's who.

It's the rule/law that that info is required to be on there. They will go around and inspect each other's signs and turn offenders in to hopefully get them disqualified. It's amazing the level politicians will stoop to. Each election season we'll do a dozen or so jobs just running tiny little strips of decals that have that info on it because people forgot to add it on there.

Last year we had to run 10,000 .125"x5" strips because someone forgot to put it on their 5000 polybag signs they ordered and they got turned in and fined. They were given 48 hours to remove the offending signs or correct them or they would be removed from the race! Can you imagine having to put those decals on?!?

 

[LB]

If you do agree to replace all this stuff, insist on the old stuff being delivered to you. This will insure your not being victimized and the client just continuing to use the items with the small error in them. Good luck!

 

[iSign]

wow, 15 replies and my comment is still just hanging out there waiting to be made?? ..I can't believe it...

I'd have been at the post office 5 minutes after that phone call & I'd have either rented P.O. Box 5056 for $50... or I'd have at least mailed the person who has it some bogus Publishers Clearinghouse type of thing that say "YOU MAY ALREADY HAVE WON!!" ...call Pat today, to discuss your prize...

 

[Mosh]

It just has to say "political ad paid for by candidate"
At least that is what we are required to do.

 

[signgal]

If you do agree to replace all this stuff, insist on the old stuff being delivered to you. This will insure your not being victimized and the client just continuing to use the items with the small error in them. Good luck!

AWESOME suggestion! When i make a mistake on business cards (rarely) my husband used to offer them the other cards too and about had a fit. Don't take away my chance to make up the money i lost on the order by them never needing cards again!

 

[jiarby]

go to the post office and drop a mail forwarding card in so that mail from the 6056 box getw fwd'd to 5056.

 

[J Hill Designs]

or vice versa?