Would this p!$$ you off ?

[ronl1975]

So a friend of mine is starting up a business, don't have much money and asked for me to design business cards for her. She loved them and I gave her a wholesale cost for the business cards. Then about a month later she posts on Facebook how she ordered business cards and magnets from VISTAPRINT and how super cheap they are ! urgggg

 

[Pro Image]

Thats one woman that wouldn't be a friend of MINE anymore.....Next time (if any) she wants you to do something....You know what to tell her.....F OFF.......

 

[scene329]

Did she not like the quality and run to vista prints? I know they offer a 16pt UV coated stock which is pretty nice and thick.

 

[sjm]

Can't fault her if she found better value elsewhere.

 

[ronl1975]

sjm you wouldn't fault a "friend" in which loved your design after you spent an hour working on and then ended up going to Vistaprint of all places to get it cheaper ? Then plug em ..

 

[scene329]

sjm you wouldn't fault a "friend" in which loved your design after you spent an hour working on and then ended up going to Vistaprint of all places to get it cheaper ? Then plug em ..

You gave her the file to use? Then she sent it to Vista Print? Not cool. However, if she used your design for the cards you did and then created a different and used Vista.. you can't mad.. Friend or not.

How do you print your cards? What thickness of stock do you use? We never print our own cards I always send them to the local printer which does amazing work.

 

[Pat Whatley]

The difference is that Vista Print charged her their full price. You worked for free.

Free NEVER has a value, it's completely disposable with no inherent "penalty".

And yes, we've all done it.

Call her out on it, it's uncool no matter how you look at it.

 

["Deposit Please"]

business cards

Exactly, i had that happen to me as well. They had the nerve to come in about a month later to place an order for a apair of car mags. Just as he was leaving, he placed a few of his business cards & a brochure on my desk, and you guessed it, crappy cookie cutter vista print cards. Sure, vista print is cheap, and the cards look the part. Needless to say, in the trash they went.

 

[GypsyGraphics]

Free NEVER has a value, it's completely disposable with no inherent "penalty".

Well said Pat!

Oh, and in answer to your original question ronl... Does the piss you off?
The words VistaPrint alone piss me off.

 

[sjm]

sjm you wouldn't fault a "friend" in which loved your design after you spent an hour working on and then ended up going to Vistaprint of all places to get it cheaper ? Then plug em ..

dude, I am in business to make a buck the consumer is looking to save a buck.

Friends will just expect you to do things for free.

 

[ronl1975]

scene329 : I'm too small to print business cards myself.. I always use Gotprint.

Pat : Yes I did this totally for free. I figured an hour of my time at night sitting watching the game with the laptop. Design. Boom. Done. Send it off to get printed. Make a friend happy. Get great word of mouth business.

Deposit : Glad I'm not the only one !

Gypsy : You couldn't of said it better ! I just told my wife the same thing just before you said that horrible word !

 

[ronl1975]

sjm : I respect that. I'm more disappointed that she plugged them rather going and getting cheap business cards.

 

[DarbySign]

I'm sure you can educate your friend on the damage Vistaprint is causing our industry by giving her an analogy related to her own new business. Properly explained, she'll understand, and spread the word.

 

[Rick]

Gimme a break, all these 4 color shiny card companies are crap.

Getting mad over an endorsement, pricing and shiny cards is about the same thing as a buddy drinking the last beer in the fridge... on second thought, I would be upset....

Okay, its like taking a sip from your Big Gulp without asking... let it go.

 

[JR's]

Okay, its like taking a sip from your Big Gulp without asking... let it go.

with a mouth full off cheeseburger.

maybe she dint want you to work for nothing again.

JR

 

[Jillbeans]

Of course it would anger me.
But by giving her something free in the first place, you already devalued it.
Some people think more of something they have to pay for, even if they are cheapskate unappreciative former friends.
Love....Jill

 

[ronl1975]

Good point Jill and I normally don't do things for free. Guess I need to learn from it.

 

[dwt]

Shall no good deed go unpunished?

I had a guy in here asking for some discounted/freebie crap for his dog poop scoop service. When I asked him what he charged to do my lawn he began ranting about his level of service would come at a premium. Pretty crappy.

I have to think any one using vista will be out of biz in a year, if they were ever legit in the first place. It should be called 'hacks r us'.

 

[anotherdog]

A side note, Vistaprint is the company that has teamed up with MSN to offer "free" business cards to all Hotmail users.

I use them on occasion for business card Magnets because they are dirt cheap and my customers whine that the "internet price" is so much cheaper than mine.

I pay peanuts and I get crap. Every time I have to reorder because the neanderthal pressing the print button (a skilled job I'm sure) screwed it up.

Vistaprint is the Walmart of Print. They want the whole pie and damn the little guy.

 

[skyhigh]

The difference is that Vista Print charged her their full price. You worked for free.

Free NEVER has a value, it's completely disposable with no inherent "penalty".

And yes, we've all done it.

Call her out on it, it's uncool no matter how you look at it.

I don't know....I think free has a lot of value. I LOVE FREE. Whenever I order from the cowboy, and they tell me shipping is FREE, I get a warm & fuzzy feeling that sends a tingle up my spine.

Anyways, back on subject.... Dosen't vista give you your first 1k cards for free, and the next 1k cards for 3 cents? If you ever make the mistake of ordering from them (I did years ago), you'll find out their quality sucks. When they finish tacking on a charge for this, and a charge for that (plus shipping), its not as great as you originally thought. Then be prepared for 3 freakin email a day from them.

Tell your "friend" to kya