 BUSINESS 4NETWORKING [Warning - Beware VistaPrint scam] |
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Posted on 29th Aug 2008 at 14:06
For anybody thinking about using VistaPrint for cheap/free business cards - a warning, don't touch them with a bargepole. They are running a scam where they fleece your bank account for £9.95 a time (a smallish amount which might not get noticed - even when they do it twice in a month). Check out the comments on this link http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:7Qcwuu00_SMJ:www.officinado.com/new-reviews/VistaPrint-Printing-Service.html+%22vistaprint%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=10&gl=uk to see what others are saying about VistaPrint. I know about it because my wife got caught by VistaPrint. She bought some 'cheap' cards for the local authority she works for part-time and used her personal debit card and claimed the cost back from petty cash. A couple of months down the line she spotted the debits VistaPrint started taking from her personal bank account. On contacting VistaPrint by phone she discovered that somewhere in some of the smallest possible print they use was a club membership sign-up which entitles VistaPrint to take money from you without asking. She's now going through a disputes procedure with the help of the bank to get the money back, hopefully. Yes - I did advise her not to use VistaPrint in the first place, even though at that stage I hadn't heard about their banking scam, on the basis that there's no such thing as a free lunch. I don't know if this has happened to anybody else out there in the 4Networking ether - hopefully this warning will help to prevent members being caught out by VistaPrint.
John Thorne
M2S Media : Making the Media Work for You
Based in Rural Somerset - Reaching the World
Email john@m2smedia.co.uk Web www.m2smedia.co.uk
Affordable and flexible PR, media, and communications support for SMEs, charities, NGOs, local government, and others.
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Posted on 29th Aug 2008 at 14:12
We use Vista print on a weekly basis and have had no such problems. However, I have heard that you might get into such a situation if you take them up on the "special limited time offers" AFTER you have finished your initial purchase. For straightforward purchases of business cards, marketing materials and so forth they are excellent if you only need relatively small quantities. I have used them for over 2 years now and never encountered this monthly charge and we carefully check the invoices against the charges on the card each month.
Jules Addison
Operations Assistant - 4N Bath
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Posted on 29th Aug 2008 at 14:18
Vistaprint themselves are fine it's the reward programme offer that pops up after checkout that charges this fee.
Use Vistaprint if you wish by give the reward programme a wide.
Kevin
Area Leader Merseyside - 4Networking
Kevin Samuel
Managing Director
Crosby Mortgage Solutions Limited & Legacy Estate Planning Services Limited
kevin.samuel [at] crosbymortgagesolutions.co.uk
www.crosbymortgagesolutions.co.uk www.legacyeps.co.uk
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Posted on 29th Aug 2008 at 17:02
I've used Vistaprint quite a lot and never encountered this. I just close down the reward window as I'm not interested. I've had car magnets, cards and all sorts!
"Keeping TABS on your business"
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Posted on 01st Sep 2008 at 15:11
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Posted on 01st Sep 2008 at 17:52
I've never used Vista as I'm in the business anyway and; whilst their prices are generally pretty good at first sight, a lot of people have said how impersonal it is.
The other thing to bear in mind is that their adverts hook you by saying that you can have business cards for, say, £4.99. That's a great price! However, if you want the cards printed to your own design, in full colour, both sides, with a pdf proof, printed on a 265gsm card (considerably flimsier than most cards) and in a card holder (plastic box I assume), each of these "extras" put the cost up by a fair bit.
Their standard "Premium Business Card" price is £12.99 for 250 cards; with these extras, the cost shoots up to £46.43. I'm not sure if this includes VAT but, even if it does, it means that the nett figure is just under £40.00; that's quite a hike from £12.99!
My company is able to supply the same items at or below the Vista prices (the above would cost you £35.00 including delivery + vat and be on a 350gsm card) while putting a smiling face and friendly voice to the transaction!
John Milford
Impresario UK Limited
Basepoint Business Centre
Swindon
01793 608787
07872 823578
www.impresario-uk.com
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Posted on 01st Sep 2008 at 18:07
Question - where is Vista Print based, in the UK or abroad?????
I posted a warning 6 months ago about this.
I am also in the print business, and through 4 networking over the past week, I have obtained orders over £2,000 for bus cards, flyers etc, and those are at my normal prices. Quality should be a priority over quantity and price, if you wish to promote your business to quality businesses not tacky sub standard work.
regards Steve
Integrated Graphics
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Posted on 01st Sep 2008 at 19:16
Steven, sorry I missed your earlier warning about this otherwise I would have shown it to my wife. For others who have replied, I note what you say about VistaPrint and I'm not saying anything about their standard services, but as I understand it, this particular offer was nothing to do with any rewards programme. My wife took up a free offer after getting a flyer about it via Amazon. I've had a look at their offer since, and they say you only pay for 'processing and postage' and they claim they give the cards free because they are confident the quality is so good that customers will come back for more services which they will pay for. I therefore maintain the £9.95 monthly and twice monthly bank deductions is a scam, whether or not the rest of the operation is bona fide. No reputable business should behave in this underhand way - if they do, they run the risk of negative comments like these.
John Thorne
M2S Media : Making the Media Work for You
Based in Rural Somerset - Reaching the World
Email john@m2smedia.co.uk Web www.m2smedia.co.uk
Affordable and flexible PR, media, and communications support for SMEs, charities, NGOs, local government, and others.
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Posted on 01st Sep 2008 at 23:36
I used them when i first started off and they are good for that (cheap business cards) but it shows so they are no good if you want that profesional look.
Electrical concepts
Domestic & Commercial Electrical Contractors in Hertfordshire.
01992 700 825
electrical-concepts.co.uk
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My Groups
Welwyn Garden City
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Posted on 02nd Sep 2008 at 07:59
Moral, read the small print.
I've used Vistaprint without any problem. There are uk based equivalent companies, if you look around
Simon
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Posted on 02nd Sep 2008 at 08:47
I think ultimately it all depends what you are looking for. We use vista print for business cards and flyers but only ever when they are free so all I've ever paid is delivery. The last order for 500 business cards, 100 postcards and 25 brochures cost me about £5. However of course if you want larger quantities and more flexibility on design then Vista Print does get a lot more expensive and in such situations I would turn someone in 4N to help. So I guess its horses for courses.
Jules Addison
Operations Assistant - 4N Bath
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Posted on 02nd Sep 2008 at 20:05
I know the scam you are talking about. I use VISTA quite often but there was this one time when clicked where I should not have. They took out 4 payments of £9.95 before I had realised. I did eventually get all my money back (at least I think so) but you do have to read the small print.
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Posted on 03rd Sep 2008 at 11:32
John Milford summed this up pretty well above. The Free stuff is a come-on and the quality is cheap, cheap, cheap. We used them once and didn't fall for any add-on stuff but the cards were pants.
Don't forget your business card is part of your business image.
Denis
We're the BEST around and you can check the Quality for yourself by taking us for a completely FREE Trial. Call us on FREEPHONE 0800 458 3367
Denis & Karen Thurley
** 4Networking Helpdesk**
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Posted on 03rd Sep 2008 at 12:01
I've never had a problem with Vista been using their free cards for 6 years, yes they are cheap looking but for £5 what do you expect, I use them as flyers leaving them all over the place, my pupose of cards is a means to pass on my number to potential customers. so when they find it again in the botom of a bag, pocket etc they may ring (put enough adverts out the phone rings), if I meet a prospective customer/client & they are genuinly interested, I get their number and treasure it like gold & call them.
Depends what you want the card for. want a sharp expensive looking card there are many good printers in 4N,
0121 244 2968
www.FitnotFat.net
www.PositiveFuture.net
Independent Herbalife Distributor
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