Buy Cheap, Buy Twice…

So, you order a canvas online at a cheap price. Does that mean you deserve cheap service, poor quality goods, damaged goods, little or no communication and a complete and utter refusal or offer a refund? No, I didn’t think so yet this is exactly what one South Wales printing company seems to be doing.

I am writing this without prejudice or any malicious intent, just as a warning to other people who may be thinking of buying a cheap online canvas and using this company.  This is just my experience…

The Company…

Orbit Print whose address is 7 Oakdale Court Penmaen, Blackwood, Gwent NP12 4AD are the culprits.  www.orbitprint.com I think they traded under a different name a couple of years ago – ‘Outlook Images’ as that web domain name still resolves to Orbit Print.  They both use the same Name Server Company for Internet domains.

Orbit Print Ltd are listed under Companies House and I have requested extra info on them via that source – more details to follow when that comes though. Interestingly another Orbit Print Ltd from Barry (Gavin & Stacey country!!) was dissolved in 2008. Coincidence?

Maybe I should have done my research a bit more prior to using Orbit Print as some reviews on Outlook Images are pretty ghastly! Have a read here about them.

http://www.avforums.com/forums/digital-photography/862626-outlook-images-photo-canvas-websites.html

Funny that Outlook Images doesn’t seem to be trading but still is registered with the Society of Wedding and Portrait Professionals (SWPP)..”Outlook Images produce stunning contemporary canvas artworks. Choose from our extensive gallery or submit your own photo! The highest quality at the lowest prices in the UK…Guaranteed! 

Orbit Print Ltd also have a listing on SWPP. That however is blank!  Just proves my point about organisations like the SWPP – you just pay for a link to make unsuspecting Joe Public think your professional!

You can download a copy of the webpage here in PDF format or have a look for yourself by clicking here.

Anyway, back to Orbit Print!  Have a read of some of there very very poor reviews here:

http://www.cylex-uk.co.uk/company/orbit-print-ltd-13371582.html

My Story…

I ordered the canvas online from them 9^th October 2011 and paid £24.99.  I wasn’t in a hurry so just put standard Economy delivery. I paid via PayPal.

The canvas was dispatched 14^th October. It arrived at my house 20^th October.  Wow – that was economy delivery I thought! I could have walked to Blackwood and back in that time myself to collect it, it’s only 25 miles!

A delivery company called Yodel (never heard of them until now) delivered the parcel and I was a bit (actually a lot) concerned when I took delivery. A great big green sticker saying “Repacked by Yodel” was on the font of the box.

I signed for it (you sort of have to really as your not allowed to open the package to check the contents before signing etc…) and took it into the house.

On opening the box the canvas frame from Orbit Print was damaged. It would be really – it was only made of what looks like MDF, and bloody cheap MDF at that!  The frame was damaged in several places as you can see from the photographs.  I didn’t even bother to remove the bubble wrap (which was only present on the front of the canvas by the way as the photos show) and immediately called Orbit Print to complain.

The first response I got to the damage was “We don’t do refunds”. No apology, no “really sorry to hear about that”. Just “We don’t do refunds”

Now, that is just not on! “We don’t do refunds”!!! What??!!! I got angry and demanded they refund me, they told me to send some images in and they would consider it.  Well after considering it they said, “We don’t do refunds”!!!

I sent the e-mail on the 20^th October at 1127hrs.  I finally received a reply only after asking again via e-mail for a refund on the 24^th October. Slow communications or what?!

They will send me a new canvas.  Too late, I already used another, and in my opinion much better company based in Cardiff, to get a replacement canvas. I want a refund.

Response from Orbit Print?  “We don’t do refunds”.  Bloody hell guys, change the record and think about the customer here!

I threatened them with legal action, they responded to “We don’t do refunds. It’s in our T&C’s”. To be fair, it is stated there that they don’t offer refunds under some conditions.

Orbit Terms and Conditions:

If a Consumer receives an order and it is faulty or damaged, in accordance with the Sale of Goods Act we can refund if the all of the following conditions are met:

1. The Consumer follows the procedures outlined in Term 4.2.
2. The product or products do not comply with our product specifications or technical details.
3. Any faults or damage must have occurred before delivery was deemed to take place as outlined in Term 4.4. and 4.7.

My arguments for a refund based on the above…

• I took delivery as indicated; however until I opened the package I didn’t not know it was damaged, just repacked by the delivery company
• You told me on the telephone you do not send out damaged goods therefore the canvas did not comply with the specifications or technical details
• As you told me you don’t send out damaged goods then the damage must have occurred before I took delivery.

My argument back was that those conditions were not met therefore I would like a refund. Nope. “We don’t do refunds”

So, after threats or legal action (which I am taking), complaints to Trading Standards (which I am doing), a complaint to PayPal for mis-selling (which I have done and is ongoing) and threats of blog and social media posts such as this all I still get is “We don’t do refunds”

So, as a warning to all those people who are looking to get a cheap canvas I decided to write about my experience in an effort to share my experiences and lessons. I state once again that I do with without any malicious intent towards either orbit Print Ltd or Outlook Images Ltd but as a story of my experience with a particular company.

Lessons Learned

1 – If you buy cheap you buy twice.

2 – If you buy cheap don’t expect decent customer service. In my case it was almost non-existent.

3 – Check the company out and read the reviews!!!!

Update !! Update !! Update !!

I got a refund! However, only by sending them a draft copy of this blog and telling them I’ll be posting on Facebook, Blogger, WordPress, Google+, Twitter etc.  Not really good enough is it!