Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
You're currently viewing Splitcoaststampers as a GUEST. We pride ourselves on being great hosts, but guests have limited access to some of our incredible artwork, our lively forums and other super cool features of the site! You can join our incredible papercrafting community at NO COST. So what are you waiting for?
Some things have changed!! I refer to this quote from the last page of that thread you've linked:
"I'm actually quite thankful and impressed that a company would set up and maintain an open forum board where you can freely (yet respectfully) express your concerns and that the owner personally takes the time to answer our questions."
Concerns are no longer freely (yet respectfully) discussed on their "open" forum.
I have never really looked at Gina K stamps for the sole reason that they are rubber. I love clear stamps and a lot of Papertrey's stamps appeal to me style wise. Now that Gina K offers clear stamps and is adding some new designers to the mix, I will definitely be keeping my eyes out.
I only know of Gina through SCS and recently from Facebook but she absolutely is someone that I would love to support. She comes across as being very kind and generous and full of integrity.
Barbara
Hi Barbara, from another Barbara!
As you said, the big news from Gina K in the last couple of months--all their new sets are available in your choice of rubber or CLEAR! I've ordered from them before, but no stamp sets. And I don't have any clear stamps, because I've heard that they don't produce crisp detail like deeply etched rubber. But I've watched some of Gina's great videos, and it looks way easier to place your image/greeting with the clear stamps. I use a Stamp-a-ma-Jig a lot and happily. but this looks *so* much easier.
As for the style, I haven't been moved to order until the release just a day or two ago of the Tropical Nature set designed by Theresa Momber. Wow! It is beautiful. So I'm thinking of breaking down and ordering it in clear, to give clear stamps a try!
__________________ Barbara Splitcoast Dirty Dozen My website: Inky Fun SCS Fan Club Member Color Challenge Team Member QFTD215
Hmmm.....I haven't used mine yet but I recently returned a bloom builder die for a replacement for these same issues and they promptly sent the SAME one back with a letter saying they couldn't find anything wrong! Also included, was ways to make it cut completely. I'd already tried those things! I hope my hexagon die works!! Fingers crossed!
Quote:
This is an all new low for PTI! They don't even back their product!
Why, why, WHY would anyone continue to order from a company that did this? I don't believe in blaming the victim normally, but if I have a restaurant that I really enjoy eating at, even though I have heard from multiple people that they have some problems with safe food handling, the first time I feel crummy after eating there, I stop. And if I didn't stop, then I'd have to shoulder at least some part of the blame the next time they made me sick.
I'm really puzzled by the whole thing with the dies.
I'm curious about the person who said she sent it back only to have it returned to her once again with suggestions. She doesn't say that she contacted customer service before returning it. If she had contacted "customer service" before sending it back, they could have simply passed along those suggestions for her to try, and if it still did not work for her, then replace it.
I guess the part of the story that's missing for me is whether or not she asked about it before returning it. But I also do know that the scenario I described is what most good stores would do, so maybe doesn't apply here.
At least as disturbing as the lack of CS, is that the person had this much trouble and still purchased another die. :rolleyes: "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice..." right?
This is a great comment from the PTI forum, too:
Quote:
"InkOnMyFace � Fri Jun 29, 2012 11:25 am
These issues with dies not cutting perfectly would take some of the joy out of my crafting. And the fact that there isn't one hard/fast combo of shims that give the same results each time with every die seems way too labor intensive. I wonder if the manufacturer needs to do something differently to help customers avoid the "guess how many shims this particular die takes" drama.
My spellbinders dies cut perfectly. Every Time. With a shim or without. With warped bowed plates or with brand spanking new. Face up or down."
Very well said - it shouldn't be so complicated and unpredictable.
Now that PTI knows there are issues with the dies, I think at the VERY LEAST they need to make an effort to see that customers get those "suggestions" for how to use them before/when they purchase. Then expect that they've tried everything and stop this mailing back and forth - if it doesn't work, replace it. And talk to the manufacturer about it and stop selling them until you have some quality control.
Yeah, right. Again, SOP seems to be rocket science there.
As you said, the big news from Gina K in the last couple of months--all their new sets are available in your choice of rubber or CLEAR! I've ordered from them before, but no stamp sets. And I don't have any clear stamps, because I've heard that they don't produce crisp detail like deeply etched rubber. But I've watched some of Gina's great videos, and it looks way easier to place your image/greeting with the clear stamps. I use a Stamp-a-ma-Jig a lot and happily. but this looks *so* much easier.
As for the style, I haven't been moved to order until the release just a day or two ago of the Tropical Nature set designed by Theresa Momber. Wow! It is beautiful. So I'm thinking of breaking down and ordering it in clear, to give clear stamps a try!
Do it! I have ordered quite a lot from GinaK over the years. I have also won several free stamp sets and earned free sets with purchases. I am an A Muse Studio consultant now, so I'm not buying stamps from other companies, but I would highly recommend GinaK and will most likely wind up purchasing from her again at some time. If you haven't checked her line out lately, take a look. It's actually fairly diverse. She doesn't have weird artsy stamps or characters without mouths, but she has lots of other stuff ranging from classic, realistic art to cute and whimsical.
As for PTI, I've ordered from them several times and never had trouble. I have a lot of their dies, and they all work perfectly. I know I've been lucky. I have always found their website an absolutely cumbersome, inelegant nightmare to navigate. All these current issues in this thread are not new, as has been pointed out. I most likely won't order again, on principal.
Finally, if you love the matching stamps/dies, there are so many awesome companies doing them right now, including several past and present SCS member companies. Non SCS member companies I love are Waltzing Mouse (PLEASE get an American distributor so I don't have to pay and arm and a leg anymore!), and Just Rite. And even A Muse Studio has a very nice but small selection. Support companies who deserve your support!
Do it! I have ordered quite a lot from GinaK over the years. I have also won several free stamp sets and earned free sets with purchases. I am an A Muse Studio consultant now, so I'm not buying stamps from other companies, but I would highly recommend GinaK and will most likely wind up purchasing from her again at some time. If you haven't checked her line out lately, take a look. It's actually fairly diverse. She doesn't have weird artsy stamps or characters without mouths, but she has lots of other stuff ranging from classic, realistic art to cute and whimsical.
As for PTI, I've ordered from them several times and never had trouble. I have a lot of their dies, and they all work perfectly. I know I've been lucky. I have always found their website an absolutely cumbersome, inelegant nightmare to navigate. All these current issues in this thread are not new, as has been pointed out. I most likely won't order again, on principal.
Finally, if you love the matching stamps/dies, there are so many awesome companies doing them right now, including several past and present SCS member companies. Non SCS member companies I love are Waltzing Mouse (PLEASE get an American distributor so I don't have to pay and arm and a leg anymore!), and Just Rite. And even A Muse Studio has a very nice but small selection. Support companies who deserve your support!
LOL, thank you for asking - you may be interested to know we're working on American distribution....;)
Well, either the server is causing problems again or posts have been dropped or deleted as the posts being quoted by Kolling143 & JenCarter are no longer actually shown as posts - only seen as quotes in others' posts. I also didn't get email subscription notification of those posts when they posted.
I'm certainly glad that a dear friend of mine directed me to check out this thread the other day when I mentioned that I was looking for a new stamp company and was thinking of trying out Paper Trey Ink. WOWZERS! What a mess. I read as much as I could and then purposely skipped to the last few pages to see if anything had changed and apparently it hasn't. The online companies I currently order from have awesome customer service and shipping times and I could never deal with all this nonsense.
So my thoughts have now moved on to Gina K Designs but I'm disappointed that for the price not all the sets are pre-cut. The one I especially am attracted to by Nina Brackett has to be trimmed. I have one set of theirs that a friend gave me and the rubber is not very thick so with that and the fact that you have to trim it yourself I think they are a little pricey. I realize they are doing all their newer sets in clear or pre-cut rubber but that isn't helping me for the older sets I'm interested in.
However, I can hear from you ladies that no matter what I decide I will not experience the horrors of customer service and shipping problems that is taking place at PTI.
I'm certainly glad that a dear friend of mine directed me to check out this thread the other day when I mentioned that I was looking for a new stamp company and was thinking of trying out Paper Trey Ink. WOWZERS! What a mess. I read as much as I could and then purposely skipped to the last few pages to see if anything had changed and apparently it hasn't. The online companies I currently order from have awesome customer service and shipping times and I could never deal with all this nonsense.
So my thoughts have now moved on to Gina K Designs but I'm disappointed that for the price not all the sets are pre-cut. The one I especially am attracted to by Nina Brackett has to be trimmed. I have one set of theirs that a friend gave me and the rubber is not very thick so with that and the fact that you have to trim it yourself I think they are a little pricey. I realize they are doing all their newer sets in clear or pre-cut rubber but that isn't helping me for the older sets I'm interested in.
However, I can hear from you ladies that no matter what I decide I will not experience the horrors of customer service and shipping problems that is taking place at PTI.
Thanks for all your honesty.
I've been a PTI customer for 5 years and I have NEVER had a problem with customer service or their products.
__________________ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12
I really like Paper Trey stamps and product, and I have bought from them since the first set of stamps were released.
I have had a couple of customer service issues in the last 12 months, which were ultimately resolved. I still order from them and have had 2 uneventful orders since those issues were cleared.
I do believe that the business model, with most of the sales happening within a few days each month, might not be the best model for them anymore due to the growth that they have had.
I'm hoping that this company can take steps to resolve some of the website and customer service issues that they have, so that they can go on to inspire confidence in all of their customers again.
I have to say that I have ordered from Papertrey quite a few times and I have only had one problem - a stamp ripped when I tried to remove it from the backing, and they replaced the stamp immediately. I will order from them again as I really love their cardstock and stamp designs.
__________________ -- Bridget
Everyone smiles in the same language!
I've ordered many times from PTI and have never had any real issues. Their shipping is a bit slow around release time. I've just learned to wait a couple of weeks and order during an "off" time. Otherwise, no complaints. I love their stamps and innovation. I'm sorry for those of you that have had trouble.
I'm certainly glad that a dear friend of mine directed me to check out this thread the other day when I mentioned that I was looking for a new stamp company and was thinking of trying out Paper Trey Ink. WOWZERS! What a mess. I read as much as I could and then purposely skipped to the last few pages to see if anything had changed and apparently it hasn't. The online companies I currently order from have awesome customer service and shipping times and I could never deal with all this nonsense.
So my thoughts have now moved on to Gina K Designs but I'm disappointed that for the price not all the sets are pre-cut. The one I especially am attracted to by Nina Brackett has to be trimmed. I have one set of theirs that a friend gave me and the rubber is not very thick so with that and the fact that you have to trim it yourself I think they are a little pricey. I realize they are doing all their newer sets in clear or pre-cut rubber but that isn't helping me for the older sets I'm interested in.
However, I can hear from you ladies that no matter what I decide I will not experience the horrors of customer service and shipping problems that is taking place at PTI.
Thanks for all your honesty.
Hi- just jumping in to let you know that all of our stamps ARE NOW pre-cut. We just haven't updated all of the product desciptions yet. But we are working on that. And all of our new sets going forward are available in both pre-cut rubber and clear (photopolymer.)
__________________ Be polite to those who are rude to you. Not because they are nice, but because you are.
Owner- Gina K. Designs
I have GinaK stamp sets and I love them...and her. I remember when SU stamps had to be trimmed. Some customers were upset when the company started pre cutting the stamps. Those customers LIKED cutting their own the way they liked them. Some people still retrim their stamps. Different strokes for different folks. While I do like pretrimmed stamps, since only the older GKD stamps need to be trimmed by hand, I would buy a stamp set that I really liked and trim away. You only have to do it once. Hope you all have a crafty day.
I have GinaK stamp sets and I love them...and her. I remember when SU stamps had to be trimmed. Some customers were upset when the company started pre cutting the stamps. Those customers LIKED cutting their own the way they liked them. Some people still retrim their stamps. Different strokes for different folks. While I do like pretrimmed stamps, since only the older GKD stamps need to be trimmed by hand, I would buy a stamp set that I really liked and trim away. You only have to do it once. Hope you all have a crafty day.
I think Gina just clarified that all her stamps are precut now even the older stock! For that I am thankful because as good as my cutting skills are, my stamps that I have cut annoy me!
Does this means the problems at PTI don't really exist? :rolleyes:
Ami
No, but people are free to post about positive experiences too.
I just put my very first order in to PTI a couple of weeks ago. I didn't have any issues. I do think their website needs to be fixed up though. When searching for items, the results have multiples of items under varying categories. It is annoying to see the same stamp set, or die cut, etc. 2 or 3 times in the list.
Sorry that so many have had negative experiences with PTI. I for one never wanted to order from them before due to the high shipping charges to Canada. But, they now give you a $20 refund on a $200 or more order so it makes it more reasonable. I was happy with my experience, albeit only 1 so far. I will stick to mostly SU! products as they are my favorite, but it is nice to have some other options for cardstock colors and matching designer paper. Plus, PTI has some cute stamps and die cuts.
Hi- just jumping in to let you know that all of our stamps ARE NOW pre-cut. We just haven't updated all of the product desciptions yet. But we are working on that. And all of our new sets going forward are available in both pre-cut rubber and clear (photopolymer.)
I'm certainly glad that a dear friend of mine directed me to check out this thread the other day when I mentioned that I was looking for a new stamp company and was thinking of trying out Paper Trey Ink. WOWZERS! What a mess. I read as much as I could and then purposely skipped to the last few pages to see if anything had changed and apparently it hasn't. The online companies I currently order from have awesome customer service and shipping times and I could never deal with all this nonsense.
So my thoughts have now moved on to Gina K Designs but I'm disappointed that for the price not all the sets are pre-cut. The one I especially am attracted to by Nina Brackett has to be trimmed. I have one set of theirs that a friend gave me and the rubber is not very thick so with that and the fact that you have to trim it yourself I think they are a little pricey. I realize they are doing all their newer sets in clear or pre-cut rubber but that isn't helping me for the older sets I'm interested in.
However, I can hear from you ladies that no matter what I decide I will not experience the horrors of customer service and shipping problems that is taking place at PTI.
Thanks for all your honesty.
The red rubber of Gina K. Stamps is really nice and very good quality. I have most of the Nina Brackett stamps from Gina K and these are not thin rubber. Are you sure they are Gina K. Stamps?
Gina K. has the best customer service! You will love ordering from her!!
I had some points to cash out, so I've just placed what will be my last order with PTI. While painstakingly navigating the incredibly user-unfriendly store, I browsed over to the forum briefly. The same old issues and tone of discussions made me feel that much more resolved that this will be the last.
It's actually a relief. I'll no longer have to hover and check for weeks for all the items in an order to be in stock simultaneously, or to send back defective items at my own expense, etc. I didn't even follow their July release -- I forgot it was going on, and when I remembered, I realized I just wasn't interested.
I've found so many great companies this year who make stuff I love. That's where my business will go.
Hi- just jumping in to let you know that all of our stamps ARE NOW pre-cut. We just haven't updated all of the product desciptions yet. But we are working on that. And all of our new sets going forward are available in both pre-cut rubber and clear (photopolymer.)
Yay!!! I am over-the-moon thrilled to learn about the clear stamp option.
I did not heed the warnings of countless others who also received terrible customer service from Papertrey Ink. My thought was, "that's terrible, but it's their problem, not mine. " I was so very, very wrong.
Background: Since discovering Papertrey Ink in February 2012 and becoming a customer in March 2012, I placed more than 10 orders without incident. Last month, I had a defective item issue that was similar to, if not exactly like, the defective item issues that other customers were also experiencing and sharing on Papertrey Ink's customer service forum. However, Papertrey Ink decided that my issue was unlike the others, despite documentary evidence (i.e. photos of the defective item). Papertrey Ink told the other customers to return their defective items for a refund or exchange, but instructed me to keep my useless plate or, as I like to call it, my "paperweight." Approximately two weeks after the complaints starting rolling in, Papertrey Ink finally conceded it was a manufacturing defect. While they posted this �recall� (if you can call it that) on their customer service forum/website, they: (1) only did so after blaming customers for the defective product (citing "user error"); and (2) did not bother to contact or notify customers who they told earlier to �go jump in a lake.� I only found out about the recall after reading it on a smack blog!!]
There is a big difference between (1) a company that occasionally loses a package or has a manufacturing issue and (2) a company that approaches every customer service issue with suspicion and doubt (i.e. the customer is going to "pull a fast one" on them and abuse their refund/exchange policies) and is not forthcoming with their customers. As you can imagine, I firmly place Papertrey Ink in the second category.
Papertrey Ink has wonderful designs. No doubt. But they are not the only game in town. The papercrafting industry is large and competition is fierce; even traditional scrapbooking paper companies are designing and producing stamp sets. With so many choices, consumers should not have to endure Papertrey Ink�s �distrust and conceal� philosophy.
[For those that are curious, the defective product was their Sunrise Impression plate. After running the plate through a Big Shot or Cuttlebug (using the proper sandwich), the image from the backside of the plate came through the front side of the plate, producing an undesired (and, in some cases, uneven) double impression. When I contacted Papertrey Ink, I was told by Julie Heskamp, one of the owners, that it was "normal" for the backside/B-side image to push through the front side/A-side.]
