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I just heard back from Stampin' Up! Here is the e-mail they sent:
HelloBeth,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us! I have passedyour email along to the appropriate departments. I am grateful for yourpositive feedback and can't wait to share it!
If you have any further feedback or comments, don't hesitate to share them withus, we would love to hear from you!
I placed a SAB order last month, mostly to support my friend/demo. I wanted the ribbon, but it was already unavailable, so I got some dsp. It's pretty, but good grief, I could wallpaper the state capitol with all of my dsp!
I was going to place another order, again to support my friend, but the free offerings are not grabbing my attention.
SU is still my favorite source for card stock and ink, but I don't see many stamp sets that I *need.* They are either too similar to what I have or too expensive for what they include. Like others have said, I am so frustrated that I can no longer buy one marker at a time. I could really use a new pool party marker, but I will not buy a full set.
I was introduced to this fabulous hobby through SU, and most of my stamps are SU, some very old. Their stamp quality is very nice. But I am branching out to other companies to find more variety. I imagine it is difficult to be competitive in this market. Some stamp companies fold quickly, others are thriving (Unity Stamp company is awesome!).
I may send an email with some feedback to the company, too. It can't hurt.
__________________ Kim in Illinois, Dirty Dozen Alum, QFTD#207, FS798, VSN Moderator "Famous Last Words" Spring Virtual Stamp Night, April 19 & 20
I wonder why they now have the Climbing Roses bundle unavailable from the spring catty. I was going to order it, but they took it out. Not even back ordered??
" I wonder why they now have the Climbing Roses bundle unavailable from the spring catty. I was going to order it, but they took it out. Not even back ordered??"
I suspect they've run out of the dies for it. SU indicated they were having supplier problems with other dies, and the Climbing Roses may have been caught in that net.
Yes, you're correct. Sadly, the Climbing Roses bundle has been discontinued as the dies are no longer available. Only the Climbing Roses stamp set is still available to order.
beaddict, sorry I did write to SU numerous times. I get a canned answer every time that my issue will be delegated to the appropriate individual and that is where it ends. In one case they apologized because I wrote a real letter instead of an email and they lost it for 6 months. They have never, ever replied to me personally. It is not possible to contact them.
Just FYI Regarding the markers... years ago, SU found that it wasn't cost effective to sell the markers individually. If they sat too long, they would dry out plus (business-wise) shelf space in the warehouse is valuable - they determined it wasn’t worth it. Over the years, demonstrators and customers have requested they bring them back. What we have seen is that they offer different ones seasonally and mix it up. I know they care, but they also have to make financially sound decisions.
I have in the past gotten upset about the availability/lack of with certain items, sometimes, even right after a release. But as I have started purchasing from other companies, I realize it isn't unique to SU. Example, just yesterday i placed a small order with another company and submitted a promo code for a free die - a code i got in my email that morning - and they ran out before i could get one.
All that to say, they do care, but there are a lot of variables to consider and they’re not out to make you miserable. I hope you all enjoy stamping something beautiful today.
I understand about markers drying out. I won't buy any at my LSS because you never know how long she's had them. But you can add reinkers to the SU markers, in case someone has dried out ones and didn't know!
In my opinion, we can’t really compare SU to other companies because the business model is completely different. Another company might run out of one item offered as a freebie during a special offer - but SU has a complete catalogue that is running out of dies and Saleabration items that ran out within the first few weeks of a three month promotion. When SU runs out - items - they are gone forever. Most other companies don’t have so many limited availability items. When they run out of items - they’ll have them back within a month or so, and then you can reorder.
In my opinion, we can’t really compare SU to other companies because the business model is completely different. Another company might run out of one item offered as a freebie during a special offer - but SU has a complete catalogue that is running out of dies and Saleabration items that ran out within the first few weeks of a three month promotion. When SU runs out - items - they are gone forever. Most other companies don’t have so many limited availability items. When they run out of items - they’ll have them back within a month or so, and then you can reorder.
This happens to CTMH from time to time as well. The problem is that while the stamps are made in the US, the dies are made overseas, and with the production and shipping time, if they run out before the end of the catalog, they may not have time to get a new shipment of dies.
I think many customers have voiced their frustrations with SU over SAB this year. When we voice our frustrations on this forum, we are often criticized. I realize SU has every right to determine what items they will provide and how they will provide them - but as a customer, if I can’t buy the products I like from SU because they are gone, then I’m going to spend my money elsewhere.
I do a fair bit of shopping at SU - they’re expensive, but I really like their stamps - especially the rubber - also dies and dsp. There are also aspects of the ink pads I like, even though their colors can be a little dark and muddy at times, and the old containers are pretty awkward. I do like the matchy matchy thing - paper, ink, c/s, stamps, etc.
I’ve only been into stamping the last 3-4 years so I don’t have a long history with SU. But I buy the vast majority of my stuff from SU and PTI. I’ve always found SU very good at keeping things in stock - and on the rare occasions something was out of stock, it would just be on back order, you could still order the item and they’d send it along later (usually only a week or two) at no extra postage. They’re expensive, the postage and taxes are killer / but they seemed to have very good customer service, packaging and high quality items. In fact - I stopped shopping at PTI for about a year because I got so sick of the stamps and/or dies always being out of stock - you never knew when or if they ever would get in stock - should I buy the dies and just hope the stamps came back? That never seemed to happen with SU.
Until this year. I want to buy the butterflies and get the butterfly paper but the bundles are out of stock and I don’t want the paper if I can’t get the butterflies; and I feel like once the butterflies are back in stock, the saleabration will be over - and if I do two small orders instead of one big order, I don’t get the 10% rewards. I put in an order for the gingham paper - which I waited and waited for and did order when it was in stock - but I only found out when I opened my package that it was out of stock again - so I thought I got it, but I didn’t. Some things say out of stock and some things say they’re on back order - what does that mean?
So this year is different and I guess that’s for at least a couple of reasons that I can see - one is they had the whole sign up as a demonstrator or something and get $175 of product for $99 (forgive me I don’t remember the full details of that) - so I’m guessing a lot more people got a lot more stuff than usual and it was difficult for them to predict. The second thing is - their saleabration stuff was so pretty this year - the ribbons to go with the gingham paper; the butterfly paper; the red and orangish metallic paper; so many of the stamps; the lillies - and oh my - that tea set! So maybe more people ran amok this year - I know I did. And who knows - I believe the dies are made in China - maybe trade negotiations affected things; or I don’t know some other problem with the suppliers.
Anyhow - it’s good to express our disappointment with SU - I’m sure they’re scrambling so this doesn’t happen again - and they either adjust and keep having happy customers, or maybe they won’t and eventually they’ll lose customers. I’m hoping they adjust - I mean - I still really like their stuff, and if I don’t get my gingham paper or my butterflies I won’t cry. I’ll stick with them - but if it becomes chronic I’ll probably shop less with them, just like what happened with PTI.
Sorry for my awful long winded ness - you can wake up now haha.
Stefany
