Early September, I tested out two online services of QOOP.com and Streetcards.com. I finally got my orders and you will be surprised that our Phil Mail system still works 🙂 Qoop.com is a digital to print web service currently running beta printing products to two of my favorite online photo service: Flickr and Buzznet. Streetcards.com offers a service of innovative business cards and I use it for ordering blogcards with gapingvoid designs. Here is my experience on cost and reliability of the service.
flickr+Qoop Poster (13.5×19 in)
Order Date: Sept. 2, 2005
Arrival Date: Oct. 5, 2005
Poster cost = $ 9.99 (P 572.57)
Shipping via International First Class Mail = $ 5.15 (P 295.17)
Total Cost: $15.14 (P 867.73) (landed cost)
Effectively, the exchange rate using my AMEX platinum card was P57.314=$1
The Verdict:
I’m very happy with the overall quality of the printing including resolution of the pictures as well as the quality of the paper. It is still too expensive since the landed cost of P867.73 would be P3.38/in. As a comparison if you print two 8x10s in fuji/kodak, it would costs P100 which is P0.80/in. So essentially, you are paying for the ease of creating a photo collage from your flickr album sets and printing it. Lastly, it took 30+ days to arrive which is too slow and is a normal leadtime expectation for internet orders. Would I order again? Definitely, although I do hope that the delivery leadtime should be reduced.
Blogcards from Gapingvoid Streetcards (50 pcs. Matt laminated cards)
Order Date: Sept. 3, 2005
Arrival Date: Sept. 12, 2005
Blogging Cards cost: $44.75 (P 2,600.90)
Shipping: $3.42 (P198.85)
Total Cost: $48.17 (P2,800.75)
Effectively, the exchange rate using my Citibank Visa was P58.143=$1
The Verdict:
The quality of the calling cards met my expectation although, the colors are subdued. I ordered a black background card on one side and the black is like grayish black. It almost arrive after 10 days from order and this is indeed exceeded my expectations. It is too expensive though at about P56 or $1 per blog card so I had to use it and give it to people that matters 🙂 Would I order again, maybe not because it is way too expensive if not for the copywrited gaping void cartoons I would have not ordered it.
On the shipping delay – we sincerely apologize for that. UPS has been terribly slow in the non-US deliveries. We should have known that $5.15 US a lb was too cheap – They told us 2-8 days actually seeing 3-4 weeks and sometimes even 5 weeks. This is very frustrating.
We will be bringing up DHL WorldWide Express options which will be faster but more expensive unfortunately.
As for the cost per inch – don’t forget that it would cost a lot more than our price for a Fuji print as large as our poster
Thank you for your order and comments
– Bill
Bill,
Amazing that you were able to track this blog post almost immediately.
I guess your using pubsub or technorati to monitor. Truly appreciate
the feedback and this is proactive customer service at its finest. I
do hope that you are able to get it together before the holidays and I
was planning to give them as gifts so I do hope they arrive on time
less than 30 days —
Thanks Anton –
Using Technorati
And we will have new DHL options up soon
Thank you for your comments
– Bill
Those folks specialize in fun, casual business cards too:
http://www.i-yo.com/en/index.php
Cheerio,
Andy