Vista Print is relentless is trying to get your business
Written: Jul 15 '06 (Updated Jul 15 '06)
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I made the mistake of registering with Vista Print back in March of 2006 so I could view some business card images and contemplate placing an order.
Every time I visit www.vistaprint.com I would get different prices and specials were changing daily. Now after placing one order in May of 2006 I get taken to my account where I can access my proofs, my images or my portfolio to view saved templates and designs and can change or update my account. There is also a link to view my past order history. The my account page has matching documents ready for me to order like a business card magnet in my chosen design, flat note cards or large size magnets with a calendar on the bottom half.
Place an order with Vista Print and be inundated with emails every other day for clearances and specials. At the end of the order process each page is another special deal that lasts ten minutes to get note cards that match the business cards and other specials that keep appearing on your screen with no end in sight.
Just today I clicked on my account from an email I received from Vista Print and had to fill out a survey about stationery products and how often I use them. Once I finished this I assumed I would be brought to my account page, but instead I got this special deal for business cards at $1.99 instead of $19.99 and a button to click here. There was no way to get out of this page and back to www.vistaprint.com so I closed the window and opened up another one to get there.
After my experiences at Vista Print Online Store I would prefer to drive around to find a printing service to get business cards, versus being stuck at a site where the specials continually pop up before you can complete your order. Then they sign you up for Vista Rewards when you never clicked on to do so.
Try calling their toll-free number at 1-800-514-6591 or 1-800-961-2075 and get information on Vista Rewards from a human being instead of recorded messages. While at your account page the recent order will show with a reorder and edit button. Note that the date shipped is highlighted in yellow, yet the sentence below order history tells you that if you edit this it will create a new order. Just do not touch anything on these screens, because they generate an order or a sign up to something that will cost you money through your credit or debit card.
In my email I received another number to contact - " We invite you to call us toll-free at 1-800-721-6216. Knowledgeable representatives are available to assist you Monday - Friday, from 8 AM to 12 Midnight PM EST"
There is no such thing as FREE BUSINESS CARDS at Vista Print Online Store. Note shipping prices and add-ons have separate shipping fees from your current order that you are placing.
Better yet, buy a program to make your own business cards on your computer and do not register or give your email address at Vista Print Online Store. When you click on your proofs at the my account page you have many more options to check items, which includes a listing of your favorites when visiting the site. Thankfully I never clicked on the link to save to favorites as I can imagine that probably generates reminder emails on those items!
For the brave consumers who have yet to place an order with Vista Print Online Store they sell business cards, rubber stamps, envelopes, address labels, note pads, magnets, brochures, postcards, letterhead, flyers, photo prints, announcements and greeting cards.
Here is an example of the emails I still have in my email box from Vista Print Online Store:
3-21-06 thank you for registering
4-7-06 sample free products
4-28-06 VIP sneak preview
5-01-06 10 great offers
5-13-06 we need your feedback
5-13-06 your vista print order
5-13-06 your document is about to expire
5-14-06 generic reply to my email about order
5-15-06 new notepads
5-16-06 email from Vista
6-24-06 we need your feedback
7-5-06 clearance sale
7-8-06 free premium business cards
7-12-06 free premium business cards
My order receipt email also had items I could order, this site never stops trying to make a sale! Save now, gifts for you, get started, etc. are all ploys to get you to spend more money and pay another shipping fee. Do not give in to the temptation or you may find yourself getting an email telling you that you signed up for Vista Rewards and your card will be charged and this seems to be something that goes on and on.
I made numerous calls and sent at least five emails stating I never signed up for anything and they better not take one extra penny from my debit card. I finally was able to press a button on one of the phone numbers during their business hours to cancel that membership to the Rewards program, but nowhere on their site or on through the phone system did anything state the amount of money this program is.
I had a pop up window at the check out system, read some of the page before realizing it was not similar to Border Rewards where you get rewarded for buying items, but it seemed to be some sort of system where you sign up for stuff and I closed the window. I never clicked on any such button to get that and they pushed this on me.
The email I received drove me to tears and I was so exasperated over some unknown amount being taken from my checking account that I went on a rampage of typing out emails to them over and over again.
I would not even recommend to click on request free samples from Vista Print unless you like to be hounded in emails for their specials and like dealing with pop up windows and confusing pricing, etc.
Sunday, May 14th from membersavings@vprewardsus.com with the subject line - VistaPrint Rewards Membership Information - UPCOMING CHARGE (755488036 VP)
The top of the email in bold caps was this statement:
"UNLESS YOU CANCEL, YOUR CREDIT CARD ACCOUNT WILL BE CHARGED.
Dear Bonnie,
Welcome to VistaPrint Rewards! You're receiving this email because you accepted a special invitation to try VistaPrint Rewards. And remember, you are eligible to claim $10 Cash Back on your VistaPrint.com purchase! Simply click here for details.
Start saving right now - simply click the URL below!
http://www.vprewardsus.com
For your reference, your Membership ID# is: 755488036
Here are just some of the benefits and savings that await you:
Movie tickets for as low as $5.50. You can purchase up to 10 tickets per day and 100 tickets annually through VistaPrint Rewards. (Up to $2.50 more for some Manhattan theatres.)
Save up to $1,000 on books, music, videos and more when you use gift cards purchased through VistaPrint Rewards.
Save up to $160 at your favorite family restaurants when you purchase gift cards through VistaPrint Rewards. Plus much more!
My Offers
As a privileged VistaPrint Rewards member, you can enjoy exclusive savings on food, wine, travel, personal care needs, concerts, sporting events and so much more. And be sure to come back regularly -- we're finding new deals for you all the time!
Online Travel Agency
Book all your travel needs online with our online travel agency. With savings and convenience, you can look before you book. Visit the online travel agency today at http://www.vprewardsus.com for more information.
Sign up for Registration Rewards today -- for free!
You can accrue savings when you make purchases at participating online retailers through the Registration Rewards website. There's no limit to savings -- the more you shop the more you save! To get started, just log onto your program website and click on the "Registration Rewards" tab.
You'll find details on all these benefits - and many others - on the VistaPrint Rewards website.
So take advantage of your VistaPrint Rewards benefits during your 30-day trial membership period. If within 30 days, you don't feel that our services and benefits are everything we say they are, simply call us toll-free at 888-243-6185 to cancel your membership - you'll have paid nothing and owe nothing. After the 30 day trial, VistaPrint Rewards will automatically charge the monthly membership fee to your credit card so long as you remain a member of VistaPrint Rewards. You may cancel at anytime and then no longer be billed.
Important: Please save this email for future reference and bookmark http://www.vprewardsus.com for instant access to your benefits.
Sincerely,
Member Savings"
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The automated response from Vista Rewards includes the following:
“ Thank you for contacting Member Savings. You will hear back from us shortly. Please expect a response within 1 to 2 business days. In the event you need to contact us regarding this inquiry, please refer to the case number at the top of this message.
Member Savings Representatives are available to respond to messages Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Standard Time, excluding holidays.”
I called my Bank on Monday morning to inquire how I could stop this payment from being debited from my account. I was told the only way to make sure would be to cancel my debit card and get a new one, which I could not do since my 24 Hour Fitness charge comes through on the 15th of each month.
Tuesday May 16th the email from Vista Rewards stated the following:
“ Thank you for your e-mail. Your membership record indicates that you agreed to try VistaPrint Rewards when you clicked on a banner ad presented on the Vista Print website. Additionally, by accepting the trial membership, you agreed to be enrolled using the billing source that you authorized and that after the trial membership period, you would be billed the program fee. Offer details were presented to you on the offer page at the time of enrollment.
If you have any additional questions, please send an e-mail or call us at 1-888-243-6185. Calls are toll-free and our representatives are available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central Standard Time.
This e-mail also confirms that your membership in VistaPrint Rewards has been canceled per your membership terms. You do not need to do anything else to cancel your membership.
We apologize for any misunderstandings that this has created.
Thank you,
John
VistaPrint Rewards Member Savings Team”
I replied back one more time to explain I never clicked on anything, a pop up window appeared and I read a little bit before closing. This is a scam from a company that is not even a member of the Better Business Bureau. Use caution when placing an order with Vista Print Online Store.
I received my order of business cards and one memo pad on 5-25-06. I order the memo pad at the end from one of the special deals before I got to complete the check out process. Then there was another ten-minute bonus buy special to get free shipping on extra note cards or business cards. I only wanted to do my purchase and get off their screens.
The ordering process has the quantity, backside printing, paper type, do you want a business card holder, destination to send order, shipping address, billing, payment and confirm. The whole ordering process seemed to go forever, like they do not want you to leave their site. The shipping options are slow, standard, priority and rush. Standard is 14 days at a price of $11.85, the priority for seven days is $15.85, rush is three business days at $34.42. The dates these would arrive are also shown in the ordering/checkout process.
The quantity prices for business cards the first time I visited the site in March when I registered were 250 for $14.99, 500 for $22.49 and 1000 for $29.99. Backside printing ranged from 4.99-14.99 or left plain on the back for no additional cost, which is what I chose when I placed my order in May. The paper options are matte at no cost or glossy for another $9.99. The box the cards are housed in was very flimsy and fell apart in the opening process. I really liked the memo pad and have used several sheets, but will not be ordering anything further from this online merchant.
My order consisted of 250 premium business cards for $1.99, Note pads at $5.99 and shipping and processing at $8.95 for a total of $16.93. The order confirmation mentions – “Please note that your order has already been electronically sent to our production system and no changes or cancellations are possible at this time. As soon as your order ships we will send you a shipment confirmation email, with more details.”
This was received on Saturday, May 14, 2006 with the order number, shipping listed as standard with the mention that I should expect to receive order within fourteen days. ON May 22nd I received an email saying the order had shipped. There was a link to click to my account and special offers to the left of the email with the bottom section refer a friend special with an expiration date.
The prices and deals are not worth the unknown when the specials and bonus buys pop up at the checkout screen and a mystery fee could be tacked onto your card. This is not worth it when shopping with your debit card. Go elsewhere and save your sanity.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
bonniesayers
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Location: Los Angeles, CA
Reviews written: 842
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