My Experience Buying Business Cards Online With Vista Print
Posted June 27, 2009 @ 5:41pm by Phil
Not too long ago I placed an order with Vista Print for some custom business cards. I already had a set of business cards that I got through the University of Waterloo which I used for job interviews, but they are pretty generic, and I wanted some with a little more personality for my entrepreneurial endeavors. I heard about Vista Print from a forum on the internet, so I thought I would give them a try. After downloading one of their templates I liked and making some modifications, I placed my order. During the ordering process there were several pages that required opting out of various extras they were trying to push, but that was understandable considering how cheap the cards were.
It was a few days after I had finalized my order that I came across a few forum posts claiming Vista Print was a scam. Immediately after reading this, I typed "Vista Print scam" into Google and there were literally hundreds of results from unsatisfied customers who had received poorly printed or aligned business cards. A majority of the customers also claimed to be enrolled in a sneaky Vista Print membership program that was charging them fifteen dollars a month and very difficult to get out of. At this point I was pretty stressed out and wondering what I had gotten myself into.
I received my business cards twenty something days after placing the order (which was alright considering I opted for the cheapest thirty-day shipping option) and they were reasonably well printed and properly aligned. The anticipation in waiting those twenty something days for the cards, though, was something else. My only regret is not getting the glossy surface, and the cards look a little bit homemade. It has been about a month and a half and I haven't been enrolled in that Membership program yet. I am guessing it was one of those extras I opted out of during the ordering process.
Here is a photo of both my University of Waterloo business card, and my custom Vista Print business card:
Suffice to say, the University of Waterloo business card is very generic and wouldn't let me include my website address. Above that is my Vista Print business card. Please let me know what you think.
So I guess it comes down to whether I would order from Vista Print again. I probably would if I were ever to order business cards off the internet again. I think next time I am just going to a local printing store and have them made there. That way I would know exactly what I am getting (and would have ordered a glossy finish) and have a place to complain if something goes wrong. I suggest you do the same.
