I Recently attended a training session and when the trainer gave me his business card, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of that card. It was made of thick plastic, with surprisingly good inks used. It was shiny and so professional that it made me genuinely interested to source some for my own self with my details.
These cards were made by **[Plasma Designs UK](http://www.plasmadesign.co.uk/translucent-plastic-cards/#)**, but their costs were very prohibitive for a beggar like me. For a 100 pack of cards they were charging anywhere upwards of USD 199 which was too high for my reputation and business. So my quest naturally turned to Indian online print services that would provide me something similar. I have already ordered many items from **[Zoomin](http://www.zoomin.com)**, and **[PrintVenue](http://printvenue.in)** online but they did not have my kind of need yet. So my attention fell upon a new website **[PRINTLAND](http://printland.in)**.
This website offered me the customization capability that others did not. I could design my own card. This is where my interest in them started and somewhat ended too in a while. Hang on, I’ll tell you why.
The online customization of the business card was fairly straightforward, but adding pictures and aligning them within the card was tricky. The tool always restricted the picture size to a certain limit which was never made aware to me throughout the session. Having said that, a design that I felt was final was saved by me only to realise that the next time I visited the same page, I had to start all over again. This is for reasons unknown to me. If the tool cannot let me save my design, then its worthless as far as I concerned since the website is only going to lose a customer easily. That said, once I used my email id, they did provide me a link to my design which I could get to in a flash. Pretty yesteryear if you ask me.
My order was placed finally on July 1st, for 100 business cards made of plastic for a 1000 bucks (INR just to make matters more complete) and I waited for an email telling me when the delivery would be made and a tracking number for that delivery. July 20th and there is still no sign of that email. Due to my busy schedules I had almost forgotten about this order and by that date I gave a call to the company and asked them whether they remember my order, leave alone deliver it. First they said its already delivered, but when I insisted them on showing me proof, they said its on the way and it will be updated on the website in a day. To track my order I needed to enter order number, my last name, my pincode (maybe my favourite color, the food that I like most, my preferred actcress, my first romantic date I had with my girlfriend and maybe a few other queries as well). Sounds so much like 2005 to me after using Flipkart.
One more call and this time it gets passed onto the design department (which is probably another room in the building?). They tell me that the final design is still waiting for my approval since 20 days. I raise my eyebrows and then they realize the order itself is not taken up yet. After a thorough bashing from my end the supervisor or manager or whoever he is tells me that I would get a tracking number by a day more.
One more day passed and my patience evaporated. This is the mail I sent them :
“*I am very very disappointed by the way your company has handled my order. Since July 1st, its almost one month and you have not even bothered to inform me what is happening to my order. I have spent my hard earned money into your company’s product and this is the kind of service I deserve?*
*I am not satisfied with the way in which your company has handled this transaction and I expect you to deliver my order within one more week or refund my money if you are not able to do so.*
*Please stop giving excuses to me and call me to inform me the tracking number immediately.*”
Pat came the reply with the tracking number and the order was delivered within a day. One day delivery – after 25 days that is of placing the order. I was thrilled that finally there is a company in India that has delivered to me the same quality of product that I could expect from Plasma Designs at 1/10th the price point. One look at the package and I was blown away in all directions on the packaging done to secure it. If you can decode how to open the package below, let me know and you will get ten of my business cards free 🙂
The packaging inside was no better with thermocol all around and nastily arranged, and each business card was wrapped in a plastic cover for itself which I never understood why. The card itself was of pathetic quality and the information was just printed onto the card rather than being embossed on it the way I would have liked it. Another experience, another learning. This would be first and last time with Printland. Thanks Printland, but no thanks.
PrintVenue and Printo are pretty standard in what they offer and there is no reason to be disappointed. My strong recommendation is to stay away from Printland as far as possible as any order that you would make will only be considered after 20 days when you call them for all you know like mine was.
