[shiola]

Hi,

A mate and me are planning to start a tshirt site. We've looked at the various fulfillment places and have decided on PrintMojo because they screen print and have better quality than the heat transfer type places.

Can any PrintMojo store owners give me their opinions on them? How easier is to setup the PHP script to control the site design? (I understand the check out pages can't be controlled) What's the customer service like? What about shipping times and quality?

The 'On Demand' places would be easier to do because it means we don't have to fork out cash upfront to buy print runs, but we wanted high quality tshirts - is PrintMojo the best place for this focus?

Are the tshirts sweatshop free too? I think you have the choice of brands to use (hanes, american apparel, etc) - which ones are ethically friendly?

Thanks for any help and advice.

 

[Comin'OutSwingin]

Welcome, Shiola.
I do not use PrintMojo. But when I decided that I needed a web presence, I checked them out, along with the other fullfilment services. After I looked at the costs and services they provided, I realized that will a little time and effort, I could do most of the things myself and save a lot of money. I already had a relationship with a good screen printer, and could get shirts and good prices from another source.
So you might want to look into doing some things yourself, especially since you'll have some help. Look at the costs and see how much you'll save. Also, for me, part of the joy of owning a business is the pride I get from doing as much as I can and making it work. PrintMojo may be for you. I'll let someone else speak about their service directly.
Good luck to you and welcome, again!

 

[Rodney]

Hey Shiola, since I also work at PrintMojo, I can answer your question about the t-shirts.

We can get shirts wholesale from just about any manufacturer. Right now, the Alternative Apparel and American Apparel shirts are the ones that are considered ethically friendly.

I also have my own store at PrintMojo (along with stores at some of the print on demand places ) I also "do it myself" as Comin' OutSwingin suggested.

If you're looking for an all-in-one type service and you want screen printed quality, then PrintMojo could be a good fit for you. That way you don't have to spend time dealing with finding a printer, getting webhosting, designing a site, stocking inventory at your house, handling ecommerce, customer service, shipping, etc.

To me, it's all about what works best for your business.

For some of my shirts, it makes more sense for me to do-it-myself, because I already have a merchant account, webhosting, ecommerce setup (although we'll soon be catering to this type of customer as well). For other shirts PrintMojo was a great choice because I didn't want to stock more shirts in my house and have to worry about shipping. For other shirts the print on demand places worked because the shirt ideas were sort of "tester" ideas that I didn't want to buy product up front for.

Some folks are do-it-yourselfers and some folks just want to make designs and promote them. It's all about figuring out what works best for you.

I'll let someone that is a little less biased than me answer questions about the ease of the php script and quality of service

 

[Windoog]

Hi Shiola.
I have been dealing with printmojo now for a few months.
I only busy on my third design, but as far as service goes! they are awesome! Their service suits my needs perfectly and I can see other peoples point of view with doing things yourself. I went that way a few years ago...but having a their experience to offer help really removes a lot of risks when starting out.
They have a good range of apparel , the staff are always freindly, and have helped me with cleaning up my designs etc...
They have a two week turn around time that they haven't gone over yet, I am really impressed with them.
Cheers
Rory

 

[jdr8271]

Another option is to buy the blanks, and have them printed yourself. Then send the shirts to a fulfillment company to fill the orders as they are placed. This would be cheaper than going through printmojo.

 

[Rodney]

This would be cheaper than going through printmojo.

You have to remember the other costs involved as well Store hosting, website design, ecommerce processing, merchant account fees, etc.

I haven't done a line by line cost comparison yet, but I'm guessing either route would be pretty close in costs when you consider the time/shipping involved.

Definitely another option for folks to consider though. As I mentioned above, even getting shirts printed locally and shipping them out yourself might be a way to go if you have the skills and desire to do some of the other stuff yourself.

 

[The60s]

imo cp n printmojo are good places to evaluate and kickstart ur business first

 

[LuckyG]

Hi all,
Well, I have to say that my experience so far with PM is that they are extremely unresponsive both at producing product and proofs and returning emails. We sent our art work in on Feb 07. After much email prodding we got our first proof on March 23rd. I had questions about the first proof and immediatley asked them via email and to this date have not received an answer even though I have resent the questioning email several times.
Once received we accepted the second proof and we are supposed to have product available now for that submission but I'm still waiting for our shipment which should have been shipped around April 6th so we can take pictures and upload them to the site.
I requested hats 3 weeks ago as samples to check out and haven't received them yet either.
Very sluggish service by my estimation and I'm concerned that they won't be able to deliver when and if orders start coming in. This is what our experience has been so far I'm afraid. We try to be optimistic but how can you set up an operation with this kind of response and expect to be successful?
Lucky

 

[Rodney]

Hi all,
Well, I have to say that my experience so far with PM is that they are extremely unresponsive both at producing product and proofs and returning emails. We sent our art work in on Feb 07. After much email prodding we got our first proof on March 23rd. I had questions about the first proof and immediatley asked them via email and to this date have not received an answer even though I have resent the questioning email several times.
Once received we accepted the second proof and we are supposed to have product available now for that submission but I'm still waiting for our shipment which should have been shipped around April 6th so we can take pictures and upload them to the site.
I requested hats 3 weeks ago as samples to check out and haven't received them yet either.
Very sluggish service by my estimation and I'm concerned that they won't be able to deliver when and if orders start coming in. This is what our experience has been so far I'm afraid. We try to be optimistic but how can you set up an operation with this kind of response and expect to be successful?
Lucky

Hi Lucky, have you tried calling after the emails to make sure that they were received. Sometimes emails don't go through or are lost. Usually response times are within 1 business day or less.

 

[LuckyG]

Thanks, Rodney, Yes we have called but don't always get hold of anyone. We are going to proceed and have faith that it will all get sorted out and that it was just a rough start. Can't all be perfect. It sounds like more folks have reasonable luck with them than we have so we'll just get a little more aggressive with our followups so if there is a problem we will catch it quicker.
Thaks again,
Lucky

 

[LuckyG]

Hi all,
Well, I have to say that my experience so far with PM is that they are extremely unresponsive both at producing product and proofs and returning emails. We sent our art work in on Feb 07. After much email prodding we got our first proof on March 23rd. I had questions about the first proof and immediatley asked them via email and to this date have not received an answer even though I have resent the questioning email several times.
Once received we accepted the second proof and we are supposed to have product available now for that submission but I'm still waiting for our shipment which should have been shipped around April 6th so we can take pictures and upload them to the site.
I requested hats 3 weeks ago as samples to check out and haven't received them yet either.
Very sluggish service by my estimation and I'm concerned that they won't be able to deliver when and if orders start coming in. This is what our experience has been so far I'm afraid. We try to be optimistic but how can you set up an operation with this kind of response and expect to be successful?
Lucky

I just want to add further experience with Print Mojo that all who are interested should be aware of. Since the above post I have talked with PM people and they went out of their way to correct the problems we had at start up. I was very pleased with their response and actions taken immediately afterward and their attitude about the issues that developed. They explained what transpired to cause the problem and I feel confident enough to move forward with them.

 

[firesnake]

PrintMojo Fiasco

I originally decided to start a t-shirt business beginning of April. I spent alot of time researching my options. I decided that I wanted my shirts screen printed for best quality. I also did not want to deal with shipping and handling of product. I would have liked to do print on demand to minimize my risk, but there were not many options that met all my criteria. In the end, I decided to go with Print Mojo. They seemed to do everything I needed at a fair price.

I was so excited, I went the next few weeks working on the designs as well as my website in parallel. I decided that I would launch with 5 designs and that I would have a website which would function as a storefront that would send the traffic to PrintMojo.

Once I got far enough, I decided to finally take the plunge and send PrintMojo my first design. I ordered the minimum 25. Everything went without a hitch and I received my shirts to my satisfaction. I sold a few online and the rest to my friends who liked my design and wanted to support me.

I was very happy with my "test run" with them, so I decided I would use them. I decided, however, that if I was going to sell high quality tees, I would need to print on t-shirts that PrintMojo did not offer. PrintMojo was very flexible in adding additional products to their offering even though they didn't initially carry them.
Eventually, I finally submitted my 5 designs on the morning of Friday June 8. Their turnaround time was advertised as 2 weeks so naturally assumed my products would be completed by June 22 and that I would have them no later than June 28 or 29 with shipping and handling.

On June 19 (3 days before the advertised turnaround time), I hear back from PrintMojo with questions about my 4 designs. This was my first indication of trouble ahead. The shirts were supposed to be ready in 3 days and only now I hear from them with questions and concerns. The 5th one did not completely make it through the upload process. I quickly resend the file the following day hoping that this would not severly impact the production.

I finally receive my proofs on Monday June 25th. Now, this is already past the advertised turnaround time. I realize that I wasted a day resending the 5th design to them, but that should have been brought to my attention long before 3 days before the due date.

We (PrintMojo) and I realize that one of my designs will not work on the shirt I originally chose and we spend a few days tweaking the colors back and forth. I tell them to go ahead and do the other 4 as soon as possible since I am already behind. By June 27th, I approve the 5th and final design and tell them to go ahead and print them. I also had to pick another tshirt which they did not originally carry. No big deal as long as the other 4 are not delayed any longer. I get an email on the 29th (2 days after I already approved all 5 designs) saying that the films will be ready Monday July 2 (more than a week after advertised turnaround time).

Monday rolls along and the films are still not ready for some reason or another. The films are finally ready Thursday July 5th after the holidays. The shirts still have not been printed. I call on Friday July 6th wondering why o why they are not printed yet. They assure me that 4 would be done by end of day that day and that I would receive an email. As for the 5th design, the shirts needed to be reordered and I would have to wait - fine.

Sure enough, Friday end of day rolls along and my stuff is yet again not ready. Surprise surprise. When all was said and done, I finally got my t-shirts more than a month after I originally put my order in.

In all our conversations, the people at Print Mojo were never rude to me, nor I to them. I tried to be as professional as I could, never raising my voice, although I must say, my frustrations probably came through when we spoke.
I kept sympathizing with them. I made excuses for them at every turn. I understood what pressure was and they certainly didn't need me breathing down their neck. But I am trying to create a real company here and I require professionalism.

I had to constantly call to make sure that things were moving, otherwise days would go by where nothing of mine was getting done. This is not the type of service I expect out of a professional company. If it was 2 guys in a garage, I would be more understanding, but this is a 30+ employee company that has been around alot longer than my own little t-shirt company which I am trying to nurture from the ground up.

My latest issue with them is I just recently found out that a large number of my t-shirts are missing from the inventory. I didn't sell them online or ordered them shipped to me. They are simply missing. I called them August 2nd and brought this to their attention and they've assured me that they would look into this. Now I've sent 2 emails and 3+ phone calls and they said they would look into this. But I still haven't heard back from them.

I grow tired of having to keep nagging them to essentially do their job. This is not the level of customer service I come to expect. Had I known that it was going to be this much trouble, it certainly would not be worth the price and convenience that they are offering.

FireSnake Designs

 

[Rodney]

PrintMojo Fiasco

Hi there, I'm sorry your experience with PrintMojo has been sub par. Way sub par by the sounds of it.

I'm not familiar with your account, but I will look into it ASAP to see what exactly happened so we can try to make it right.

 

[Rodney]

but I will look into it ASAP to see what exactly happened so we can try to make it right.

Just to let you know that this situation is still being reviewed (a bit more to it than I though). We should have some info for you on Monday or Tuesday.

I'm told the inventory issue has already been resolved with you though.

 

[firesnake]

The inventory issue has been resolved. Please see why things have been so unresponsive. I appreciate it. Thanks,

FireSnake Designs

 

[triplej]

The inventory issue has been resolved. Please see why things have been so unresponsive. I appreciate it. Thanks,

FireSnake Designs

Ok…I’ve taken a day or so to really let this post sink in. My first reaction was shock and then confusion because I have talked with Firesnake at length on “multiple” occasions and even given him my personal cell number to expedite answers to his questions. The first thing I would like to do is share the improvements the Mojo has made because of the truly crazy traffic we have recently experienced.

1. We have taken steps to increase the automation in our shipping process.
2. We have moved into a facility that is 3 times bigger than we had projected we would need 3 years earlier than we had planned.
3. We have hired staff and implemented 3rd party software and training that will allow us to actually produce 10 times..(take a moment ) 10 TIMES the amount of orders that we could just a few months ago. The nice thing about this specific technology is that the capability grows as we need it to. If orders increase so does our capability to produce according to the demand.
4. We have learned that the web can kick your butt if you aren’t truly ready for it.

And now I’m on to this specific post. I truly have no hard feelings and for the record, Firesnake’s complaints are “for the most part” valid. My first conversation with Firesnake was about what he was “requiring” us to code for “his” store specifically. I quickly explained that all 14000+ merchants have the same features for their store and that his specific needs could be met with a few workarounds already available to the merchants.

As for PrintMojo as a whole. We have spent more time on the phone and e-mail with Firesnake than ANY other merchant that we have ever had.

I’m not just “saying” that

When someone takes the time to post a detailed complaint on a forum (there have only been 3 in our history so far) I take it very seriously and start digging for an honest answer. I’ve spent time the last two days talking to the staff about our shortcomings with Firesnake specifically. Having said that I “really” want to point out that we went the extra mile with a merchant that may not realize the extent to which we really tried to meet the very high bar set for us. I also want to point out that we understand the passion that all of our merchants have for their ideas and designs. We “get” and ”embrace” that it’s not just another t-shirt, it’s an extension of you. We take that to heart and want to see it succeed as much as you do.

I feel like I should start from the beginning and explain every little detail. I’ve decided not to do that.

Well maybe just a couple…

There was a delay from us having to re-color one of designs Firesnake submitted on an incompatible shirt color, and another big delay on a design he decided to change from a multi-color design to a one-color version. Ok, Ok done with that. My job at PrintMojo is to make each and every merchant feel like they are our only customer and when I fail at that responsibility I blame no one but myself.

So again, Firesnake, I apologize for not meeting your expectations.

I have been in this industry for over 20 years and I’m just “one” of the Mojo “experts” with those credentials. Firesnake, buddy, you are correct. We failed to meet some time lines but I haven’t heard one complaint about the end product! In fact, we did some in-house tests with discharge and fashion soft inks just to decide on the best way to proceed. We wanted to make sure the final result would look the best on the garments selected. We actually take these extra (behind the scenes) steps for every merchant when we see it will benefit the end user. The simple fact is that the shirts look awesome and that’s because we hit the brakes a few times along the way in an effort to make sure that the art and printing process were correctly suited to the garments. We want the end product to be as cutting edge as our merchants ideas. It’s our merchants ideas coupled with our industry expertise that sell shirts. Let me just say that there were very complex issues to be tackled with the art submitted and that I personally will not sign off on art I “know” will not work or sell. I actually approved a $75 break on the time spent by our art staff fixing the art originally submitted . Not to mention having our senior graphic designer call and try to educate/train Firesnake on his software so he could make the changes to the artwork himself for his current and future orders. Truth be told, we could have made the changes in-house in half the amount of time it took to try and walk him through the process. Not complaining by any stretch we actually do this all the time. I just feel it needs pointing out in the specific situation.

I e-mailed and then followed up with a call to Firesnake with our situation. I explained that not just his orders but a few merchant orders had hit during an interesting time for us. We had recently had an article in an industry magazine. We were of course appreciative but we didn’t really think twice about its possible impact. We have been reported on and even featured in the past. Each time there was a temporary spike in hits, merchant applications and sales. This time we were caught off guard and I have to tell you it had been tough keeping up since it went live online. When the same article hit print it was truly surreal around here.

I’m happy to say we are 98% caught up and back to our old self as far as our response time and satisfaction ratio. As I have mentioned, we have new personnel to answer phones, merchant as well as end user questions and ultimately picking and shipping the products. This allows people like myself to get back to what we do best.

I’m not sure if you can hear the big sigh of relief in those words but it’s in there

We were excited as well as shocked by some of the merchants successes during the same period of time. We had two particular merchants that were processing record breaking orders after they launched. Right in the middle of this avalanche Firesnake had placed his first order with us. I explained our situation on the phone with him during one of the many calls he made to our support staff. As I mentioned earlier I even gave him my personal cell number so he could get his answers sooner than later. It really seemed like he would e-mail us and then call 10 minutes after to make sure we were “on the ball”. My attitude was still “bring it on” I love a customer service challenge and truly believe PrintMojo went above and beyond the call of duty here.

I can go on and on but I’m hopeful I have made my personal point as well as validated Firesnake’s complaint about the Mojo. Firesnake, If you are ever in Chico I’d be happy to buy you a beer (or soda) and talk about the many t-shirt ideas and business opportunities in our future.