Enlagements - Damaged in mail again...

[AverageJoe]

For the second time now from two different printers I've had damaged prints arrive, these ones are from Clark Color Labs:

The previous prints that were damaged were from ShutterFly. I contacted ShutterFly and sent them images of the damage and they re-printed and shipped at no cost.

However, the above prints are to be entered into a art contest this week and I don't have time to wait for new prints to arrive. I email Clark Color with the above links explaining the situation, waiting for a response. Where does everyone go to get enlargements?

 

[Robin Usagani]

how big? I like using local places so i can get it right away.

 

[AverageJoe]

16x20 from Clark Color
larger from ShutterFly

 

[Josh66]

What exactly is the damage?

The pictures you posted, they don't look like shipping damage. They look more like the lab messed it up.

Maybe I just can't tell from your pictures, but I don't see anything that looks like it happened in the box.

 

[Josh66]

Are those dents?

It's still hard for me to tell what I'm looking at...

If you've had pictures from two separate labs messed up by shipping, get a new carrier. Whoever delivered these, get someone else the next time.

 

[AverageJoe]

What exactly is the damage?

The pictures you posted, they don't look like shipping damage. They look more like the lab messed it up.

Maybe I just can't tell from your pictures, but I don't see anything that looks like it happened in the box.

Notice the repeating pattern in the glare from the overhead light? Those are creases in all the photos, in all the same spots. It's difficult to photograph but you can feel them and clearly see them in person.

 

[AverageJoe]

Uploading a video to YouTube...

 

[KmH]

Many here, including me, recommend www.mpix.com.

However, you can get less than satisfactory work from just about any lab. All humans make mistakes.

What counts is how a lab's customer service responds.

 

[Josh66]

Many here, including me, recommend www.mpix.com.

However, you can get less than satisfactory work from just about any lab. All humans make mistakes.

What counts is how a lab's customer service responds.

I've used Mpix a lot. Yes, they occasionally mess up, but they are quick to fix it.

I've had one or two 20x20 standouts that didn't turn out well, they quickly sent me new ones, for free of course...

All it took was an e-mail saying that they were messed up. (I included a picture of the prints too.)

Yeah, it sucked opening up prints only to find that they were useless, but I had new ones the next day.

 

[AverageJoe]

Here's the vid:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9U-6GDV0mI[/ame]

 

[Josh66]

The video doesn't show the damage any better than the pictures did...

I believe you, I'm just saying - the pictures don't do the damage justice.

Have you contacted the printer, or the postal carrier? One of them ones you money, lol.

 

[AverageJoe]

Yeah, I've sent a message to ClarkColor waiting to hear back. Probably won't know anything till Monday. I'll post an update, call it a litmus test for customer service.

 

[PerfectlyFlawed]

I can see the damage pretty clear.... that sucks. Hope they do something about it, quick.

 

[sleist]

Another recommendation for Mpix here.

I find the website a bit tedious to navigate though. Given the choice, I'd rather have that than damaged prints.

 

[AverageJoe]

So to follow up, ClarkColor sent me an email saying I can return the prints (shipping paid for) yesterday, I didn't get around to replying saying I couldn't since I needed to submit the photos this week. I just got a shipping notification that new prints are on the way. Now I'm debating on waiting for the new prints to arrive or submitting the existing prints as-is.

Either way I am going to follow the advice here about trying mpix, thanks for that tip.

But all in all I guess I can't really say ClarkColor did a bad job here, they were responsive and are trying to make amends, my tight time frame isn't their fault.