Makers Mark Stamp - Buyers Beware

[Ferg]

I ordered a stamp to be made, from INFINITY.

Sent vector image with name of font I wanted used along with size I wanted the final image.

I requested a steel plate, no threaded hole in back, no handle. Just a smooth back.

E-mails seemed to get ignored about proper designations.

Received the confirmation of order this morning. Brass plate for Hot Stamping wood, no mention of back being smooth plus

the dimensions for the piece didn't add up.

I called the guy order was placed with. Told him the order was wrong. He said, "That is how you ordered it." Not true but he

insisted I would have to pay extra. Imagine that.

Anyone like to guess where I told him to place the order?

Ask for an immediate credit to my CC, he refused.

This guy hung up on me. A few minutes later the phone rang, it was THE BOSS! Wife answered the phone, wouldn't let me.

Was sure this could be worked out. Wife told him to credit the card and tear up the order. Any problem with that? "No, he would take care of it."

You can bet I am going to access the card account frequently.

Buyers beware.

ferg

[Glendon]

Doesn't supprise me. Infinity is pretty much your generic big corperation at this point. The guys at the top may or may not have some passion for what they do, but the rest of the staff are just doing a job. I've put in a couple of diffrent qoute requests to them, always ignored. I gave up and started doing the smart thing, working with the smaller one man shops, usually ones I learned about on LW.net.

Edited March 1, 2013 by Glendon

[Ferg]

I reordered a stamp from Steel Stamps this evening. Their stamp will make impression 3/16" deep.

I want to have the capability to stamp many different types of leather, dry or dampened, didn't want the Delrin.

ferg

[Snpr9696]

50 years, Ive always had issues with customer service from infinity. one time the emailed me a month later.

I use Phillips Engraving. These guys are great with same day response and usually same day proof requests too after you send them your artwork.

Cheaper too.

http://www.phillipsengraving.com/

[Mijo]

I had the same problem with infinity a couple years ago when I sent them 2 vector drawings of images I wanted made into 2 separate makers marks. They wanted extra money, $40, to tweak each image I sent them and both maker stamps were going to set me back about $300 (including the extra charge). I also needed a set of custom alphabet / number stamps made so I had those made but not the two maker stamps b/c I couldn't afford everything at once. I had to have the proofs for the alphabet stamps revised twice as the dimensions were listed in correctly on the proofs and they also left off some characters that should have been included.

All in all, I'm extremely satisfied with the stamps that they made for me but the interaction to get the job done was sloppy at best. I stopped interacting with them via email and started talking directly with the sales person that generated my invoice, and that seemed to move things a long more efficiently. I'm planning to have them make those two maker stamps, after I get my tax return, as I'm happy with their work (just not their ordering process).

[Ferg]

We received a credit memo from Infinity yesterday evening. That doesn't mean the CC has been credited, we will see.

Talked to Steel Stamps rep this morning. My vector drawings were okayed will receive a proof later today. They were considerably cheaper than Infinity also.

ferg

[Art]

Ferg,

I haven't used Infinity for a few years, but ordering was ok and the product was top top quality.

Art

[Ferg]

I guess my red flag went up when they seemingly ignored my e-mails. While he said he was looking at the e-mails, saying what I had written, I also was looking at them, he was wrong and had no intention of acknowledging the fact.

When they sent the confirmation of the order it was almost all wrong. When I spoke to him on the phone to verify the order he mentioned the lettering I had chosen was going to be a further charge then told me they would absorb it. I have a feeling someone higher up told him he needed to make up the difference. That came about by intending to give me the brass, stamp for wood, and a further order for a hot stamping tool. When the gentleman wanted to argue with me I let him have it. My wife says,"Why do you do that?" My nature I guess. LOL

I definitely will never recommend them to anyone.

ferg

[ABC3]

That surprises me. I've ordered 3 stamps from Infinity and all were top notch. I thought a little high but quality.

[corter]

I've ordered tons from Infinity and never had one issue, always great with response time. I'm confused though, if they charged your card that means you ok'd the proof, no? They always have me ok a proof in writing before anything is charged.

It's very helpful to do your own proofing and design work if you'd like to save time and money, as that's hard to convey in writing for ANY profession. When you have someone doing a half hour or an hour of digital work to change a font and space it correctly so it will read, or prepare the file for production, $40-100 really isn't much of a fee compared to things like graphic design and CAD for casting hardware. I'd bet that it takes more time than the production of the stamp itself, and I'd pay that price any day for a professional with experience to make sure that my brand name reads clear on my work for the life of the brand.

[RWB]

Never had anything but great service and products from Infinity. Always made me PROOF it if before they made it.

[TwinOaks]

With the mixed reviews we're seeing, it appears that this could be a case of "got too busy", or "new person in charge of some aspects."

Or maybe the person Ferg initially dealt with is going through a rough time and it's showing in their work.

Regardless of what the case may be, it's an important lesson in customer service: Look at the amount of "bad press" this incident is causing for Infinity. I can only hope that they get everything straightened out.

[Ferg]

Some of you either missed the slant of my post or I simply did not explain very well, so here goes again.

My daughter, a professional Graphic Artist with her own magazine, drew the logo with the lettering in Abobe Illustrator, Vector format as Infinity wanted it.

I explicitly asked for Steel Stamp, not Brass. Smooth back, no handle. No Heat tool for $$$$, since I have a large heat press.

You have to give them your CC# before they will do anything at all, I understand that and have no problem with it.

Sent the image to them, received a couple e-mails to clarify things. Gentleman said they couldn't read the "Lettering" file. Informed them they could select a

Font closely resembling what I showed them originally. The lettering was not in question to begin with as far as needing any further work or time.

He then fumbled around with saying, that lettering was a special lettering and they charged more for that but they would wave that charge, a confirmation

order would follow. I should okay or make any changes, return it to them, they would follow with a Proof for me to approve in a few days.

The confirmation arrived with Brass for the material, my e-mail stated I wanted Steel. Their paper said I wanted to stamp wood with a Hot Iron, both being

wrong. I called them, talked to the same person, told him the confirmation was almost totally wrong, he became flustered and began telling me what I had

ordered was what was on my original e-mail. That was not true, I had my e-mail in front of me. I also questioned how they were going to place an image that

measured 2.25 inches on a blank that only measured 2.125. "Oh, that is no problem, we can make that work."

I told him I wanted to forget the order since I didn't trust him and I wanted my Credit Card credited. He wasn't going to do that! Told him if he didn't he

could very likely be looking for a job. He hung up on me. Ten or fifteen minutes later the phone rang, it was his boss, the owner supposedly, trying to

convince my wife they should continue with the order. She told him no thanks, just credit the CC.

She usually, is very sweet on the phone until someone "riles" her. She remained sweet this time. LOL

Hopefully this clears a few misconceptions of this transaction. It was bad Karma from the beginning, I should have trashed it right away.

I have been in business for sixty one years folks. I have heard and been involved in my share of shady deals, this one really had a bad odor.

ferg

[corter]

That's what I'm saying though. If the font was not readable, it means it wasn't attached to the file and they didn't have it on their machine. When you say "just pick a similar font", that means they have to go in and set that type, space it correctly... it's not just point and click. So that's what the extra charge was for. Just have your daughter convert the font to an object next time, that problem will be solved.

[cem]

Ferg I'm a graphic designer as well and that is strange about the lettering if it was converted to outlines in illustrator there would of been no problem it would of loaded like any other element in the file and if it wasn't converted to outlines your daughter would of been able to convert it in a couple of seconds. I had a quote from infinity with my own lettering and didn't run into any of this it sounds like this particular sales person didn't know how to ask for a lettering ready file.

[Ferg]

As I said before. I know illustrator and my daughter uses it every day, it was converted. I was simply trying to make it easier for the guy to get things done.

Whatever their reason for not being able to use the file makes no difference, that wasn't the ultimate reason for my wanting to negate the order.

I sent the very same file to Steel Stamps, they are making the stamp as we speak. I had absolutely no problems with these folks, they had the proof back to me in just a couple hours, I okayed it.

With all the other problems we were encountering I think the man I talked to was out on a limb, I broke it off.

I think we need to lock this thread, Johanna!!!!

ferg

Edited March 4, 2013 by 50 years leather

[cem]

Wow you really like to be right don't you, if the lettering wasn't a problem why mention it in the first place,I went by this line in your original post (Sent vector image with name of font I wanted used) which means to me that the file wasn't prepared properly because if the lettering was outlined properly there is no need to say this it is built in.

Some of us were trying to help when files are being prepared for external bureaus sometimes things are overlooked and there was nothing there to get in a huffy over. I've had trouble with companies in the past where an order hasn't been done properly and I've acted in a professional manner without the extra hullabaloo.

As for wanting to lock the thread Johanna isn't at your beck and call and as you have been involved in more than a few threads that have been locked I think maybe you should give it a rest and in the future work out any problems you have privately because on more than one occasion you have seemed to misplaced your manners as I and few other longer serving members can attest to.

[Ferg]

Get off of it. The purpose of my post was simply to inform. Don't give me your high and mighty crap.

I told the guy to use one of their fonts since they had trouble with the one I sent. That wasn't the root of the problem.

Don't try to make me out as the dunce, when they dropped the ball and were trying to make up lost revenue by gouging me

with cheaper product.

As for asking Johanna to lock it......Uhhhh she is an admin, that is part of her job with this fabulous service.

Of course there are going to be folks that have no problem with this company, there are some that did including me.

ferg

[TwinOaks]

When a thread devolves into arguments over who's right and who's at fault, it's time for the padlock