Banned by Blurb
Some things I just cannot believe are real or aren’t made up stories, but all the following is true… I am sure many may not read, care or follow, but wow, really? I am “overwhelmingly” baffled and I dare you to read all of this. Really Blurb? Really?
The short story:
Blurb banned me when I pointed out to Blurb the books at the Photography Book Now party in the fall of 2008 are of a higher quality then I was able to receive when placing an actual order with Blurb. So instead of helping me achieve that quality, Blurb "disabled" my account for me without my permission since Blurb could not achieve the quality Blurb advertises or actually support the B3 system I paid for.
The long story:
I hear how everyone that uses Blurb is unhappy in conversations in private emails and in corners in the dark at parties, but after all I went through the past 3 months, I had to throw it out there. I hate using my little treasure of a site to talk about such things yet there is no other, I have hit a wall, this is a place for pictures and interesting stories, not this crap. So many other places talk shop, that's not what I want to be...
How can I be the only one trying to get a nice book? Care people, if you want me to care about your books maybe you should, make an effort, damn. I don’t ever want to hear one more, “It’s alright, what do you expect or it will do.” (And pay the $5 to have that ugly Blurb logo go away, we are all cheap, but why scream it at me the second I open your book?).
This could be such a great thing, so close, yet so far…
I have been a Webby Honoree, had images in Communication Arts, American Photography, Graphis, featured in PDN and was a Best of Barnstorm award winner at The Eddie Adams Workshop… But I have a new award I wish to share and it’s almost my proudest moment – I have had my account at Blurb terminated against my wishes for pointing out the inaccuracies and faults in the services they claim to provide. Yes, I have been banned from Blurb for simply requesting Blurb print me a book and follow up on services I paid for.
I like many of us was very excited when Blurb appeared. Then, after placing an order, I realized the quality was not worth much nor anywhere near the prices charged, so I waited over a year to order another, growing pains maybe, sure, okay, fine. Then at the Photography Book Now party in the fall of 2008, I saw many Blurb books that sure as hell looked nothing like the book I received, as they were far superior to any I had seen before, mine or those of my colleagues. Not based on the content, purely based on the technical printing of the books themselves. Excited by this, I thought maybe Blurb got its act together and this spring, decided to start over.
I already had a book on the Blurb site, but needed to make a change to the contact info on a single page of the book. I changed it in the Booksmart software and attempted to replace the one already there. I am no longer allowed, it needs to be an entirely new order and an actual book must be ordered within 15 days or Blurb removes the book. Clearly this is being done only to force new orders for the sake of profit, there is no logical reason I had to order a new book. Quite infuriating and kind of a lame used car salesman type tactic, but sure, okay, fine. I canceled that book altogether and decided to just start over, again.
So on March 19, I did just that after spending some 40+ hours preparing a book. Then the new order on the premium paper arrived, it was garbage. The pages were cyan instead of white, the images in the book varied in contrast and color from page to page (even a single image on a single page wasn’t the same from right to left), the right pages were printed higher then the left and the cover looked a lot like a color copy and had banding or lines running through the solid color hardcover like a printer with clogged nozzles. Upon notifying Blurb, I got the automated responder (from “Mark”) informing me to send pictures, blah blah blah. So I did. Then I got the auto response again with a discount code for a reprinting, sure, okay, fine.
I was asked to return the book before my next order was even received. Not only does Blurb want the bad book returned, Blurb does not want you to able to compare the new printing to the old and see just how inconsistent and out of control the process really is. I offered to return the book once I received the next one, but Blurb never really addressed this issue again.
After placing the second order on this particular book, I actually started a new order March 30 on a second book after maybe 60+ hours preparing that one. This time not only did I order the book on premium paper, I used the Blurb B3 system which cost more. These two things ensure the highest possible level of order that can be placed through Blurb and according to Blurb’s website, let’s me know that I will receive phone support. I still wanted to see the quality of book I had seen at the Photography Book Now party. Whatever it takes, sure, okay, fine. It should be noted here that this more expensive B3 system does not effect anything. While you may be able to use a soft proof in your design program of choice, once in the Booksmart software, nothing is any different using the more expensive B3. When I pressed Blurb on this they claimed that the more expensive B3 meant my book would always go to the same printer yet in very same conversation, claimed they have no control over where any book goes once ordered as all orders are randomly printed at various printers around the country. So while I understand the more expensive B3 is just that, more expensive, I am still confused on what it actually offers in the end?
Blurb claims the more expensive B3 gives a Blurb customer:
Email response in four hours - I did not receive this.
A dedicated toll free phone number - I did not receive this.
An ICC profile - Yes, but more for soft proofing and all profiles are forced back to sRGB in Booksmart, this effects my book ordered from within Booksmart only how?
And then my favorite reason for paying for the more expensive B3 option directly from Blurb's website, "When you select the Custom Workflow upgrade, your work will go to the same print device each and every time." - this must be a play on words with 'print device' and 'printer' as I would later hear that B3 has absolutely no ability to direct my book to any particular printer at any time in any way from two different Blurb employee's.
So as I understand it and from these two order experiences from my perspective, all I did was pay an extra fee for absolutely nothing being different then a regular Blurb order when I selected the more expensive B3 option. B3 seemed a total farce.
Then the second printing of order #1 arrived. It had all the same problems. Not only were there the exact same issues, there were new ones in new places while other problems with color in the first order were now corrected. The one good thing I did notice however is that this confirmed there were no faults of mine. It was the same file being printed, yet the book was still a mess in the exact same way, just in some new places with the same banding mess on the cover too. So two copies of order #1 now, both riddled with the exact same issues.
I waited about a week and tried to take a break from the situation. Then book one of order #2 arrived, it had all the same issues as both printings of order #1. Three books, all the same disastrous printing errors only with a bonus, not only did order #1 of book #2 have pages higher on one side, there was three quarters of an inch cropped off every single page in the book. So I of course submitted my errors with pictures and scans of the errors and Blurb printed it again. Then printing #2 of book #2 arrived… Yup, you guessed it, not any better, not even just a little. This order was also a more expensive B3 level order and after emailing with the likes of the robot like inhuman responses of “Mark and Maggie,” I was all the sudden emailing with a “Zo.”
So here we are, two orders of two different books, four books in total, not one acceptable book in the four now sitting here. Now I am a particular guy and expect a higher level quality then most. This much I have realized lately. Yet these books are really awful and quite far off the map of usefulness. One cost $60 each and the other about $82. Now what?
To my surprise, I finally got a call from “Zo” at Blurb (it would be my one and only call even though I paid for the more expensive B3 on two orders, seems I should get many calls or at least two, one per order, seems Blurb does not agree as it is after all why the more expensive B3 is more expensive, no?). It started simple enough and the first solution or the new catch phrase on Blurb ignoring me “Where would you like to go from here?” that would become the new automated response. Well, from this point, where Zo offered to go was agreeable to me. My orders would be placed by Zo to a specific printer. Now, why all the sudden this was possible now, after four books was not explained to me and why this was possible through Zo only and not me ordering through the more expensive B3 was also not explained to me. If Zo can make an order go to a specific printer and the more expensive B3 claims my order can go to a specific printer, why did this not ever happen before now? From here, we proceeded by Zo placing my orders and having them shipped directly to him at Blurb in San Francisco. If Zo deemed them acceptable in printing quality, he would then forward them to me. I agreed this was the best solution since I was not allowed to have any control over anything even with the more expensive B3. I got the email that Zo thought they would be acceptable and then had them sent to me.
The books arrived; one copy of order #1 and one copy of order #2 now making the total book count six for just two orders. To my surprise, the books look quite acceptable. One order still had one side of the pages too high and there were some dark dots/scuffs/dirt in the whites of a few pages and similar light troubles on the dark cover, but finally, books I could more then live with and had the quality I wanted all along. Then I made the mistake of looking at the back cover.
On the back cover of both of the books was a sticker with a barcode. The stickers were not placed with care, intent or any sort of strategic purposeful placement and had obviously been randomly slapped on the back cover stating on the sticker itself, “Remove this easy to peel label to begin enjoying your product.” I instantly knew nothing about these stickers was going to be easy and carefully started peeling and photographing the painful, slow and careful process of trying to get these damn things off my books I waited three months for. I was dead on. While I understand in theory this should be simple, it was not. The adheisive was too strong and the wrong type, the paper of the sticker would tear and leave bits stuck to the books and after the 10 minute or so process of agonizing over removing them, there was still an outline in the delicate imagewrap cover of the oval of the sticker and small scratches from where I had tried to remove it. Printing the word “easy” on a sticker does not make it true.
So I emailed Zo and informed him of this issue. I included the photographs of the torn label, label bits, adhesive residue and now permanent sticker shaped and sized oval left all over both books from this “easy” process. I informed Zo that I would be awaiting his call. I then got an email that turned out to be my last from Zo:
“Any type of solvent that you have around the house will work to clean this off, with rubbing alcohol being the easiest to obtain. You can use any of the following products:
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Nail Polish Remover
- Goo Gone (can be found at your local hardware store)
Where would you like to go from here?”
I was also told by Zo that it is not considered an overwhelming issue and therefore Blurb was unconcerned and I should move on to an off set printer if I did not enjoy removing stickers from my books with solvents. Zo also informed me that having a single printer was in fact possible with Blurb, but that a sticker would be placed on every single one of my books. This made it crystal clear that Blurb knows which printers can print books correctly at the level of the Photography Book Now contest and which cannot. You just have to raise hell to get Blurb to kind of listen….
I thought about it for a moment and then emailed Zo back:
I asked what was easy about removing a sticker if I had to use solvents to remove it?
I asked if Blurb has a response with instructions at the ready for sticker damages and is recommending solvents be used to clean a brand new damn book, how is that not overwhelming?
I asked that if I were to place an order of say 10 copies of each book for 20 books at over $1500 for a total, was I really expected to sit down and clean each one with solvents?
So I replied that I would like all my orders to go to Zo first and requested that Zo remove the stickers himself since it would not be overwhelming for him and then send me all books.
I informed Zo repeatedly that I was happy with the final books if it were not for the ridiculous sticker and the issues it created.
After sending this email to Zo, I received an email from my fourth contact within Blurb support:
“Kathy – Director of Customer Experience”
(classy title, you know someone somewhere paid a lot for it's creation and that you are about to get bent over. It's like a 'wishing you good things' or 'take care of yourself' after you get dumped by someone you love only spun all corporate speak style).
Kathy went on to inform me that she read all my emails, took over my issue from Zo and that I would never be happy.
This is not true as I said I would be happy if I didn’t need a solvent on my brand new book, I said this repeatedly in multiple emails.
Kathy said my account would be “disabled” in five days even though I made no such request, made no threats, no profanity was used, said no radical statements and never once threatened to go to the BBB or make it a legal issue. (Rest assured Blurb has teams of lawyers and they know you do not).
Kathy said Blurb has no control over what printer gets used for my orders. This is also not true as Zo directed my orders to a specific printer and informed me in writing that he can direct all my orders to this specific printer.
Zo – a Blurb employee, May 6, 2009 – 2:40PM
“If you would like to have your books always printed at this facility, I can arrange that.” This is an exact contradiction of what Kathy told me, who is telling the truth and how am I suppose to know?
Kathy said Blurb cannot make the same order ever look the same, this I believe is true.
Kathy said that she is very sorry my order did not live up to my expectations, this I really doubt is true.
Kathy disabled my account why? What exactly did I do wrong?
Kathy needs to know that Blurb is offering services it cannot provide, showing examples it cannot create for it’s customers, has a more expensive B3 phone support system that is non-existent, offers many other services that don't warrant extra fees and that in any other service or sales type environment, these facts would be either fraud or false advertising, a legal issue. There isn't a single reason my account with Blurb should be 'disabled' that I can find in the terms. The only one I saw was about being under the age of 13, that could get me terminated without warning, but that hasn't been sited as a cause yet, but I would assume "Kathy" is talking to Blurb's lawyers about now to get that proven as a possibility too in support of this mess.
Kathy liked to make things up and made this all a personal judgment issue, I just want a book printed as advertised.
The emails I wrote to Blurb were responded to with indifference and often topics were ignored requiring follow after follow up and after paying for the more expensive B3 phone support on two different orders, I never received it.
I tried polite emails and not so polite emails (I will even concede that many of my emails became quite rude the more Blurb ignored my points, but never personal or laced with the profanity I wanted to unleash. All my emails were on point of just wanting a decent book in the end); neither approach seemed to get read or issues resolved and were frankly ignored. I asked very direct questions and they went unanswered. Blurb made some attempts that I truly appreciate while at the same time, being a complete disaster of customer service, respect and effectiveness. Blurb then tried to hide behind several causes in the terms most don't even read that even pretty much state your books will never match each other, but wow, really Blurb? What scale of acceptability am I suppose to understand exactly? It was also made clear to me that everything I wanted in the beginning is actually possible, but Blurb is in the way of itself and no one is sharing their experiences truthfully with them except me – or so it seems. Everything I had issue with I have read about on other sites, forums and heard in secret, so I also blame all those fools with half ass books that aren’t speaking up, you’re making it harder for the rest of us that do care.
Blurb it seems is run like a strip club like many other business that prey on the desires of artists and image creators. It offers a fantasy product that isn’t quite the resulting fantasy you want. It leaves your desires and hopes dashed, your pockets empty and you leave the experience feeling all the wrong kinds of dirty and unfulfilled… On one hand, you can see everything you want, so close, right in front of you, you can almost hold it and touch it, you just need pay up, but then on the other hand when you do pay, it’s not at all what you wanted in the first place.
Oh yeah, I think the customer service all has fake names too, that’s where I found the metaphor. I tried them all in the only public phone number I found for Blurb and none of those names work in the automated directory. So whatever you do, don’t ask for real names or dare to talk to the Blurb employees or Blurb will send out Blurb’s email auto responding bouncer to toss your ass out. At least this time, that bouncer tossed all my wadded up singles back at me… and then banned me.
The short story:
Blurb banned me when I pointed out to Blurb the books at the Photography Book Now party in the fall of 2008 are of a higher quality then I was able to receive when placing an actual order with Blurb. So instead of helping me achieve that quality, Blurb "disabled" my account for me without my permission since Blurb could not achieve the quality Blurb advertises or actually support the B3 system I paid for.
The long story:
I hear how everyone that uses Blurb is unhappy in conversations in private emails and in corners in the dark at parties, but after all I went through the past 3 months, I had to throw it out there. I hate using my little treasure of a site to talk about such things yet there is no other, I have hit a wall, this is a place for pictures and interesting stories, not this crap. So many other places talk shop, that's not what I want to be...
How can I be the only one trying to get a nice book? Care people, if you want me to care about your books maybe you should, make an effort, damn. I don’t ever want to hear one more, “It’s alright, what do you expect or it will do.” (And pay the $5 to have that ugly Blurb logo go away, we are all cheap, but why scream it at me the second I open your book?).
This could be such a great thing, so close, yet so far…
I have been a Webby Honoree, had images in Communication Arts, American Photography, Graphis, featured in PDN and was a Best of Barnstorm award winner at The Eddie Adams Workshop… But I have a new award I wish to share and it’s almost my proudest moment – I have had my account at Blurb terminated against my wishes for pointing out the inaccuracies and faults in the services they claim to provide. Yes, I have been banned from Blurb for simply requesting Blurb print me a book and follow up on services I paid for.
I like many of us was very excited when Blurb appeared. Then, after placing an order, I realized the quality was not worth much nor anywhere near the prices charged, so I waited over a year to order another, growing pains maybe, sure, okay, fine. Then at the Photography Book Now party in the fall of 2008, I saw many Blurb books that sure as hell looked nothing like the book I received, as they were far superior to any I had seen before, mine or those of my colleagues. Not based on the content, purely based on the technical printing of the books themselves. Excited by this, I thought maybe Blurb got its act together and this spring, decided to start over.
I already had a book on the Blurb site, but needed to make a change to the contact info on a single page of the book. I changed it in the Booksmart software and attempted to replace the one already there. I am no longer allowed, it needs to be an entirely new order and an actual book must be ordered within 15 days or Blurb removes the book. Clearly this is being done only to force new orders for the sake of profit, there is no logical reason I had to order a new book. Quite infuriating and kind of a lame used car salesman type tactic, but sure, okay, fine. I canceled that book altogether and decided to just start over, again.
So on March 19, I did just that after spending some 40+ hours preparing a book. Then the new order on the premium paper arrived, it was garbage. The pages were cyan instead of white, the images in the book varied in contrast and color from page to page (even a single image on a single page wasn’t the same from right to left), the right pages were printed higher then the left and the cover looked a lot like a color copy and had banding or lines running through the solid color hardcover like a printer with clogged nozzles. Upon notifying Blurb, I got the automated responder (from “Mark”) informing me to send pictures, blah blah blah. So I did. Then I got the auto response again with a discount code for a reprinting, sure, okay, fine.
I was asked to return the book before my next order was even received. Not only does Blurb want the bad book returned, Blurb does not want you to able to compare the new printing to the old and see just how inconsistent and out of control the process really is. I offered to return the book once I received the next one, but Blurb never really addressed this issue again.
After placing the second order on this particular book, I actually started a new order March 30 on a second book after maybe 60+ hours preparing that one. This time not only did I order the book on premium paper, I used the Blurb B3 system which cost more. These two things ensure the highest possible level of order that can be placed through Blurb and according to Blurb’s website, let’s me know that I will receive phone support. I still wanted to see the quality of book I had seen at the Photography Book Now party. Whatever it takes, sure, okay, fine. It should be noted here that this more expensive B3 system does not effect anything. While you may be able to use a soft proof in your design program of choice, once in the Booksmart software, nothing is any different using the more expensive B3. When I pressed Blurb on this they claimed that the more expensive B3 meant my book would always go to the same printer yet in very same conversation, claimed they have no control over where any book goes once ordered as all orders are randomly printed at various printers around the country. So while I understand the more expensive B3 is just that, more expensive, I am still confused on what it actually offers in the end?
Blurb claims the more expensive B3 gives a Blurb customer:
Email response in four hours - I did not receive this.
A dedicated toll free phone number - I did not receive this.
An ICC profile - Yes, but more for soft proofing and all profiles are forced back to sRGB in Booksmart, this effects my book ordered from within Booksmart only how?
And then my favorite reason for paying for the more expensive B3 option directly from Blurb's website, "When you select the Custom Workflow upgrade, your work will go to the same print device each and every time." - this must be a play on words with 'print device' and 'printer' as I would later hear that B3 has absolutely no ability to direct my book to any particular printer at any time in any way from two different Blurb employee's.
So as I understand it and from these two order experiences from my perspective, all I did was pay an extra fee for absolutely nothing being different then a regular Blurb order when I selected the more expensive B3 option. B3 seemed a total farce.
Then the second printing of order #1 arrived. It had all the same problems. Not only were there the exact same issues, there were new ones in new places while other problems with color in the first order were now corrected. The one good thing I did notice however is that this confirmed there were no faults of mine. It was the same file being printed, yet the book was still a mess in the exact same way, just in some new places with the same banding mess on the cover too. So two copies of order #1 now, both riddled with the exact same issues.
I waited about a week and tried to take a break from the situation. Then book one of order #2 arrived, it had all the same issues as both printings of order #1. Three books, all the same disastrous printing errors only with a bonus, not only did order #1 of book #2 have pages higher on one side, there was three quarters of an inch cropped off every single page in the book. So I of course submitted my errors with pictures and scans of the errors and Blurb printed it again. Then printing #2 of book #2 arrived… Yup, you guessed it, not any better, not even just a little. This order was also a more expensive B3 level order and after emailing with the likes of the robot like inhuman responses of “Mark and Maggie,” I was all the sudden emailing with a “Zo.”
So here we are, two orders of two different books, four books in total, not one acceptable book in the four now sitting here. Now I am a particular guy and expect a higher level quality then most. This much I have realized lately. Yet these books are really awful and quite far off the map of usefulness. One cost $60 each and the other about $82. Now what?
To my surprise, I finally got a call from “Zo” at Blurb (it would be my one and only call even though I paid for the more expensive B3 on two orders, seems I should get many calls or at least two, one per order, seems Blurb does not agree as it is after all why the more expensive B3 is more expensive, no?). It started simple enough and the first solution or the new catch phrase on Blurb ignoring me “Where would you like to go from here?” that would become the new automated response. Well, from this point, where Zo offered to go was agreeable to me. My orders would be placed by Zo to a specific printer. Now, why all the sudden this was possible now, after four books was not explained to me and why this was possible through Zo only and not me ordering through the more expensive B3 was also not explained to me. If Zo can make an order go to a specific printer and the more expensive B3 claims my order can go to a specific printer, why did this not ever happen before now? From here, we proceeded by Zo placing my orders and having them shipped directly to him at Blurb in San Francisco. If Zo deemed them acceptable in printing quality, he would then forward them to me. I agreed this was the best solution since I was not allowed to have any control over anything even with the more expensive B3. I got the email that Zo thought they would be acceptable and then had them sent to me.
The books arrived; one copy of order #1 and one copy of order #2 now making the total book count six for just two orders. To my surprise, the books look quite acceptable. One order still had one side of the pages too high and there were some dark dots/scuffs/dirt in the whites of a few pages and similar light troubles on the dark cover, but finally, books I could more then live with and had the quality I wanted all along. Then I made the mistake of looking at the back cover.
On the back cover of both of the books was a sticker with a barcode. The stickers were not placed with care, intent or any sort of strategic purposeful placement and had obviously been randomly slapped on the back cover stating on the sticker itself, “Remove this easy to peel label to begin enjoying your product.” I instantly knew nothing about these stickers was going to be easy and carefully started peeling and photographing the painful, slow and careful process of trying to get these damn things off my books I waited three months for. I was dead on. While I understand in theory this should be simple, it was not. The adheisive was too strong and the wrong type, the paper of the sticker would tear and leave bits stuck to the books and after the 10 minute or so process of agonizing over removing them, there was still an outline in the delicate imagewrap cover of the oval of the sticker and small scratches from where I had tried to remove it. Printing the word “easy” on a sticker does not make it true.
So I emailed Zo and informed him of this issue. I included the photographs of the torn label, label bits, adhesive residue and now permanent sticker shaped and sized oval left all over both books from this “easy” process. I informed Zo that I would be awaiting his call. I then got an email that turned out to be my last from Zo:
“Any type of solvent that you have around the house will work to clean this off, with rubbing alcohol being the easiest to obtain. You can use any of the following products:
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Nail Polish Remover
- Goo Gone (can be found at your local hardware store)
Where would you like to go from here?”
I was also told by Zo that it is not considered an overwhelming issue and therefore Blurb was unconcerned and I should move on to an off set printer if I did not enjoy removing stickers from my books with solvents. Zo also informed me that having a single printer was in fact possible with Blurb, but that a sticker would be placed on every single one of my books. This made it crystal clear that Blurb knows which printers can print books correctly at the level of the Photography Book Now contest and which cannot. You just have to raise hell to get Blurb to kind of listen….
I thought about it for a moment and then emailed Zo back:
I asked what was easy about removing a sticker if I had to use solvents to remove it?
I asked if Blurb has a response with instructions at the ready for sticker damages and is recommending solvents be used to clean a brand new damn book, how is that not overwhelming?
I asked that if I were to place an order of say 10 copies of each book for 20 books at over $1500 for a total, was I really expected to sit down and clean each one with solvents?
So I replied that I would like all my orders to go to Zo first and requested that Zo remove the stickers himself since it would not be overwhelming for him and then send me all books.
I informed Zo repeatedly that I was happy with the final books if it were not for the ridiculous sticker and the issues it created.
After sending this email to Zo, I received an email from my fourth contact within Blurb support:
“Kathy – Director of Customer Experience”
(classy title, you know someone somewhere paid a lot for it's creation and that you are about to get bent over. It's like a 'wishing you good things' or 'take care of yourself' after you get dumped by someone you love only spun all corporate speak style).
Kathy went on to inform me that she read all my emails, took over my issue from Zo and that I would never be happy.
This is not true as I said I would be happy if I didn’t need a solvent on my brand new book, I said this repeatedly in multiple emails.
Kathy said my account would be “disabled” in five days even though I made no such request, made no threats, no profanity was used, said no radical statements and never once threatened to go to the BBB or make it a legal issue. (Rest assured Blurb has teams of lawyers and they know you do not).
Kathy said Blurb has no control over what printer gets used for my orders. This is also not true as Zo directed my orders to a specific printer and informed me in writing that he can direct all my orders to this specific printer.
Zo – a Blurb employee, May 6, 2009 – 2:40PM
“If you would like to have your books always printed at this facility, I can arrange that.” This is an exact contradiction of what Kathy told me, who is telling the truth and how am I suppose to know?
Kathy said Blurb cannot make the same order ever look the same, this I believe is true.
Kathy said that she is very sorry my order did not live up to my expectations, this I really doubt is true.
Kathy disabled my account why? What exactly did I do wrong?
Kathy needs to know that Blurb is offering services it cannot provide, showing examples it cannot create for it’s customers, has a more expensive B3 phone support system that is non-existent, offers many other services that don't warrant extra fees and that in any other service or sales type environment, these facts would be either fraud or false advertising, a legal issue. There isn't a single reason my account with Blurb should be 'disabled' that I can find in the terms. The only one I saw was about being under the age of 13, that could get me terminated without warning, but that hasn't been sited as a cause yet, but I would assume "Kathy" is talking to Blurb's lawyers about now to get that proven as a possibility too in support of this mess.
Kathy liked to make things up and made this all a personal judgment issue, I just want a book printed as advertised.
The emails I wrote to Blurb were responded to with indifference and often topics were ignored requiring follow after follow up and after paying for the more expensive B3 phone support on two different orders, I never received it.
I tried polite emails and not so polite emails (I will even concede that many of my emails became quite rude the more Blurb ignored my points, but never personal or laced with the profanity I wanted to unleash. All my emails were on point of just wanting a decent book in the end); neither approach seemed to get read or issues resolved and were frankly ignored. I asked very direct questions and they went unanswered. Blurb made some attempts that I truly appreciate while at the same time, being a complete disaster of customer service, respect and effectiveness. Blurb then tried to hide behind several causes in the terms most don't even read that even pretty much state your books will never match each other, but wow, really Blurb? What scale of acceptability am I suppose to understand exactly? It was also made clear to me that everything I wanted in the beginning is actually possible, but Blurb is in the way of itself and no one is sharing their experiences truthfully with them except me – or so it seems. Everything I had issue with I have read about on other sites, forums and heard in secret, so I also blame all those fools with half ass books that aren’t speaking up, you’re making it harder for the rest of us that do care.
Blurb it seems is run like a strip club like many other business that prey on the desires of artists and image creators. It offers a fantasy product that isn’t quite the resulting fantasy you want. It leaves your desires and hopes dashed, your pockets empty and you leave the experience feeling all the wrong kinds of dirty and unfulfilled… On one hand, you can see everything you want, so close, right in front of you, you can almost hold it and touch it, you just need pay up, but then on the other hand when you do pay, it’s not at all what you wanted in the first place.
Oh yeah, I think the customer service all has fake names too, that’s where I found the metaphor. I tried them all in the only public phone number I found for Blurb and none of those names work in the automated directory. So whatever you do, don’t ask for real names or dare to talk to the Blurb employees or Blurb will send out Blurb’s email auto responding bouncer to toss your ass out. At least this time, that bouncer tossed all my wadded up singles back at me… and then banned me.
Press play to listen to the runaround I got when I called during normal business hours at Blurb headquarters. I can only imagine the accent in the automation is to further enhance my "customer experience."
None of my orders or any other Blurb book I have ever seen by anyone else to date have had the technical quality of those that Blurb advertised as being possible at the Photography Book Now competition party in the Fall of 2008. Blurb has had plenty of orders and revenue since then to get their act together and they have not. Sure, Blurb is a business and just wants profit, profit, profit, Blurb has made it clear that that is the real goal if you read between the lines of all their policies, terms, group affiliations and contests. Blurb can run their site and business however they want, I understand that, but to offer such a false carrot in front of the hordes and have it taste so awful once caught, what's the good business plan in that? If that carrot tasted better, the jackasses will chase it forever, myself included. I have some 20+ or so books I want to make, I am your prime sucker, please take my money, just deliver on the promise.
My only thought on why Blurb would ban a customer is that I would share this story thereby intimidating any other Blurb customers from complaining ever again. Blurb auto responding bouncer now says, "Get out and spread the word, we don't want quality seekers here, so shut up and enjoy your poorly printed book or else..."
Regardless of what you think of me, my images or my efforts to get Blurbs attention to this fact, no Blurb book I have ever seen has lived up to the bar Blurb itself has set.
(Except my last order, which was almost acceptable, let me state that again as no matter how many times I told Blurb, Blurb never acknowledged actually realizing it, MY LAST TWO BOOKS WERE ACCEPTABLE... IF (and this IF is HUGE) it wasn't for that damn ten cent sticker Blurb put on it ruining the surface, so close, yet so far... just don't tell Blurb you aren't happy with the poor quality or Blurb will ban your book loving ass and try and intimidate anyone else from speaking up).
Blurb should be thanking me, not banning me... so silly, I just want my little books printed, why so hard?
My only thought on why Blurb would ban a customer is that I would share this story thereby intimidating any other Blurb customers from complaining ever again. Blurb auto responding bouncer now says, "Get out and spread the word, we don't want quality seekers here, so shut up and enjoy your poorly printed book or else..."
Regardless of what you think of me, my images or my efforts to get Blurbs attention to this fact, no Blurb book I have ever seen has lived up to the bar Blurb itself has set.
(Except my last order, which was almost acceptable, let me state that again as no matter how many times I told Blurb, Blurb never acknowledged actually realizing it, MY LAST TWO BOOKS WERE ACCEPTABLE... IF (and this IF is HUGE) it wasn't for that damn ten cent sticker Blurb put on it ruining the surface, so close, yet so far... just don't tell Blurb you aren't happy with the poor quality or Blurb will ban your book loving ass and try and intimidate anyone else from speaking up).
Blurb should be thanking me, not banning me... so silly, I just want my little books printed, why so hard?