My online stamp store pet peeve is . . .

[melissa59]

I have an online stamp store pet peeve!
How big of a pet peeve is it? Well that's for you to guess.

That may not make a lot of sense, unless my pet peeve is a stamp.
How big is that stamp? Well, that's for the customer to guess.
And THAT is my pet peeve!

Very few online stamp stores list dimensions for all the stamps they carry. Some stores list dimensions on some stamps. But many give no hint as to the stamp's size.

One of my favorite ways to use stamps is to build a scene. I have a dog, a picket fence and a birdhouse on a post that go great together. But what if I wanted to add a bird or a cat to my scene and found them to be twice the size of my dog?

Would it be too difficult to take a ruler and give the approximate height and width of a stamp so customers have an idea if they are buying a 1/2" rose or a 4" rose?

That's my vent for the day.

What's YOUR online stamp store pet peeve?

[hoptownracer1]

I like it when they list the size of the stamps also. There have been times I've bought stamps expecting them to be larger, and they were teeny tiny. So I am getting better about looking at the descriptions, but it would bite if you really liked one and it wasn't listed. Maybe some companies would be able to tell us if we emailed them. Although, some vendors who sell lots of stamp varieties might have trouble answering that request.

[sprtchick]

Hey Melissa...I will start checking my listings to be sure that they all have sizes where necessary. I agree that this is very important.
blessings.

[klh54]

Oh I feel the same way! I always try to find a description of the stamp to make an educated purchase since I don't have an unlimited budget and it's always so disappointing to not find a size mentioned. If dimensions are too hard a comparison photo would be great!!

[CraftyMel2]

I am right there with ya! I do love when sellers on Ebay, for instance, put a quarter or a dime next to the stamp, it really makes a big difference!

I wish they would also all have a zoom available so that I can blow up the picture. My eyes are horrible and sometimes I really can't see the design all that well. I had ordered what I thought was a stamp of a scroll with little flowers that would go perfectly with so many things, only to get the stamp and see that the little "flowers" were actually skull and crossbones! I can't complain too much though because it gave me an excuse to break out the 3 flower punch and attach those over the little skulls No one will ever know the evil that lurks beneath those pretty little flowers! ;)

[Crafts]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CraftyMel2

...
I wish they would also all have a zoom available so that I can blow up the picture. ...

That reminds me of another website peeve. It's so irritating when you click on a link to enlarge a picture, wait for the new image to load in a pop-up window, and then find out the "enlargement" is the same pixel size as the original image.

[lharnish]

My pet peeve about online stores is not having enough money to spend on their pages ;-)

My serious pet peeve is the many US sites that won't ship to Canada, or if they do, they won't ship USPS. The courier companies such as UPS and Fedex tend to gouge us Canadians with outrageous brokerage fees over and above the required taxes and/or duty. I can live with the taxes and duty but not ridiculous brokerage fees that are through the roof!

[PrincessBaach]

I ordered from an online store last Thursday and USPS just got the notification to expect my order for pick-up TODAY. That is a whole week just to process the order. ALl I got was a 12x12 pack of paper and the accessories to go with it. I am working on a Mothers Day gift and need this stuff. I thought I had time but I guess I was wrong. I did go ahead and order the same paper in the 6x6 size, to hold me over, on Monday and I got it yesterday. I don't mind the length it takes the carrier to get to me but a week to get it to leave their hands is a bit much

[cat_woman]

Well, I'm with Leslie on the shipping to Canada. I'm also in agreement with Judi on the enlargement. I like to see a larger image so I can see the details for colouring. Also, I hate it when you open up the image and its so heavily watermarked you can't tell what the image is. I know they have to watermark the image, but some of them totally obliterate the image. I just don't buy the stamp if I can't see the detail and most often I won't buy from that shop at all because I'm usually ordering just stamps. I'll go somewhere where I can see what I'm getting first.

[katestamps716]

As a store owner, as far as sizes and pictures go, if the manufacturer doesn't supply the sizes in their description to us, then it's hard to measure each and every image in a set. Pictures are supplied by the company and many times we have to use their specific image and cannot alter it.

It is also (usually) fairly simple to discern the relative size of images if you know the overall sheet size, such as the set measures 4"x6". I've had people ask specific sizes because they were trying to fit it on a tag or something and I try to accommodate as much as possible. But really, it comes down to the descriptions and marketing data we're given by the company who makes it. I can bust out a ruler if I need to but I can't do that if I'm uploading 100 different sets and each one has 10 different images. I'd be measuring for months.

Plus, I find that most people seek out a specific stamp set because they've seen a sample with it, and therefore already have a sense of scale and size. But the important thing is to just ask if you don't see the information you're looking for!

PS - I ship to Canada. USPS jacked up their international shipping costs (as well as priority rates stateside earlier in the year) so many companies had to raise prices to absorb that. 12x12 paper is difficult to ship because it requires a box, is heavy and often surpasses the weight limit for international package rates (if you order several packs).

Just some input from a store owner!

[jkaymac]

katestamps....Thanks so much for your insight. Your reply answered a lot of things I've wondered about.

[katestamps716]

Sure! Ultimately it comes down to communication. When in doubt, ask your retailer. You should never just guess and risk buying something you're unsure of. I supply as much info as I'm given at the time I upload them but sometimes, particularly after CHA shows, I'm entering stuff that I know is arriving (so that when it arrives I can quickly activate it) but that I don't physically have yet so I may not have anything to measure. With 20,000 plus items and growing every week it is not always possible to have every single detail listed. But, at least on my site, every item has a "request item info" link if you need to ask a question. :-)

[turki]

I have a pet peeve that when you add something to your cart, and hit "continue shopping", you don't go back to where you were.
I usually try to order multiple things at any one time, in order to get free shipping or at least good value on the shipping, and it's frustrating if it's hard to get back to where you were after adding something to your cart.

[Shelby68]

Amen to that one Traci!!! There are a few places I no longer order from because of that exact issue. I think owners on occasion should go through the whole process of shopping in their stores and then ask themselves if they had a good experience.

[melissa59]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sprtchick

Hey Melissa...I will start checking my listings to be sure that they all have sizes where necessary. I agree that this is very important.
blessings.

Thanks, Amber. I know it's a little more trouble, but it might increase sales, too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by katestamps716

As a store owner, as far as sizes and pictures go, if the manufacturer doesn't supply the sizes in their description to us, then it's hard to measure each and every image in a set.

Oh my! I don't expect someone to go and measure each image in every set! :shock: But if companies could list the overall set size or carrier sheet size, that would be a big help..

For example, Chic and Savvy Crafters has this beautiful fashion stamp set:
Flourishes Feminine Charm Stamp set
On the "Detailed Description" tab, it reads:"Set measures 4" by 6", which gives me a pretty good idea of the individual stamps on each page.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lharnish

My pet peeve about online stores is not having enough money to spend

This is my BIGGEST online stamp store pet-peeve! :rolleyes:

[katestamps716]

Shelby, I agree and I do that once a week to make sure everything is working. (And yes, my continue shopping button takes you back to the last page you were on.) That's really a fairly simple coding thing but if there is a good side or top menu maybe some sites don't feel it's necessary? I wanted it because I like that feature myself!

[melissa59]

EDITED TO ADD: I just peeked and saw that i {heart} papers does have the set measures ... and some cute stamps, too!

[katestamps716]

Thanks Melissa! I think so too! Heehee!

[swldebbie]

I agree that some web sites use watermarks that are either too heavy or are ill-placed in terms of being able to really see what you are getting. When that happens, it is a sale killer for me. I don't have enough money to just buy and hope for the best.

As for the size issue, I agree with most comments already made in this thread - from both sides of the issue. The only thing I would add is that stampers don't always say how big their card is, and, depending on how much zoom they use for the pic, sometimes it is hard to know if the card is standard 1/4 size or larger. I know when I try to CASE a card with stamps I already own, I am often left wondering if the stamp they used was really that tiny or if their card was larger than standard size. So that doesn't always help you to judge sizes of stamps. I really do appreciate when set sheet size is listed and maybe dimensions of the largest and smallest stamp in the set. Or even if they say the images are 80% of actual size.

[sprtchick]

I ship to Canada. I ship them USPS and can ship them for about what it costs me to ship in the US. So far it has worked out well for me. I have quite a few Canada customers.
blessings.

[katestamps716]

Yeah, that's mostly true for lightweight items but when you start shipping packs of 12x12 collection kits or 6x6 pads, the price is way different than light things like ribbon and stamps.

[sprtchick]

Kate..I spent 4400.00 on 12 x 12 paper to sell...I even got the pizza boxes for shipping...it is way too expensive to sell that paper so now it is my very large private stash..I am only shipping 6 x 6 paper pads now. I have 200 pizza boxes I am not sure what I will do with...lol.
blessings.

[thechecker]

I hate when stores have the right click disabled and puts a message that insinuates that I am stealing from them for using it. I like to shop by opening new windows with the right click for everything I am interested in so I don't lose where I am in the store. That is just how I do it... and I don't like being snarled at that right clicking is stealing!

Anne

[Lazorkay]

Thank you ladies!

I just love it when you are SCS'ers and ALSO store owners. YOu give us insights that we don't usually think of.

And that darn 12 x 12 paper! I love it.......................... hehehehehe.

[katestamps716]

Yeah, I think there is sort of this shroud that covers the mystique of owning a store and customers think we just randomly make up how we're running things. Maybe some stores do! HAHA. But for me, everything is very clearly laid out and there is a reason for every decision. It may not be obvious from a customer standpoint but I'm happy to explain it to anyone who asks.

I struggled with 12x12 paper for a long time (almost 3 years selling open stock) and finally made that choice to can open stock and only do limited collection kits.

There is a reason behind the madness!

[jukie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shelby68

Amen to that one Traci!!! There are a few places I no longer order from because of that exact issue. I think owners on occasion should go through the whole process of shopping in their stores and then ask themselves if they had a good experience.

When I read this thread this is the first thing that popped into my head...I hate hate hate websites where I add something to my cart, and click on continue shopping it takes you back to the home page or page 1 of your selection...when you clicked something on page 15....ugh, if I am in the wrong mood, the screen gets closed and I move on....it drives me nuts lol!

[leibetty]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crafts

That reminds me of another website peeve. It's so irritating when you click on a link to enlarge a picture, wait for the new image to load in a pop-up window, and then find out the "enlargement" is the same pixel size as the original image.

yep that's MY Peeve too!

and that goes for ANY site, not just stamping. I mean WHY BOTHER if it's not actually bigger...... and sometimes it is SMALLER

[Glitter Gypsy]

Mine is online stores with items listed by line so you have to scroll through pages and pages, instead in grid format with thumbnails (like PTI's new website).

MFT's new website is a good example of a user friendly online store.

[kphorse]

I wish that the size would also be on dies! It would be nice to know so you cam figure out what will fit on your card size or a stamp you have in mind...

Hug - RED

[thescrapmaster]

So much good info here! As another store owner chiming in, I try to put the dimensions on my stamp pages. It is hard to tell just from photos or the digital forms of the stamps. I agree with Kate that the photos that the companies provide store owners can sometimes be TINY. And some companies don't provide product photos or detailed descriptions at all.

I am always striving to make my website more user friendly, but it is a pretty difficult process trying to do so since it involves some coding. It is really helpful as a store owner to come here and read about what everyone likes in a shopping experience. I am a big online shopper too so I agree with a lot of what I am reading here, LOL!!

[thescrapmaster]

And I totally agree about the 12X12's the profit margin after shipping is just non-existent! I wish there was a cheaper was to ship them but there just isn't. I think most of the smaller stores are steering away from shipping loose 12X12 sheets. If someone orders one sheet of 12X12, the minimum shipping is 6.50, not including the box or shipping materials. I would love to sell more open stock, but it is difficult to ship.

[KatarinaM]

My pet peeve is also all of the above. But it bugs me to no end when people refer to metal dies as 'die cuts'. Maybe die cutters would make sense, but the 'die cuts' are the paper cutouts you get when you use a 'die'.
Oh, one more- it makes me twitch when I see the word 'scrapping' spelled 'scraping'. Or scrapy (we all know that store don't we, lol). If you're going to run an online business, or any business, it helps if you use the correct spelling.

[klh54]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KatarinaM

My pet peeve is also all of the above. But it bugs me to no end when people refer to metal dies as 'die cuts'. Maybe die cutters would make sense, but the 'die cuts' are the paper cutouts you get when you use a 'die'.
Oh, one more- it makes me twitch when I see the word 'scrapping' spelled 'scraping'. Or scrapy (we all know that store don't we, lol). If you're going to run an online business, or any business, it helps if you use the correct spelling.

OMgoodness! I thought I was the only one who cared about those things! hahaha

[RIRed2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thechecker

I hate when stores have the right click disabled and puts a message that insinuates that I am stealing from them for using it. I like to shop by opening new windows with the right click for everything I am interested in so I don't lose where I am in the store. That is just how I do it... and I don't like being snarled at that right clicking is stealing!

Anne

I am with you on that. I have 10 to 15 tabs going so I can see everything and not lose it.

[thechecker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RIRed2

I am with you on that. I have 10 to 15 tabs going so I can see everything and not lose it.

Exactly! that is how I browse and how I shop, lol.

Anne

[lharnish]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KatarinaM

My pet peeve is also all of the above. But it bugs me to no end when people refer to metal dies as 'die cuts'. Maybe die cutters would make sense, but the 'die cuts' are the paper cutouts you get when you use a 'die'.
Oh, one more- it makes me twitch when I see the word 'scrapping' spelled 'scraping'. Or scrapy (we all know that store don't we, lol). If you're going to run an online business, or any business, it helps if you use the correct spelling.

I see where you're coming from but would the machine you cut the die with not be called the "die cutter" (e.g. the Big Shot, Cuttlebug, etc.)? LOL! Interesting! We need to come up with some names for these parts and make them industry standards.

And the the other store you mention, I figured that they did that on purpose so it would stand out from other stores.

[KatarinaM]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lharnish

I see where you're coming from but would the machine you cut the die with not be called the "die cutter" (e.g. the Big Shot, Cuttlebug, etc.)? LOL! Interesting! We need to come up with some names for these parts and make them industry standards.

And the the other store you mention, I figured that they did that on purpose so it would stand out from other stores.

I agree with you Leslie, it is a die cutter and that's what I call it. But my point was I can see how some people would call the actual die a cutter as well (it does cut), just not a die cut. Yikes, I'm confusing myself...:confused:

[Hushgirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CraftyMel2

No one will ever know the evil that lurks beneath those pretty little flowers! ;)

I had to LOL at that!

I agree with the OP though- it drives me batty when the size isn't listed!