Blacklist
mara06 (2549 pencils) | Mon, 2008-11-10 18:45Anyone know of a graphics blacklist site, for warning fellow designers about bad experiences with printers & other suppliers of services we need to do our thing? Seems to me there used to be such a site.
Boy have I got a place to add to the list.
If there isn't such a list anymore, maybe we should start one. I would hate to see it become just a dumping ground for pissed-off creatives, but a real "wow, this happened with these guys, so watch your step) kinda thing. Yes? No?
Mara
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Mara
Commenting on this Forum topic is closed.
But it would be nice. Would have to be well moderated though.
The Construct Agency
Building Creative Brands for People
and people would have to give enough detail so experienced people could know the difference between operator error and printer error.
while i generally like the idea, i also know that there are more designers making messes for printers than printers making messes for designers.
oh, and feel free to mention who your problem child is, mara. i could end up running across them if they're in the vicinity of DC.
Probably way too many liabilities involved in creating a site like that. I can see lawsuits aplenty coming out of that.
In any case, at the very least, perhaps you could report them to the Better Business Bureau?
I agree with KellyR, based upon personal and recent experience. I did the right thing and reported an unscrupulous businessman, going through the channels and doing everything by the book.
$1300 later in legal fees for protecting myself from being sued by him for...now how did the fellow put it...defamation of character...I learned that telling the truth and trying to protect others from doing any future business with him can land you in some pretty hot water. And, had I but taken it one step further to a higher-up governing board, the person in question would be doing some back-paddling as I would have been protected from his actions against me.
I like your idea Mara, and feel it is a noble plan, but the turds that are bobbing around out there on the river of commerce generally know how to play the game. And when you do try to do the right thing, it can sometimes backfire on you.
But, if there is a way...
"Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible."
— Frank Zappa
"Art -- the one achievement of Man which has made the long trip up from all fours seem well advised." - James Thurber
perhaps the site i recall is gonenow, because of all the valid points you mention. It's probably best to leave it at general warnings, such as never patronize a sushi bar with air conditioning problems. Stuff like that. And we already do that.
Not to worry, BTW, gwells. It wasn't a DC area place. Texas. Figures. pfft.
Mara
Maybe that would be a good suggestion for a site like Angie's List.
www.alessandraandy.com
Do you have a site like yelp.com in your area? You could at least leave them a bad review.
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Natobasso
dirtandrust.com
"Powerpoint is not a design application"
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Dirt and Rust
Yelp has a few listings for my area. I'm among them. http://www.yelp.com/biz/warrenton-graphics-warrenton No ratings or comments though. Anyone care to correct that? Hmmm? wink wink nudge nudge
Mara
Mara, sounds like you have a story to tell....
I think it was more a matter of too-loose communications than anything, or hearing what I wanted to hear. I chose an online resource to produce credit cards for a client and failed to cut them loose at the first sign of trouble. I gave them too many chances to make good and before I knew it, I was out $500 (since refunded, less a $50 cancellation fee), and behind schedule with a very unhappy client. The thing that really gets me is that the client had originally recommended another real-world supplier whom I rejected for having higher prices. Long story short, those guys met the other place's price and are turning the job around for me in no time at all. Should have gone with them in the beginning. My own hubris slammed me in the chops in this one, I think.
Mara
have a list of companies and allow members to rate them, 1-5, maybe even on several attributes: price, quality, turn-around time, in-house abilities, etc
thus no defamation, no lawsuits
"...and mamma cried: Watch out where the huskies go, don't you eat that yellow snow" - Frank Zappa
Good idea. An AIGA service, perhaps? That wouldn't be of help outside the US, of course.
Mara