Simple and true. From Zazzle, of course:
CraP
Monday, April 27, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
The Sinking of the SS Cafepress
As part of its “marketplace changes” (read: CP’s decision to exploit the shopkeepers who’ve created all the designs sold on its website), Cafepress is going to use a new algorithm.
Unfortunately for them, it won’t be of much use if CP has nothing to sell. After being abused by CP for too long, shopkeepers are mad as hell and are not gonna take it anymore. They are pulling their designs and taking them to companies whose business model doesn’t consist of screwing them.
I’m talking about thousands of people who’re not just jumping the SS Cafepress. They’re gonna help sink her.
Think of thousands of former partners who now work for the competition.
Thousands of people who’ll never again in their lives buy anything from Cafepress – and keep it (see below).
Thousands of former partners who will tell anybody who’ll hear (or read) that Cafepress sucks.
Thousands of (justifiably) furious people who could take additional steps to hurt the company, like, say, buy a product from Cafepress and then return it for no reason whatsoever (unless you call “revenge” a reason), thus making Cafepress absorb the loss of printing the product.
Thousands of people who could increase significantly CP’s advertising costs, simply by googling “Cafepress” and then clicking on Cafepress’ ad – without buying anything of course.
Not that I would ever encourage anyone to do such things, mind you. I just can imagine them doing so.
Higher costs, lower profits… What’s that noise I hear? Oh, yeah, the sinking of the SS Cafepress.
Unfortunately for them, it won’t be of much use if CP has nothing to sell. After being abused by CP for too long, shopkeepers are mad as hell and are not gonna take it anymore. They are pulling their designs and taking them to companies whose business model doesn’t consist of screwing them.
I’m talking about thousands of people who’re not just jumping the SS Cafepress. They’re gonna help sink her.
Think of thousands of former partners who now work for the competition.
Thousands of people who’ll never again in their lives buy anything from Cafepress – and keep it (see below).
Thousands of former partners who will tell anybody who’ll hear (or read) that Cafepress sucks.
Thousands of (justifiably) furious people who could take additional steps to hurt the company, like, say, buy a product from Cafepress and then return it for no reason whatsoever (unless you call “revenge” a reason), thus making Cafepress absorb the loss of printing the product.
Thousands of people who could increase significantly CP’s advertising costs, simply by googling “Cafepress” and then clicking on Cafepress’ ad – without buying anything of course.
Not that I would ever encourage anyone to do such things, mind you. I just can imagine them doing so.
Higher costs, lower profits… What’s that noise I hear? Oh, yeah, the sinking of the SS Cafepress.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Cafepress Sucks
These are hard times. A lot of people are losing their jobs. You look around you and start thinking of ways to make some extra cash.
You’ve heard of Cafepress, the oldest POD (Print on Demand) business, which allows you to make your own designs and add them to their products (t-shirts, mugs, etc). You’re thinking, why not?
Here is a reason:
Cafepress sucks.
In the year or so that I’ve been with them, they got rid of a bonus they used to give shopkeepers who sold more than a certain amount, and they’ve just announced that designers will no longer be able to set the price of their own products sold in CP's marketplace because Cafepress knows better than them how much their talent and work is worth, and it’s not worth much: 10 percent.
The number might not seem that small until you consider that CP’s markup of the products can be as high as 100%, and that affiliates get 15% for sending customers to Cafepress. So for sending customers to a website, you get 15%. For creating designs and adding them to the products, you don’t even deserve that, according to CafeCrap.
This is not the first time Cafepress has acted out of greed, and I guarantee you, it won’t be the last. I’m in the process of taking all my products out of CafeCrap and selling them in Zazzle, a company that seems to respect its partners.
Do yourself a favor and don’t ever work with Cafepress.
You’ve heard of Cafepress, the oldest POD (Print on Demand) business, which allows you to make your own designs and add them to their products (t-shirts, mugs, etc). You’re thinking, why not?
Here is a reason:
Cafepress sucks.
In the year or so that I’ve been with them, they got rid of a bonus they used to give shopkeepers who sold more than a certain amount, and they’ve just announced that designers will no longer be able to set the price of their own products sold in CP's marketplace because Cafepress knows better than them how much their talent and work is worth, and it’s not worth much: 10 percent.
The number might not seem that small until you consider that CP’s markup of the products can be as high as 100%, and that affiliates get 15% for sending customers to Cafepress. So for sending customers to a website, you get 15%. For creating designs and adding them to the products, you don’t even deserve that, according to CafeCrap.
This is not the first time Cafepress has acted out of greed, and I guarantee you, it won’t be the last. I’m in the process of taking all my products out of CafeCrap and selling them in Zazzle, a company that seems to respect its partners.
Do yourself a favor and don’t ever work with Cafepress.
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