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Present I Custom Ordered for DH is Hideous - GRUMBLE GRUMBLE!!!!

pjrose

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For over a month I have been so excited about the best ever present (so I thought) that I was planning for my DH.

I got a Groupon to order a woven cotton blanket made from a photo, and immediately thought of one of our antique cars. I got a great picture of it, uploaded it to their site, followed all the directions about centering, cropping, etc etc. Throughout, the site showed me what my blanket would look like.

DH neither wants nor needs anything, so shopping for him is always difficult. This, though, was just so cool I KNEW he would love it. I was so excited, tracking it online, etc.

According to the site, after my submission the order would go to their art room for any needed adjustments - I assumed straightening or brightening or cleaning up any glitches in the photo. Then on to weaving, then washing so it would be fresh and soft, final inspection, and Fed Ex to me.

Well, it came today, and it is horrible. Hideous. Downright ugly. Totally unacceptable. Folded, it was so dark and dull that I thought they must have folded it inside-out, and surely I was seeing the back. Nope, when I unfolded it the front was so awful I felt like crying.

The bright beautiful car is dark and muddy, the trees with fall leaves in the background nearly black....and it isn't even soft. There is ONE tiny section with the right color, so I know they have the dye or yarn.

Of course I know I can get my money back, but darn it I want what I ordered! I pasted a smile on my face and called customer service; of course they weren't answering the phone - probably frantic a few days before Christmas. I left a very polite but very disappointed message asking for a call back after Christmas, with the hope that they can make a replacement that actually looks like what I ordered.

It's often said that giving is more important than receiving, and I really really feel that here.....I honestly don't care what if anything I "get", and I was sooooo looking forward to giving this present. :bawl: :bawl: :bawl:
 
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Passepartout

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I'm so sorry that something you thought would be soooo cool just isn't. Otoh, just think- you'll be able to post this to the 'worst gift ever' thread! Y'know putting lipstick on a pig doesn't work so well. Sorry, PJ.

Jim
 

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I understand your disappointment but I would be thrilled if my husband took the time and effort to come up with an idea like that. Honestly, the product would be second to the actual effort and thought.

I'm sure your husband will love you dearly for your efforts in getting him something he would really like, even if it didn't turn out so well.
 

pjrose

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I understand your disappointment but I would be thrilled if my husband took the time and effort to come up with an idea like that. Honestly, the product would be second to the actual effort and thought.

I'm sure your husband will love you dearly for your efforts in getting him something he would really like, even if it didn't turn out so well.

I know he will. I have been teasing him for weeks about this great surprise I had planned, and tonight when I told him it was awful he was very sweet and huggy. I didn't show it to him yet - maybe I'll still wrap it - but believe me, it's so awful we would never never use it or put it over the back of the couch or anything like that.

And Jim, you're right - it WILL be good for the "Worst Present" thread!

There's always a good way to look at things :)
 
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Mosca

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Oh man, I'm sorry to read this. A photo blanket was one of the best presents I ever got my daughter, and I often tell people what great gifts they make. I hope you get satisfaction, it won't be in time for the holiday but it can still wind up pretty good.
 

MuranoJo

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PJ, what a bummer. But your DH sounds like a real sweetie! Lucky gal.

Personally, I ordered & received two internet gifts that are not up to snuff to me. I'm so bummed and of course it's too late to do anything about it. But these gifts didn't take the upfront creativity and work you put into DH's.

I'm sure he'll appreciate what you did, and--who knows?--they may it right for you.
 

sstamm

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So sorry- nothing more disappointing than a gift that doesn't come out as expected. I'm sure he will appreciate your effort, and hopefully you can get it resolved and still be able to get what you wanted later.

I would still wrap it up and give it to him. Hopefully some day you will be able to laugh about how awful the first one turned out- especially if a replacement is everything you expected.
 

Zac495

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That is a bummer! But it's the THOUGHT that counts and what a sweet loving thought.
 

swift

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So sorry about your gift. I know that feeling of disappoint is horrible. If you do decide to do a photo gift again I have had several successful gifts from Artscow.com. Calendars, phone covers, make-up bags, etc - not everything is of photos of people some are of places we have been. They tell you as you are making the item whether or not the photo you are using is too dark or what good for the product you are making. Here are some items they make http://www.artscow.com/photo-gifts/ My mom loves receiving photo gifts of the grand kids.
 

pjrose

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Thanks for the link, Theresa. Their products look good

I just checked the customer feedback on the site from which I ordered, and everyone seems so delighted, so I'm trying to be optimistic that they'll be able to make me a new one that looks good :) They don't seem like fake feedback ratings.....:shrug:

I also googled photo blanket and found lots of companies that make them. If these guys can't or won't do it properly I may try one of the other sites.
 
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glypnirsgirl

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I feel for you. And when I saw your post, it made me want to check to see how my son's id bracelet came out. So, i searched through all of the packages ... and searched again. I couldn't find it. And I had guaranteed delivery by the 23rd. Where is it???

... so I went to the website to see if I could figure out what the deal is. And there the bracelet is sitting. Right in my cart. I never pulled the trigger on it! Argghh!

A quick trip to the bank and Walgreens to see if I can even things up a bit.

thanks for posting this. I would not have noticed until morning without it!

elaine
 

pjrose

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I feel for you. And when I saw your post, it made me want to check to see how my son's id bracelet came out. So, i searched through all of the packages ... and searched again. I couldn't find it. And I had guaranteed delivery by the 23rd. Where is it???

... so I went to the website to see if I could figure out what the deal is. And there the bracelet is sitting. Right in my cart. I never pulled the trigger on it! Argghh!

A quick trip to the bank and Walgreens to see if I can even things up a bit.

thanks for posting this. I would not have noticed until morning without it!

elaine

This reminds me of the year I bought my son some blue polartec slippers at an Old Navy about 45 minutes away. A night or two before Christmas I started emptying bags and wrapping, and when I came to the Old Navy bag there was only one slipper. I searched and searched, but only one slipper. I called Old Navy on the outside chance they had a box or drawer for loose items - and amazingly they had the spare slipper! Now what - it's Dec 24, and I wasn't planning a trip down to Old Navy - aha! I remembered that one of the people who worked there part-time lived near me! Luckily she was working that afternoon, so she brought the slipper to our area the night before Christmas, and the next morning he got his pair of slippers.

Sorry you didn't find your son's ID bracelet in the boxes or find a store employee who would play Santa and deliver it to you!
 

Patri

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Our grown kids were so excited for one of our gifts. It was a blanket with family photos on it. Quality image reproductions and fabric. It came from WALMART! The in-store kiosk limited background colors, so they did it online for the color they wanted.
It is gorgeous and we will hang it on a wall rather than wrap up in it.
 

pjrose

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Our grown kids were so excited for one of our gifts. It was a blanket with family photos on it. Quality image reproductions and fabric. It came from WALMART! The in-store kiosk limited background colors, so they did it online for the color they wanted.
It is gorgeous and we will hang it on a wall rather than wrap up in it.

Patri, were the photos printed or woven?
PJ
 

CSB

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We ordered photo blankets from Walmart twice and were very happy with the results. The photos are printed, I believe.

One blanket was for my in-laws with pictures of all the family. The other was a blanket for our nephew. This blanket was for his birthday and had any good pictures we could find with his much loved dog Spike who had passed away a month before. We weren't sure that the blanket was a good idea but when we gave it to him, he was very choked up.
 

Patri

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Ours was woven.
 

tahoeJoe

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I know he will. I have been teasing him for weeks about this great surprise I had planned, and tonight when I told him it was awful he was very sweet and huggy. I didn't show it to him yet - maybe I'll still wrap it - but believe me, it's so awful we would never never use it or put it over the back of the couch or anything like that.

And Jim, you're right - it WILL be good for the "Worst Present" thread!

There's always a good way to look at things :)

Or maybe you just gave him the BEST White Elephant gift ever:clap:

Regardless, I hope you had a joyful and fun holiday and that your husband enjoyed the great love and effort of your gift, rather than the result.

Happy Holidays!!
 

pjrose

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Or maybe you just gave him the BEST White Elephant gift ever:clap:

Regardless, I hope you had a joyful and fun holiday and that your husband enjoyed the great love and effort of your gift, rather than the result.

Happy Holidays!!

He looked kind of stunned when I showed it to him. Your White Elephant idea is a good one....last year DD got something atrocious, and honestly we all laughed so hard at it that it was worth it. We STILL laugh about it. In retrospect maybe we may also turn lemons into lemonade and enjoy laughing about this White Elephant blanket next year. (Talk about mixing metaphors LOL) I'll be sure to take a photo of the blanket with the original photo so everyone can see what I'm talking about.

Now I'm waiting for my call back from the company...one of the many customer comments on the company's site says that there was an error with her order and she got called by the company's president and it was replaced in two days, so we shall see :)

And yes, we had a great day! I'm looking forward to using my new pie maker (see Heathpack's Breville thread) and DH is looking forward to having DS help install his new under-cabinet flip-down kitchen TV/DVD combo :clap:
 
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Timeshare Von

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I keeping coming back here in hopes of seeing a photo of the hideous blanket :)

I'm glad you had a great day and that he was a good sport about it.
 

pjrose

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I keeping coming back here in hopes of seeing a photo of the hideous blanket :)

I'm glad you had a great day and that he was a good sport about it.

I need to do that, but I don't use any of the photo hosting services. I should set one up.

He was speechless, just staring at it in a kind of numb shock.
 
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