MPIX sucks

[aparmley]

I canceled my order.

I had one simple order. . .

I upload 15 images.

I want all 4x6s but for 2 of them, for the last 2 I need one 8x10, 1 8x10 true black and white and the other metallic finish.

I discovered that would take 4 orders - 1 for a batch of 4x6s, I'm not clicking on every damn one of my pictures and setting size and quanity. what happened to the radio buttons they work so easy and so fast instead of clicking 15 times and waiting for 15 pages to load just so I can select my size and quanity over and over again. so there I had to do a batch order.

I need one order for true black and white because this options is aplied to all images in your cart for some reason.

Also another order for the metalic finish beucase like about this option is applied to all the images in your cart - retards!

And the fourth for the plain old 8 x 10. so the last 3 orders cost 2.49 each but the shipping for each one is still $5.00 for one picture. . . LMAO

each order being charge 5 bucks for USPS shipping. thats 20bucks for one order I have to break up because of their crappy order system. . . ? Whatever - foget that jazz! What a stupid order system. . . . :mad:

[cdifoto]

So, how was your day? lol.

[jwhite]

What does everyone normally use when printing out images? I normally use ezprints for all large abnormal type prints and sometimes use them for the 4x6 images. The only bad thing with ezprints is they roll everything when shipping. I also like Kodak for the 4x6. I was going to try MPIX based on a review of it a magazine article (which didn't rate ezprints surprisingly).

Jason

[cdifoto]

I've used Elco Labs out of New Jersey. I'm next door in Pennsylvania so turnaround times are excellent. I've never had a non-straight order though (ie containing a metallic finish or some other such specialty) so I can't attest to how that would go.

[Bluedog]

Holy Cow! and I was planning on using them when getting back from Yosemite ... :confused:

[24Peter]

I canceled my order.
Agreed - their order system does leave a lot to be desired. Did you email them and ask about consolidating shipping on your orders? (I know - more work than it should be. At least email them so they know they lost your business. Maybe they'll change it if enough people gripe.)

[aparmley]

Thanks for your responses guys. I was in hurry earlier so that really came off as hardcore Rant. . . much more harsh than it should have been.

Agreed - their order system does leave a lot to be desired. Did you email them and ask about consolidating shipping on your orders? (I know - more work than it should be. At least email them so they know they lost your business. Maybe they'll change it if enough people gripe.)

Thanks Pete. Yes I did - I emailed their support department informing them I have canceled my order and I asked them if I just wasn't doing something right and being the classic retarded end user or if this was a real limitation, here is their response:

"Andy,
Thank you for your interest in Mpix! Unfortunately, we are unable to combine orders in shipment or printing (paper type) due to our automated billing and shipping/printer workflow systems. Mpix is one of only a few professional labs in the nation that offer Metallic and True Black and White paper. Also, our turnaround time is one of the fastest in the business and this is due to our current systems we have in place. We are continually working to find new ways of upgrading our systems and hopefully we will have a solution to your request in the near future.




Mpix Customer Service
**Please always include all previous communication when emailing customer service so we
can better serve you!"

Wow - Thanks for the sales pitch!

I see the value in their system if you pull in larger quanities for print orders. . . But - I'm not about to pay 5 dollars for shipping on each order when I can combine it all via smugmug - which uses EZprints [no true B/W paper or metalic] but they will just charge me about 5 bucks to ship it all . . . so unless I need volume or feel like getting just a metalic copy of something special I'll pass on MPIX.

As some of you are aware I used EZprints for my Busch stadium panorama. The result was very nice. However, there were a bunch of splotches of ink in many areas of the print - I'm not anal, but this is entirely unacceptable. I've sent 3 E-mails to their support staff - I've heard nothing in response.

A few months ago I had a $100 order from shutterfly - maybe about 15% of my images arrived with 3 of the 4 or all 4 corners bent - I sent an E-mail, asking if I need to submit a new order reprinting the affected prints and if I could get a coupon code or something for my troubles. . . The next morning I had a response, my entire order was reprinted, I had a tracking number and I had those reprints in two more days. . . Thats service! However, the use poor packaging - not able to withstand the postal environmental factors - I've seen bent corners on a majority of my prints the last 4 or 5 times - I didn't want to accept it anymore, especially being a high dollar order for a customer. Also their printing does leave a little something to be desired in my eyes. Its a few steps about Walmart, but not as good as Smugmug, who uses Ezprints. . . but now I've just come full circle back to ezprints who I am not so happy with right now!

Weeeeeeeeeee. . . . How capital! :D Thanks for listening everyone! Full Stop!

[Bluedog]

Andy _ I have used Adorama for processing and the turn around is pretty fast I thought. No bent photos or any complaints in their processing.

I haven't had too much processed ... :o ... maybe a couple 100 images or so.

[aparmley]

Andy _ I have used Adorama for processing and the turn around is pretty fast I thought. No bent photos or any complaints in their processing.

I haven't had too much processed ... :o ... maybe a couple 100 images or so.

Thanks - I think now thats you and Pete that like their service. I'm pretty pleased with Smugmug - They send everything packaged really well and if that isn't enough, they wrap those large air-pocket bags around everything and put it all in a box - so its a little over kill - but everything is prestine when it arrives!

I will have to get a bunch of prints together that I want to try black and white and then I'll have to bank some images I want to use the metalic paper with and then just order a handful or a dozen from MPIX. . . . :cool:

[24Peter]

I've only used Adorama a couple of times for prints but they've been pretty good. Biggest limitation are print sizes (max 11X17 as far as I can tell). Price-wise they seem a little expensive but I've bought on sale. The prints I've gotten have been good quality.

[acpryor]

Holy Cow! and I was planning on using them when getting back from Yosemite ... :confused:

When you going? I just got back. Took a trillion pictures and some HD video with my new camcorder. It was awesome.

[Bluedog]

When you going? I just got back. Took a trillion pictures and some HD video with my new camcorder. It was awesome.

June 10th ~ 17th _ been keeping up with the snow plowing of Tioga Pass that started yesterday and hoping the higher elevations will be open for passage by then so we can travel over to HWY 395 on the way home via Reno.

Start a separate post and show us some images.

[TheObiJuan]

good to hear your experience.

[markjx]

As an FYI, I recieved my order from MPIX yesterday. It was the first time that I've used them. My customer came over last night and picked up his prints and was happy. That's good enough for me! :)

I was *very impressed* with the quality of the packaging that they used. I got a large (16x24 ish) print which was well protected by cardboard. Then the smaller prints (an 8x12 and some 5x7's) were sandwiched between other pieces of cardboard and taped to the bigger piece of cardboard. All in a nice big cardboard box. I ordered on Sunday night and got the stuff on Wednesday. It was well packed and the quality was fine.

Based on y'all's suggestions, I'll check out ezprints, but I'm certainly going to use mpix again.

Disclaimer: I'm just a regular customer. I don't get any kind of compensation from MPIX, nor do I know anyone employeed by MPIX.

MJ

[24Peter]

Yes - the print quality on the one order I got from MPIX was excellent (and the magazine reviews rate them pretty highly overall too). The problem Andy ran into while ordering (and why he feels "MPIX sucks") is you can't mix paper in a given order. All your photos need to use the same paper or you need to place separate orders (w/separate shipping charges.) That is kinda lame IMO as well.

[aparmley]

Yes - the print quality on the one order I got from MPIX was excellent (and the magazine reviews rate them pretty highly overall too). The problem Andy ran into while ordering (and why he feels "MPIX sucks") is you can't mix paper in a given order. All your photos need to use the same paper or you need to place separate orders (w/separate shipping charges.) That is kinda lame IMO as well.

Thanks for the support Pete.

I guess I should have made a note that my post has nothing to do with their print quality and everything to do with a lame order process. Although, I never once made any remarks about print quality in my OP, because I never submitted an order - In some managers eyes thats worse than print quality issues. ;) But, apparently not in their eyes. But again, I see the value of mpix - If I had a bunch of prints of one image to print, ya, it would be nice. . . but have a large order of 4x6s, 5x7s, 8x10s on different paper - and you'll see how much time you waste and you'll be hit up for multiple shipping charges.

[acpryor]

June 10th ~ 17th _ been keeping up with the snow plowing of Tioga Pass that started yesterday and hoping the higher elevations will be open for passage by then so we can travel over to HWY 395 on the way home via Reno.

Start a separate post and show us some images.

Will do, I need to process my images first. :) I'm hoping to have them ready this weekend, with tons to go through, it'll take a little time sorting the good from the bad.

When I was there, some of the higher elevation places were closed (Glacier Point) so it's probably a good idea you're going when you are. Although, tourism was minimal when I was there which is a perk. I'd like to get to Denali or Glacier National sometime too.

[aparmley]

MyPhotoPipe (http://www.myphotopipe.com/)

I'm gonna give these guys a try next week. . . I'll report back what I think. . .

With 94 print options I think they have everything I am wanting under one roof - tons of panoramas, canvas, gallery wrapped frames, mounting, tons of sizes. I hope their quality is acceptable. . . Hopefully I actually make it through the order process here.

[aparmley]

This is an E-mail I recieved first thing in the morning after signing up with myphotopipe last night:

"Andrew,

Hi, I'm Jeff and I am the Director of Business Development and I wanted you to know that I am the person that you would call or email if you ever have a problem or question or compliment, we like compliments. So glad to see that you joined and I hope we are able to serve you the best we can.

Jeff

Jeffrey O. Thames
Director of Business Development
xxx-xxx-xxxx Business
xxx-xxx-xxxx Personal
www.myphotopipe.com
The answer is, 'YES WE CAN.' "

I sent an E-mail back thanking him for the welcome E-mail yatatatata:

"Andrew,

I am glad that you are looking forward to working with us because we are definitely looking forward to working with you as well. You asked where does the time go and that is definitely a question that I don't think I will be able to answer for you...because I am looking for a couple of lost days as well . . . Well, listen get your images together and get them over to me and let me impress you with our printing abilities.

Hope all is well.

Jeff "

This might come off as corney, But I've tried 3 different online labs so far and I never got this kind of contact without spending a Dime - So far they are projecting the type of business I'd like to work with - genuinely concerned and happy to help out. . . I like their Motto. Again, I'll report back with packaging remarks and print quality remarks just as soon as I can give them a try.

Until then. . .

[JMWallace]

Just curious, with the online processors you are using, do you do the color correction or do you (or are you able to) leave that up to the company. I know some processors you have to take care of it yourself or when you submit, it is an automated process. I have mentioned them before www.adraycamera.com (http://www.adraycamera.com). You can send them in online. All you need to do is crop if necessary and choose your print size. They have a human that does the color correction which I thought was a real bonus since (with all the OTHER money I have spent) I need to invest $$ and time into Photoshop! I will be posting the first pix from my camera soon and had some of the printed off. I will let you know how they did if anyone is interested.

[aparmley]

Just curious, with the online processors you are using, do you do the color correction or do you (or are you able to) leave that up to the company. I know some processors you have to take care of it yourself or when you submit, it is an automated process. I have mentioned them before www.adraycamera.com (http://www.adraycamera.com). You can send them in online. All you need to do is crop if necessary and choose your print size. They have a human that does the color correction which I thought was a real bonus since (with all the OTHER money I have spent) I need to invest $$ and time into Photoshop! I will be posting the first pix from my camera soon and had some of the printed off. I will let you know how they did if anyone is interested.

Crap you totally reminded me of something I forgot to change. . .sh!t!

Usually, I say that because it just slipped my mind last night, I select smugmug's "True" color option - this allows me to control the color - with my calibrated monitor I want to be in control of my colors - but I left my last order on Auto - crapola! Well, I guess I'll see how that goes. . .

As far as this photopipe place is concerned I don't know what they offer - I know they accept both sRGB and Adobe RGB so I'd assume they'd maintain that profile through out the print process.

[Bluedog]

Andy _ did you ever use myphotopipe? I've seen their ads in Outdoor Photographer magazine and often wondered about them.

I did use Mpix after getting back from vacation and must say that I was quite impressed in the results, especially using the Metallic Paper. I uploaded some 16 bit TIFF's edited in RawShooter Premium that never even saw any Photoshop editing and since my monitor wasn't properly calibrated I chose the option for color correction. The Metallic Paper is beautiful.

Like you I don't care for the fact orders can't be split up but the turnaround time and quality of work is very good.

I need to do some new edits since I finally got a Pantone Huey ;) not using the color correction option to see how they come out as to what I'm now seeing. I'm pretty impressed with the little Huey as it corrected what I thought was my problem all along _ reds a little off, monitor too bright and skin tones not quite right. In a few short minutes the results are very pleasing to my eyes.

[woffles]

Be careful what you type in. Went to look at myphotopipe and typed in photopipe instead. "Not" an online photo lab site! They do have videos though. :-)

[aparmley]

Be careful what you type in. Went to look at myphotopipe and typed in photopipe instead. "Not" an online photo lab site! They do have videos though. :-)

LMAO!

Blue - yes I did use photopipe and they were excellent. I definitely will use them in the future. However, after using MPIX crappy order system I recieved my MPIX prints - Holy crap - thier packaging is on par with my standards! I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. . . the best image packaging I've seen yet. They will get the call for all my serious prints simply because of that. ;)