Warning for CafePress Customers!

[ladylawyer]

Hello! I just returned from a fabulous cruise to the Mediterranean on the Brilliance with some of the most wonderful Cruise Critic members! In preparation for our cruise, one of our CC Roll Call members designed a beautiful t-shirt, which was made available for purchase through CafePress. I ordered shirts in July, for our October cruise. Having returned in mid-October, I am working through the unpacking and laundry phases of the cruise. :( I carefully washed and dried the CafePress t-shirt, per instructions, only to discover that it had shrunk by several inches! :eek: I think they would call it a midriff shirt, now ... uh, not my style. :o I thought it was appropriate to let CafePress know about this.

 

Here is my original email:

 

Question: I recently placed an order for t-shirts from our recent cruise. However, I previously purchased the same shirts, a few months ago, in advance of the cruise. Included in the purchase was a Ladies Plus-Sized t-shirt. I just washed it and it shrunk by several inches! Considering that I paid so much more for this shirt, I am very disappointed in the quality.

 

Here is their response:

 

Thank you for contacting CafePress.com!

I am sorry to hear your t-shirt has shrunk and you are not happy with the quality. I have taken a look at your order and see it was placed in July of this year. CafePress.com offers a 30-day money back satisfaction guarantee on all products. Because your order was placed in July, we are no longer able to exchange the item for you. Again, we do appreciate your business with CafePress.com. If there is anything else I can do for you please let me know.

Best Regards,

 

Molly T.

CafePress.com Support Associate

 

 

OK, to be fair, their little blurb (above) doesn't say anything about quality ... right? In all honesty, I wasn't expecting either a refund or a replacement (notice I made no demands in my original email). I merely wanted them to be aware of the problem I had with the shirt, so they could deal with a quality-issue. However, because I value the information and advice I've received from the Cruise Critic Community, and because I know that many of you prefer to take care of our pre-cruise details well in advance of the cruise, I wanted to pass on this information as a warning, both of the shrinkage problem and of the fact that "the early bird gets nothing, apparently, from CafePress." :mad:

 

BTW, here was my response to Molly T's email:

 

Dear Molly T.

 

Thank you for your response, asking if there is anything else you can do for me. I must have missed the part where you did anything for me, in the first place. I placed the order well in advance of our cruise, which took place earlier this month (as you will note from the dates indicated on the shirt). Of course, I did not wear the shirt, in advance of the cruise and, thus, had no need to wash it. Had I known it was of such inferior quality that a simple washing, per the washing instructions, would cause such shrinkage, I wouldn't have ordered it, in the first place.

 

As I had planned to design and order shirts through Cafe Press, for future cruises, I am glad to know, now, that you do not stand behind your product. I will also post your response on Cruise Critic, as I am sure that my fellow cruisers will be very interested in having this information before they choose a t-shirt vendor.

[Bella930]

You go girl!!!

[ladylawyer]

You go girl!!!

 

Cindy, you're so funny. You should be happy, because I will use a different vendor for the Girls Glam Getaway shirts, now. :p

[wrp96]

Is this where I get to make my joke about staying on the lawyer's good side?:p (Hi Lorna!!:D)

[PH8]

Wrona.sure it wasnt all that good cruise food??:p

 

Just kidding.........I know what you mean cuz no way can i fit into my shirt I bought from them for the Liberty cruise last May.........they do shrink.......:mad:

 

I really didnt think the quality was that great anyway.....

 

Live and learn!

[addictedinflorida]

I know exactly what you are talking about! I ordered a shirt from there last year as well and even though it was considered a baby doll shirt, meaning fitted for women, when I first got it, it still extended about 2-3 inches past my belt line. After washing, it has now shrunk to about 1 inch above my belt line, making it nearly impossible to wear out without looking really stupid LOL

Unfortunately though, I find that many items are being made the same way nowadays. I bought one of the same shirts from the Mariner that says Royal Caribbean across the front last year and after a few washings, even it has shrunk to be uncomfortable to wear. :(

[ladylawyer]

Is this where I get to make my joke about staying on the lawyer's good side?:p (Hi Lorna!!:D)

 

Hi Wrona! LOL!!! I try to leave off the "Oh, by the way, I'm a lawyer" part, when communicating dissatisfaction. However, I was so frustrated that I'd paid $10 more for my shirt than the 2x I bought for DH, and all they seemed to care about was their bottom line ... added to the "canned" part of the response ("is there anything ELSE I can do for you") ... just ticked me off! :D You know what they say? "Don't get mad, just tell your friends." So I did!

 

I was looking at your comment about Rhapsody cruise, in your sig line. No question that you deserve an upgrade ... Could you please speak to the Upgrade Fairy and mention my upcoming Monarch cruise??? ;)

[Desert Cruizers]

This is interesting to know, I bought T Shirts for my DH & I for our Cruise Next year and have found his Polo Shirt to be of very good quality. I have not washed them yet, but will do it in cold water and not put in dryer as I feel that could cause them to shrink. We did have to re order his shirt as the Logo came out faded. It was replaced within a week after calling.

I will pass your comments unto my Roll Call to alert them.

[ladylawyer]

Wrona.sure it wasnt all that good cruise food??:p

 

Just kidding.........I know what you mean cuz no way can i fit into my shirt I bought from them for the Liberty cruise last May.........they do shrink.......:mad:

 

I really didnt think the quality was that great anyway.....

 

Live and learn!

 

Kathy, you may remember that my little group (all 4 of us) had a different shirt (lavender print, which included "Mojito Fan Club" in honor of Adrianne, the bartender in Boleros, and "Why is the RUM always gone?," in honor of ... well, Mojitos and Capt'n Jack Sparrow) for the Liberty cruise, which we ordered from a different vendor. I wear mine all the time ... no shrinkage. They used Hanes Beefy-Ts, I believe.

 

That was such a GREAT cruise, wasn't it? :D ~ Lorna

[wrp96]

Hi Wrona! LOL!!! I try to leave off the "Oh, by the way, I'm a lawyer" part, when communicating dissatisfaction. However, I was so frustrated that I'd paid $10 more for my shirt than the 2x I bought for DH, and all they seemed to care about was their bottom line ... added to the "canned" part of the response ("is there anything ELSE I can do for you") ... just ticked me off! :D You know what they say? "Don't get mad, just tell your friends." So I did!

Yeah, I always take my aunt's example which is never tell them you're a lawyer until it becomes absolutely necessary. My current TA doesn't even know I'm a lawyer.

 

I was looking at your comment about Rhapsody cruise, in your sig line. No question that you deserve an upgrade ...

Thanks, I think it is RCCL's way of luring my mother onboard the ship. I'm afraid though that since her first cruise was in a GS and her 2nd one is an OS, that I won't be able to get her on another ship unless I book the Royal Suite!:eek:

 

Could you please speak to the Upgrade Fairy and mention my upcoming Monarch cruise??? ;)

I'll try. I keep sending out good vibes her way as I'm very grateful for my visit and I know several friends that would love to have some of her dust sprinkled on them.:D Of course, you could always join us on the Rhapsody and maybe she'll sprinkle some dust on you too!!

[crusinmama06]

Not good! Thanks for the heads up! They would have been smarter to just offer you a replacement/credit instead of saying it was 30 days past. :rolleyes:

 

It's called customer service. Maybe they should learn that. ;)

[PH8]

Kathy, you may remember that my little group (all 4 of us) had a different shirt (lavender print, which included "Mojito Fan Club" in honor of Adrianne, the bartender in Boleros, and "Why is the RUM always gone?," in honor of ... well, Mojitos and Capt'n Jack Sparrow) for the Liberty cruise, which we ordered from a different vendor. I wear mine all the time ... no shrinkage. They used Hanes Beefy-Ts, I believe.

 

That was such a GREAT cruise, wasn't it? :D ~ Lorna

It was a very special cruise with the best people ever!:)

 

And I do remember your shirts..............I can picture you all sitting at Boleros(my fav place too)

[ladylawyer]

Thanks, I think it is RCCL's way of luring my mother onboard the ship. I'm afraid though that since her first cruise was in a GS and her 2nd one is an OS, that I won't be able to get her on another ship unless I book the Royal Suite!:eek:

 

 

Tell you what, Wrona ... you book the Royal Suite and I'm THERE!!! :D

 

Thanks, everyone, for your support. I wasn't sure if I'd catch a bunch of flames from CafePress fans. Sounds like I'm not the only one concerned about their quality and customer service. Maybe this warning needed to be posted a LONG time ago! :rolleyes: ~ Lorna

[jallison8378]

I ordered a t-shirt from CafePress once... the screen print was crooked and faded when the shirt arrived in the mail. I emailed a complaint and a few hours later received a response... they refunded the amount of my entire order (not JUST the t-shirt) and let me keep the items. I was impressed with their quality of customer service... a 30 day return policy is pretty standard in retail. Too bad they turn out a mediocre product. I haven't ordered anything from them since.

[Sea Island Lady]

I always wash a clothing garment before I wear it. Don't know who, what or where that shirt has been. :eek: I almost never dry clothing, unless I want to shrink it. Now, having said that, I am not sure I would have washed the shirt until closer to my cruise. With the return policy, it still would have been too late to return the shirt.

 

I once proudly made t-shirts for myself and my nieces when they came to visit for a week. I washed the shirts and then added iron-on transfers that I made on the computer. We all wore the shirts for an outing to Dollywood. After the first "wet" ride, I looked down and noticed that we all had dye running down our shirts and the transfer was almost invisible. I was so embarrassed and also upset after all my hard work. :o

 

If I were you, I would just leave things as they are. You have written a letter, and a follow-up letter. You have warned the board (which will damage the company somewhat.) Your shirt is "dated", and that cruise is over. If the shirt is too small to wear around the house, give it to the dog! :D

[mitchrock]

Have had good luck with numerous purchases from Cafe Press. Make sure when ordering you pay attention to the quality of shirt you order. Cafe Press is like any other ratialer offering different qualities of merchandise. I tend to pay more for t-shirts that will last. The 30 day return policy seems fair also, it's reasonable time for someone to receive the shirt try it on wash it and see how it washes.

[NoelsCat]

Thank you for posting this.

[ladylawyer]

I always wash a clothing garment before I wear it. Don't know who, what or where that shirt has been. :eek:

 

Ewww ... I hadn't considered that ... :eek: :eek:

 

If I were you, I would just leave things as they are. You have written a letter, and a follow-up letter. You have warned the board (which will damage the company somewhat.) Your shirt is "dated", and that cruise is over. If the shirt is too small to wear around the house, give it to the dog! :D

 

LOL!!! No dogs, here. I guess it'll just have to go in my "memory box."

[RevSmith]

You did the right thing...some companies are not really worth dealing with. BBB should be contacted if you haven't already done that.

[ladylawyer]

Have had good luck with numerous purchases from Cafe Press. Make sure when ordering you pay attention to the quality of shirt you order. Cafe Press is like any other ratialer offering different qualities of merchandise. I tend to pay more for t-shirts that will last. The 30 day return policy seems fair also, it's reasonable time for someone to receive the shirt try it on wash it and see how it washes.

 

Thanks, Mitch! I see that you are getting close to boarding my favorite cruise ship (the Monarch). The staff and crew are wonderful; particularly Danney, the Loyalty Ambassador, and Trudy, the Guest Services Manager. Don't miss the Platinum/Diamond Party, if you're qualified to attend. :)

 

I don't believe we were offered a choice of quality on the shirts. If we were, I assure you I would have chosen the "doesn't shrink several inches after the first washing" option. ;) ~ Lorna

[hcat]

Our growing cc board for the Solstice inaugural was considering shirts & seriously thinking of Cafe press because of the ease of ordering. I will alert them all to this link before any final decisions are made!

[Desert Cruizers]

Oh I forgot, I mistakenly ordered wrong size for Hubbies Polo Shirt, on initial order ( faded Logo) so now I figured I can wear it as my Pirate Nighty on our Cruise. :D Our Roll Call is Pirates of the Pacific. They just sent the new order out and we kept the over sized one.

[ladylawyer]

Oh I forgot, I mistakenly ordered wrong size for Hubbies Polo Shirt, on initial order ( faded Logo) so now I figured I can wear it as my Pirate Nighty on our Cruise. :D Our Roll Call is Pirates of the Pacific. They just sent the new order out and we kept the over sized one.

 

Wash it ... I'm sure it'll fit! LOL!!! ;) We did a Pirate-themed cruise last March. This is a perfect time to buy pirate stuff, with Halloween almost here. I regretted not buying more of it, at our local party-supply store, in October because it's not there in March! :( Have fun on your cruise ... Argh! :D

[dirtgirl]

Lorna, you did a great job on the letters. I imagine the woman's heart dipped into her stomach when you wrote that you would be posting it.

 

Good on ya!:D

[KK_Cruisin]

While I understand your disappointment in the shirt shrinking, I think cafepress's "no questions asked" 30 day return policy is more then fair. I have never had any of their shirts shrink, but I have never ordered the regular t-shirts. I order the jersey shirts, tank tops, cap sleeve shirts, etc. I have ordered lots of their items over the years and have had to return a couple of things, not because of the quality if the garment, but something being incorrect with the design.