Review of scrapbook deal-a-day websites

May 11, 6:57 AMSalt Lake City Scrapbooking ExaminerNicole Snow

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Last week I wrote about three scrapbook deal-a-day sites: Peachy Cheap, Flowers to Flourishes, and Crop Chocolate. I placed orders with all three of them, and here's how it went.

Peachy Cheap

I have ordered three times from Peachy Cheap. Most recently, I sprang for a set of four packages of Fancy Pants journaling cards, priced at $8.98 including shipping. I've used the Fancy Pants cards in the past and fell in love with them, but haven't found them for sale locally, so I was happy to see the deal at Peachy Cheap.

My package arrived via U.S. mail six days later (all three times I've ordered, I've received my purchase within a week). The cards are packaged by the manufacturer in boxes like decks of cards, and Peachy Cheap shipped them in a padded bubble mailer. They arrived without damage or other problems. The one complaint I had was that there was no packing list, so if something had happened to the address label on the envelope, there was no backup plan to help my shipment arrive. Overall I was happy with my experience, and I plan to continue shopping at Peachy Cheap.

Flowers to Flourishes

[Note: Please see my updated review of Flowers to Flourishes for another, more positive experience with the company.]

I ordered a set of three Fancy Pants 8" x 8" paper pads for $9.98 shipped. They were having a special sale where they would combine shipping if you ordered within a week, so knew I'd be waiting a week before it shipped. That was no problem; the shipping sale was clearly explained on the website. However, I didn't get a shipping confirmation for two weeks.

Two more weeks passed and I didn't receive a package or hear from Flowers to Flourishes. While there was a tracking number, the package was never marked "received" by the U.S. Postal Service. When it comes down to it, USPS is simply not the most reliable way to ship. Finally I received an email saying that a batch of shipments had been lost in the U.S. mail. Flowers to Flourishes would follow up with USPS to try to track down the packages. [Note: I received this email after I published my deal-a-day article here at Examiner.com. It is unclear whether I would have received this communication had I not written a story about the website.] A week later -- 38 days after I originally placed my order - I received an email and a refund, since the postal service couldn't locate the package, and Flowers to Flourishes didn't have any more paper pads to send.

While I was satisfied with the outcome -- after all, mail does get lost, and that is beyond the control of the shipper -- I didn't feel that there was enough communication from the company. In the future, I would hope that Flowers to Flourishes would choose a different shipping method. If that is impossible -- this is, of course, a discount site -- I would ask for a daily status update once a package loss came to light. Additionally, the package shipped a full week after I had expected it to ship, raising questions about how quickly orders are filled in general.

Would I buy from them again? Yes . . . probably. Even though there is room for improvement, the fact that I received a full refund shows me that Flowers to Flourishes is legitimately trying to take care of their customers. But if I'm in a hurry to get the product, I'll go somewhere else.

Crop Chocolate

After I wrote my article about the deal-a-day websites, Crop Chocolate offered to let me try out their service for free. They sent me a Making Memories brown corduroy 12" x 12" album ($7.99 plus $3.99 shipping) and the add-on option, a package of Making Memories Mini Flower Brads ($1.99, with free shipping). The add-on option, called "HOTchocolate," shows up after you have almost completed your purchase of the main deal. It consists of a small item you can buy and have shipped in the same package as your main order for no extra shipping charge. I think this is a smart idea, because if you're going to get one thing shipped, you may as well get two things shipped.

The package arrived six days later, shipped in a sturdy box via UPS. I loved how fast I received the order, and I felt good about the packaging and shipping method. I haven't yet seen a deal I can't refuse on Crop Chocolate, so I haven't purchased anything yet, but I feel confident that when I do I will have a good customer experience.