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General discussion

Digital online film processing?(M)

Nov 23, 2004 2:08AM PST

I've used Snapfish, Shutterfly, Walmart, Sam's Club online photo srvices. I'm looking into making Christmas cards (5x8 folded photo cards) and found 2 places with the lowest prices. One is winkflash.com and the other is clubphoto.com.

I can't find any feedback ANYWHERE on these 2 companies. If you've used them..how is the quality and dependability????

TIA,
Jeanne

Discussion is locked

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Re: Digital online film processing?(M)
Dec 7, 2004 3:18AM PST

I've used Snapfish and Winkflash. Snapfish seems to be pretty good quality-wise. I like that they send emails updating me on the status of all my orders. They are not the cheapest out there, but they aren't the most expensive either. I like their uncluttered interface. Only annoyance (and it's a big one) is that they don't provide a way for Mac users to bulk upload. For this reason alone I am looking for another provider. But in the meantime, Snapfish works for me.

I would not recommend Winkflash. They were the first service I tried after Snapfish, and as a test I ordered a reprint from Winkflash that I had previously ordered from Snapfish. The duplicate photo (as well as a few others I ordered) came back dark and muddy, and generally awful. The paper was also very thin and cheap feeling. I also do not like Winkflash's customer service. I emailed them to ask for a refund for the bad photos, and I did not get a response for several days, so I finally threw the photos away, thinking they were not going to respond at all. After 5 days, I got an email saying that I had to return the photos (on my dime, of course) for a refund. I replied that due to their delay I had already discarded the photos. They responded that they were sorry for the delay, but that they could not refund with the return of the photos. Not helpful at all. You'd think for the small amount of money involved they would just correct the problem in the name of good customer relations, but no. They probably figured they had already lost me as a customer anyway. They are right there - I would never use them again. I guess a cheap price comes at a cost sometimes.

I have not used clubphoto, but I may try them next.

Hope this was helpful.

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DO NOT USE WINKFLASH!!
Dec 21, 2004 7:17AM PST

THis website is bad news and the customer service is terrible. I never got my order and they never replied to my emails. Finally they posted a number on their website, and when I called, two girls were very rude. I reported them to the better business bureau who told me that they already had an "unsatisfactory record" and that I needed to report them to the Rhode Island Atty Gen. (which I did).

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Torn
Jan 12, 2005 10:14PM PST

I love Winkflash's prices and print quality, but I have to say THEY ARE MORONS. The two girls I spoke to (probably the same ones) have no concept of customer service and are the wrong personalities to have hired to interface with the consumer. If I were the owner of Winkflash, I would be furious.

Now I'm irritated again, just thinking about it. I'm going to go post this some other places.

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Winkflash works for me
Feb 25, 2005 10:48AM PST

I have been using WInkflash for several months now and have dropped several hundred dollars their way. I simply do not understand the criticism of them. Their work is so superior to Ophoto or Snapfish. They produce fabulous prints with wonderful color at the best prices anywhere. Their shipping is only $.99 and they send out orders the day they are recieved. I get anything I order 4 days after I order it. (in Wisconsin). If anything goes wrong (one time a set of prints got lost) they make it right immediately. They are polite over the phone. I could not do what I do without them. Their prints are so good they practically set themselves.

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Use Winkflash
Mar 8, 2005 1:45AM PST

I have been using winkflash for well over a year now. I haven't had any problems with my images or the customer service. The customer service is also prompt and polite. I receive my photos very fast on every order. I recommend them to all of my friends and family.

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I like ClubPhoto
Jan 13, 2005 11:06PM PST

I started using ClubPhoto a few years ago, because of all of the different things that I could order in addition to just prints, plus the online storage.

I have been consistently happy with the quality of the prints. I took the prints to a different photographer and he was impressed by the quality as well. I really can't speak to how their customer service handles problems, because I have been very lucky in that regard. They always ship what I order and deliver it when they say they will.

I've tried a couple of other places, just to keep in touch with what else is going on out in the marketplace. ClubPhoto seems to really stay on top of things with their offerings, and I love the service.

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Another site you might want ...
Jan 15, 2005 11:49AM PST

to check out is..
http://www.mpix.com/
Quality and dependability is great, but don't know about their prices as compared to the others you stated.

Haole

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MPIX is pro-quality, pro-prices
Jan 21, 2005 12:02AM PST

MPIX is the best quality I have seen - but this is not a comparable service. The prices are quite a bit higher, but the service is as well. These guys are considered the online printers for professionals and people looking to get archival quality prints from high-end cameras. They are excellent, but not recommended for everyday pictures. If you wanted to get a wedding photo scanned and enlarged to put in a nice big frame, give them a call...

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I love ClubPhoto
Jan 20, 2005 11:55PM PST

I have been using Club Photo for awhile and have been very happy. They do not have a really slick web site like some of the others, but their prices are more competitive - they have lots of sales too - and the quality is good. My favorite thing about them that the other big ones don't offer is their "4XD" (4x5.33) format for digital prints. This means that they do not have to crop your digital print to make it fit in the traditional 4x6 size. I hate getting prints back with the top of somones head chopped off!

I have not used Winkflash.com, but have heard some pretty good feedback, and I note that their prices are insane! Plus they have a 4x5.3 format! I may have to try them out ...

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club photo
Mar 21, 2005 12:09AM PST

I prefer shutterfly...club photo service is lousy...shutterfly prints were much nicer than club photo, snapfish and winkflash...

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MPIX Scan Scam
Apr 13, 2005 9:08AM PDT

Subject: MPIX Scan Scam

A company called MPIX, with ties to Kodak, has been aggressively promoting itself as a ?professional? online imaging lab. Recently, I tried them, and got caught by a deceptively worded description of services.

?Have MPIX develop your film and post your images online,? the website claims. I sent them my negs and spent $5.95 for developing (which would supposedly ?unlock? my images), and $7.20 for 36 4X6 proofs. Then I went to access the 6.39MB files that were to be posted on line. I found that there was no mechanism for doing so. When I wrote an email to their customer service people, I got a nice ?gotcha? message back: ?Images posted to the site are not available for downloading as they are only small thumbnails for viewing. The full resolution scans are available for purchase on CD.? (for $10!)

So, I got fooled?but you don?t have to. You can take your business to an honest company.

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Mpix Scan Scam - NOT!!!
May 3, 2005 8:14AM PDT

"So, I got fooled?but you don?t have to"

You won't get fooled because unlike the above poster, you know how to read what was plainly evident on their website's products page.

Here is the link: http://www.mpix.com/FilmServices.aspx

And here is the note on their page:

Please Note: Film is scanned at 1228 x 1818 for a 6.39MB file. Images posted to the site are not available for downloading as they are only small thumbnails for viewing. The full resolution scans are available for purchase on CD.

I am not sure how the above poster managed to request film mailers, pay for processing and not ever notice this. This person obviously "assumed facts not in evidence" and is now pissed because he/she was so careless. I might be sympathetic if it were in the fine print but it is plainly stated.

In response to other posts: MPIX is pricey but they are also very good. I have a good photo printer and I print all my own snaps up to 8x10, but if I have something that I am going to sell or hang on my wall and I want quality I go there.

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I've used Club Photo.
May 27, 2005 7:06PM PDT

Price was good, prints were nice, service was fast.
What more can you ask for?