# F&M Expressions



## ottie35

I am going to recommend from people to not use them ever. I have placed 3 orders with them. Here is how its went so far. Keep in mind they have a 3 DAY TURN AROUND on their website.

1. First order was sent to me, only half came the first day, the other half came 2 days later.

2. Sent me someone elses transfers, which also came a day late, needless to say i was meeting a timeline is which i was latem, and lost the order due to their tardiness.

3. My third order is now 2 days late, working on day 3, and i have been back and forth with them all day and NO ONE seems to know where the order is. I ordered it last monday, they got a 3 day turn around, and i am in a 1 day ship zone. Its now the monday after, and no one knows where they are. I will now lose this order, and have already ordered the shirts to press on, paid them for the transfers, and ordered numbers for the back of the jerseys. Not to mention their team pictures are tomorrow night, and they will be without jerseys.


Im disgusted right now.


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## Rodney

Hi Chris, sorry to hear about your problems with F&M, others have had pretty good experiences with the so far.

Hopefully it's not the "norm", but an exception that most businesses have from time to time.

I don't think I've come across a business yet that hasn't made a mistake at some point.

I hope they make this right for you though.


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## ottie35

So far they havent. Its been 3 for 3 on the mistakes thus far. I have yet to have a good experience with them. I am upset about this and losing money. I can only go with what their site advertises, and what they are telling me in their emails, and so far, not good.


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## Bringselpup

We have been having quite a go 'round with them the past few weeks also. The story we got is they are/have moved their production facilities and don't have all the presses online yet. 

No mention of that when we placed the orders though. And we too had about $1000 of apparel on the floor waiting for transfers to arrive. It cost us two separate shipments of overnighted transfers to pull off a delivery for our customers event at a park. 

The icing on the cake though is they billed an old credit card after being given the new account to be charged and it has incurred fee's for us. On top of having to get everything we needed overnighted just to pull off the job. They haven't responded to emails about that for 4 days now. 

The product out of them seems good, my customer tripled their order from the first one we did for them using F&M transfers but honestly when I called Zach to tell him I needed the 3 day turnaround like they promise on the web he didn't make me feel like he cared at all. 

They did pull it off, but we had to get everything overnighted and call them about it far too much.


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## ottie35

At least you got the option of it being over nighted. We didnt even get that. Today they acted as if it didnt matter to them if we got our transfers in time, and sales blamed production, but it was sales that quoted me a ship day and a delivery day. Its been 3 days now and it still has not left their facility and no one seems to know where it is. I got about 3 different stories today, and talked to about 3 different people, no one seemed to care much. This is the third order ive placed, and all have been wrong, even one time they sent me someone elses transfers, and that was a day late of when i needed it.


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## wormil

I've been using them since February and so far I haven't had any problems with them but they are always pushing their deadline. If I order on a Monday, the order usually doesn't go to production until Tuesday, it probably won't ship until Thursday night or Friday morning and I'll get (2 days) on the following Monday.

Sounds like many of your deadlines are quick turnaround for transfer work. You might consider someone like Versatranz that gets things out next day. Of course you'll pay more for faster service.

I haven't used them yet but call Universal, IIRC, they have a standard one or two day turnaround.


_edit: I sent an order to F&M today, I'll call tomorrow and see whats up._


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## Bringselpup

It's the nature of the business. Your clients aren't generally people who are experienced buyers. They're volunteers for some charity etc and they've been handed the chore of getting the shirts for the event. And this can't be news to the transfer people, they have to know what we are working against. 

Bottom line though is the same for any business, you can't expect to keep your customers if they think you don't care about them. And that's pretty much what I'm sensing from F&M right now.


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## ottie35

I get the same sense. I sent mine in Last monday, and as of today, they havent even been printed yet, more less shipped out. Thats 5 days since i ordered, and nothing printed yet my friend. So try to defend that when their site advertises 3 day turn around.


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## wormil

ottie35 said:


> ... Thats 5 days since i ordered, and nothing printed yet my friend. So try to defend that when their site advertises 3 day turn around.


If I called because my order was late and my rep said she didn't know where it was, we wouldn't get off the phone until she found it.

Did you get a confirmation email or phone call from your rep last Monday when you submitted the order?


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## ottie35

Yes, i got an email confirmation stating when they would be shipped, the date and all.

I also called today, but i kept getting the run around that she was on the phone, that it was productions fault, then i asked to speak to their manager, whom is supposed to be calling me tomorrow. So its one big circle and everyone seems to be on each others side. 

Once this order is filled i will not use them again. I will continue to use First Edition though, WOW are they good.


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## wormil

Previously you complained about FE being too slow, why would you go back to them?

I called this morning and asked about my order, they told me they were backed up but my order would ship on the 9th. Come Thursday I'll call and double check.

Who did you speak to in production?


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## ottie35

This is only the third time ive used them, bad i went back to them giving them the benefit of the doubt.....seems that was the wrong choice though. I dont know who i spoke to in production, i dont know them all by name or anything. Why does it matter? If you advertise a certain thing on your website, you have to fulfill that.


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## ottie35

i to called them after i placed the order, and even got an email verification, which i still have saved, saying my order would ship out on the 2nd, today is the 7th and it still hasnt shipped. Does that answer your question?


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## wormil

ottie35 said:


> i to called them after i placed the order, and even got an email verification, which i still have saved, saying my order would ship out on the 2nd, today is the 7th and it still hasnt shipped. Does that answer your question?


No. Do you remember if it was a man or woman that you spoke to? I also asked why you are going back to FE when you complained they were too slow. If this happened to me I wouldn't be waiting around for them to call me back and I would definitely know who I spoke with; I would be their worst nightmare until someone found my order and gave me some straight answers. You seem very laissez-faire about the situation considering you are losing clients.


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## ottie35

You can tell all this through a forum post? I have been on the phone every day, and i am handling the situation in a professional manner the best way i know how. I can guarantee you this will be the last time i use them though........


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## ottie35

And to answer your questions, im not going to call out personal names on the message board, thats not the right thing to to either.......but its being handled.


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## wormil

ottie35 said:


> You can tell all this through a forum post?


Yes, actually, because you told us you were waiting for a manager to call you back and you told us didn't know who you spoke to. It wasn't my intention to badger you about it but you've been so evasive. I don't suppose you're going to answer my question about why you're going back to First Edition after you complained they were too slow in an earlier post. I'll just drop the whole thing. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.


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## ottie35

They arent slow with their service, its their shipping zone that takes so long. They are in a 4 day shipping zone vs the F&M in a 1 day shipping zone. But so far i have had no slip ups or anything go wrong with their customer service and getting my orders correct. THey have been on point since day 1.


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## stix

Well to their benefit.. I placed a order on Thursday and I rec'd the order this afternoon.. I love the product and service.. I don't know of another company that offers a similar product (Freedom).


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## ottie35

I am a new customer, so not sure why i get the raw end of this deal, maybe its timing, maybe not, dunno. I havent experienced the freedom transfers yet, tell me what is the deal with them and why that makes they apart from the rest?


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## stix

The freedom allows you to heat press unlimited colors. It has a slight hand to it but it washes well. I rec'd 500 today..


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## ottie35

What do you mean by slight hand? And when you say washes well, what do you mean? Is it still screen printed plastisols?


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## stix

Hand is how smooth the print is.. You barely feel a design on a shirt that has a soft hand.


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## ottie35

So its like a cold peel transfer almost? Or is it worse or better than that?

Are the freedoms smooth and soft, or are they more plasticy feeling?


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## stix

Its a hot peel product. It has a plastic feel with colors that pop feel. I learned that its more suitable for a design that has open areas than a solid design.


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## ottie35

yeah, i just presssed one that i had borders around my font with an open area between the outline and the font, and it was a pain in the tush to press them all, and it was cold peel at that. Took forever.


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## wormil

Freedom is 4 color process.


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## wormil

Chris, how did things turn out? The order I placed last Monday was completed and shipped on time although they warned me that they are in the process of moving and some jobs may be delayed while they move presses.


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## ottie35

I got one of my jobs, and i was never warned. The plant manager called and apologized and offered me something to make up for the lost income i had due to them being tardy on the orders. So i placed another order, and as long as this one is here on time, i will continue to use them in the future.


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## shirtnyc

they are reading this and they have a history crunch time fails.. ive used them for three years and their ok.. and have the best price out their.. . but when you pissed them off their vindictive.. paul is a great guy.. but his power is subdued by those above them.. i love fm but they do not care about little orders/mom and pops they care about big company accounts .. im probably gonna get black balled for this forum post but they cost me thousands of dollars over the years.. now i just buy the expensive stuff from them to stay of their radar

quote "do you know how much money we lose on the 15/20 program? " in my head thats your main sales pitch for custom transfers and they crack.. at least you can try to appease the customer in some aspect


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