# OSS Designer



## azballbusters (Jan 8, 2008)

Has anyone used this tool to do online designing and sales similar to CafePress? Any other solutions out there similar to OSS Designer?

Thanks


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## earl08 (Oct 21, 2008)

Real Time Designer is a great alternative. Good company and pricing. Done in php so you have ultimate behind the scenes control as opposed to flash alternatives. 
RealTimeDesigner.com - Your Solution for interactive online design


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## badger816 (Jan 5, 2009)

For the last two months I have been hired by a company to take over there online digital t-shirt store. I guess they have been using OSS Designer for the past year. The main problem I have been having is that I can not link to my custom t-shirt templates with in are own site. Every link gets directed to Exportlogo.com/design/xxxx/xxxx/xx. This is big problem because I don't want to have exsternal links directed out side of are site. I called in and asked if there is a way to link to the page and design applacation that is embeded onto are site. I was told there was and he would send me a email telling me how. This was more then 3 weeks ago and now it seems that all the phones are disconnected and the Live support is turned off. did I just get scamed?


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## printpuppy (Dec 19, 2008)

We just ran across a company that made a designer for myspace and facebook. they also have a full blown designer that is free and u can have them customize it all u want. there was a small setup fee and like 99.00 a year for server/bandwidth needs. it was pretty cool and they seem to have simplified a few things for all of us who dont need all the functionality of the OSS or expertlogo type offerings. From what i remember these guys are coders and designers and this is not their main thing. it almost seemed like a fun project to them so i think that is why it is so inexpensive.

BTW the big thing for us with this designer is NO MONTHLY FEES

i will post back here as soon as i can find where i put the info.

printpuppy


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## sillygirl821 (Nov 27, 2008)

Do you have the name for this designer?? Would be very interested.


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## raise (Apr 11, 2008)

printpuppy said:


> We just ran across a company that made a designer for myspace and facebook. they also have a full blown designer that is free and u can have them customize it all u want. there was a small setup fee and like 99.00 a year for server/bandwidth needs. it was pretty cool and they seem to have simplified a few things for all of us who dont need all the functionality of the OSS or expertlogo type offerings. From what i remember these guys are coders and designers and this is not their main thing. it almost seemed like a fun project to them so i think that is why it is so inexpensive.
> 
> BTW the big thing for us with this designer is NO MONTHLY FEES
> 
> ...


 
Sounds like Justin Walker's project.

http://www.t-shirtforums.com/kornit/t66506.html


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## printpuppy (Dec 19, 2008)

we finally made the move to doing an online designer to integrate into our soon coming website. we chose this as it can grow as we want to invest in it and being a freeware that we are basically just paying the setup and the server space so we have no long term stuff and it will be on our site not kind of riding over the top like some of the others we looked at. the big thing for us is that it is simple. none of these things are perfect so this is just our choice.

i have mentioned this forum to them and hope they will show up. laid back and fun people so we are comfortable.

index_jg check out the jellofreeD


printpup


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## customistic (Feb 10, 2009)

I bought the software for this program, from Chris about 6 months ago. He was super awesome, I had a million questions and he had a million answers. I spent days transforming all my clip art into flash files for this program, and started having a hard time getting ahold of them. Fast forward 6 months, after scores of phone calls and unanswered emails I started getting frustrated. It's been 6 months and I still DON'T even have product on my designer yet. They still have not even uploaded my 10 items into my designer. Plus, they don't have sub categories for clip-art (personal annoyance of mine).

I have talked to a few people from that company. Apparently Chris doesn't work there and no one else is capable of answering any of the questions. I finally sent them an email explaining I wanted my money back, and I finally got a call returned. I told them I wanted my money back on the phone, and they told me they would refer my account to the accounting department, stand by for how that goes. We are all small business owners and the last thing we need to do is spend time chasing down people we PAID to perform a service for us. Two thumbs down OSSDesigner, and all the other websites that you have refered to your domain.


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## Pwear (Mar 7, 2008)

Not good, considering I'm in discussion with them about opening a store with their software. Have you talked to Joe?


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## customistic (Feb 10, 2009)

Pwear said:


> Not good, considering I'm in discussion with them about opening a store with their software. Have you talked to Joe?


Yes, I have. Every time I talk to him it's like, ok. I'm finally going to get this taken care of. He's super friendly and makes me think that it's going to get done this time, and then I call, email and get no response. You have to call like 5 times to get a call back, they don't respond to emails. I was really on board, but I don't have time to chase these people down.


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## swannn32 (Sep 1, 2006)

Update -
I used OSSDesigner for YEARS - yes that's right - YEARS!! (since 2007) And I was still never able to get the checkout part to work right. I also spent tons of hours converting clipart to flash & creating product pictures in every color for each product. From the very beginning they said they were working on a way to add outlines around text & put their clip art into categories. Which they didn't do either thing the whole time I used them.

So needless to say (I'm stupid for not doing it sooner) I canceled my account with them. And usually that'd be the end of it, but after numerous phone calls and emails they were still billing my checking account (and ironically for a higher amount than my usual monthly payment). They kept saying "you have to get a response email back to confirm your cancellation". Well I can't MAKE them send me the confirmation email so what am I to do. And before you ask - yes I'm sending to the correct email addresses (terri & jedwards). I'm hoping they do the right thing and get this cleared up quickly. I will keep you posted as to if I get my money back for the months they charged me for after I canceled. 

OSSDesigner & all their no customer service people - a big THUMBS way DOWN! Stay away! 

This company may have started out ahead of the game but since then there are many more companies out there with better prices, service, and a better product.

Wow, this post seemed really mean when I read it back to myself! I'm still posting it though!


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## Pwear (Mar 7, 2008)

I also cancelled, and am still being billed. I will be escalating the claim via an attorney next month.


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## Riderz Ready (Sep 18, 2008)

I may be incorrect but I believe SGIA owns it or at least has a significant stake in it. That may be another route to take.


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## swannn32 (Sep 1, 2006)

Well I've only been billed twice since I canceled - I might need to just go to the bank and block that charge somehow or just change my account all together.


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## freebird1963 (Jan 21, 2007)

earl08 said:


> Real Time Designer is a great alternative. Good company and pricing. Done in php so you have ultimate behind the scenes control as opposed to flash alternatives.
> RealTimeDesigner.com - Your Solution for interactive online design


Good pricing ? First 50 a month. Then they want money from each transaction. Then for clipart uploaded ? HOw is that good. ?
I don't get why anyone would pay for software were you have to give part of YOUR sale to someone for software. It be like everytime you fill up your gas tank you give a quarter to the car company. OR everytime you took a bite of a apple giving the grower a dime.
I think its stupid.

Mark


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## Riderz Ready (Sep 18, 2008)

freebird1963 said:


> Good pricing ? First 50 a month. Then they want money from each transaction. Then for clipart uploaded ? HOw is that good. ?
> I don't get why anyone would pay for software were you have to give part of YOUR sale to someone for software. It be like everytime you fill up your gas tank you give a quarter to the car company. OR everytime you took a bite of a apple giving the grower a dime.
> I think its stupid.
> 
> Mark


 
Actually it is pretty common - malls, franchises, strip malls, etc etc. all take a piece of the pie. The idea is to allow people the ability to use something without the upfront cost. You look at a solution like DecoNet and I would guess they have 100,000+ man hours into that program. Very few people could afford to "purchase" the software thus the likes of DecoNet, RSK, OSS Designer instead take a piece of each sale. It should not be used to replace what you are doing but used to give you the ability to get sales you otherwise would not.


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## swannn32 (Sep 1, 2006)

Ossdesigner.com didn't ever take a pc. of each sale. They had a pretty large setup fee (in the thousands) & then you paid a monthly fee after that. But they never took anything out of the sales.


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## Pwear (Mar 7, 2008)

freebird1963 said:


> Good pricing ? First 50 a month. Then they want money from each transaction. Then for clipart uploaded ? HOw is that good. ?
> I don't get why anyone would pay for software were you have to give part of YOUR sale to someone for software. It be like everytime you fill up your gas tank you give a quarter to the car company. OR everytime you took a bite of a apple giving the grower a dime.
> I think its stupid.
> 
> Mark


Are you saying they should let people use the software for free? If they don't charge a monthly fee and a percentage of sales, then you'd have to buy the product - you're talking thousands or tens of thousands in upfront costs.

Ossdesigner doesn't take a percentage, but you pay a couple grand just to open your store, and $150 a month or so in subscription costs. I'd rather pay a few cents on a sale and 50 bucks a month myself. You have to weigh how much you save over time by paying a large sum up-front and a higher monthly subscription rather than a nominal setup fee and smaller subscription with sales commissions. My guess is you won't save much, if anything, unless you operate your store on huge volume over the course of years.


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## iT (Feb 5, 2010)

So, sounds like OSS Designer is not recommended. Any positive experiences with other online product designers?


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## swannn32 (Sep 1, 2006)

swannn32 said:


> Update -
> I used OSSDesigner for YEARS - yes that's right - YEARS!! (since 2007) And I was still never able to get the checkout part to work right. I also spent tons of hours converting clipart to flash & creating product pictures in every color for each product. From the very beginning they said they were working on a way to add outlines around text & put their clip art into categories. Which they didn't do either thing the whole time I used them.
> 
> So needless to say (I'm stupid for not doing it sooner) I canceled my account with them. And usually that'd be the end of it, but after numerous phone calls and emails they were still billing my checking account (and ironically for a higher amount than my usual monthly payment). They kept saying "you have to get a response email back to confirm your cancellation". Well I can't MAKE them send me the confirmation email so what am I to do. And before you ask - yes I'm sending to the correct email addresses (terri & jedwards). I'm hoping they do the right thing and get this cleared up quickly. I will keep you posted as to if I get my money back for the months they charged me for after I canceled.
> ...


Update - OSS Designer did finally, officially cancel my account with them and they also credited me the money back into my account that they took out for the last few months by mistake.


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