Xmas shopping frenzy & New Fab' Photo's delivery updates

With Christmas just about here and that last minute frenzy for getting an online bargain reaching fever pitch, it’s disturbing to read comments where people have visited sites only to find no stock echoing throughout their carefully selected Christmas present baskets.

The usual culprits – toy and gift shops seem to have the biggest problems in predicting stock requirements without over stocking and if you’ve ever tried Toys R Us the week before Christmas, you’ll know that it would be easier if they had a link to a page that showed every toy and game they do have in stock.

The same is true when you’ve placed an order. I heard of work colleagues ordering online from Argos for home delivery. Nintendo DS Lite’s – the items were sought after but delivery was advised for 2 days and the request “please do not re-order – your order is being processed and will be confirmed”.

However, on this particular occasion, it’s not been confirmed – what to do? Order again, try and get the rare toy somewhere else?

Here at Fabulous Photo Gifts, we’ve taken on board our customer’s comments about their delivery experience and to help future customer’s further, will be introducing some new e-mail updates in January.

Fabulous Photo Gifts personalised photo jigsaws are not ‘fast-food’. Each order has its photograph worked on by hand (not automated) – brightness and contrast, red eye removal and cropping and re-sizing as required before being sent for printing.

The printing process also takes time as the hard wearing inks used need time to dry completely before the image moves onto the next stage where it is mated with either the card or magnetic backing. In the meantime, if your order included a boxed jigsaw, the box is being printed with your jigsaw image.

Again, adhesives must be given time to dry thoroughly before the jigsaw image can be pressed out, bagged, boxed and wrapped for shipping.

All Jigsaw orders are sent signed for delivery via Royal Mail but this is not a next day service.

When our modifications and extra programming are complete (mid January 2007), in addition to the email customers of Fabulous Photo Gifts receive as confirmation when they complete their online order, advising of the expected delivery date – normally 10 to 14 days from ordering, they’ll receive another email confirming the jigsaw has been pressed and a further email when the jigsaw is actually despatched.

We hope that these 2 new delivery notification steps will help keep customers up to date with their photo gift delivery.

We’re now already taking orders for the New Year including some early Valentines Day orders. We’ll be posting last delivery dates for Valentines Day delivery on the website after Christmas but expect it to be around the 1st February, so order nice and early to avoid disappointment.

At present – postal service permitting, we are scheduled to deliver all pre-Christmas delivery deadline orders in time for Christmas. Thank you for your patience during this time.

Happy holidays everyone – Mandy and Jonathan.