Advice needed please on faulty printing

Janjel

This company was given a copy of the letterhead we already had that only needed a postcode and directors information change. Therefore these were the main items I was looking out for when proofing - surely they need to proof their work also - a company name spelling is last thing I thought I would need to check. I am not refusing to pay full invoice as i know they are a small business but i am now left with letterhead I cannot use and a very irate director who will not allow me to use this company again.

martindow

Janjel wrote: »

This company was given a copy of the letterhead we already had that only needed a postcode and directors information change. Therefore these were the main items I was looking out for when proofing - surely they need to proof their work also - a company name spelling is last thing I thought I would need to check. I am not refusing to pay full invoice as i know they are a small business but i am now left with letterhead I cannot use and a very irate director who will not allow me to use this company again.

Printers must constantly get instructions that are vague and confusing - I know I've been guilty of this. Printers can misinterpret instructions or offer up something that was not what the client had in mind.

They then ask the client to check the proof. If they get a reply to say that it is fine then they print it and charge you for the work. The onus is on the customer to check carefully so any errors can be corrected at that stage.

I think you're quite lucky that your director seems to be also blaming the printer rather than you.

Savvy_Sue

Janjel wrote: »

This company was given a copy of the letterhead we already had that only needed a postcode and directors information change. Therefore these were the main items I was looking out for when proofing - surely they need to proof their work also - a company name spelling is last thing I thought I would need to check. I am not refusing to pay full invoice as i know they are a small business but i am now left with letterhead I cannot use and a very irate director who will not allow me to use this company again.

The thing is, they were unlikely to be able to just 'cut and paste' the original information and change the bits you needed to have changed. They had to start from the beginning and re-set the whole thing.

When proofreading, you have to check EVERYTHING, especially if it's as important as headed paper.

bearcat16

and a very irate director who will not allow me to use this company again.

So you haven't yet mastered the art of the cover-up?!

When you make a mistake, especially if it will cost money, you have to develop techniques so that you either don't get discovered or don't get blamed.

PragmaticMoneySaver

I must agree with the other posters here.

I own a small printing company and yes the proof is just that. It is a documented copy of EXACTLY what we will print. If the final product doesn't match the proof then that's our screw up. If it does and the proof is incorrect then it's your problem.

As goodwill we would expect the original invoice to be paid and then would charge cost for a reprint (as long as it wasn't a regular occurence!). The problem is that with letterheads the margins are tiny so it wouldn't be a massive saving.

As an indication... retail for 5000 letterheads is about £120, cost would be maybe £100 depending on ink coverage etc.

gingerdad

Janjel wrote: »

This company was given a copy of the letterhead we already had that only needed a postcode and directors information change. Therefore these were the main items I was looking out for when proofing - surely they need to proof their work also - a company name spelling is last thing I thought I would need to check. I am not refusing to pay full invoice as i know they are a small business but i am now left with letterhead I cannot use and a very irate director who will not allow me to use this company again.

They will win in court.

Whoever signed the proof is at fault. Simples. Always always check everything and get someone else to check as well.

robatwork

Every person here who is involved in business thinks it's 100% your mistake and the printing company are entitled to full payment.

Signing the proof is a contractual acceptance.

Nobody on this forum thinks you're in the right arguing for 50:50. This is your mistake. Your director is frankly entitled to take some or all of this from your salary.

Sometimes you just need to hold your hands up to your mistake.

lincroft1710

robatwork wrote: »

Every person here who is involved in business thinks it's 100% your mistake and the printing company are entitled to full payment.

And you can add to those in business one person who is not in business.

cavework

OFGS ..you sent an order which was accepted . You were then sent a proof to read thoroughly from top to bottom to make sure this is what you wanted ..that is what a proof is for ? You skim read it and authorised the go ahead and now you consider it is the printers fault because you assume that they should have been mind readers?.
Surely you where aware of how your letter head should look? You work for the company?
I used to be a printer ..you do not deserve any refund.

Savvy_Sue

I was sent a proof by a colleague the other day: they wanted me to check whether the wording at the bottom (company name, charity no. etc) was correct and legally compliant.

My response was "never mind THAT lot, you've got the wrong phone number at the top!!!" :rotfl: