Firstly, these guys do great prints, if they’re for yourself and you don’t mind delays and lack of customer service then knock yourself out.

I’ve gotten over a thousand dollars in prints done by these guys in the past. I’ve always been very happy, until a recent pair of orders and now I am looking elsewhere.

I get them to print the canvas and stretch and mount it myself as it is MUCH cheaper to do it that way. I have access to high quality frames and good equipment for doing so.

Two customers who also happened to be friends of mine ordered some prints, in total 4 prints and a value of $600 AUD – BIG canvas prints.

I placed two orders because my friends ordered at different times during the day and I try to be very prompt. In the notes for the second order I asked them to please combine the orders and sort out the shipping charges then send me an invoice.
When the invoice arrived it was just for the second order (I had already paid for the first order) and still had a full shipping charge.
Not wanting to delay things for a few dollars in shipping cost, I approved the order and gave payment details.

11 days passed (26 Nov-07 Dec).

I was a little concerned because I got their automated “you should have received your order by now, please leave us feedback” e-mail.
After sending them an e-mail asking if everything was ok (still very mild mannered and polite at this stage), I let them know I had clients waiting on these prints and would appreciate a quick resolution.

The next day I received a reply stating that they had sent me an e-mail on the 29th (I ordered on the 26th) giving instructions on how to combine the order. I hadn’t received the e-mail, I don’t have a spam filter and my mail host is local and very reliable. I asked them to forward me the e-mail. They responded by sending a NEW e-mail with the instructions, which involved me re-uploading all of the files for the second order into the first order and they then re-processed it. When I pressed them to forward the original e-mail from the 29th so that I could ask my mail host what the hell had gone wrong, they said it was impossible because they use a “filmaker” program which doesn’t store sent e-mails. 
I should add that all the e-mails I received from them are signed “customer service” no name, I also received no phone calls. In the past I used to get e-mails from a very polite lady named Melissa, and prompt and polite phone calls if anything was even slightly amiss.

I let the issue drop, even though I expect they’re full of shit. I worked for the dodgiest bunch of losers in the world once, and even their mail-processing system would allow me to retrieve a sent e-mail and header if really required.

Fast forward another 7 days to yesterday, and I stayed home all day because their e-mail said the order would arrive between 9 and 5 that day. Nothing arrived. I sent them a more sternly worded e-mail letting them know my disappointment.
One of my clients has quite a long drive to my place and was going to come up today, after already having his order delayed 7 days more than it needed to be, but I had to give him the bad news on the phone today that his order still hadn’t arrived and I told him it should be here today.
Well, it still didn’t arrive today.
I looked at the tracking details for the con-number they gave me, it doesn’t give any tracking details and says “not scanned” but it gives a shipped date of the 10th and an ETA of the 16th, so another day at home (most likely I’ll leave a ‘leave-authority’ note on the door) tomorrow.
They never replied to my sternly worded e-mail (I still don’t cuss in business e-mails mind you).

Overall, leaves me feeling rather displeased, and makes me look like an ass to my mates. I’m just very lucky this wasn’t an order for a client I’m not buddies with, otherwise they would have been less accommodating and much more likely to tell others that I cannot provide orders in a timely manner.

I will hopefully be exhibiting next year, and printing somewhere in the order of 40-50 images costing thousands of dollars, and I certainly won’t be having ‘Genius’ print them.

Sorry about the rant.

If possible, could anyone recommend a good alternative? I’ve been chatting to Brilliant Prints via e-mail and they seem very professional and friendly. They are sending me a canvas proof, and if it looks good, I think I’ll switch to them as my primary printer.

ADDENDUM: After receiving a couple of rather lengthy and apologetic e-mails, signed by actual people I have decided to give them another shot.

I ordered a single, rather smallish print for a friend. I chose the ‘professional’ service that is 15% extra, and also paid for 2 day shipping. We’ll see how quick they get it to me and if there are any issues :p