Send Out Cards Review – Are Send Out Cards Real or Hype?
Send Out Cards, founded by Cody Bateman in 2004 in Salt Lake City, Utah, has grown from an $800,000/year business to a $70 million+ business in 2009.
While this growth is staggering, we have to ask, “Is Send Out Cards a scam?” or are customers and distributors in on the real deal?
In this Send Out Cards review, we’ll look at what the company does, what support and training is provided to distributors, the quality of their products, the cost of getting involved, and what shortcomings are evident in the business. Finally, you will be able to decide whether you want to join as a customer or distributor.
Cody Bateman started the business after his brother’s death when he realized that acting on a prompt by sending a card was difficult for most people. When a prompt pops into their head, it often passes just as quickly, because one usually doesn’t have a map handy at home or is put off by the fact that they have to go to a store, park their car, find a map, write their message, then you go to the post office, wait in line to buy a stamp, and finally post your card. Most people say “I’ll do it tomorrow” but unfortunately that day never comes and their sincere thought is not expressed to the potential recipient.
Send Out Cards offers customers or distributors a virtual store service that can be operated from anywhere in the world, through which they can choose a card from over 10,000 selections, create a personal handwritten message, upload a photo, select a recipient and click send on their computer.
The Send Out Cards team then prints their card, stamps it and posts it for them. Printing takes place in Utah and Australia. Distributors and customers can take advantage of the company’s campaign management feature, which allows people to create cards, select recipients, and send those cards at a future date.
Such a service sounds attractive, but is the end product of good quality? The quality of the GSM cards is the same as used by all major card manufacturers, but unlike the “off-the-shelf” cards offered by Hallmark and American Greeting cards, Send Out Cards products can be personalized with your own message. You can even add photos to give your card a more personal touch. By uploading your own hand, you can save time when “writing” cards en masse.
With over 8 billion cards sent annually in the US alone, there is a lot of competition. Hallmark and American Greeting Cards dominate the physical greeting card market. Blue Mountain cards and 123 Greeting cards offer an e-card service that is also popular. Send Out Cards takes advantage of these companies by providing an online service that produces a physical, quality card just by clicking send on your computer.
Card costs vary, but typically range from $3 to $6 for a quality card. As a distributor or wholesale customer of Send out Cards, your cards cost only 62 cents. The company also includes your first 100 cards with these packs when you start.
Getting started with Send Out Cards can cost as little as $9.80 as a retail customer. This will allow you to “dip your toe in the water” and try out the company. You don’t get all the features with this product and your cards will cost you $2 each. The retail customer account gives you 10 cards included in the pack.
Preferred customers can purchase a package for $31 per month. The price of the card is now reduced to 31 cents for each unit. A card would normally cost 62 cents without personal photos.
But if you’re in a small business like real estate, financial services, mortgage lending, medical, health or beauty, then this Preferred Customer package is your best deal. The price per card is now 62 cents and includes all features. For those who want to start a card sending business, you should purchase the Entrepreneur package at $295. This package includes all the benefits of the wholesale package, but includes a distributor kit that allows you to do business.
By now, you might be thinking that Send Out Cards seems like a great service or business. But what are the disadvantages?
Well, you have to be organized to some degree with this service. Send Out Cards still relies on a country’s postal service. There are some problems there. Postal services can be unreliable due to delays and are often subject to strikes. The message here is to send your cards early. You should allow approximately 5 days including printing and postage time.
People are also involved in the process, which can eventually lead to problems. Mistakes can be made, but with Send out Cards they are compensated by the company if they are at fault.
Computers sometimes have problems too, and as printing increases, sometimes these problems occur more frequently. But based on the bigger bigger picture, such issues are very minor.
So is Send Out Cards the real deal? Well, you be the judge. Before engaging with any service as a customer or reseller, make sure you do your own due diligence.
With businesses trying to figure out how to stay in touch with their customers in a cost-effective way or people just wanting to send a heartfelt message quickly, the 8 billion card market is sure to grow.
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