Every morning I get email from Vista Print, and every morning that I either read or delete it, I think of Linnea Sinclair because she once told me that she orders postcards to cut in half for promotional bookmarks from Vista Print every time they offer them for free. Since Vista Print gives away postcards every other day, I wonder if Ms. Sinclair has built an addition onto her home, merely to hold all those flippin’ post cards, because MY GOD does Vista give stuff away ALL the TIME.
This is both good and bad. I have a few Vista printed items for this here website, so I’m on their mailing list – and it is damn hard for me to resist the allure of “FREE PAPER PRODUCTS ORDER NOW!” I try, but sometimes I fall prey.
But today? Today will be a tough day to resist. This morning, they have offered car magnets. Big ass magnets to stick on the door of my car, and turn it from the Bad-ass Mommy Mobile into The Bitch on Wheels. How cool would it be to tool around with a giant magnet of The Ladies on the side of my car?
I mean, that would be BAD ASS.
Damn you, Vista Print.
Yowza! That’s ginormous!
hmmm wondering if I slap a big ass magnet of my website logo on the side of my Tahoe if I can then write off the car as a business expense. Because that’s one whopper of an advertisement.
Always looking for a tax writeoff, ya know. 😉
Do you really have a Matrix? If you do then I’m a lame-o nerd because I thought, “Hey! Sarah drives a car just like mine! Kinda cool!”
Like I said, I’m a nerd.
I do indeed drive a Matrix. It’s blue and it has a stereo that can blast some seriously hard core books on tape. BOOM BOOM BOOM.
I LOVE the Matrix.
Mine’s red and fabulous!
And here I thought *I* was the only one Vista Print was offering free stuff to!! Humph! Guess I’m really not so special to them after all!
But I gotta say—those giant magnets are DA BOMB! Do you think my teenager will care if I make one of my bookcover and slap it on the old mini-van??
LOL!
I saw that email this morning, too.
If the car magnets are anything like the fridge ones, I’d disrecommend purchase. I bought some of those a while back and they are barely adhering to the fridge and fall off at the slightest provocation.
Now, I love the business cards for our cattery I have through them and am tempted on the same daily basis as Sarah is even though I do NOT need any more, grin.
Leslie, they lied to you and me both, pout! he he
OMG!! I want my own “Smart Bitches” magnets!! They would look so cool at the Starbucks’ drive thru!
I’m so tempted to get one, stick it on the bonnet of the car and write in tiny letters: If you can see this, you’re blocking me in, moron.
SB Sarah,
You mean you don’t have 50-Cent bhlasting out of your stereo?
hee hee hee. as soon as i saw that reference to your stereo, i couldn’t resist!
I want a magnet. Can we have one as a give-away??
Nice, very nice.
My “Bad Ass Mommy Mobile” is a Subaru Impreza WRX wagon. My son likes to tell his friends that “Soccer moms drive mini-vans, but MY mom is a taekwondo mom.” Let’s hear it for Smart Bitches In Cool Cars!
How funny – just yesterday my daughter was wondering why people don’t have their political choices on magnets on their cars instead of permanent stickers. How soon ‘til *those* start popping up all over now? Ugh – do not want!
I am so doing an angryromancegrrl magnet.
Thanks for the heads-up! And if it sucks the big one and falls off—I’ll let ya know!
I found the link (mad google fu), if anyone wants it:
http://www.vistaprint.com/vp/car_door_magnets/product_page.aspx?xnav=top
Sharon!
Good for you. I didn’t meant to be a party pooper. Let us know how they work, because I love the idea of having a couple of our Maine Coon Jack for my car. 🙂
Despaminator: you16… I wish. 🙂 I will not remember my b-day is in 2 days, I will not remember, I will not…
Huh. Consumeraffairs.com has a ton of complaints about Vista Print. The car magnets ARE nifty though, I will give them that.
I’m addicted to Vista Print too! Nice to know someone else is, as well.
This is a very entertaining blog. Well-written and clever. You are now on my favorite list.
Awesome Sarah, go for it. Do it now, before the kids are older. Because later they will have fits over anything you do that might be considered unique or interesting.
Welcome Sorina!
I know what you mean…Vista Print is like a crack cocaine dealer for those of us who live to self-market. 0_0. They offer business cards, postcards, and an assortment of stuff you’ll never need—but damn…free postcards to promote my books, free business cards…it never stops.
>>>Good for you. I didn’t meant to be a party pooper.
Not at all GrowlyCub!!Some of their merchandise is admittedly CRAPTASTIC. But this is just too ‘delish’ to pass up.
Must. Buy. Magnet.
I was just finishing the artwork when author Ruth Kerce emailed me about this blog. 😉 Dang straight I’m doing it! Life at times can be fun. Most times it’s not. So when I get a chance to have fun…and it’s free! Besides, the arse end of my car already says this:
http://www.linneasinclair.com/siteimages/Licenseplate.jpg
I’m incorrigible. 😉 ~Linnea
I always thought that Vista Print was okay, but after reading the consumer complaints about them mentioned by Alley, I wouldn’t order from them now. Really, go read about the unauthorized monthly charges. Scary stuff.
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/online/vistaprint.html
The ass-end (and other parts) of my car say, Body art courtesy of suicidal deer and town drunks. Only there aren’t any words or pictures, magnetized or not, involved.
I had the same experience with the magnets—totally lame, wouldn’t stick at ALL. Not a good way to advertise yourself, IMO. I don’t want readers to have the instant association of Amelia Elias = useless crap.
But if their car magnets were more, well, magnetized? That would ROCK. I’d totally have my book covers all over my car, especially on release day. Which is today for CHOSEN. Ahem, it’s on-topic, right?
Hmmm…I don’t actually own a car at the moment. Maybe I could fashion some sort of large adhesive patch for the back of my denim jacket? Now there’s a thought…
I used VistaPrint for some postcards and my Save the Date magnets. I’m happy with the printing quality. The first time I ordered from them, I got nailed with that $14.95 charge everyone else mentioned in the consumer reports article. Luckily, I saw it right away and called VistaPrint. They took it off my credit card with zero hassle.
I think what happened was at the end of the ordering sequence, there is a check box that offers bigger discounts. You aren’t made aware this is their priority club and it’s a fee every month. So if you do order from them, watch very carefully what you check.
Vistaprint is fabulous. They do offer you a load of free offers, so if you’re not careful which boxes you check you could end up with lots of stuff you don’t want—most recently, the monthly hire of a franking machine. *is surprised*
I have fridge magnets from them, and they’re great. I just had to get a refund on some other stuff, though, because the business cards were aligned wrong (not my fault—I checked) and there were black marks on the postcards. Customer services were fine and gave me a refund within 24 hours, so no complaints here!
The UK site doesn’t do car magnets. Nor can I look at the US site because it automatically redirects me to the UK site and I can’t get it to stop. We do get pens and hats, though. Yay for pens and hats!