Fulfillment In Europe

The only announcements I've seen were specifically metal, canvas, and greeting cards. I'd love to hear that the rest are available as well, but haven't seen that news posted here or in the newsletters.

Thanks, Mark. I was looking for a general announcement on the site about what's available but couldn't see anything.

I looked for one too just before I replied but all I found were the ones for the three products I mentioned.

O.K., thanks again, Mark!

No problem! Still hoping that someone more in the know might pop in with a surprise that the rest are fulfilled there, too! Hope springs eternal! ;-)

That's it just now so far as I have been told

Me too! Or maybe someone could let us know that print fulfillment is just around the corner? (hint hint)

Edited: Oops, you were typing when I left this message, Abbie. Thanks for jumping in!

Could someone at FAA please comment on this?
I'd like to know an estimated date- even if it's November, after Christmas etc.
At the moment I'm checking the site every few days for an announcement, hoping against hope.

Thanks,
Pa.

@Peggy

I´ve sent you a PM.

@Colin: that's just make Mark and myself curious now....can we get a PM too please?

Sent!

Hi Colin,
Thanks but nothing received!
Patrick.

Now?

Got it, thanks.

I would like to know this as well.I have a lot of connection in Europe.

Anyone from FAA- please comment..... The waiting is killing me.

I should have an answer for you shortly of some kind

Lovely, thanks, Abbie!

Okay, we are not sure but should know this week when.

Thanks again, Abbie...it would be very helpful.

What about photographic prints in the UK? leading up to Christmas I would like to promote a bit more.
I have someone who may want 2-3 prints. I guess I'll have to get them printed myself.

Wow i thought we had paper prints from the start.

@Isabella- thanks. This week means today or tomorrow (excited!)

@Bradford- I'm guessing that they began with products that don't sell high volume to see how they manage it.
When all seems to be going smoothly they add the product that would have highest sales- prints.

My guess about why prints aren't available yet is that when they offer prints, they'd also have to be able to accommodate the many different sizes of mats and frames that could be ordered as well. You can imagine how complicated that would get.

@Isabella- Sorry to annoy you again but any update on a timeframe?
Thanks.

Any news as to when photographic prints will be available in the UK?
Would be good to know as Xmas is coming up and I want to plug my work on here.
If its not anytime soon, can you let us know?

I don't think it's our end.. I think we are waiting on word from the printer which we should have had two weeks ago. I will ask again.

@Isabella- thanks for the update. Even if there's no relevant information to pass on I'd appreciate it if FAA could comment when FAA say they will. For over 2 weeks I've been watching this thread and my mailbox like a hawk awaiting for an update that we were told would come.
Even to have been told "e are waiting on word from the printer" but haven't received it yet would have been better than nothing.

At least we have an update now- thanks.
As others say- hopefully it'll be in place before Xmas so we can market to EU potential customers.

Thanks,
Pa.

First of all I want to say thanks to FAA team for trying to satisfy needs of its multicultural and multicontinental community.
Having everything available from European printers would definitely be great for European market. Looking forward for good news.

Any update?

Come on printers.....

prints without mats or frames wouldn't be the problem but i imagine it is somewhat of a logistical nightmare to set up the same set of products on both sides of the pond. still, i hope there is definite news - whatever it may be - soon!

...hope beginning to fade that this will be in place for Christmas marketing

I am wondering why FAA has not announced European fulfilment (and the products this applies to) on their own announcements page?

No announcements since April 2013

Fails to instil confidence.

http://fineartamerica.com/announcements.html

*bump*

any news?

I can confirm, when I go to checkout, the following products are described as 'ship from the UK':

- canvas prints (stretched and rolled in a tube) UPDATE: but USA if you want a frame!
- metal prints
- greeting cards

Everything else is described as 'ship from the USA'.

Unfortunately, limited time offers on stretched canvas prints are described as 'ships from the USA', making these offers potentially more expensive than the original marked price and therefore pointless in Europe.

I live in England. I think it is great that FAA are working toward a UK based operation for European customers.

Unfortunately, at this very moment, the situation is confused and may lead to unhappy customers.

A definitive and kept up-to-date announcement on the FAA announcements page would definitely help the situation.

Opening a European fulfilment centre is the extra feature that attracted me to a paid FAA account.

I can, of course, be patient.

I really don't get the way this has been approached by FAA. It should have been all or nothing in terms of a printer offering a complete e2e service, the same as the US printer does. What is the point of putting in place what appears to be a half-baked system that will only lead to weird fluctuation in pricing (depending on what product a customer orders and where the item is shipped from), resulting in confusion and unhappy customers. There are plenty of companies here in the UK that offer a full range of print services and products. FAA say they have been working on this for what must amount to a few years now, so why is it SO difficult to find a proper solution. Priorities FAA - you're missing a large market share over here. I'm already offering my work through another POD company purely because FAA haven't been able to pull their finger out over this one. I'm probably not alone.

I was hoping this would be resolved in plenty of time prior to Xmas.
For me, it looks unprofessional if I have to use 1 company (FAA) for the USA and another for Europe and the UK.

It certainly does look unprofessional, and that's another annoyance because I look to FAA to provide an all-in-one POD (GLOBAL) service. It's fallen seriously short in that regard and the majority of my sales since 2009 (99%) have all come from the USA, which in itself speaks volumes for the fact than non-US residents are reluctant to pay high postage fees and import duty, and who can blame them? Furthermore it's like wading through treacle trying to get FAA to do anything about it... or provide any meaningful and reliable updates.

So, the choice is either to lose potential sales and accept a POD service that seemingly has little interest in implementing a proper EU based print service for it's artists and customers, or to choose an EU based POD service and potentially look less professional as a result. I'll take the additional sales for now.

I have so many connections in Europe. I am planning another trip next year and would love to let folks know where they can buy my artwork. Will have to look into another POD service in Europe if nothing comes about soon.

As far as I know POD for normal prints should be going ahead, it's just a matter of when . FAA are awaiting an update from the printer.
Everyone here, like me, would just like to get an update and not have to push for ages before getting an update.

It just amazes me that this wasn't all put in place properly before releasing it as a service, rather than after the fact with the all too familiar 12th-of-never schedule. Seems a very strange way of doing business, not to mention keeping customers happy :/

Totally agree with David Bowman.
I am looking at Zenfolio, who has got it solved with one provider, that I suggested years ago to FAA.

well i certainly hope we hear soon because i've had to start uploading more stuff to the german pod site i'm using which i don't really want to do. frankly the quality of the faa european fulfillment center is very much better (i've ordered and seen 4 canvas prints in varying sizes from small to large and 2 metal prints, all were superb prints, excellently stretched/mounted) so i'm keeping my fingers crossed that this all works out.

An UK based printer will only bring benefit to UK buyers, because postage from the UK is very expensive to other European countries !

it is an enormous amount cheaper than shipping from the the US plus no customs hassles.

Shipping within the EU is a fraction of what it costs from the US, + the lack of duty as Menega mentioned. To be honest, i couldn't care less whether it's a UK based printer or one from somwhere else in the EU, providing they produce a full range of quality products and can deliver throughout the EU cheaper than shipping from the US.

Shipping a large stretched canvas print from the UK printer to the UK: €9.83
Shipping a large stretched canvas print from the UK printer to Germany: €16.39
Shipping a large stretched canvas print from the UK printer to France: €18.44
Shipping a large stretched canvas print from the UK printer to Spain: €21.30
Shipping a large stretched canvas print from the UK printer to Finland: €30.04

Doesn't seem very expensive to me.

I am planning a marketing campaign for Europe and I would love to get any updates on what is being printed from the fulfillment center in the UK - is it still Metal, Canvas and Greeting Cards?

I know there has been some back and forth with them over a date for framed prints, but thought I would ask before moving forward with my campaign.

Thank you,

Has nobody seen the announcement yet?
Prints not shipping from the UK!

What announcement?

ETA: Patrick, I guess that's a typo, you said "prints not shipping" so I was a little confused what was going on.

Very odd- I got an e-mail about it but can't find the mail now. This is it though- in the Newsletter- http://fineartamerica.com/newsletters/uk-fulfillment-center-paper-prints.html?id=242d3a3a4bb6ce19cfb3951fa659da98

I checked a dummy sale and the postage is only €8.20 or so within Europe.

I've updated my Buy Prints page and website homepage already-
http://www.photoblog.ie/
http://www.photoblog.ie/buy-prints/

Will follow up with a blog post, adding photo of prints to my homepage, social media campaign, change my e-mail signature etc.

Yay! That's great news.

Not to sound ungrateful, but maybe a Canadian printer could be next?

halleluja we're making progress! :))
so we've got regular prints, canvas, and metal plus greeting cards being sent from europe now, is that right?
acrylics are still only US - wondering about that because the european printer does those as well.
and then the last biggie still missing: the frames.

I did get an e-mail today

"Our global expansion continues... we are very pleased to announce that we've begun shipping paper prints from our new production facility in the United Kingdom! What does that mean? It means that all orders for paper prints will ship to any address in the UK within one business day... and to any address in Europe within 2 - 5 business days! It also means low shipping rates... no import taxes... and a whole new market of buyers for your artwork! This includes all of our papers: archival matte paper, glossy photo paper, luster photo paper, semi-matte photo paper, picture rag, somerset velvet, watercolor paper, and metallic paper. The UK center will be fulfilling orders for all of our websites, including Pixels.com, FineArtAmerica.com, FineArtEurope.com, Instaprints.com, ArtistWebsites.com, and all of the others. This includes your personal Artist Website and your shopping cart widgets, as well. Tell your friends... tell your family... tell your followers on Facebook and Twitter... your online art business just went global! Stay tuned for more product announcements... About Fine Art America"