Community @ The Turning Gate

PaulQM

Member

Registered: 2013-07-16

Posts: 62

fotomoto

This is a wee rant about fotomoto not in any way about ttg.

I was very disappointed in the fotomoto service, I found it very easy to setup through ttg and it integrated excellently with ttg software, but what got me was the cost of their products and the extreme mark ups for none US use. After setting it all up which took me only an hour or so, I was quite shocked at the cost of prints from them.

I first noted their mark up on the exchange rate from us dollars to uk pounds which are about 30% more than the actual exchange rate, I then noticed that their products ranged from 100% to over 1000% more than what you can purchase the same item in the UK from a professional lab.

I worked out a few rough sums and they were like this, which is based on an area of work I do which is photographing the work of hair and makeup students at local colleges here in Scotland

(I know we got beat by the English tonight in the footie, but as our song goes ‘we will rise again’    )

Well anyhow, I do the photographs for the students units which are 10 times 12 x 8 inch images 12 times in the year; I can purchase each of these with postage to me and follow on postage for £13.50 per 10 images, total to student in the year is £ 162.00

To do the same through fotomoto is, £33.10 per unit which is £379.20 total to a student.

To me the costs just cannot be justified, my reason for putting this here is to find out what you think about the costs from fotomoto?

Paul…

Kris

Member

Registered: 2012-09-25

Posts: 258

Re: fotomoto

It's largely irrelevant, as Fotomoto have been taken over by a lab in America, and will therefore use it to (quite rightly) feed their lab with prints.

Us in Europe shouldn't really be using a US lab for simple printing as it very environmentally suspect.

Fm used to integrate with Whitewall in Germany, but their prices were sky-high and their postage costs made them totally unrealistic. 

Use cart and self fulfill is the only real option.

derek

Member

Registered: 2012-10-06

Posts: 3

Re: fotomoto

Hi PaulQM,

Derek from Fotomoto here - we appreciate the feedback, and are happy to help clarify things for you and anyone else reading along.

First, we (Fotomoto) have historically done all we can to offer very high quality prints and make them available worldwide at as reasonable a cost as possible. If printing is done in the U.S., shipping obviously gets more expensive when you deliver to other continents, so our solutions were to a) let you fulfill your own prints and b) partner with overseas labs as practical. Hand-selecting a partner and doing the integration does take time and resources, so we had to prioritize which labs we integrated with, and started in 2011 with a partner in Germany to serve those in Europe.

Fast forward to present day, and as Kris mentioned, we are now part of Bay Photo, a premier U.S. lab with nearly 40 years of experience in the business. Frankly, Fotomoto has used Bay Photo labs as our primary print partner for the last several years, and we're back to "business as usual" so there's really not much difference at this point. Do keep in mind though, that being part of a larger company now gives us more potential reach.

Now, to address your post, please do email us if I can help clarify the particulars for you. While the exchange rates do fluctuate, the conversion rate you're quoting seems incorrect, and the prices you're quoting don't seem to match up with our actual print costs. I'd be happy to help clarify - just drop me a line.

I hope that helps explain and kind regards,
Derek

Last edited by derek (2013-08-19 14:54:09)

PaulQM

Member

Registered: 2013-07-16

Posts: 62

Re: fotomoto

Hi Derek,

Il decline your request to contact you directly as I see no need but as you have questioned my calculations I am happy to clarify them for you,

Please bear in mind that these as quoted are rough calculations.

Exchange rate:
The cost of a 12x8 print as quoted on your site is $2.59 USD or £2.26 UKP
This gives an exchange rate of £0.87 UKP to the Dollar,
The exchange rate on the day I done the sums was £0.64 UKP to the Dollar,
This gives a difference of £0.23 UKP to the Dollar or roughly a 30% increase on the actual exchange rate.

Print Costs:
10 x 12x8 @ £2.26 each from Fotomoto = £22.60
Postage £6.50
Follow on Postage £4.00
Total per order = £33.10
Over all yearly total = 12 x 33.10 = £397.20 (on my original pricing I mixed the 7 and the 9)

10 x 12x8 @ £0.55 each from UK Lab = £5.50 (inc VAT)
Postage = £4.00
Follow on Postage = £4.00
Total per order = £13.50
Over all yearly total = 12 x 13.50 = £162.00

Even when postage is removed from the cost, this gives a cost difference of over 400%

I would like to add that my post is in no way slandering your services or products, it was meant solely from my point of view to show how it would be unfeasible for me to use the service for what I do and get the views of other users of ttg on your services.
I think your services are fantastic the ease of use and integration is second to none but the costs compared to a similar product that can be purchased here I could not justify to my clients.

Yours
Paul Q Morrison