Avery 28877 Clean Edge Business Cards Review

A few weeks ago, rather than buy business cards from a local printer, I thought it would be easier to make my own on my computer. That way, I could make as many or as few as I wanted, and I could change the design whenever I wanted to. But I hate the ones that have the little perforations along the edges, because they look like they're home-made! I wanted a professional look.

Then I heard about these: Avery "two-side printable" Clean Edge Business Cards (Product #28877) for ink jet printers. These are large sheets of 10 cards each that you print on your printer and then break apart. The edges are so clean you can't tell them from the cards you get from an office supply. I bought some and tried them, and they were a complete disaster! But rather than tell the story all over again, here is the text of the letter I just sent to Avery.

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Several weeks ago, I bought a package of Clean Edge business cards, Avery item #28877. I was very disappointed to find them break apart in my printer, an HP3845 inkjet. On researching the problem on the internet, I found many instances of people reporting the same problem. So, on July 15, I called your 800 number and spoke to a person named James. He said that shouldn't have happened because the 3845 is one of the printers tested to work with the cards. He said that he would send me a new package, and I told him I wasn't interested in having another package; the ones I already had didn't work! He said he guaranteed the ones he would send would work. He also said that he wanted me to send some of my broken ones to Avery, and he would call me back later with some information I needed to send them. I asked if he expected me to pay the postage myself, and he offered to send me an extra package to compensate for my postage costs.
    Well, I never received his phone call, but I received one package of cards a week or so later. I tried them and, sure enough, they didn't break apart in my printer. Unfortunately, they also don't work worth a darn! Specifically:
1) I set up the printing template so the cards should start printing about 5/8 inch from the top of the sheet. On plain paper, they do. But with your cards, the printing starts about 1/4 inch from the top. That's not even within the area of the first card; it's in the top margin. Obviously, there's a problem with the feeding of the sheet.
2) Business cards, including yours, are 2" high. That means that each row of cards (2 per row, 5 rows on your sheet) should print 2" below the previous row. And, on plain paper, that's how mine print. But on your sheets, each row prints 1 31/32" after the preceding one; in other words, they're creeping up on the sheet. Or, more correctly, the sheet is slipping in the printer so that it doesn't feed far enough each time. So even if the sheet had started printing at the correct location, the last row of cards would be 1/8" off.
3) Side 2 on your sheets is not like side 1. The print on side 1 is not perfect, but good enough for business cards. On side 2, though, it's not good enough. The ink runs slightly and sometimes smears.

All in all, your business cards don't work correctly in an HP3845 printer. I paid $8.99 plus 6.75% tax, for a total of $9.60 for your cards. I would like a refund in that amount.
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Well, that's the end of the letter. We'll see if they stand behind their products.

UPDATE 08-05-09

I heard back from Avery today. The woman explained to me how I didn't really know what I was talking about (She didn't use those words, of course.) but that they will refund the cost of the cards anyway, if I send the entire package of cards to them at my expense. For some strange reason, they can refund the cost of the product, but not the cost of sending it back to them. They will be MORE than happy to compensate me by sending me products which I don't want. (She actually offered to send me more business cards! Can you say, 'stupid'?) So, in order to get back my $9.60, I have to go buy something big enough to fit their 9 1/2" x 12" package into, and then go to the post office and pay them non-standard-rate postage to mail it. Wow, that's a good deal, if my time is worth about... well, no, that's not a good deal, no matter what!

UPDATE 08-06-09

After I told them in no uncertain terms that I didn't want any more of their products, they agreed to also refund the cost of postage to return their product, if I would include the receipt from the Post Office in the package.