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Monday, June 17th
2024 Promotional Product Reviews
4imprint
- "A+" rated and accredited by the BBB
- In business for nearly 40 years
- 360° Guarantee: on-time delivery, 30-day price matching, customer satisfaction
- Free samples
- Free art design and prep
4imprint began as a direct-to-consumer catalog company for promotional items back in 1987. Based in Wisconsin, this retailer has been recognized as an exceptional workplace and for supporting charities in its local community - but with more than a million orders annually throughout the US, Canada and UK, this is no small operation.
Better-than-average selection of promotional products
If you can imagine it as a promo item, it's probably in the inventory at 4imprint. Basic categories include Apparel, Bags, Drinkware, Technology, Trade Show & Signage, and Writing, among several others. Within each of those categories, you'll find plenty of subcategories: for example, under Wellness & Safety, 4imprint offers hand sanitizer, sunscreen, lip balm, and so forth. Options abound: looking towards the bottom of the site at their 10 of their most popular search terms, we saw over 1,000 water bottle choices, 236 types of flashlights, 583 magnets... you get the picture.
Big discounts if you know where to look
Looking for a bargain? Scroll down to the middle of the landing page and you'll see a weekly deal, a daily deal, and even "steal a deal" where you can make them an offer. At the time of our review, the weekly deal was a Sonado Notebook with Pen at a discount of up to 34% ($2.19/each), the daily deal was a cotton sheeting economy tote bag ($215 for an order of 100 with company logo, regularly priced at $264), and the "steal a deal" was on a Parkland Kingston laptop backpack (most recently priced as low as $39.95 in the 4imprint outlet section). If you don't have a firm choice in mind for your next giveaway swag and sticking to a budget is your main focus, be sure to visit this part of the 4imprint site.
No-hassle sample requests
Like most vendors of promotional products, 4imprint offers free samples. But, where many of their competitors limit that to a $10 value, this company lets you request samples of even their most expensive items - though you might have to send those back instead of keeping them. You'll find the button to ask for a free sample right by the product description on each page, and you'll need to create an account to complete your request.
Complimentary art design and prep services
What can you expect from the order process? Once you've selected the promotional products you want and placed your order, look for your email confirmation. You'll reply to that message with your desired artwork attached. If you don't have any and need some help, no problem: 4imprint's professional art team will work with you to create it - at no charge. All of the art design and prep, whether using your own artwork or theirs, is completely complimentary.
Customer sentiment on the decline
We were a little confused by 4imprint's mixed bag of customer feedback. On the one hand, the company earned an "A+" rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau, and there was only a single complaint registered there in the last three years. Customer reviews, however, weren't as universally positive. In fact, we didn't see any comments from satisfied clients in the six months prior to this evaluation. We did read dozens of complaints, describing serious problems with delivery times, unprofessional treatment from company reps, and orders being canceled for no apparent reason.
Decent guarantees
That's disappointing, considering all that 4imprint promises in its 360° Guarantee. It states that you'll get your order free if it doesn't arrive in time for your event, you'll get double the price difference back if you find that your order would have cost less somewhere else (within 30 days of purchase), and that you'll get a rerun or a refund if you're not 100% happy with your items. They also offer a $25 discount on your next order if you wait more than 60 seconds to speak with a rep when you call their toll-free number.
Not the best, not the worst
We've given 4imprint a three-star rating because we think the company means well, despite more recent issues with customer service. We're hoping to see an improvement in client feedback in the future, to match 4imprint's reputation with the BBB and to show that they're making good on their guarantees. But, in the meanwhile, you'll probably want to consider what our higher-rated promotional product vendors have to offer before committing your purchase to 4imprint.
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Where Can You Buy the Best Selection of Promotional Products?
Name a brand, company, organization or school that doesn't have promo products. Hard to do, right? There's no shortage of ways these groups use to put themselves out there with swag. Run a 10k race and what do you get? A t-shirt, medal, and some kind of fitness gear at a minimum. Go to a college fair and come away with a pile of cups, koozies and calendars - all in the hope that you'll keep them in mind when you (or your child) are choosing a school for the fall.
Is your group making the most of your promotional products? It can be overwhelming trying to decide which tchotchkes are right for you. What's the best combination of value and results? What if you don't have a design ready to go? How much time will it take to get your items produced and delivered?
Continue reading below
Promotional Product FAQ
There are lots of reasons why companies and organizations invest in promo products to give out. They're a great way to build visibility for your brand: when you hand out things that can be reused, like a tumbler or towel, your prospective and current clients are reminded of your business on a regular basis.
Some branded items are offered in an online store where team members can buy their own merch as they wish; maybe one person prefers a polo while another wants to rep the brand in a baseball t-shirt. Finally, promotional products are frequently used for recognition and awards ceremonies. You're only limited by your own creativity.
Every year sets a new trend. Remember fidget spinners? And yet, there are some promo items that are always popular, like drink cups, t-shirts and pens. It's up to you if you want to try and capture people's attention by having the newest, most novel swag to give away or if you prefer something more traditional.
Yes, most of the time you can request a sample right on the product page. It will probably be unbranded (or may even come with another company's logo) and you may have to pay for it. Many promo item retailers will send you up to $10 in samples at no cost; on more spendy swag, you may have to pay for it, put down a deposit, or return it at your cost.
That depends on the vendor and the product. If you have a logo and a product preference ready to go, and it happens to be an item offered as a quick production product by a supplier, you could theoretically have your order in hand within three business days. Obviously, though, the more lead time you have, the more likely you are to get a high-quality promo product that meets your expectations and that arrives in time for your event.
Yes! Most promotional product vendors have in-house design teams that will take whatever you have and improve it until it's picture- (or pixel-) perfect. These experts can often work with you to create a graphic or logo just from your idea too. Sometimes these services are included as a complimentary perk, while other vendors charge a fee.
Yes, most of the time. On items that cost less than $1 each, expect minimum quantities of at least 100. On more expensive promo products (think fleece jackets or high-end laptop bags), those minimums may be just a dozen or even less.
A custom online store is a personalized website offering the branded merchandise you choose to make available to your team, organization, or even to the public. It's an easy way to let people select what they need, like uniforms or other apparel, in the correct sizes. Some companies use these stores as a rewards portal: employees can choose gifts within a certain price range as a holiday gift or incentive for reaching a milestone. Not every vendor of promotional products offers custom online stores, so keep that in mind if it's an option you'd like to have.
Usually, but there are some stipulations. You'll almost always get a digital proof when ordering promo products, and if your items arrive and don't match that proof, you should get a refund or re-run: your choice. However, if you get them delivered and just don't like the color or style, not every vendor will offer a refund if it matches the proof you approved.
Continued from above...
If you're the point person for promo products at your institution, take a deep breath and relax. There are many vendors who will assist you at every step of the way and even make it fun to get answers to all of your questions - from sample kits to help you brainstorm to in-house design teams who can take your hastily-sketched-on-a-napkin drawing to a professional-looking logo.
Looking at the different suppliers out there, can you tell which ones are experts and which ones you should avoid? We've got some ideas you can use to decide for yourself:
- Variety and quantity of products. The more promo items a company carries, the easier it is to come up with just the right ones for your event or group. Within any category you're considering, click to see how many options there are: it's great if they offer pens, for example, but not if there's only one style of pen to purchase.
- Design services. Let's face it: some of us are just not talented in the design arena. The best vendors of promo items will give you all the help you need, whether that's from-the-ground-up artwork or simple tweaks on what you already have. Even better if those services are free.
- Delivery timeframes. When you have an event coming up, your promo items probably won't do you much good if they arrive a day late. Choose a supplier that not only offers a shipping timeframe that matches your needs but also makes it right if the order doesn't get there on time.
- Guarantees. Your promotional products should match your submitted design, be the quality you expected for what you paid, and arrive when promised. What will the vendor you're considering do if any of those expectations aren't met?
- Reputation. Promises are easy to make, but not so easy to deliver. What do other clients say about how well the vendor fulfills orders? Do they make good on everything they offer?
TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the best providers of promotional products available today. We hope this information helps you find all the right swag for your business, organization, or even your next big family reunion!
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