Gelato: Print on Demand

Terrible unacceptable absolute no-go experiences with Gelato, continued!! ‍
Gelato platform / system is full of bugs, nothing works properly, constant hazzles, loss of effort+time!
Processes not well thought out, misleading claims
Dev team does NOT understand how to properly implement features, NO clue how to nail safe test before release
CS (Customer Support) most of times NOT aware of all those bugs their platform has!
CS AND Gelato itself committed to ABSOLUTE NO-GOs, lying & cheating, sadly
=> We switched to a competitor: Smooth, efficient + bug-free service

Lying about Printing Locations = ABSOLUTE NO-GO!!
Gelato claims to print everything in CH, but turned out only posters but NOT T-Shirts/Hoodie etc.
CS even asked "how did you find out" !! Confirming that company obviously cheats, trying to hide what they're lying about

"Product Expansion":
Made to gain time, but requires learning curve, final products contain bugs, actually you loose time!
Instead Gelatos ad claim "scale business", you ruin it with lost repeated efforts, time+money gone!

API:
Functional parts shown online unfinished, NOT WORKING, before CS told us to use it, we run into various bugs , 1st confirmed by 2 separate "junior consultants"
Then "senior implementation manager" gets into the conversation , suddenly claims
"No, there is no bug, we the merchant using their API must apparently NOT follow the API description correctly, NOT understanding the semantics of an API, the failure is on us" !!!!
This let us literally freak out: Change in policy how to communicate with merchants? Blaming on the customer their own bugs/failures?
Senior manager finally admitted ONLY IN CALL that this part of the API is actually not working !! ‍
But only in a call, not admitted in a mail knowing THIS COULD BE LEGALLY HOLDING.
=> Absolute NO-GO!

Suddenly accusing the customer is doing wrong whereas Gelato confirmed the bug before is NOT AT ALL how to interact.
You do NOT accuse your customers for doing wrong in order to avoid having to admit your own bug which has been admitted twice before by your colleagues !!
=> Finally we asked Gelato CS why lying online and not taking this part of the API doku down as it's highly misleading (aka cheating) that this shall work to other merchants as well = no reply !!

"New Personalization Studio":
"Seamless integration" incredibly slow, "DOES TAKE AGES TO LOAD", from 3 to 30 seconds Gelatos asks money for that!!!
Appears to any end customer page is NOT
Renders any product you place on your shop USELESS!
DO NOT USE GELATO!

Summary of hazzle and shame:
NOT ANY TRUST ON GELATO AS A WHOLE COMPANY! Constant hazzles-lies-cheating-bugs, loss of effort+time+money!
Gelato company has the guts to put parts of an API online CLAIMING A FUNCIONALITY while ACTUALLY CHEATING on that, willingly having to know API DOES NOT WORK!! ABSOLUTE NO-GO !!
Gelato company has the guts TO ACCUSE ITS OWN CUSTOMERs that they may not understand the technique, whereas it has been confirmed before that the API HAS BUGS, API DOES NOT WORK!! THREATENING THE CUSTOMER TO AVOID ADMITTING OWN FAILURES is NOT how to behave as a company!! ABSOLUTE NO-GO !!
We lost time again and get annoyed with the Gelato system = not intuitive, not straigt-forward, FULL OF BUGS !!
IMPOSSIBLE TO TRUST GELATO in its total!
Cause they work on fancy videos, fancy claims, fancy ads "scale your business" whereas upper management at CEO&CTO level should know HUGE PROBLEMS WITH SYSTEM, TONS OF PLATFORM BUGS, partially wrong NON-INTUITIVE manner of processes, ALL A HAZZLE. ‍

Just use any other POD provider than Gelato: Stay safe and healthy out there!

Gelato has integrated seamlessly with my business and added the element of print on demand to my artwork so I can now bring my designs to my audience in fun new ways! It was intuitive to set up, easy to figure out, takes the stress out of print on demand, shipping, and fulfillment, and I’ve enjoyed working with the customizable options! 100% recommend!

A warning to my fellow sellers:

Hidden Price Hikes and Broken Trust: Why I'm changing from Gelato

I’ve been a loyal customer of Gelato for several years, but my frustrations with this company have steadily grown, and this latest issue is the final straw.

While Gelato is quick to send emails announcing price reductions, they’ve hidden significant price increases from customers. Both products I sell have undergone significant price increases in a short period of time.

Premium matte paper has increased by over 15% since I last checked in September, and premium frames with premium paper have risen by over 16%. For example, the price of a 70x100 premium frame with premium paper has increased by a staggering €25.43, now priced at €194.91 (in Ireland). Discovering these price hikes only through my own records feels dishonest and unprofessional.

There are also shocking price differences between countries. For example, the exact same 70x100 frame costs €90.82 in Germany, while in the neighbouring Netherlands it is priced at €190.30—almost €100 more for the identical product.

How can such extreme price discrepancies exist, let alone be justified? How are businesses expected to price their products consistently with such wild and unpredictable variations?

This isn’t the only issue. Over the years, I’ve dealt with numerous problems: orders lost in the post, items arriving damaged, and prints of poor quality. As Gelato have grown as a company their service has become gradually worse. This Christmas just gone was a disaster for orders, especially in the US. I had some customers waiting into earlier January for orders they made in late Nov/early Dec.

These ongoing issues combined with their lack of transparency have made it clear I can no longer trust them as a supplier.

For anyone considering Gelato, I’d strongly advise looking elsewhere. I’ve reached the point where I can no longer justify working with a company that treats its customers this way and will be actively looking for a new supplier to take over my orders.

Gelato has been exceptional in producing products economically, at the right price and on time. The network is extensive, and let me cover my sales internationally. Thank you for a great working relationship.

Gelato has been a game-changer for my print-on-demand business. The platform is incredibly user-friendly, making it easy to create, customize, and manage products. The variety of high-quality materials and printing options ensures my customers receive premium products, from art prints to apparel.

What sets Gelato apart is its global production network, which means faster delivery times and reduced shipping costs for customers worldwide. I also appreciate the eco-friendly focus, like local production and FSC-certified materials, aligning perfectly with my brand's sustainability goals.

Their customer support is responsive and helpful, addressing any issues promptly. The integration with e-commerce platforms like Shopify is seamless, saving time and reducing manual work.

If you're looking for a reliable and efficient print-on-demand solution with top-notch quality, Gelato is an excellent choice. It has allowed me to scale my business and provide an exceptional experience for my customers. Highly recommend!

I've only been using it for a short while, but so far so good. This is the third app that I have tried and it is by far the easiest, and most comprehensive. They have great, clear prices with the best product range for my needs. I'm impressed.

Overall, very powerful and mostly user-friendly. I hit snags along the way to be sure, but it's simply amazing how easy it is to use compared to doing this all on my own. Great work. 4 out of 5 because there is always room to improve!

super amazing to create your own brand

Whoever designed this user experience, needs to go back to thier last job, feeding Monkeys.
Everytime I log into this PIG of a system, it takes an hour to find how to get my products.
How the hell to people put up with this junk is beyond me.

Gelato's prices and platform seem nice enough and they came highly recommended to me. Prices are fine but their customer service seems a miss and fulfillment/delivery times are way off and inconsistent (1 order took almost 4 weeks from order to delivery). I had them on my store, a long order fulfillment and poor customer service resulted in my removing them from my store. I cannot recommend them.

I set up a number of design templates, placed a sample order, and added the products to my store. Initially the sample order was broken up into multiple fulfillment locations and charged for each location, from that their initial discount was messed up and they charged about 15% more. They were quick to correct this issue and refunded the difference. Then fulfilment location 1 got their items to me quickly, location 2 took almost 4 weeks to deliver to me (2 weeks to print and almost 2 weeks in shipping time); estimated delivery time was 5-18 days. There was also an order placed through my store, same 5-18 day delivery time estimate, and it took 16 days to be delivered. The customer service blew me off, refused to acknowledge the slow fulfillment time from their fulfillment company, and just kept telling me to message them back in a few days if it didn't arrive (each time pushing further and further back).