Great Way to Get Brownie Points from Your Loved Ones! (moonpig.com)

Member Name: cstag

Product:	moonpig.com
Date:	13/06/09 (86 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to use Website, Great Selection of Cards

Disadvantages: Delivery was a bit slow

I recently discovered that my dad has kept every single Father's Day card that I have ever sent him right back to when I was little girl. I thought this was especially sweet so decided this year I would personalize him a card and make it that little bit extra special!

I previously hadn't used MoonPig before - but I thought I would give it a try as I myself had received cards from there for special occasions and birthdays from family and friends and had always appreciated that extra thought and effort that people had made just for little old me!

What is MoonPig?

Moonpig is a website which offers personalized greetings for special occasions. The website has a number of different designs of cards as basic templates. You can then go on, change the content and wording so it is relevant for the person that you are sending the card too.

The cards from Moonpig cater for a number of different occasions including Father's and Mother's Day, Birthdays, Weddings, Engagements, Anniversaries, Valentines and the Birth of a Baby and Christenings. There are also cards for special events such as 'congratulations' for driving tests, new jobs and new homes. You can also personalize card for more serious events where you may require a 'Sorry' or 'Sympathy' card.

There is a great range of cards from funny and humorous, to soppy and loving or more serious. To personalize them you can change the text to fit in with the people that you are sending it too or their personalities or you can upload photographs - so that cards will be printed with your images on.

The Process

The website is very easy to navigate and each card is put under a topic such as 'Birthday' or 'Christening'. You simply click on the topic of interest and it takes you through to the selection of cards which are available for that area.

There is a wide range of choice of cards which you can pick from. I myself opted for a card about DIY (which my Dad is officially the King of!!). Once you have selected the card and the size of card that you want - you go through to the next screen. Here the card is clearly shown and the text which you are able to amend is highlighted. On some cards you can just change the names - however other cards particularly those laid out like a magazine cover - means you can change a lot more of the text and actually add full phrases and sentences. On the cards which you can upload a photograph to - there is a symbol of a camera next to the card.

As you amend the text, the changed wording appears on the front of the card so you can see what it will actually look like when it is complete. I amended the text to a family joke regarding my Dad and his love of DIY which I know he will appreciate.

Once you have confirmed the front of the card you are taken through to a next section whereby you can personalize the inside of the card. Here you can change the text size and font and put whatever you want.

I found that the site was very easy to use as at all stages you have the opportunity to view the card before confirming your purchase. This means that you can check for any mistakes and errors - there is also a spell checking function which is very handy!

Costs and Payment

A standard sized card costs £2.99 and a larger card costs £5.99. I think that this is a very reasonable amount as you would expect to pay between £1.75 and £2.99 in a card shop for something that isn't personalized and isn't as exciting.

I think that it is worth the extra cost as if you are going to the effort of personalizing a card, the recipient will hopefully appreciate that you have put in that little bit of extra thought and effort for them. I would consider a personalized card as more of a present than just a standard card - hopefully it will be something that someone will want to keep!

There is also an option to buy a set of 8 postcards for £6. This would probably be useful for newlyweds or parents of a new baby who want to send out 'thanks' for gifts cards - and want multiples of the same card.

Postage and Packing is then added to the cost. The amount for this depends on whether the card is being sent to the buyer (this means that it would include a blank envelope so that they can send the card on) or if it is being sent directly to the recipient. I had the card sent directly to me and it cost an additional 65p.

Checkout is very easy - you simply pay by entering your credit or debit card details, Of If you are likely to use the site on a regular basis you can transfer money into a Moonpig account - so that there are funds available for every time that you wish to use the site.

Delivery

As mentioned above the card can either be posted directly to the buyer or the recipient. I think I would be a bit wary of sending a customized card directly to the recipient - as I would want to check it out myself first.

If there is a problem and you want to change or cancel your order you can as long as it hasn't already been printed. There is an order history button where you can see the status of your card.

Moonpig normally send their cards out by first class post - however you can also choose to have cards sent by special delivery. If you order before 2pm, Mon - Fri - it will be sent out the same day. If you order after this time slot - it will be sent out the next day. This was my only negative experience with the whole site. I ordered a card on the Sunday and whilst it should have been send out by Moonpig on the Monday for me to receive on the Tuesday - I didn't actually receive it till the Thursday. Obviously it is difficult to determine whether this was the fault of Moonpig or Royal Mail in delivering on time. Therefore I wouldn't use this for last minute cards as there would perhaps be the risk that they wouldn't arrive in time!

Conclusion

Overall I was very, very impressed with Moonpig. They have a great selection of cards which cater for all occasions and the fact that cards can be personalized makes this a bit more special for the recipient. I thought that the actual cost wasn't much more than I would expect to pay in a card shop.

In saying that, I think that for general birthday cards - personalizing them may be going a bit far and may loose some of its novelty value - but for special birthdays and one off occasions I think this is a great way to show people that you have put in a bit of extra thought and effort for them.

Summary: Brilliant Website for Special Occasions