Why we wrote this guide

After being in the industry since 1983 we have seen it all. We have watched people lose thousands of dollars of their hard earned money ordering custom T-shirts and other related items. Whether you're ordering for an event, a business, or just for personal use, there are several pitfalls to watch out for to ensure you get the quality and service you deserve. Inside this guide we have written about how to navigate through each and every one of these potential pitfalls, as well as how we, at Koala-Tees Inc., address these issues and offer guarantees against them so our customers do not have to worry.

Here are five things to watch out for when ordering custom t-shirts:

1. Think it's too good to be true? It probably is: You have seen the offers people are putting out online, Like this one: “100 custom printed shirts, each priced for less than you can buy a blank one for! Plus free shipping!” And don't forget about this one:  “No minimums, unlimited colors $8 T-Shirt, Free shipping” I mean come on man! The shippings gotta be costing them $4-8 for the shirt, How could they possibly be doing this? If a quote for custom t-shirts seems unrealistically low, it probably is. Quality materials and professional printing come at a cost, so extremely low prices may indicate subpar products or hidden fees. You should take our word for it, but If you don't believe us;

• Their reviews speak for themselves. Next time you see an ad that sounds like the ones we described above, read their google reviews, you’ll see for yourself, headlines like “horrible service… i ordered 4 months ago and i haven't received my order” or - “I spent $4,000 and only ⅓ of the product came, and all of them were screwed up, they still made me pay return shipping!”. 

• Remember to keep an eye out for fake reviews, if you see google reviews from profiles that don’t exist, or generic language that looks oddly similar across every single 5 star review. You should raise an eyebrow.

2. Delayed shipping times and forgotten guarantees: Some companies may promise guaranteed shipping times but fail to deliver on their promises, an actual snippet from a 1 star review on a competitors google page reads - “THEY FORGOT ABOUT US… DO NOT ORDER…” Here’s another snippet from a 2 star review - “Fulfillment tool twice as long as suggested… They are obviously a high volume low price business” Of course their replies to these reviews are filled with their own excuses. Beware of businesses that consistently miss deadlines or provide vague excuses for delays. Timely delivery is crucial, especially for events or time-sensitive projects.

•  That is why we have our *2 Week Turnaround guarantee* included for every single order we take on, while the others will charge you for this, with us, it’s included free of charge. Need it done faster than 2 weeks? We also have additional RUSH services available, we can GUARANTEE turn around orders in as little as 24 Business hours (Clock starts from the time of art/proof approval, Call for availability). We strive to be both The most superior printer on the market and a trustworthy choice for our customers.

3. Lack of communication: Communication is key when it comes to custom orders. There are multiple moving parts to this machine of creating Custom T-shirts - , Artwork, Proofs, Customer Approvals, Burning/exposing screens, The actual printing process itself, Shipping, ETC. It can be a complicated process. Not every business has their SH!T together.  If you check out their reviews and see negative feedback related to communication, or If a company is unresponsive to your first inquiries or fails to provide updates on your order status, it could be a red flag. (Hopefully you haven't already ordered from them and you are currently waiting on your order) Reliable companies should be transparent and readily available to address any concerns or questions you may have. 

• Free accurate proofs and opt-in SMS update system. At Koala-Tees, we have decided to completely eradicate the lack of communication mess for our customers by offering FREE unlimited accurate digital proofs that they approve before production, this ensures the customer will receive exactly what they want, exactly how they ordered it. You can change and tweak your proof as many times as you want to ensure satisfaction. Additionally: we offer an optional free order update system, to notify you through every step of the process. If you opt in you will receive updates when your screens are burned, product printing is beginning, when your product is ready to be picked up or shipped, ETC. This opens up another layer of transparency for the customer so they aren't left hanging - wondering what is happening to their product they spent their hard earned money on!

4. “Pump and dump” printers: Watch out for fly-by-night operations that seemingly pop up overnight, are happy to take orders, and then upon fulfilling them and it ends up being 2 months late and a horse Sh!t finished product, we have heard it all “I ordered from ______ and every print was 3 inches to the left and had ink fingerprints on it” . Hell, Some of them don't ever fulfill your product at all! These are what we call "pump and dump” Printers, It's a business Model Focused on Customer Acquisition, Not retention. They are here to make a quick buck and leave. They often leave customers empty-handed - or - hands filled with straight bull-sh!t and frustrated. Do your research and choose established companies with a track record of reliability and customer satisfaction. 

• Being in business since 1983 does not lie.

5. Poor quality printing: Quality matters when it comes to custom t-shirts. This is why (unlike competitors) we offer a completely FREE of charge Sample. Use the buttons below to call us, email us, or come on in and grab your free sample and see the quality for yourself.

 - After 40 years in the industry we have seen everything go wrong on a shirt: off-center prints, Ink not cured correctly (leads to cracking, washing off, smearing), durability issues (low quality inks, improper ink for the fabric type, improper garment preparation, etc.), and color accuracy (no undercoats, no dye blocker, improper inks, etc.). You should Avoid businesses that use cheap, low-quality materials or outdated printing techniques that result in faded, peeling, or poorly aligned designs. 

• You see, the problem is, you might not always know if these businesses you see online are actually putting the proper time and care into your product. That is why we decided to do our **100% Replacement or your Money Back Guarantee. If your order does not match the approved proof we offer a 100% replacement or money back guarantee.

At Koala-Tees Inc. We believe every customer should be able to order their product, receive an accurate proof of what their product will look like when completed, and exceed their expectations. We believe they should not have to worry along the way. While other Custom Apparel Businesses need to be hand held. At Koala-Tees Inc. We ensure, through our word, experience, and guarantees, you will get your product done the right way - on time.