New Site Coming Soon!
We've been working hard behind the scenes to create a brand new home for Studio Calico, and we're excited to begin sharing some of the site's new features, process updates, and more in the weeks leading up to its official launch later this month. Over the next few weeks we will send out more information to keep you up to speed so stay tuned!
Over the past eight years, our main focus has been the experience of our loyal community. That's why we continually look for new ways to improve and make our monthly subscriptions not only the best inspiration for your crafting projects, but also the best value. In order to make it simpler and an even better value, we worked hard with our team to update our subscription pricing structure to make your experience with us each month an even better one. Beginning with the launch of our new site later this month, all of our kits will be available under the following commitment and pricing levels. The really great news is that all of these prices include shipping.
This chart demonstrates current pricing (plus shipping) in italics vs. new pricing (plus handling fees) in bold:
Domestic customers, here are the new pricing plan options:
Scrapbook Kit (shipping included)
- Month to Month - $39.99
- 6 Month Commitment - $37.99
- 12 Month Commitment - $34.99
Card Kit (shipping included)
- Month to Month – $34.99
- 6 Month Commitment - $31.99
- 12 Month Commitment – $29.99
Project Life® (shipping included)
- Month to Month – $29.99
- 6 Month Commitment - $27.99
- 12 Month Commitment - $25.99
Planner Kit (shipping included)
- Month to Month – $24.99
- 6 Month Commitment - $22.99
- 12 Month Commitment - $19.99
Shipping
Domestic Shipping Changes
Free Shipping During Bundling. Starting with our new site, subscribers will be able to add to their kit with no additional shipping fees!
Choose your shipping method. During checkout, you will be able to choose from three shipping options: economy, upgraded, or expedited. Each subscriber will default to economy shipping which is the most affordable service to your address. If you'd like to receive your items faster, just choose upgraded or expedited for an additional fee (listed at checkout).
Free shipping with $79 purchase. If you choose to shop outside of the bundling window, the $79 threshold will still allow you to enjoy free shipping.
International Shipping Changes
Low Handling Fee. All international subscription kits will ship for a $3 handling fee per kit. We heard your frustration with the 3.9% + shipping fee and have worked hard with our shipping companies to make shipping our kits to you more affordable than ever.
Choose your shipping method. During checkout, you will be able to choose from three shipping options: economy, upgraded, or expedited. Each subscriber will default to economy shipping which is the most affordable service to your address. If you'd like to receive your items faster, just choose upgraded or expedited for an additional fee (listed at checkout).
Nominal Shipping Fees for Add-ons. If you choose to bundle items with your purchase, your shipping fee will now be calculated on weight. Our team worked very hard with our shipping vendors to offer you the most affordable, yet reliable services. As you add small and lightweight items to your kit, you'll notice nominal shipping fees. All shipping fees are calculated based on weight and size. As you add larger items to your cart, you'll notice your shipping charges increase. If you don't order any additional items with your kit, you won't be charged the additional shipping fee beyond the $3 handling fee.
Canadian Free Shipping. Canadian customers will have a $99 threshold for free shipping.
*Free Shipping applies to Economy Shipping only. Shipping charges may apply with more kits. Our updated shipping FAQ’s will have more details once the new site launches.
**No additional shipping charge applies to Economy Shipping only. Shipping charges may apply with more kits. Our updated shipping FAQ’s will have more details once the new site launches.
Current Subscribers
Choose Your Plan. Not sure which plan you'd like? You've got plenty of time to decide. Once you make your decision, simply open up a conversation with our Customer Service team once the new site launches and they will help you. All subscribers with a remaining commitment will have their cancellation fee waived provided they are selecting one of our new plans. If you haven't switched by January 1, we'll place you in our month-to-month subscription plan at the new month-to-month price. If you decide you'd prefer a 6 month or 12 month plan, our Customer Service team will gladly place you on your preferred plan.
Rewards Program. Your Rewards status will not be changed by this new subscription model. We are currently evaluating this program and looking to make improvements to it later this year. However, this will not affect your eligibility or status in any way.
Cancellation Policy
Please start a conversation with our Customer Service team in order to cancel a subscription. To allow adequate time for Customer Service to process subscription orders, subscription orders can't be cancelled between the 1st of the month and the 5th of the month. After your subscription order has shipped, you can contact Customer Service, and they will process your cancellation.
If you have a month-to-month subscription and request to cancel after the 25th of the month, there will be a $15 cancellation fee. For subscriptions with a six month or twelve month commitment, you will be charged 50% of your remaining commitment at the time of cancellation. Six month and twelve month subscriptions will not incur an additional $15 cancellation fee if they are cancelled after the 25th of the month.
Update - A response to your questions from our CEO, April Foster:
Late last year and early this year, we took a hard look at how to make sure we could maintain price stability while still providing inspiration, education, and high quality products. We needed to make sure we didn't have money spent on wasted inventory which most certainly would result in price increases which we haven't done in 8 years and we didn't want to start doing now.
Instead, we chose to be better predictors of inventory which means a requiring a commitment from our customers. By accurately predicting quantities, we would not need to raise prices, which after listening to our customers and focus groups, we determined was the correct course of action.
As always, we will continue to reward our customers, especially the most loyal. We wouldn't be here without you! Our current practice is to ship rewards orders on the first day of shipping, and we have not discussed changing that benefit. However, we are constantly reviewing our perks and trying to improve them, and we have been collecting information from our customers on what's important to you as a rewards member. We're in the early stages of analysis there, but do plan to make a change later this year or early next year so we can change as your needs change and as our offering grows.
I understand the concern about canceling with a penalty. If an emergency arises, please let our CS team know and they will work with you as they have in the past. We are real people here with compassion and big hearts and want to always do what's right for you.
Especially for internationals, we couldn't sustain the current model considering shipping costs and excess inventory. In exchange for your commitment, we are giving you the least expensive price, along with 6 months to think about what's the best option for you.
In closing, for those currently subscribing, you have 6 months to enjoy all the benefits you are used to, but at the lowest price. That gives you time to understand how these changes have affected you, your buying habits, and make a decision on whether to stay at the month-to-month price or make a larger commitment.
That's it for now! We'll be continuing with more site updates later this week. If you have any questions please open a conversation with Customer Service.
the new pricing laid out is completely confusing. If you automatically add in shipping to the subscription price for each subscription there is no question that I will be paying more as I usually purchased enough to get free shipping. That means I'm just going to be paying more for my subscription and you have implemented a price hike. Looking at last month's order I did have free shipping and if I followed the new pricing I would have paid 11.49 more for that order!!!!! That is no deal for me. If you are increasing your pricing you should just be out front about it and not try to make it sound like we are getting a deal when it certainly looks to me like we are not.
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I recently canceled all 3 subs. Whatever shadow of doubt I ever had is now gone forever. No regrets whatsoever !
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@paperprincess, the PL kit at $19.99 doesn't currently include shipping. With shipping and no add-ons, it comes to $25.41. With shipping and add-ons, it's a little over $28 right now (plus the cost of your add-ons).
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There are so many amazing kit clue out there now I have been thinking of cancelling my sub for awhile this is just making the decision a lot easier!!!
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Agreed @Trinityb! Just cancelled mine. No regrets. Poor customer service and even worse company values.
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Just looked at two more kit companies. One has only a $16 cancellation fee, the other has no cancellation fees! Will be paying very close attention to what happens here over the next few days/weeks.
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I was hoping this would make me jump back on board but I'm glad I recently cancelled. Currently a 6 mth sub to PL was $28 incl shipping now I pay $29 and it's a 12 mth commitment but FREE shipping. We aren't silly, don't advertise it as free shipping and worsen the conditions. We aren't stupid!!!!
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Does it even say anywhere here when the new pricing starts?
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If you're your new, it starts in a couple of weeks. If you're a current subscriber, you have until Jan before the new pricing takes affect. That's what they just said in a my conversation after I requested cancellation. Of course, that's if you believe anything they say at this point.
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I agree this is very confusing. I sub to the scrapbook and PL kits, and 90% of the time I reach the $99 for free shipping to Canada, and even if I don't I pay $8 for BOTH kits to ship. So now, I'm going to have to pay shipping included in the price of EACH kit PLUS more shipping if I don't reach $99? How can this be right?
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@senkim I've got a reply on this on forum:
New price policy is in effect with the launch of the new site, which is SOON! However, all subscriptions are grandfathered and are locked in at current rate until January 1, 2016 - which is mentioned on the blog.
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Hi all! There are a lot of questions here, and we don't have the ability to "reply" to each comment. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to start a conversation with our customer experience team. But I do want to tell you this, as I see a lot of concern:
ALL current subscribers - you will keep your CURRENT pricing until January 1, 2016. At this time, if you have not chosen a commitment level, your subscription will default to "month-to-month".
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So starting January 1, 2016, if you have a month to month PL kit it will be 29.99 shipped? Am I reading that correct?
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@AmandaM, you don't have time to respond to every question here, but you have time to respond to every individual conversations? That doesn't appear to be an exactly truthful statement. The time spent happens either way. What you really don't want to do is go on record in a public forum stating that this is not exactly "a better value" as touted in your blog above. Why isn't Studio Calico willing to address the deceptive advertising and price raising which is the real concern on this feed?
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please please please can you make a FAQ blog post or sticky thread on the boards please :) my head hurts from trying to understand this all.
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Bottom line - If you are a subscriber and you typically bundle to get free shipping, you are currently about to pay 30% more for the same PL kit. This does not take effect (allegedly) until Jan for current subscribers. On top of all this, if you don't like the new subscription terms and there is time left on your subscription, too bad. You will still owe 50% of your remaining commitment. You can not opt out of their new and improved "better value". That is the long and short of it fellow crafters. This is not about giving back to you as they tried to first sell us, but to raise prices and disguise it as savings. Fortunately, many on here are too savvy to fall prey to poor business practices.
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I just recently was put on the new planner kit wait list. I've read nothing but legitimate major concerns regarding the new pricing. I wonder if I should cancel my wait list. Fellow members, advise?
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@Mgodwin89, I think @AmandaM is saying she isn't able to use a "reply" function here on the blog like you can in the message forum. You can't reply to individual comments on the blog.
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Cancel!
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Oh I see Penny. Sorry @AmandaM!
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I never used to be confused about what constituted a current subscriber but I am now….. so what constitutes a current subscriber, anyone who currently automatically gets a kit or only those with like a commitment time??
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Okay so I think I am on the waitlist for the planner as well. Never purchased any of SC kits and haven't been around here much. Certainly, no one looks very happy. I am concerned! What about my pre-order? What did I sign up for?
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The above response from CEO, April Foster, leaves me with more questions. I know, I for one, was not part of any focus group or inquiry. Apparently, my years upon years of purchases through SC & SC Ali Edwards don't qualify me as a loyal enough customer since they expeditiously terminated my subscription without informing me prior to or addressing after the fact that I would no longer have access to class content including, but not limited to, my current month of which I paid for and have not yet accessed. I believe that framing is essential in a conversation but there's no sugar coating what's going on here and that, in it's purest form, is a lack of appreciation for its customers and its customer service. I realize that you (SC) "are real people here" but this is a business and this business decision needed more focus.
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I started a conversation...
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In case you missed it, April Foster, Studio Calico's CEO responded directly below the BLOG. Unfortunately for her, it only helped to reinforce that the concerns that the price increases are real. Pay close attention to the paragraph around international shipments and the last paragraph. This is easy to decipher. If you were a subscriber before and bundling your kits to get free shipping, you will be paying significantly more now. Individual examples: PL kit will cost you $6 more or 30%, Card kit will cost you $5.49 more or 22%, and SB kit will cost you $5.49 more or 18%. Here's another example: If you currently subscribe to all three kits, you pay $73.99 monthly and only need to add $5.01 to qualify for free shipping. So you get all 3 kits plus another $5.01 in additional product. Under the new pricing "value" structure, you would pay $90.97 for all three kits and receive NO additional product. that's $11.97 more or a 15% increase. Sorry April Foster, you are not being honest when you tell us that you didn't raise prices.
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