Provo Craft Products

Access TS Delivers Etsy Sellers an Alternative to the Postal Chase ...

PROVO, UT, May 16, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Access Technology Solutions (ATS) announced an international e-commerce partnership with Etsy, the world's most vibrant handmade marketplace. ATS' international "sell and ship" solution now makes it much easier for Etsy's sellers to offer expedited shipping with full order tracking and more affordable rates. Buyers benefit from lower shipping costs and faster delivery.

Equally important, Etsy sellers can calculate and pay international shipping charges, duties & taxes in one simple transaction from home. They avoid dreaded lines at local post offices and UPS centers. Etsy buyers around the world get guaranteed landed costs and can easily track and receive their purchases.

Etsy's phenomenal growth has been fueled by individuals' embrace of simpler times and their growing preference for custom, handmade goods. Etsy helps a global community connect with independent artisans and designers who use Etsy's technology and innovative services to start and grow their own businesses.

"We really identify with the Etsy community because ATS started as a small, hands-on business. Our initial focus was solely on building something unique that our friends and family really wanted, but simply couldn't find anywhere else," explained Chris Boyle, CEO of Access Technology Solutions. "And now, we're excited to be asked to help Etsy deliver the world. We've learned that when it comes to purchases that international online shoppers value highly, they want affordable, express shipping options with built-in order tracking and world-class service."

Boyle and his team started ATS as a concierge service for U.S. expatriates in Japan that couldn't find the comforts of home in local markets and shops. In less than a decade, ATS has grown into a hybrid software and global logistics company that now helps direct sellers and ecommerce brands sell and ship to markets all around the world. By building strong, trusted relationships with global logistics firms, customs brokers and local delivery agents, ATS is able to bypass cross-border bottlenecks and offer significantly lower international shipping costs than well-known domestic U.S. shippers.

Etsy has also grown via innovation and by building and nurturing trusted relationships. Today Etsy's 8 million-plus members hail from over 150 countries and access over 800,000 shops. Now generating over 1 billion page views per month and with sellers listing almost 9 million products, Etsy has built a fast-growing business that in 2010 saw its merchants' revenue rise to $314 million - a huge increase from $180 million in 2009.

Official Provo Craft Statement About Third-Party Software

I currently own 2 Expressions and a Personal Cutter as well as 94 cartridges, Design Studio and a Gypsy. I have created many custom images using the Gypsy and Design studio, and I would have no problem using only Provo Craft products if they would fulfill their promises. They make promises to their customers that they do not keep, such as creating 2 more design functions for the “Xtra1 and Xtra2″ buttons–buttons that no absolutely nothing! Instead of fulfilling their promise to complete these functions for the customers that had already invested in their machines, PC chose to create more new machines. Now they say “we know that some of our customers want the ability to cut with their Cricut certain images that are not available in the Cricut library. Many of you know that in April we are releasing the first version of Cricut Craft Room, which is an all-new, free, online design platform for Cricut. Though this feature won’t be available initially, we intend to provide our customers the ability to cut some of their own images in Cricut Craft Room in the future.” Customers need to read that very carefully, because if Provo Craft commits to “provide in the future” I will believe it when I see it! I would have better odds spending my crafting dollars on lottery tickets than I would investing any more money into promises made by Provo Craft!

I can understand Provocrafts point about investing so much money to bring their product to life. But, I also feel that just because provocraft did not come up with a software that would allow us to cut our own graphics…and that being because that would minimize their cartridges sales, that does not mean that noone else should be allowed to make any improvements to a product just because its thru a third party. I feel provocrafts has great cartridges of which I own many. But the truth is they couldn’t possibly have a cartridge for every graphic we would want to cut. So maybe in the interest of us their customers by which they make millions…they should try to see how they can work together with third party companies instead of wanting it all for them. I feel others should also have the opportunity to improve a product and benefit from the improvement part of it. Imagine if many of the products out in the market that we use everyday would not have been allowed to be improved To provocraft…..think of you customers first and what makes us happy.

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