Spent $180 on a last-minute express print shop, never again

Had a big client presentation due at 9am and my home printer died at 11pm the night before. Panic paid $180 to a 24-hour print place in Austin to rush 40 color copies and binding. The quality was fine but they charged me $4.50 per page and still took until 7am. Honestly, I could've just used the library's printer for free and skipped sleep the same way. Anyone else get burned by those emergency printing services or know a cheaper backup for this?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_xena1mo ago

Last time I needed urgent prints I drove 30 minutes to a Kinkos that was supposedly open 24/7, only to find a note saying they close at 10pm now, so I feel your pain lol.

reesel501mo ago

Gotta wonder if they even bother updating their Google hours anymore, or if it's just a gamble every single time you head out there. I've had the same thing happen at a FedEx near me where the sign on the door says one thing and the actual staff do whatever they want. Did you happen to check the website before you drove, or did you just trust the old 24/7 sticker on the window like I always do? Seems like those places are stuck in 2015 and haven't caught up to the fact that nobody wants to pay a night shift just for the occasional desperate soul with a paper due at 8am. Maybe they figure the loss of a few late-night customers is worth not having to staff the register, but it's a real slap in the face when you're already running on no sleep.