Ek Success Paper punch.....the double flower one!!!!

I bought this punch today at M's, took it home and of course I gotta try it out, well I couldn't get the thing to punch so I took it back. M's tells me that they don't refund anymore on items once they've been open. I'm like how do you know if it works or not unless you open and use it? After little hasseling on my part I got them to at least let me exchange for another one. I'm home, go to try the new one, and again, it doesn't seem to want to punch on cardstock....It works a little better on the thinner paper, but not on cardstock. My question is this.....Is it me or has anyone else had trouble with this punch?

try punching it through some aluminum foil...I have heard that helps sometimes. Hope you get it working I have that same punch but luckilly haven't had a problem with it.

If you continue to have problems, try going straight to the source. Send an email to the folks at Ek Success detailing your experience with this product. Most companies that make scrapbooking tools have wonderful customer service departments. Hopefully they will be able to provide a satisfactory solution for you.

I am sorry that you had such a bad experience, it looks like it would make cute cut-outs. Be sure to write a review about it!

• KellyLeigh Said:

Thanks for the tip, but unfortunately now the punch is stuck closed with a piece of foil stuck in it. I'm gonna email them, hopefully they will take care of it for me....since M's isn't gonna do anything for me....I will not purchase another punch or tool from them anymore since this is their new policy!

Wow, I didn't know that M's did this. I was going to take a Martha Steward punch back but now I'm glad that I didn't. I hate hassles. Good Luck!

• scrapn biker chick Said:

Put the punch in the freezer for 10 or 15 minutes. The cold should get it to release. That's worked for me with stuck punches.

yes the heavier cardstock cant get it the lighter or thin stuff works but this was Around the Block punch with the embossing and punching i tried to return it to my lss cuz i want it for cardstock...she wouldnt take it back she called company to see she could return it she was gonna charge me a restock fee etc.....i said forget it but when you buy something you like it to work on everything.....she wouldnt even exchange it

• judyQ Said:

I will give it a shot.....don't have anything to loose at this point. I have emailed Ek Success , hopefully they'll do something for me.

I've found that all of my "intricate" punches are a nightmare to use on cardstock any thicker than the generic CS from Michaels.
I've gotten to a point that if I want to punch something out of thicker paper, I just make the shape that I want in Illustrator and then cut out the shapes on my craft robo because my hands cannot handle using the punches much.

• Shutterbugg Said:

I own several Fiskars punches and have had no problem.....hubby's gonna buy me a cricut for xmas which should take care of me needing/wanting more punches....I'll be wanting carts instead! Now if only xmas were tomorrow........

Hey I bought the same punch!
It did the very same thing, wont punch!
I thought about taking it back to Hobby Lobby but I already threw the packaging away!

I had no idea that M's had a policy against bringing back defective merchandise. Did you have your receipt? If so, that is definitely NOT cool. I would write the corporate office and tell them that in the future you will not do any shopping until you can have a store employee open the package and make sure it works before you buy it. That's an empty threat, of course. I don't think there are employees at my M's. I usually just see one miserable looking cashier.

When I first get a new punch, I always punch through some wax paper first. Even if I haven't had a problem with it, the wax coats it and makes punching much smoother. The aluminium foil is for sharpening your punch. A brand new one shouldn't need sharpened, but I do try that next if the wax paper doesn't work and I regularly use both to keep my punches working smoothly.

The freezer trick worked for me once, I had tried to punch through a ribbon and it was REALLY stuck, and someone on here suggested the freezer and it worked! The cold makes the metal contract, I guess. But make sure you leave it in there several hours. I checked after 2 hours, and nothing. So I went on to bed, and it was unstuck in the morning. I'd say it needs time to get to the correct temperature.

As someone else said, if nothing else, contack Ek Success . They have a good name in customer service, and I have contacted them before about some stickers and they replaced them free.

I finally got it unstuck....my husband can get it to punch, but he has to put all his weight on it, standing up....I've read several reviews here and apparently I'm not the only one who's had this problem.

I have sent Ek Success an email explaining my dilemma...I will keep you posted as to their response.

My husband wants me to take it back to M's and stand my ground as far as their return policy. It doesn't specifically state on the receipt that it must be in the unopened package. I did have my receipt and the original package and even the bag....they just won't except the return because it had been opened....well, duh...how would you know it's broken if you don't actually open the package and use it. In the future, I will just either open the package right in the aisle and try things out before I take to the register to pay for it.....maybe if enough people do this, they will change their policy.

My husband, suggested that I just go buy a cricut to make my own flowers, then I won't need so many punches........ YIPPEE!!!!! Now, if I only had $200.

the funny thing about the cricut is, you will have the opposite problem...the thinner the paper is, the more chance the blade will tear it up when cutting out the shapes. For me this hasn't been a problem often b/c I rarely buy paper that isn't cardstock thickness.

Hope you get your cricut soon!! I absolutely love mine and it is better than having to house so many punches.

I bought this punch a couple years ago and had the same problem. I could only use it on ting paper, which is pointless for me.

Just wanted to update everyone on this issue.....I have heard back from Ek Success and they are going to replace it free of charge. WO HOO!!!! M's refused to take it back...I'm boycotting them at this point, not just because of this, but because of their other issues....they had some items "On Sale" for .01 cent cheaper than the regular price and would'nt honor the 50% off coupon the other day. It seemed like the stuff that wasn't on sale was less than $10 to begin with. Not that 1/2 of $10 isn't good, but come on.... Plus the staff is not as friendly, they act like you're bothering them. I'll stick to J's, or my lss or sb.com Superstore from now on.

Mu husband just called me.....the mail came and I received my punch from Ek Success .....I just wanted everyone to know that they are apparently a respectable company and stand by their product. It's good to know that there are companies with good customer service.

• scrapn biker chick Said:

How does the new one work?

• Croppin4Christ Said:

I will give it a try when I get home from work and post with the results.

• scrapn biker chick Said:

Well, the verdict is in......even though Ek Success stands by their product by the fact that they did send me a replacement punch....I now am the proud owner of 2 of the said mentioned punches and neither of them works......

Apparently it's a design flaw with this double punch....

Anyway, I have a Cricut now and can make all the paper flowers I will ever need.