Fun little fact about GS1 (at least Canada) - they charge you $150 to cancel (almost like charging another year's worth of service for trying to leave) and their customer support is beyond useless.
I had to cancel because my most recent business wasn't working out, so I called to cancel and was told you can only cancel online. They gave me the cancellation page but I had to enter my company's user ID but it kept saying "not found". Called them up, said they'd have support figure it out and insisted that it was impossible to cancel by phone because cancelling required payment through their automated system which was only handled online. Yay...
A month goes by, support never gets back to me, and I get an email about an overdue invoice. Call them back up, get more useless advice ("I'll send the link again!") and then I'm told that there is no manager to speak to, I still can't cancel by phone, and after a pretty lengthy ear-lashing (trying to see how far I can push this at this point) a frustrated rep tells me that the fee still isn't negotiable and there's literally nothing she can do.
Finally get the cancel page to work (I guess they were having system issues that got resolved finally), paid my $150 (plus tax!), and began thinking about how difficult it would be to compete with them because there is clearly room for improvement here.
Honestly, I've had nothing but bad experiences with GS1 from day 1. Easily the most expensive service I paid for (and cancelled) for the least value provided. They didn't even offer UPC graphic design tools when I signed up. Not even a number generator to easily copy all the numbers I paid for. Just a "calculation tool" that was ultra manual and needed to be used for each and every number. Ended up just creating my own tool in excel to automate it.
GS1 is a joke in my experience. A necessary joke, as they are the only legit game in town for proper barcode numbers, but still a joke. Maybe it's just a GS1 Canada thing...
I had to cancel because my most recent business wasn't working out, so I called to cancel and was told you can only cancel online. They gave me the cancellation page but I had to enter my company's user ID but it kept saying "not found". Called them up, said they'd have support figure it out and insisted that it was impossible to cancel by phone because cancelling required payment through their automated system which was only handled online. Yay...
A month goes by, support never gets back to me, and I get an email about an overdue invoice. Call them back up, get more useless advice ("I'll send the link again!") and then I'm told that there is no manager to speak to, I still can't cancel by phone, and after a pretty lengthy ear-lashing (trying to see how far I can push this at this point) a frustrated rep tells me that the fee still isn't negotiable and there's literally nothing she can do.
Finally get the cancel page to work (I guess they were having system issues that got resolved finally), paid my $150 (plus tax!), and began thinking about how difficult it would be to compete with them because there is clearly room for improvement here.
Honestly, I've had nothing but bad experiences with GS1 from day 1. Easily the most expensive service I paid for (and cancelled) for the least value provided. They didn't even offer UPC graphic design tools when I signed up. Not even a number generator to easily copy all the numbers I paid for. Just a "calculation tool" that was ultra manual and needed to be used for each and every number. Ended up just creating my own tool in excel to automate it.
GS1 is a joke in my experience. A necessary joke, as they are the only legit game in town for proper barcode numbers, but still a joke. Maybe it's just a GS1 Canada thing...
Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member:
Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
Membership Required: Upgrade to Expose Nearly 1,000,000 Posts
Ready to Unleash the Millionaire Entrepreneur in You?
Become a member of the Fastlane Forum, the private community founded by best-selling author and multi-millionaire entrepreneur MJ DeMarco. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has poured his heart and soul into the Fastlane Forum, helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time, win their financial freedom, and live their best life.
With more than 39,000 posts packed with insights, strategies, and advice, you’re not just a member—you’re stepping into MJ’s inner-circle, a place where you’ll never be left alone.
Become a member and gain immediate access to...
- Active Community: Ever join a community only to find it DEAD? Not at Fastlane! As you can see from our home page, life-changing content is posted dozens of times daily.
- Exclusive Insights: Direct access to MJ DeMarco’s daily contributions and wisdom.
- Powerful Networking Opportunities: Connect with a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who can offer mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities.
- Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.
"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most..."
Who are you surrounding yourself with? Surround yourself with millionaire success. Join Fastlane today!
Join Today
