[$$$] Review: shuffletatus

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Fred at Tatuz International (formerly shuffletatu.com) sent me over some samples of their shuffleTatu’s for review. I took a week or so to try them out and wanted to give our readers my impressions of their product.

Looks:
I was excited by the selection of different looks that were included in the package. There were 5 solid iPod mini-esque colors including pink, purple, light blue, grey, and my favorite, mint green. Others included graphics of cow spots (very Gateway-like) and the Canadian, UK, Italian, and Irish flags. I personally liked the solid colors over the graphic Tatus. I might like to see some sort of do-it-yourself printer kit so people could print their own designs perhaps with a clear layer to apply once it’s printed. On the down side I could see what seemed like tiny air pockets under the outer shiny layer of the stickers. I think this came from the adhesive used to attach the outermost layer. It wasn’t terribly noticeable but I noticed it.

Price:
At $2.49 – $2.99 a pop and with $2.75 for ground shipping I think their prices are too high. The shipping on the package with free sapmples I received (which included 10 shuffletatus) was $0.49 via USPS First Class. From years of experience doing eBay I know when people are getting charged too much for shipping. What price would I be willing to pay? I would pay $15.00 for 10 tatus if they included free shipping. Also selling them individually doesn’t seem as attractive as selling packs. Half the fun I had with the samples was switching them out for others according to my mood.

Fit:
I was surprised at how closely the stickers fit the iPod shuffle. The outside dimensions were exactly the same as the shuffle. I did notice however that no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t get the circle cut out for the controls to line up. One side of the controls always seemed bumped up. I figure that the hole cut for the controls was a bit too small. It is a little complaint but it made it so the sticker never sat exactly flat.

Feel:
How do these feel? They do have a clear shiny outer layer that mimics the finish of the iPod shuffle. I noticed they had a slightly “mushy” feel to them. I think this was due to the thickness of the stickers.

Ease of Use:
I wish the packaging had at least a few instructions on how to apply them. I suppose they assume people can figure it out. I had to reapply them a couple of times to get just the exact fit.

Functionality:
I was hopeful that due to the “Post-It” like adhesive that these might be able to be applied, removed, and reapplied. I was able to successfully reapply my mint green sticker. I think with careful care you can reapply these a few times. It has to be noted that although the front and cap of the shuffle will be protected from scratches the sides and back are uncovered meaning that they can still get scratched.

Pros:
I really like the removable Post-It-like adhesive. It makes applying (and reapplying) the Tatus easy. I liked how the shuffle looked different from others shuffles.

Cons:
Overpriced. Circle opening for controls a bit too small.

Would I recommend buying them? I would say if you are looking for an easy way to differentiate your shuffle from others this is a good (if expensive) way.

All in all I give shuffletatus a 3 out of 5.

To find out more visit shuffletatu.com

UPDATE: Fred wrote in to comment on their shipping costs:

I would like to comment on pricing.
In ref to pricing on shipping the products.We charge $2.75 and that covers the package envelop, Delivery Confirmation and bubbled wrapped product to make sure the customers get the product in excellent shape and time. That does add up. It is not like place them in envelop and mail @ 49.00. Your package went the normal way due our policy toward sending samples out. With no cost to the receiver.

UPDATE 2: I gave one of the samples to a fellow shuffler and he let me know that the sticker for the non-lanyard (AKA regular) cap didn't fit right. He ended up trimming the lanyard sticker to fit the regular cap. I have not verified this but i'll check into it.