Erin Condren 2015/2016 Life Planner with coil issue

 I have been waiting to post pictures and information about my new Erin Condren life planner until I received a resolution to the issues with the planner I received.  My planner shipped on time and arrived in a timely manner even though Ready to Ship did not mean ready to ship.  I received one of the many planners with a coil issue.  It seems the coils were cut to short to bend properly so the planner would lay flat.   Also the cover of my planner had 3 large air pockets and the was torn at the bottom from the bad coil, the bottom portion of the cover would not stay on at all.   Several of the month tabs also had air bubbles in short this planner was mess.  I was very disappointed after the disaster of a launch last year and promises they had made improvements to correct these problems I was hoping for a perfect planner.

I contacted Erin Condren with many pictures of all the issues, they were very nice helpful and shipped out an replacement planner with overnight shipping.  I had the replacement within 5 days.  Would you believe the coil on this planner was worse than the first one!  I am not even sure how that was even possible otherwise the planner was fine, that is progress I suppose.   I have placed many many orders with Erin Condren I love the notebooks for project books.  I have given planners as gifts and encouraged others to buy from Erin Condren,  I thought about contacting them again about the problems with the second planner but I just couldn't I am so frustrated and tired of dealing with a company that obviously has a supplier issues and are making no effort to correct these problems.  From my personal experience the last 2 years it seems they would prefer to have to send replacement planners after replacement planner vs correcting the issues they have.  I have neither the time nor the patience for that any more. Next year I will be trying a different company or possibly designing my own.  I designed my own homeschool planner while a life planner would be a huge undertaking I might give it a try.

SOLUTIONS

Here are the solutions I used for the 2 unusable planners

1.  While I had not planned on uncoiling this planner I decided to go ahead and uncoil it, trim and put it in my Filofax at least this way I can use it.  I love my Filofax and I love having my life planner in it, I just had plans for the new planner that did not involve going in a Filofax.   Since the tabs have air bubbles I am going to cut them off and make some to put at the top of the planner.  I don't use the covers in my Filofax they are just too bulky so the damaged one is not a problem.  This planner has turned into a project planner good thing I love crafting.

2.  For the second planner, I handed it my husband and said "Fix it" :)  Being an engineer he went on for a bit about how they could so incorrectly measure the coil and how did it get past quality control at the supplier when being produced much less Erin Condren's quality control before shipping.  After looking at it for awhile and trying to turn it enough to get the ends of coil in the best place he got the coil bent enough it will almost lay flat there is a small hump at the bottom but it is totally usable.  I gifted this planner to one of my sisters who really could use it and is thrilled to get it.


While I am disappointed with the quality of the planner this year, the problems and the thinner paper, I love the design.  The notepaper in front of the months,  the blank spaces on the weekly pages, the goal pages are just some of my favorite new features.

My order, a life planner, a simple notebook, and a launch set. 

The launch set, the pens are nice and do not bleed through the paper,  I prefer my Staedtler Pens 

I love the sticker book 

Look at that foil

They do have a very strong smell if that bothers you.  I am really happy with the sticker book. 

As you can see the envelope is small and in no way will hold even the simple notebook. It will be perfect for supplies such as stickers, washi samples, a few pens.. 

Here is the simple notebook.  I like it it is perfect although I ordered the wrong one, I meant to order the one with the pocket and zip pouch.  This one is just the notepages I will use it though. 

THE PLANNER 

The 2015/2016 life planner I really like the RTS cover

As you can see the coil prevents it from laying flat at all. 

This is as far as the paper would go without tearing 

This is a picture of the second planner coil. 

It is hard to see but the cover is split in 3 places at the bottom of the cover from being forced over the bad coil I think. 

One of the 3 air pockets in the cover 

I love the new goal pages

The notepages at the beginning at each month is back, I love having this to keep up with large projects for the month or a list of has to be done that month. 

The prepetual calendar and pocket folder. The folder feels thicker and better made than last years 

Several goodies in the zipper pouch, do it dots, coil clip, cards and referral cards. 

I hope you have better luck with your planner than I did.  If you want to uncoil your planner to add it to a binder, Filofax, Kikki K etc it is easy to do and will take you less than an hour.  

Happy Planning! 

Fluorescent Pink Filofax with Erin Condren Life Planner

I have a new planner the Fluro Pink A5 by Filofax. I love it.  I have being using a Electric Blue Finsbury which I do like it is my favorite color of burple(blue and purple mix) it has great pockets and large rings.  It fell on the floor and the leather tore in 2 places this was not a huge drop it slide off the chair to the floor.  I was upset and disappointed that it would be damaged so easily to be a leather planner.  The Finsbury will now be a office only planner so it gets no further damage and I have switched to the Fluro Pink Original Filofax for everyday go everywhere with me use.  

I was a bit scared to use it for fear of damage and would it hold as much as the Finsbury.  The Finsbury has 30mm rings and the Original has 25mm, so far I am pleased.  The leather on the Original seems thicker than the Finsbury.  I am not as worried about it getting damaged.  I know the rings are smaller on the Original but it seems to hold more than what I had in the Finsbury.  Maybe because it has a longer strap on it and has more give.  

I have 6 months of an Erin Condren planner with the note pages plus 6 dividers with other files and papers I need on a daily/weekly basis.  I have 2 envelopes with stickers, post its etc items I use everyday.   I also have post it notes, cards, and 1 pen. There is the standard Filofax notepad in the back I am working on a way to add a larger one.  The only thing I do not care for with Original is the lack of pockets and card slots. 

Here are the picture because that is the best part.  I am working on getting better photos so any helpful suggestions are welcome.  

A5 Filofax Fluro Pink 

Flyleaf and 1st divider 

I have 6 months of the Erin Condren life planner.  The whole thing would fit, since I have so many other papers I do 6 months at a time.  

It took very little trimming to make the pages fit. I just trimmed the edges with the spirals on it then punched.  It took less than 1 hour to do. 

At the back of the planner I have a envelope with stickers and the notepad that came with the planner. 

 A side view as you can see the tabs with the months from Erin Condren do stick out a little bit.   I have seen others move the tabs to the top I may try that with the new planner, it does not bother me much so I have not altered mine yet. 

As you can see there is room for more. 

 If you are interested in a Erin Condren life planner here is my referral link if you sign up you will get a $10.00 coupon.  I do recommend the life planner I have used them for years they are well made, the paper is good quality, they are easy to use and customize to your life.  

Erin Condren Life Planner $10.00 Coupon