BEWARE OF THIS INCONSIDERATE PHOTOGRAPHER

gumiho

New Member
Hi ALL,

I had purchased the photoshoot package ($250) from him in October 2010 and immediately internet banking the deposit ($150) to him. We had made appointment for the photoshoot at the end of Nov 2010.

Unfortunately, my youngest daughter fell sick at the end of October 2010 and was been hospitalised for a week. She was been diagnosed with "Hirschsprung Disease". Afterwhich, she was been traumatised by the stay in hospital and from then on she dare not enter any enclose/unfamiliar area.

Due to the above, I requested for the photographer to come to my place for the photoshoot and even willing to pay for his transportation. However, he rejected me due to his tight schedule.

We are left with no choice but to ask for a refund but he immediately rejected us again. He claimed that the package can only be transfer and no refund. I had explained to him that we had no one to transfer and he replied me rudely," XXX, I don't believe you has no friends/relative/colleagues or friends in the forum who you can sell the package to." Well.... I am not ashamed to reply him that I really has no friends, our relatives are already grandmother/grandfather, colleagues are single and doesn't mean that members from "Singapore Motherhood" must has friends from the forum. Sarcastically, he accussed me of cooking up the stories and he don't believe there someone out there who has no friends. (Well.... Does it sound ridiculous to have no friends ?) Despite me kept claiming that I have no one to sell the package to but he insisted me to try and sell away the packages. I even threatened to report him to CASE and he replied,"BY ALL MEANS!"

Thereafter, I explained to him because my daughter is scare of enclose area due to she was been traumatise by her stay in the hospital therefore we have no choice but to ask for refund. And he replied," You should know your daughter well. In the first place, if you know of her condition then you shouldn't signed up for the package." I'm pissed off by his replied. Who can predict what sickness will "conquer" us ? And who can predict when will they pass away ? The worst part was his replied,"I DON'T BUY YOUR STORY!"

May I know which mother in this world will curse their own daughter to be contacted with some kind of disease ? His replied made me went mad. Frankly speaking, I felt disgusted. He is simply heartless.

In our whole conversation, I had tried so hard to explain to him my situation and I am left with no choice but he keep insisting me to transfer/sell his package to others. Is this how a businessman should behave ? Being heartless to others in order to be profitable?

Are there any kind soul out there who can advise me how to get our refund back from this MEAN PHOTOGRAPHER ? Who can I report this case to ? <font size="+1">Or are there any kind soul out there who is willing to purchase the package from us ?</font> Please pm me. Thank you ~

P/S : Do pm me if you would like to has more information of this photographer.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
quote:
Hi,


All packages sold during the promotional period are based on 1st come 1st serve basis.


You paid the required deposit, thus a session is blocked for you based on your preference.


Deposit is NOT refundable. But, I allow you to transfer to someone else.


CHEERS,

-Albert-

Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 10:31 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: 75 min S$250 studio package @CHEERS n TEARS photography


Hi Albert,

In that case, may I ask for a refund of my deposit ?
Because my daughter is scare of unfamiliar place due to her traumatised experience in the hospital.

We seek you kind understanding towards the above issue.

Hope to receive your favorably reply.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [email protected]
Subject: RE: 75 min S$250 studio package @CHEERS n TEARS photography
Date: Tue, 16 Nov 2010 01:27:42 +0800

Hi,

No. I can’t provide a home service on weekends. Tight schedule.


CHEERS,

-Albert-


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miloice

Well-Known Member
who will buy a package from you after you described your terrible experience with him using a topic asking others to BEWARE?

You don't talk much sense. Maybe its just your anger making you not think properly.
 

miloice

Well-Known Member
is $150 so damn important to you needing you to convince a stranger of your story. Frankly, you bought a package knowing the terms and conditions. Just move on lah. I just cancelled my HK trip losing some 1.5k. Accomodation and tix all on promotional rate not allowing any refund. Life goes on.
 

sundownprince

New Member
anyway i don't think you have a case... i dont detect any breach of contract on his part but you calling him names here; he can sue you for defamation... and this is prolly the only place you can complain. =) and yes he is running a business... and calling him inconsiderate makes ur package less desirable... who the hell wants to buy a package from an inconsiderate photograher.
 

sundownprince

New Member
yes i'm so amused by your posting.. i understand you are probably distraught upon the news about ur daughter...why not just go and take the photos...u will be there with ur daughter right? or are you financially tight?
 

albertri

New Member
my advice to everyone next time dont be lured by cheap deals. And also make sure the photographer has a good track records. There's one forum here in Singapore where photograpehrs flocks both hobbyst, amature and pro alike www.clubsnap.com/forums. you can post and ask around there majority of the folks there are very kind and helpful they are more flexiable also as most of them photography is not thier bread and butter more passion
happy.gif
 

matka

Member
Hi Gumiho

It is true that the deposit is used to book the timeslot. Given your 2-week notice, I think it is potentially loss of income for him if you ask him to return the deposit, because he may have already rejected other potential bookings.

In any case, any refund - full or partial - or any change will be done out of goodwill. He has no obligation to refund you.

Alternatively why don't you take leave from work and do the photoshoot at home on a weekday? Otherwise just forfeit the $150.
 

denise80

Active Member
Gumiho, u only think abt urself but not the photographer. U sounded like the unreasonable one here. His email to u is rather professional and neutral to me. Stop badmouthing him here because u r the mad one here. What is $150 anyway if ur daughter is the most impt here? U messed up his schedule and still ask for refund?? My god.
 

the_giving_tree

New Member
My gut feel is that I think it all boils down to communication: how the photographer communicates to her about his no-refund policy and how the thread starter communicates to the photographer about her request for an exception under unforeseen circumstances.

Perhaps if the photographer had said something like: "Im so sorry to hear that your daughter was hospitalized. How is she now? You know, I have a pretty tight schedule as all my sessions are booked months in advance. I would like to accommodate your request if I can but it will affect other clients. Say what, let's see how we can work out a solution blah...blah...blah..."

And if thread starter had said something like "I understand you have a very tight schedule blah..blah...blah..."

I'm saying this because recently I had to undergo a major operation. The first specialist that I consulted put me off totally when her blunt and curt remarks and lack of a clear explanation regarding my condition.

I decided to pay more for a private specialist in the same hospital (govt hospital) and what a contrast. Not only did this specialist told me in details what was happening to me and what my options were (which the 1st specialist did not), she was also very reassuring. She said, "Taking all your PET scans and blood tests into consideration, I don't think you have cancer. But I can only give you a 100% confirmation on the day of the surgery itself." She then went on to explain the scan to me. In the end, I felt that I could trust her with my life.

So, yes, I find the way we communication is very important. It's not just the words per say, but the message behind those words that are expressed through your tone and body language.
 

miloice

Well-Known Member
the photographer is under no obligation to her requests. And he is probably hearing all kinds of crap excuses everyday. Why would he bother to validate if each claim is valid. He could have but its not really his fault for not done so. At most, he has poor customer service. But, he isn't backing out of his terms and conditions.
 

powder

Active Member
he says that he can't provide home service on weekends... which i think is fair, why would u be travelling around on weekends to take photo n spend most of your time travelling? especially when u need the lights n props for the photography? u might need to employ an extra helper just for this purpose.

why not do it on a weekday n perhaps pay him some extras, else just forfeit the whole thing...

i've done the photgraphy thing before and the equipment level is rather high, so i can understand why it's either u go his place or u pay more for him to come to yours...

he is a professional photographer, he is unlikely to have CPF and stable stream of income.. his time IS money... i would think u should also be considerate towards him.

i am sure u can negotiate for him to keep the package price open to u over the next 1yr whilst your daughter overcomes the current predicament. if he can't then just drop the $150.

tat's life... the thing is, we are willing to pay certain professionals like doctors, but we tend to be less inclined with photographers or florists... everyone is making a living, and biz... as with all deposits - if for whatever reason u cannot fulfill your end, u will lose the deposit. it is a basic principle of biz... he has given u the option to transfer... u have to put some effort at your end, instead of just hoping the world bends for your convenience.

i'm sorry to hear abt your kid, i understand that there are options avail that will help correct the problem... so good luck on that.

ps: if u are not financially-able, and the $150 handicaps your basic living, pls pm me your account number, i'll transfer u the money.

ps2: there's really nothing to beware of this person... the title quite damaging actually... maybe u are one of those affected by the spa packages.. well we all buy packages n stuff from time to time... i have car grooming package for all my cars, and i hardly use them... what to do? pay liao...
 
Coincidentally, I signed a package with this photographer before, and the experience was quite bad. My baby was crying non stop as the photographer doesn't seem to be able to handle infants well. My baby was traumatised that she remained cranky for the next few days.

Gumiho, I am sharing my experience here as I am worried that your daughter may be traumatised further during the photoshoot.
 

powder

Active Member
just wondering... cos i've done this before as a parent... shouldn't it be OUR responsibility to calm our own kids and not the photographer? same with going to the dentist or doctor...

there were 3 trips to the dentist which my daughter just got so scared despite the various toys n goodies the dentist and nurses tried to calm her with... at the end of it, Nothing could happen... we felt embarassed more than angry or dissatisfied with the dentist... same with the doc on the first few visits, sometimes due to injections - the kids develop a fear for the environment... the smell of these places.

i'm NOT defending this photographer, i'm just saying that as parents... we have to be fair. especially if our kids are like 2yrs old and u know they have unexplainable tantrums...
 
powder, my baby was just 2 weeks old at the time of photoshoot. Of cos we tried our best to calm her down. But she'll cry whenever the photographer put her in awkuard poses. Until my hb had to tell him to avoid those positions. To be fair, if you want to advertise yourself as a children photographer, you have to know how to handle kids right?

With the benefit of hindsight, I should not have taken the bb for photoshoots when she's young.
 

jana1

New Member
is $150 so damn important to you needing you to convince a stranger of your story. Frankly, you bought a package knowing the terms and conditions. Just move on lah. I just cancelled my HK trip losing some 1.5k. Accomodation and tix all on promotional rate not allowing any refund. Life goes on.

I see it exactly like Milo. It's just 150 not 1.5k .
Just see it as a bad experience, that you and others can learn from not worth the hassle and the money. I see experiences like that just as little knits in life that are followed again by a straight road.
 

powder

Active Member
hi momo,

i do agree that u should not have gone for photography at only 2 weeks old. seriously 2 weeks?? i think the photographer should have outright rejected u. even those hospital ones would put the baby in the cradle to take... and children photgrapher is not baby photographer... in fact not even a baby yet. the only unawkaward position is probably cradling...
 
powder, that's the photographer's requirement. Newborn photoshoots has to be done when baby is less than 14 days. this is to capture babies when they still have their creases and wrinkles. (By the way, this is a general requirement from almost all phitotographers taking newborn photoshoots). You can google about it, and know what I mean.

Yes, I admit it was sill my mistake for signing the package when bb is so young. Anyway I am just sharing my experience to gumiho since she mentioned that her gal is already traumatised.
 

simpleman

Active Member
New-borns are asleep most of the time - at least 18 hrs.. Mostly they close their eyes. You can't expect to have good photographs easily(except those which you think is good with baby sleeping and eyes close). And who is the best person other than the parents? The photographer cannot be with the baby for 24 hrs.. and for baby photography - it is the moment that is important - how to seize the moment when it is there - just a split second.

So have your camera always ready. Best to have dSLR with higher aperture and high ISO - you don't want to use flash to scare the baby. If you don't have good camera, make sure enough natural light from window.

Newborn shoots using professional photographer really waste of time / money - as it is really trying your luck.. Your baby can't pose and smile artificially) - you have to capture them as it is.
 

simpleman

Active Member
For TS, typical Singaporean who only knows how to complain but never reflect upon themselves.

TS basically has no case.
 

thommy

New Member
Just let it go lah. $150 only and you burst some of your blood vessels over it, you think its worth it?
 

junoh1976

New Member
      
"photographers / graphic or website designers are really all scums"

Low EQ comments.. What a disgrace!
 

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