G GUERRERO PHOTOGRAPHY wrote:
One client calls about a month and a half after receiving her photos claiming that the photos look too "textured" making reference to the paper used. The paper used was Fuji Crystal Archive paper and printed at a lab.

What was the paper surface you provided?

G GUERRERO PHOTOGRAPHY wrote:
Your thoughts, comments, suggestions?

1.  how much is at stake here?

2. google name, sometimes interesting thing show up

G GUERRERO PHOTOGRAPHY wrote:
I'm curious as to what some of you make of this....

Did photography work for an event that was extended to 5 weekends in a row. Basic photo packages that consisted of matte finished prints. One client calls about a month and a half after receiving her photos claiming that the photos look too "textured" making reference to the paper used. The paper used was Fuji Crystal Archive paper and printed at a lab. The photos were taken in a studio type setting with a backdrop and studio strobes. Photos were uploaded and edited with Lightroom and Photoshop as is all of my work.

Many portraits were taken, processed and delivered without complaints with the exception of this one client. Makes me think is the client

A. Dissatisfied with the prints?

B. Scanned the prints, made copies and now wants to return originals for a refund?

I said I would reprint them using another lab and perhaps glossy paper but she insists on a refund. I tend to think she did reprints and she is trying to pull a fast one.

Your thoughts, comments, suggestions?

If you have a return/refund policy, honor it.  If this can cause future job issues, consider refunding it.  Otherwise, tell her to get lost.  You'll reprint for her, but nothing else.

Christopher Hartman wrote:

If you have a return/refund policy, honor it.  If this can cause future job issues, consider refunding it.  Otherwise, tell her to get lost.  You'll reprint for her, but nothing else.

+1

Chuckarelei wrote:
She's trying to find a way out. Don't back off.

I am keeping firm and won't back down because the photos she received were done correctly

Thanks!

Leonard Gee Photography wrote:

G GUERRERO PHOTOGRAPHY wrote:
One client calls about a month and a half after receiving her photos claiming that the photos look too "textured" making reference to the paper used. The paper used was Fuji Crystal Archive paper and printed at a lab.

What was the paper surface you provided?

1.  how much is at stake here?

2. google name, sometimes interesting thing show up

It's not a lot at stake here but it's more of the idea or perhaps her attempt to gain free images. I will google her name and see if anything surfaces. The photos were printed on Fuji Crystal Archive Matte finish paper from a lab like I've used many many times in the past.

Thanks for your input!

GER Photography wrote:
Once delivered the deal is done, no refunds.

I totally agree with this! Thanks!

Isaiah Brink wrote:
Well, if in every single other instance, the customer was happy with the type of paper and surface used, then it's probably the client.  But I think you're doing the right thing by reprinting on a glossy surface.  If this dosn't satisfy them, then let them know that those are the only two surfaces available in the area, and they should have to pick between one or the other.  But be ready to walk away with all of the prints and no money.  If it was for something like a kids soccer team, don't worry, they'll be back with money in hand after the parents give them a hard time about no pics.

I did offer to reprint on glossy paper as an alternative and yes I've been working with both of these paper finishes for a number of years with no issues but I know there is always one in the bunch that will try and challenge. I appreciate the input!

Downtown Pro Photo wrote:
trying to rip you off.
You can't return a movie or computer program once it's been opened, no returning photos once they've been accepted. 
A reprint in exchange for the original if they're unhappy with quality, no problem.  Full refund, never.

Exactly! I feel that prints need to be treated the same way as the items you mention. I have no issue reprinting to resolve the matter especially because of the length of time before she contacted me, who knows if she did do scans and reprints. Definitely not doing the refund!

Thanks for your input!

J O H N  A L L A N wrote:
A month and a half later - Ahh No.

You're really going above and beyond at this point with your offer to reprint. But I'd hold very firm on no refund, it's an unreasonable demand.

Right? I know as a business we have to bite the bullet and if it's within reasonable means but something just seems wrong about this that makes me think she is up to something of no good. I am firm on the no refund and will do,the reprints.

Thanks for your input!

Mike Collins wrote:
Well, what is your policy?  I do have a 100% money back guarantee on my portraits.  Within reason of course.  It doesn't take a month and half not to like them.   Hell, I even tell my clients who may be on the edge whether to buy them or not.  I tell them to take them home, put them on their walls and if they are still not happy, I will either reshoot, reprint, make smaller prints or refund their money.  Very few have ever returned their portraits

But I have had a handful of people return their packages to me.  But every time it's been within a week or two.  Some get buyers remorse.  Some just didn't like them.  Usually it was them, not me. 

I would never deal with anyone who didn't offer me my money back if I was dissatisfied.  Why should I be any different?

Digital files?  Which I do offer to some.  I can't offer refunds on that AND I tell them this upfront.  Those are too easily copied and are exact copies.

I may consider a refund if it's within a reasonable time but in this case too much time has passed where it has given her the time to scan and print and attempt to return them. I am very fair when it comes to business practice and will always do what I feel needs to be done to keep the client and this has occurred again within a reasonable timeframe but this particular instance I think it steps out of bounds. I've been asked about selling the digital files and this perhaps may be a way to go but I will definitely state no refunds on the files. Although that idea doesn't sit too well with me but may consider to some.

Appreciate your time and input!

G GUERRERO PHOTOGRAPHY wrote:
I'm curious as to what some of you make of this....

Did photography work for an event that was extended to 5 weekends in a row. Basic photo packages that consisted of matte finished prints. One client calls about a month and a half after receiving her photos claiming that the photos look too "textured" making reference to the paper used. The paper used was Fuji Crystal Archive paper and printed at a lab. The photos were taken in a studio type setting with a backdrop and studio strobes. Photos were uploaded and edited with Lightroom and Photoshop as is all of my work.

Many portraits were taken, processed and delivered without complaints with the exception of this one client. Makes me think is the client

A. Dissatisfied with the prints?

B. Scanned the prints, made copies and now wants to return originals for a refund?

I said I would reprint them using another lab and perhaps glossy paper but she insists on a refund. I tend to think she did reprints and she is trying to pull a fast one.

Your thoughts, comments, suggestions?

Good news travels fast - bad news travels faster...
How much bad news can your business withstand?
How much bad news can this person generate?
How much is this bad news going to cost you not just in dollars and cents but in future business?

Offer to reprint at no charge, and in writing, to the client's exact specs on exactly the paper the client chooses and be done with it - eat the extra cost.
(and if you priced the job properly you will still show something of a profit)

Eye of the World wrote:
If you think she scanned the prints you made, you may want to try it yourself to see what she may have gotten. In many cases scans off of textured paper come out horrible so if you really think she may have done that it would be interesting to see what the likely results were.

Otherwise a month and a half is way too long for a refund. Reprints maybe, refund, no. In the future you might whenever possible have clients pick up the prints in person and sign off on their approval before they ever leave. That would eliminate any who might want to do the scan and print their own scam.

I may do some scans to see the results. Yes a month and a half is too long and definitely no refund! Great idea about signing off on the prints when picking them up. As the digital photography evolves I've noticed that people will figure out ways of scamming you. In the last I've had people say in my presence that they will order say a 5x7 print and they will make copies for family members.

Thanks for your time and input!

Michael DBA Expressions wrote:
buy, scan, return for refund . . . hmmmm.

Looks to me like one more reason to be sure to register the copyrights of everything you shoot. But it's up to you.

I, too, think I'd scan a few photos on that paper to see how the scans come out, just for your own peace of mind.

I suspect we are not talking here about enough money to bankrupt you. On that basis, if it were me (and having myself already registered my copyrights), I'd have her send back the prints and refund her money. This is just good PR.

But boy, if any of those shots turned up later on Facebook, or Instagram, etc., I'd have no qualms whatever sicin' my IP attorney on her case.

Copyright all images would be ideal but super time consuming and costly. Copyright laws do give us some protection and with metadata embedded in the files will prove the images are mine if it ends up one day in court, hopefully not. No the dollar amount is nothing that will bankrupt me but it's the principle of the matter. I've dealt with an individual using my images of a model to promote his photography on his website and boy did I open this guys eyes! I filed through the DMCA and threatened to shut him down for infringement and that's when he realized he was in the wrong and without knowing how severe it was. He removed the images and was very apologetic for the incident.
I'd hate to see the images posted on social media pages because all hell will break loose!!!

Thanks for your input!

cwwmbm wrote:
And thinking she rescanned and reprinted... That's just paranoia.

Alas, no. Seen this happen enough times to know some people will go to extraordinary lengths to game the system. I've seen a similar phenomenon occasionally with weddings, where immediately afterward the bride and family are gushing, but when they sit down months afterward and realize how much they spent on the wedding, call or email with a story about how the photos are "so horrible the bride's been crying non-stop" etc. What they don't realize is we know most of the vendors in the area. A few phone calls reveals that the caterer, videographer, DJ, florist, etc. have all received that same call, and same sob story, wanting a refund.

G GUERRERO PHOTOGRAPHY wrote:

Copyright all images would be ideal but super time consuming and costly. Copyright laws do give us some protection and with metadata embedded in the files will prove the images are mine if it ends up one day in court, hopefully not.

Sadly, a lot of people simply have no real care for quality. Copyright registration doesn't do you any good if they're content with printing them out at home. Or if the cheap photo lab doesn't bother to check. :-/

Christopher Hartman wrote:

If you have a return/refund policy, honor it.  If this can cause future job issues, consider refunding it.  Otherwise, tell her to get lost.  You'll reprint for her, but nothing else.

I do state that if there is an issue with the prints they will be reprinted and corrected if this is the case. They will always threaten to create or give a bad rap about us if we don't resolve the issue but I will always do my best to keep a satisfied client if that happens.

Appreciate your input!

Looknsee Photography wrote:
Offer glossy prints, at your expense or maybe at your cost? 

In any case, you need to engage with your client & get more details about what will satisfy her.  Negotiate.

Absolutely! I did offer glossy prints instead hoping that it will resolve the issue. Her satisfaction is the refund but I think I can negotiate with her.

Thanks for your input!

G GUERRERO PHOTOGRAPHY wrote:
I said I would reprint them using another lab and perhaps glossy paper but she insists on a refund. I tend to think she did reprints and she is trying to pull a fast one.

Your thoughts, comments, suggestions?

Tell your client to send the prints back to you, and you'll refund her the money, and move on.  You're going to find that you're not going to please everyone, and it's better to give her the money back, than to waste time with her, as she's not going to like anything you give her.

cwwmbm wrote:
I would absolutely refund it. You don't know what took her 1.5 months, maybe she was in a hospital or something. And bad word of mouth travels way further than 100 good words.
And thinking she rescanned and reprinted... That's just paranoia.

The only thing she mentioned in our conversation was that she was on vacation but it certainly wasn't for a month. With social media you can't stop bad word of mouth and yes it does travel far but for the one bad apple there are many more who think differently. I wouldn't say it's paranoia but rather looking after my business. I've been told from clients that they would buy say one print and they would make copies and distribute them to family members, that's flat out disrespect for what I do and they attempt to make copies without knowing about copyright infringement. I'm in the business of photography where I shoot and sell prints but I don't want to get caught up with clients contacting me a month or two down the road seeking a refund, that just seems a bit out of the ordinary.

I appreciate your input!

JoJo wrote:

Good news travels fast - bad news travels faster...
How much bad news can your business withstand?
How much bad news can this person generate?
How much is this bad news going to cost you not just in dollars and cents but in future business?

Offer to reprint at no charge, and in writing, to the client's exact specs on exactly the paper the client chooses and be done with it - eat the extra cost.
(and if you priced the job properly you will still show something of a profit)

Oh absolutely! Bottom line is that I want a happy client and move on to the next job. Reprinting is my first and firm solution but if this escalates into something ugly yeah I may just bite the bullet for the sake of bad news.

Truly appreciate your input!

Jayme Blaschke wrote:

Alas, no. Seen this happen enough times to know some people will go to extraordinary lengths to game the system. I've seen a similar phenomenon occasionally with weddings, where immediately afterward the bride and family are gushing, but when they sit down months afterward and realize how much they spent on the wedding, call or email with a story about how the photos are "so horrible the bride's been crying non-stop" etc. What they don't realize is we know most of the vendors in the area. A few phone calls reveals that the caterer, videographer, DJ, florist, etc. have all received that same call, and same sob story, wanting a refund.

Exactly! I think people are really going this route and as a business this will kill us!

Appreciate your input!

G GUERRERO PHOTOGRAPHY wrote:

Oh absolutely! Bottom line is that I want a happy client and move on to the next job. Reprinting is my first and firm solution but if this escalates into something ugly yeah I may just bite the bullet for the sake of bad news.

Truly appreciate your input!

She sounds like a bad client that I would not want to work with in the future.

Brooklyn Bridge Images wrote:

Right?

Ruben Sanchez wrote:

Tell your client to send the prints back to you, and you'll refund her the money, and move on.  You're going to find that you're not going to please everyone, and it's better to give her the money back, than to waste time with her, as she's not going to like anything you give her.

True, I just don't want this type of practice or scam to become an epidemic or for me to be known as the photographer who will give in with any story or excuse. I just want us all to be happy in the end!

Jerry Nemeth wrote:

She sounds like a bad client that I would not want to work with in the future.

The day of the event she was a very pleasant lady, and than they show you the flip side! In this economy I know it's hard times and they can't seem to understand that what they pay for is a memory and keepsake

G GUERRERO PHOTOGRAPHY wrote:

The day of the event she was a very pleasant lady, and than they show you the flip side! In this economy I know it's hard times and they can't seem to understand that what they pay for is a memory and keepsake

People want to get everything for free.  I'm sure that you took a great photograph.