Beware of PCA/Wal-Mart portrait studio *Update pg. 5*

[MickeyCrazed]

Did you pay for the pictures using a credit card? If so, I would definately contact the credit card company and dispute the charge.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I don't like how wal-mart photos look (the carpet always throws me).

Your post convinces me that it is definitely not the place for my business.

I am sorry you had a bad experience


You certainly should have been compensated for the poor quality photos. One assumes when you go to a "professional" that they will do it correctly and if not---at their expense do it correctly.



As far as the posts about clothed kids--it could be a liablity thing and they do not wish to open the door for any reason.

I know a photographer who will photograph a baby naked (but only tushy showing) where Penney's will not let baby go diaperless.

These studios are in the same mall (let alone same state)--so any policies for children and how they are presented in the photo--aside from their private parts--it is the company that decides (at least in Florida) and not state law.

 

[melomouse]

I am a freelance photographer and had the opportunity to join the staff of Wal-Mart/PCA Portrait Studios.

After one day of orientation, I resigned the positon due to their highly questionable business practices, arrogant management and very poorly run operation. There is virtually no communication between the branch studios and the corporate office. No accountability anywhere along the chain of operations and their philosophy is "make sure the customer leaves with far less money than they came in with." This is to be done any way possible. The employees at each studio are threatened weekly by a visit from some manager or another who badgers them about their sales figures and constantly threatens to terminate them if their sales are not up to whatever the manager thinks they should be that day.

The result is low morale, harrassed employees and more often than not, unhappy customers.

The money you paid for this terrible job should have been refunded in full and NO ONE should have the right to tell you how much better they shots look with the discoloration (which, by the way, happened because whoever loaded the film magazine did a poor job).

Unfortunately, PCA is in business to make as much money as possible. NOT to make a good product (which would result in high revenue, but they can't seem to figure that equation out).

I hope you are able to resolve this problem and I sympathise with your dilemma.

Brian

 

[LegoMom3]

I have had poor service from them, too. Pics came out ok but I wasn't happy with the overall experience.

And by the way, your girls are absolutely precious!!!!!! Thanks for posting their photos, even if it was to show the poor quality. They are just the sweetest....

 

[babiesX2]

Unfortunately, PCA is in business to make as much money as possible. NOT to make a good product (which would result in high revenue, but they can't seem to figure that equation out).

I hope you are able to resolve this problem and I sympathise with your dilemma.
Brian

DH and I strongly suspected this -- PCA takes their customers to be suckers. Thanks for confirming it for us. This is exactly why I posted this here -- to warn people. I seriously doubt we will ever get a penny back from them. I am glad I have warned the public, and hopefully, everyone who has read this will take it seriously and warn others who they hear are considering going there.

Remember folks -- PCA has all the credibility of a late night infomercial!

 

[babiesX2]

I have had poor service from them, too. Pics came out ok but I wasn't happy with the overall experience.

And by the way, your girls are absolutely precious!!!!!! Thanks for posting their photos, even if it was to show the poor quality. They are just the sweetest....

Thank you!

 

[Mom2R&D]

A couple of years ago, I took my boys into a WalMart studio for a quickie, spur of the moment portrait session. I told the "photograper" I only wanted the package and that I didn't want any of the extra poses or pictures. She insisted that they "had" to shoot them but she wouldn't badger me to purchase them.

Fast forward to when my package came in: the "extra" shots were flawed (you could see another background behind the background they were posed in front of) and she told me I could just have them. I was shocked, needless to say, but ended up with decent (albeit not great) pics.

However, I was still underwhelmed by the whole experience and don't know if I would use them again.

 

[babiesX2]

I called Wal-Mart's corporate office in Bentonville, AR. Wal-Mart does not own any part of PCA studios. All Wal-Mart does is lease to them the space in their stores for the studio.

Hmmpphh! I had to go to Wal-Mart this morning and I took note of the sign. It says "Wal-Mart Portrait Studio". So as long as everything is fine and dandy with the place their name is attached to it. If they give someone poor service, they have no ownership.

 

[plummer925]

You asked earlier about copyrights. If you did not purchase the copyrights from Walmart, then you don't have the right to copy them (I'm not putting you down - I'm just trying to answer your question). Photography copyrights do not expire very often - upon the death of a photographer, but even then, not always (i.e. Ansel Adams has passed on but his photos are not available for everyone to copy). In this case, as long as the business is IN business I believe they own the copyright (I say I believe, because it's either until they go out of business or 50 or 100 years after - it depends on the situation).

I say this because I have a husband who's a photographer.

Someone mentioned earlier about you getting your money back if you paid with a credit card. If you did, DEFINITELY Dispute it before it's too late to do so! Call that company EVERY DAY until you get the results you want (as long as it's on their dime!).

Good luck!!!

 

[babiesX2]

You asked earlier about copyrights. If you did not purchase the copyrights from Walmart, then you don't have the right to copy them (I'm not putting you down - I'm just trying to answer your question). Photography copyrights do not expire very often - upon the death of a photographer, but even then, not always (i.e. Ansel Adams has passed on but his photos are not available for everyone to copy). In this case, as long as the business is IN business I believe they own the copyright (I say I believe, because it's either until they go out of business or 50 or 100 years after - it depends on the situation).

I say this because I have a husband who's a photographer.

Someone mentioned earlier about you getting your money back if you paid with a credit card. If you did, DEFINITELY Dispute it before it's too late to do so! Call that company EVERY DAY until you get the results you want (as long as it's on their dime!).

Good luck!!!

Thanks, plummer925. I don't want to do anything illegal. That is why I asked about when copyrights expire. I didn't take it as a put down.

This thread has had over 2,000 views, and that satisfies me somewhat. I am going to have DH dispute the credit card charge because that will get PCA's attention. I'm not going to go away until they make an attempt to satisfy me.

 

[plummer925]

Thanks, plummer925. I don't want to do anything illegal. That is why I asked about when copyrights expire. I didn't take it as a put down.

This thread has had over 2,000 views, and that satisfies me somewhat. I am going to have DH dispute the credit card charge because that will get PCA's attention. I'm not going to go away until they make an attempt to satisfy me.

2000 views is AWESOME! And you have the satisfaction of knowing that some people (MYSELF INCLUDED!) will never use their service. Even though DH is a photographer, he doesn't photograph people, so when our adoption goes through, we'll be getting photos taken, and I promise you - they will NOT be at Wal-Mart now!

And, yes, the credit card dispute is certainly going to get their attention. I used to work at a credit card company - disputes almost always are found in the favor of the consumer as long as the consumer can PROVE harm - if I were you, I would enclose one of the photographs with the dispute form (staple it directly to the form so the cc company can't say they didn't get it!) - that should be the proof you need (be sure also to write down the conversations you had with the company, with the dates!).

Good luck!!!

 

[MrsPete]

Hmmpphh! I had to go to Wal-Mart this morning and I took note of the sign. It says "Wal-Mart Portrait Studio". So as long as everything is fine and dandy with the place their name is attached to it. If they give someone poor service, they have no ownership.

Interesting observation!

 

[Trixiezzz]

I had the same light-exposure problems with some quickie Christmas photos I had made of DDs. They came back with orange blurry stripes down one side.

I had paid about 1/3, I think, and she offered to retake the same package at a later time.

 

[Disney_1derland]

I was trained as a PCA 'photographer' as a manager at PetsMart, just in case our regular photographer didn't show up. This is unacceptable treatment of customers, even by their standards. I would consider writing a letter:


PCA LLC.
815 Matthew-Mint Hill Rd.
Matthews, NC 28105


And copying that letter to the Better Business Bureau as well as the Consumer Affairs department for your state. The more complaints on file, the less likely they are to continue getting away with this behavior. Wal-Mart is not likely to protect them, they are two seperate companies and they are just a contractor at walmart. I would also copy the letter to wal-mart customer satisfaction at their headquarters along with the pictures you took of the pictures and copies of the receipts for the money you did pay. I would also copy the general manager of the walmart where you had this experience. They have ways to make this right. I would keep going until you are satisfied.

And, the PCA photographer outright lied to you about not having ways to make this right. They are at liberty to distribute whatever they want to for free, it's easily done, there is a process for it and they have a certain dollar amount per month to do so. Of course, if it's anything like the location at our store, they probably give all the freebies to their friends

 

[babiesX2]

And, the PCA photographer outright lied to you about not having ways to make this right. They are at liberty to distribute whatever they want to for free, it's easily done, there is a process for it and they have a certain dollar amount per month to do so. Of course, if it's anything like the location at our store, they probably give all the freebies to their friends

GGGrrrrrr!
Thanks for all the advice, Lori. I really appreciate it. It would be nice to get the copyrights, probably won't happen though. I am going to cause quite a stink though before I just "leave it alone." Once again, thanks for all the great advice. I'm going to use it!

 

[babiesX2]

I received a letter from the BBB yesterday. They are working on my complaint. Dh and I have decided to let it go through them.

I sent a complaint email to PCA and got back a reply saying to call their toll free customer service line. Unfortunately, I'm dealing with a company that has low integrity.

 

[pyrxtc]

This is one of the reasons that I started doing photogrpahy on my own. I come to your house and you have your proofs witin 2 days and prints within a week of when you place your order.

 

[kjh]

babiesX2 ~ I actually took DD to take her 12 month pictures at Wal-mart/PCA. It was the first time I took her to a studio to take pictures (shame on me) and I ended up joining their picture club and buying everyone of her poses. I spent about 120 there and was satisfied with what I got. Their customer service at the studio we went to was horrible. I was going to take her again (missing her 18 month picture taking by oh about 3 months, shame on me again!) but after reading this and thinking about it....I won't. Feel good in knowing that I will be taking DD somewhere else because of what happened to you. We don't have JCPenney but we have Sears, so I probably will be taking her there.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

WE went tot Walmart twice for portraits. Never again. Both times the pics were overexposed and looked pretty bad. I can seriously take better pics with my digital camera. Plus, I like natural setting better than most of the cheesey backgrounds they have. I also think the Picture place is better. Still not great, but better.

Later, we went to private photographer. It cost A LOT of money, so I don't know that I'd do it again...but the pictures are AMAZING! They are just what I wanted them to look like.

 

[BabyTigger99]

How horrible for you to have been treated this way! I have worked at our local Sears Portrait Studio for the last 10 years, both full time (as the assistant manager), and part time (as I do now, working only when they need me). We would never let someone leave with pictures like that. Granted, things like that do happen. My pictures of my son had problems for one of his pictures. We are taught to do what we can, within reason, to satisfy the customer. If you were in our studio, we would have offered a full refund, and then set you up for a new sitting at 50% off.