PhotoPass Product Warning!

[Canyon girl]

Because my father is on hospice and would probably not live until I complete the scrapbook, I purchased a PhotoBook from PhotoPass. Many of the pictures have purple discolorations on them. I used the "Contact Us" on the PhotoPass site to complain. Their response was that they will not refund or replace PhotoBooks, PhotoCDs, or PhotoMovies unless they are damaged or there is a shipping error. I guess they are not responsible for their production. I just talked to person in Florida that came really close to blaming me for the discolorations. I just wanted to let you know their policy or lack thereof.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm so sorry about your dad.


Email them. Keep emailing. Be patient, as it takes a few days for replies, but email. The purple blotches are not on your photos online, you couldn't have put purple blotches on the book, you are happy to return it, take pictures of it and put them on shutterfly and include links in your emails to them, etc. Just keep trying.

 

[Canyon girl]

Thanks Bumbershoot. I just got a call from a lead (Photopass) at Disneyland that was willing to try to help me. He is a really nice guy. He looked at an example that they had there and compared it to some of the photos of my pages that I emailed to him. He says he thinks it is an effect of the page. This doesn't really make sense; since, the pictures are not the same. Some are really dark purple; some are really light (almost nonexistent) purple. If it were an effect, I would think that it would be the same. Anyway, I hit the end of the road. I just wanted to let people know what their policy is. The pages aren't just as shown. They evidently are added to after the fact. The lead at DLR says that he doesn't think that all the page types have the "popout" effect, but the yellow pages with Goofy looking down do. The effect is not consistent and does not really look right. Be careful when choosing pages for the PhotoBook.

 

[tortugaverde]

Sorry to hear about your father!

Not sure how far you are willing to go with this... but in my experience, do not accept "the end of the road"!!
If he was a nice guy, I would call back and explain to the first person you talk to that you have already talked to a lead and you would like to talk with the supervisor of the leads. They usually ask if they can help you and just simply tell them you have told your story several times and do not prefer to speak with anyone but a supervisor. They will let you. Be sure to tell them you spoke with a lead (give his name) and be sure to tell them how nice he was. Then, explain your story and situation. If you get the same answer... ask to speak with their supervisor and on and on up the line!
I would stress that the book is a gift for your father and his situation. I would also explain that the product is NOT acceptable to you regardless if they can replace it or not and that you simply want a refund if they can not correct their error.
Be as kind as you can always saying how much you appreciate their time.

Just my two cents. I hate to see you pay for something that is not what was expected... especially when it is such a heart felt gift

 

[Luvin'theDis]

Oh man...I was just about to order a couple of these for Christmas! Has anyone else experienced this with theirs? I was just wondering if maybe this was just an unfortunate occurance or whether this happens regularly...please if anyone has bought this item and was happy with the results I would sure appreciate your thoughts on it.

Thanks a bunch!

 

[Queenbillabong]

I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience with the PhotoBooks.

We got one in May and LOVE it. It is by far my favorite souvenir of all time. The pictures all came out beautiful and because I'm not a scrapbooker at all, this is just perfect.

Hopefully you go ahead and try further to get an exchange at least. Is there a policy listed that all sales are final? I would think they would want to make a potentially return customer satisfied.

 

[Gisele]

I sure am very sorry about your father. I hope the best for him, and for you, and for everyone else, that truly cares, and is concerned for him.

 

[Canyon girl]

Thank you very much for your concern. This is definitely one of the friendliest and most caring boards that I have ever been on. I plan on trying to contact WDW Guest Relations next. I will let you know what I find out. Queenbillabong, may I ask what kind of pages you got? Did you get the yellow ones with the Mickey frame with Goofy looking over it? If you did, was there purple on the edges of the pictures that were not on the original pictures? The purple is very dark on night or dark pictures, but very light on the lighter pictures? DLR thinks it is a planned effect, but it is not consistent. Not appealing either.

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

Oh man...I was just about to order a couple of these for Christmas! Has anyone else experienced this with theirs? I was just wondering if maybe this was just an unfortunate occurance or whether this happens regularly...please if anyone has bought this item and was happy with the results I would sure appreciate your thoughts on it.

Thanks a bunch!

I've done the Photo Book before for WDW and it was amazing. It was very easy to do and we even made a second book as a Christmas gift for our friends that live and work there (since they spend their entire time off with us when we are in town). They loved their copy, too.

I'm so sorry CanyonGirl has had to go through this. It definitely sounds like an issue on the printer's end. These books are done by Josten's - the yearbook company. I would keep going with guest services to make it right. They should offer you an immediate reprint!

 

[Hofmanns4]

Hugs out to you and your Dad.

On the Photobook issue, I have done 2 photobooks, one in early 2007 and one early 2008. I love these photobooks. I even made a book for all our trips from 2000 to 2005 with no photopass pictures.

I did use 2 of the templates that you are referring to. I never noticed before, but if I look close, I can see a light purple border. It really is not too noticible on mine. I took some pictures of the pages. The effect shows up more in the pictures than the actual page. I actually now notice it on ALL the FAB 5 templates. Sounds like the printer had an issue with some of the prints. I would keep on them about it.

 

[Queenbillabong]

I did use the Fab 5 templates as well and if you look really closely, there is a purplish border, just inside the frame itself, but it looks like it's part of the inside border of the frame and does not affect the picture itself (meaning there is nothing discolored on the picture). Is that what you're talking about? Mine look similar to the pictures posted above (just different subjects ).

 

[Canyon girl]

Mine is actually on top of the photo. After many (now humorous) phone calls to WDW (I was repeatedly told...BUT your pictures are from Disneyland), I spoke with a very nice person named Consuelo. This person is in charge of the PhotoBook returns. When I explained what I was seeing, she felt like it was a printing problem and should not be there. She is sending me a prepaid label to send it back. The purple is actually on top of the pictures. It is not just ringing the photo. Cinderella's "top knot" is purple hued. Consuelo wanted the book back to look at it. She seemed concerned that maybe mine wasn't the only one affected.