School Pictures...Pay BEFORE seeing the proofs?

[HelenePA]

Wow, that would be nice - had 4 in the same school last year. Dd12 is on 4 teams right now, ds7 on 3, and dd7 on one, and then just as many in the spring. I hate pictures.

a few more years and I'll have 4 in school.. the discount wasn't much buy 2 at reg. price get the 3rd+ at half off... hey whatever.. thats less that I have to spend.

 

[MM27]

My school does it both ways. In the fall, actually next week, they do the pictures that you need to pay for in advance. Everyone, regardless of whether they are ordering or not, takes a picture for the yearbook. The do offer retakes if the pictures are not okay.

In the spring they do our class picture and they also do backgrounds that are a bit more fun. They have props and things for the kids to hold or stand against. My school used to just send them home to everyone. If the parents didn't want them they were supposed to send them back and if they did they just sent the money. We had a huge problem with people keeping them and not sending the money in. The last few years they sent home a letter saying that if parents wanted to see them, they would need to send the letter back signed saying that they would be held responsible for the money or return of the pictures. No letter, no pictures.

 

[marcyinPA]

It's always been that way here. You fill out your form, send in a check, and the pictures come a few weeks later. They are expensive, and they usually suck.

This is the first year I didn't buy them. I took my kids to Portrait Innovations instead...$9.99 package, tons of photos, and I got to choose which pose I wanted!

I'm not falling victim to the $40 packages of crappy pictures any more!

 

[marcyinPA]

That's how they do it here. I always buy the pictures. The package is less than $30. Plus even if it's a crappy picture my feeling is so what. They like to look at their old class pictures.


I don't know how it's done anywhere else but here they call the kids one by one to get their picture taken. My kids are still young so I know that they would be upset if they were the only not getting their picture taken.

In our district, they take the pictures regardless of whether or not you are buying them. The school uses them for ID's and whatever. So every kid gets their picture taken.

I bought the packages until my kids finished 5th grade. After that, there is no class picture.

 

[mhsjax]

That is the way it is at our school. I never even turn in the form. I refuse to buy there crap. The pics are terrible and I won't spend one dime on them.

 

[C.Ann]

The last few years they sent home a letter saying that if parents wanted to see them, they would need to send the letter back signed saying that they would be held responsible for the money or return of the pictures. No letter, no pictures.

This would be an acceptable method of dealing with the problem.. Even if they signed the agreement and then tried to back out of it, they could do something like hold the child's report card until the parents paid the money due..

I think that's a much better idea than spending big bucks (in many areas) for photos you haven't even seen yet..

 

[Art 1]

We always bought 'em. Many years from now we'll be glad we did and the little bit of money will be soon forgotten.

 

[MrsPete]

Ok, this is my first time having a child with school pictures, but I do remember having my own done and I have NEVER heard or just blind ordering.

Yeah, we do it that way . . . but I ordered a medium-sized package, and it was only $14. For that price, I can take a chance. Also, buying the photographs isn't required. We have the option of JUST having a picture made for the yearbook.

 

[MrsPete]

they could do something like hold the child's report card until the parents paid the money due..

Can't do it. It's not legal to hold the kid's report card, to keep him from registering next year, or to withhold his diploma.

Even if he's destroyed textbooks, lost library books, charged lunches in the cafeteria for which he can't pay. We can't MAKE anyone pay anything.

We CAN keep them from attending social events like dances (even the prom), and we can keep them from walking across the stage at graduation (they can pick up their diploma in the office).

We do not have to serve them the "standard" lunch, but we do have to give them something to eat.

This isn't a huge problem at our school, but it is a problem. Typically, kids let little things build up: a library fine, a lost textbook, an unpaid class fee. Then suddenly they're juniors, and we won't sell them a prom ticket . . . so they come up with the money . . . and then we won't let them walk across the stage, so they come up with the money.

 

[torinsmom]

Our school uses Lifetouch and parents have to send in the money first in the fall. If they don't like the pictures, they can have them retaken on makeup day or send them back for a refund. I asked for a refund once and got it within 10 days, so no biggie.

In the spring, they take pictures and everyone takes home a package, then sends back what they don't want. Lots of parents end up buying the magnet sheets, because the kids pull them out on the way home. Then we have the parents who don't send the pictures back OR send the money. The teacher is expected to "remind" the parent over and over. And then all the classes who bring 100% back(money or pictures) get an ice cream party. We haven't ever gotten the ice cream party :-(

 

[Art 1]

Can't do it. It's not legal to hold the kid's report card, to keep him from registering next year, or to withhold his diploma.

Even if he's destroyed textbooks, lost library books, charged lunches in the cafeteria for which he can't pay. We can't MAKE anyone pay anything.

We CAN keep them from attending social events like dances (even the prom), and we can keep them from walking across the stage at graduation (they can pick up their diploma in the office).

We do not have to serve them the "standard" lunch, but we do have to give them something to eat.

This isn't a huge problem at our school, but it is a problem. Typically, kids let little things build up: a library fine, a lost textbook, an unpaid class fee. Then suddenly they're juniors, and we won't sell them a prom ticket . . . so they come up with the money . . . and then we won't let them walk across the stage, so they come up with the money.

Not always true. If you owed money at the kids school they could and would do all of those things.

 

[kelleyrn2000]

We have to pay upfront too
Last year I decided to take my own pics outside in the fall....way nicer than the school photos.

This year I was too buzy/lazy to take my own, so I went ahead and forked up the money. At least they will get a nice class picture to keep. Imagine my happiness when my daughter with long thick curly hair pulled out one of those cheap combs that they gave her before her pics So yeah, really looking forward to seeing those pictures

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

My pics were done this way and so are DDs....the only pics we saw proofs for were my senior cap and gown pics, but that was b/c we had so many posses w/ the gown, without the gown, standing, sitting, looking over the shoulder, friends were even taking pictures as a group.

 

[emma'smom]

This is how it is for us...so we always buy the cheapest package just in case it isn't good. Last year, dd looked like she was about to punch someone...so I was glad I hadn't paid for more. We get the class picture too-- so that is nice.

One year it was a great picture-- so we called the photo place and ordered an 8 by 10 for the wall.

Note- When dd was in day care, we would have to go to the center to view the proofs and then we could order what we wanted. This eliminated the scanning issue...since we never had them to take home until we paid for them. However, it also meant we could wait to see what they were like before we bought.

 

[DeniseinNS]

We have 6 backgrounds to choose from so we check which one we like off and sent the sheet in on picture day but we don't have to pay anything until we get the proofs back and order what we want. The only place I'v ever heard of that you prepay is with my daughters dancing but the pictures have always turned out beautiful and if you have any problems they will redo them.

 

[golfgal]

Can't do it. It's not legal to hold the kid's report card, to keep him from registering next year, or to withhold his diploma.

Even if he's destroyed textbooks, lost library books, charged lunches in the cafeteria for which he can't pay. We can't MAKE anyone pay anything.

We CAN keep them from attending social events like dances (even the prom), and we can keep them from walking across the stage at graduation (they can pick up their diploma in the office).

We do not have to serve them the "standard" lunch, but we do have to give them something to eat.

This isn't a huge problem at our school, but it is a problem. Typically, kids let little things build up: a library fine, a lost textbook, an unpaid class fee. Then suddenly they're juniors, and we won't sell them a prom ticket . . . so they come up with the money . . . and then we won't let them walk across the stage, so they come up with the money.

Our school sends out a list about 2 months before graduation of any unpaid school related expenses-damaged textbooks, unpaid activity fees, sporting equipment not turned in. One kid had $1000 fine for a video camera . The kids can't walk in the graduation ceremony, get their diploma or get their final transcript sent to their colleges until all these are paid so it must be legal here.

 

[Jaime4004]

Our school sends home an envelope before picture day and everyone assumes you have to pay up front. I never do and they always send proofs home anyway. Last year, they DD and DS's photos were really cute and I ended up ordering one sheet of each, after, for $10 each. This year, I, unfortunately, forgot about picture day. DD went wearing a cute dress, but I send DS in a bright yellow lightning mcqueen t-shirt. Still may buy it, i'll wait for the proofs...

 

[Kies99]

Our school sends home the proofs and all the information on the packages. If we want any then we fill out the form and send in payment. If we don't want any we just return the proofs.

 

[rszdtrvl]

Ugh. School pictures.

My son's school picture turned out wacky, as always, this year.

He has a half grin with his head tilted sideways.

Thankfully, I made him an appt. at Walmart to get his photos taken. For $40, I got enough photos to keep me happy, got to pick which photo to get developed into all the prints, and I got an extra 8x10 with 3 photos of my choosing (this one was an additional $15 more). Plus, I got his name already on all of the photos. And they turned out AMAZING!

A heckuva deal, honestly. Just being able to pick which proof would be made into the photos is worth $40 IMO.

Needless to say, we did not order any school photos. Anyhoo, we would have had to pay in advance for them too. That is typical around here.

 

[Magpie]

That's the way it works here, too. But if you really hate the pictures, you can always have your kid sit for a retake. Luckily we're not too picky. Funny-looking pics have their own kind of charm.

And hey, my daughter's turned out gorgeous this year!