wwyd photographer problems

[usnuzuloose]

Is anyone else wondering how he knew she posted this here? Seems kind of weird.

Yep! My thoughts exactly. His first post. I wonder.....

 

[fairyprincess1]

Is anyone else wondering how he knew she posted this here? Seems kind of weird.

Not so weird in this day & age - you can set up all kinds of alerts - Google will send you alerts on key words you set up - as a business you can see when people are praising you or trashing you & appropriately respond. In today's world of blogging & tweeting - you have to know what is being said about you. The fact that Bryan cares enough to set up these kind of alerts & addresses them right away shows me he is a pretty astute business person.

 

[hipchickie]

Not so weird in this day & age - you can set up all kinds of alerts - Google will send you alerts on key words you set up - as a business you can see when people are praising you or trashing you & appropriately respond. In today's world of blogging & tweeting - you have to know what is being said about you. The fact that Bryan cares enough to set up these kind of alerts & addresses them right away shows me he is a pretty astute business person.

ITA
Bryan, if you are still reading - I feel your pain....I have had customers email me, and publicly complain mere hours later how I was ignoring their emails.

 

[apnep]

well.... That was awkward.

lmao!!

 

[sameyeyam]

I work as an accountant for a hotel company and I find Bryan Morris' explanation to be very strange. He said "the bank pulled the rug out from under him and won't allow him to accept manual credit card transactions". I deal with hundreds of credit card transactions per day and yes, sometimes problems happen. But never had I heard of "the bank pulling the rug out from under someone". That alone sounds fishy to me. The only reason I can think that the bank won't allow him to accept manual transactions, would be that he has too many fraudulent transactions or the bank thinks something strange is happening. Just my opinion, but that explanation seems to be lacking.

While most credit cards are processed electronically, there is generally no problem with processing them manually. The biggest problem is manually processed credit cards have a higher risk of fraud (just because the card is not present), so the banks charge the merchant a higher fee. Maybe he just doesn't want to pay the higher fee? Also, does he take American Express or Discover? They are processed differently then Visa or Mastercard and have different rules, the bank has nothing to do with AmEx & Discover cards,. If he gives you the same story about AmEx & Discover cards, then I would say it's definitely a scam.

Maybe this guy is legit, but his vague explanation just isn't cutting it with me. I also think it is strange that he mentions God in his explanation (maybe trying to play on your religious beliefs). He also talks about him self in third person, that too is strange. He said "but I'm obliged to inform you that is not the way that Bryan Morris conduct business".

Maybe I'm just skeptical, but there are too many things that are setting off little alarms and I feel you are correct to be concerned. Just the mere words wire transfer and Western Union would have me running. Using your credit card gives you protection, you can always have it reversed if you don't receive the product. If this isn't a scam I would be totally surprised. Next thing you know he'll tell you he charged you too much in your wire transfer, send you a refund check, have you deposit it, but will make the check out for too much money and will want you to wire the difference back, then the check will bounce and you'll be out hundreds.

It's anybody's guess, but if it were me I wouldn't give him any money that was not on a credit card.

 

[FergieTCat]

Not so weird in this day & age - you can set up all kinds of alerts - Google will send you alerts on key words you set up - as a business you can see when people are praising you or trashing you & appropriately respond. In today's world of blogging & tweeting - you have to know what is being said about you. The fact that Bryan cares enough to set up these kind of alerts & addresses them right away shows me he is a pretty astute business person.

As I found out the other week, Google does pick up what's posted on the Disboards in its "Alerts". So all Bryan would have needed to do is ask Google to alert him every time his name appears on a website. Which Google did.

 

[Disney845]

WOW....umm ok...First, I do not know this photographer in any way, but let me just address a few things here.

I work as an accountant for a hotel company and I find Bryan Morris' explanation to be very strange. He said "the bank pulled the rug out from under him and won't allow him to accept manual credit card transactions". I deal with hundreds of credit card transactions per day and yes, sometimes problems happen. But never had I heard of "the bank pulling the rug out from under someone". That alone sounds fishy to me. The only reason I can think that the bank won't allow him to accept manual transactions, would be that he has too many fraudulent transactions or the bank thinks something strange is happening. Just my opinion, but that explanation seems to be lacking.

While most credit cards are processed electronically, there is generally no problem with processing them manually. The biggest problem is manually processed credit cards have a higher risk of fraud (just because the card is not present), so the banks charge the merchant a higher fee. Maybe he just doesn't want to pay the higher fee? Also, does he take American Express or Discover? They are processed differently then Visa or Mastercard and have different rules, the bank has nothing to do with AmEx & Discover cards,. If he gives you the same story about AmEx & Discover cards, then I would say it's definitely a scam.

Maybe by "bank" he actually meant his merchant services provider? Of course I am just going out on a limb here, but so has everyone else with their wild speculations, so lets try this on for size. What if he used Quickbooks? He has...lets say QB 2007...and previously used Intuit to process his credit card charges. In May of this year QB pulled all support for things such as Merchant Services (among other things) if you did not upgrade to QB 2010. Perhaps he is in the process of trying to set up a new Merchant Account and it is taking longer than he thought? Maybe he is having trouble getting underwriting because he did not have a sufficient history of transactions yet? Who Knows! But since he told the OP that he was having problems and could not accept credit cards before their contracted services took place, and let her know what the option was (cash at the time of the services) and she agreed to that, then what does speculating on the reasons he is having CC trouble got to do with anything?

He also talks about him self in third person, that too is strange. He said "but I'm obliged to inform you that is not the way that Bryan Morris conduct business".

Perhaps English is not his first language and it just didn't come across correctly? Perhaps he was referring to his company (it would be kinda like Martha Stewart saying "that is not the way Martha Stewart Design conducts business...").

If this isn't a scam I would be totally surprised.

Again, I ask why? What has he done that has in any way been fraudulent towards the OP? She contracted with him for a service, which she, by her own admission, says he performed! It isn't as though he asked for additional funds in excess of what was originally agreed upon. It isn't as though he didn't show up and photograph her family. She even LIKED the pictures!

Next thing you know he'll tell you he charged you too much in your wire transfer, send you a refund check, have you deposit it, but will make the check out for too much money and will want you to wire the difference back, then the check will bounce and you'll be out hundreds.

WOW! Jump to conclusions much? Why not just slander this guy's business some more.

The facts seem to be as follows:
OP and Bryan talk about him photographing her family
Bryan has CC processing trouble and tells this to OP
Bryan does not charge the CC but arranges for cash at the time of the photographs
OP obviously agrees to this change (or she wouldn't have had him continue with the photographs)
Bryan takes pictures
OP pays Bryan
Bryan does whatever post processing is necessary to upload pictures to the online photo gallery
OP wants to order prints
Bryan tells her how he can accept payment currently
OP doesn't like that and comes up with her own alternate suggestion
Bryan doesn't repond quickly enough (or OP doesn't give Bryan enough time to respond)
OP (well meaning or not) posts on the internet about her experiences/requesting input
Bryan's business could be seriously harmed by the speculations of scamming

Easy, most scams always start out with "there has been some type of Problem" with the scammers bank, credit card company or some other reason why scammer cannot possibly do the transaction any way but cash.

Please explain what nefarious scheme he could possibly be up to that would involve him ACTUALLY PERFORMING THE DUTY to which he was contracted and paid for?

For those other posters who would never engage in any CASH transactions, lets hope you never really decide to travel around the world. CC are NOT as accepted everywhere as they are here in the states. Restaurants, inns, shops, small service providers in many many countries either do not have the means of accepting CC or choose not to. By swearing off CASH transactions you may be providing yourself with an extra level of protection (CC), but you may be missing out on places/experiences.

 

[eliza61]

Please explain what nefarious scheme he could possibly be up to that would involve him ACTUALLY PERFORMING THE DUTY to which he was contracted and paid for?

For those other posters who would never engage in any CASH transactions, lets hope you never really decide to travel around the world. CC are NOT as accepted everywhere as they are here in the states. Restaurants, inns, shops, small service providers in many many countries either do not have the means of accepting CC or choose not to. By swearing off CASH transactions you may be providing yourself with an extra level of protection (CC), but you may be missing out on places/experiences.

I'm only going to comment on the thing address to me.

I highly doubt that. I have been to just about every continent on this planet and I'm sorry, unless you are on the outpost of Mongolia very few places that are tourist destinations don't take cc. I hiked through Europe nearly 20 years ago and cannot think of 1 place I ran across that didn't take credit cards. You are right, I generally don't go to small villages in Africa or middle East but those are not places I would go to primarily due to personal safety issues. Generally I make reservations prior to arriving, so any inn that I would stay in would need to have some way to secure the reservation. Rarely do I just "pop up" at an inn so I can't imagine one only dealing in cash. anywhere.

In fact when I went to Brazil a couple of summers ago, almost every tour group, every hotel, every cop and every warning from the Embassy stressed not dealing with any merchant that did not take credit cards. They emphasized the many store front "swindlers" that are rampant, not to mention the pickpockets.

In Philly each and every year we have stories of reception halls, photographers, caterers and bridal boutiques that take deposits (all cash) and for one reason or another go under leaving countless brides up the creek.
Case in point:

http://www.courierpostonline.com/ar...loses-without-warning-couples-left-scrambling

Beside the fact that these couples where devestated but the ones who paid cash were up the proverbial creek w/o a paddle. The ones who made a deposit on their credit card- a simple call to Visa or mastercard and you've got a little protection coming your way.

Please don't even get me started with "Contractors from hell" horror stories. You know the ones where you have to give up "Cash" up front and then the guy either does a piss poor job or halfway through the project while you sitting in a 1/2 ripped up kitchen up and leaves you?

So you're right when I head back to France next May, if you're shop charges more than 100 bucks and you don't take credit card, then that is one "experience" I can do without. It's funny because when I went to Scotland and Ireland with my mom & grandmother it seemed the smaller the inn, the more they required credit cards to secure the reservations. Smaller places can't absorb the no shows like the hiltons of the world.

And last but not least. If customer does not have pictures than the service was not performed IMO. Please tell me who gets professional portraits taken only to not have them delivered? You're saying she paid $300 bucks to have pictures posted on the net?

Seriously, I've encountered no problems what so ever in the last 10 years with a "cashless" form of commerce.

 

[Disney845]

And last but not least. If customer does not have pictures than the service was not performed IMO. Please tell me who gets professional portraits taken only to not have them delivered? You're saying she paid $300 bucks to have pictures posted on the net?

I understood OP's initial post to indicate that the cost of "taking" the pictures was $300. $100 of this was a credit towards whatever prints she decided on. This would lead me to believe that $200 is the net cost that this photographer charges (for whatever contracted amount of time/setting/amount of images taken) for the actual taking of the photographs.

That is no different than any other photographer that you pay for their time of taking the photos (Disney photographers, wedding photographers, child's portraits). You then usually either pay for a digital disc with the reproductive rights to your photos, or you pay for the photographer to actually do the printing.

No where did the OP indicate that she asked the photographer to mail her $100 worth of her prints and he refused. OP said she wanted to make arrangements to order more prints and didn't like the manner in which he was currently able to accept payments.

 

[eliza61]

I understood OP's initial post to indicate that the cost of "taking" the pictures was $300. $100 of this was a credit towards whatever prints she decided on. This would lead me to believe that $200 is the net cost that this photographer charges (for whatever contracted amount of time/setting/amount of images taken) for the actual taking of the photographs.

That is no different than any other photographer that you pay for their time of taking the photos (Disney photographers, wedding photographers, child's portraits). You then usually either pay for a digital disc with the reproductive rights to your photos, or you pay for the photographer to actually do the printing.

No where did the OP indicate that she asked the photographer to mail her $100 worth of her prints and he refused. OP said she wanted to make arrangements to order more prints and didn't like the manner in which he was currently able to accept payments.

My bad, I pretty much assumed when one hires a photographer to take pictures that eventually one would want those pictures. I didn't know people hired photographers for their "time"
Not being smug, just seems to me that's like purchasing a car and then having to contact the dealer to pick it up and drive it. One would naturally assume that if you were purchasing a car someone would eventually want to drive it.

I apologize, I totally misunderstood, I'll go back and reread it. I think her issue was with the "cash" only policy which I really am trying to picture any establishment in Aruba (which I've been many times, well 3 times 2X's on a cruise and once on a timeshare) that did not take some type of credit card. I also include the debit cards with the visa logo on it.

Do you mind if I use this as a question? I'm really interested in knowing how many people travel and encounter a lot of places that only take cash.

 

[Disney845]

Do you mind if I use this as a question? I'm really interested in knowing how many people travel and encounter a lot of places that only take cash.

Not at all. I do think that the answer will vary significantly based on the sort of traveler one is. For example, if you were the type of person to always stay in a name brand hotel, of course you would expect all of them to accept CCs. If on the other hand you were to rent an apartment on your next trip to France from say VRBO (or one of the many online sites devoted to promoting rented vacation stays), it is much more common for them to want say 30% down up front, and the rest in cash when they turn over the keys to you on site.

And re: the photographer. I am certainly not attempting to be argumentative just for the heck of it. I can just see how very easily it is to smear someone's reputation on the internet with speculation and for an independent business owner (assuming the photographer is??) that can be extremely damaging. It certainly is much more damaging to a lone photog than it would be to say complain on a message board about Walmart's photo printing services. KWIM

 

[ptmmg]

It was never my intention to ever hurt anybodies reputation. I only added the website to show how good his pictures are and to show how reputable his company looked .

The photographer has got in touch with us and we have resolved all issues.

 

[hipchickie]

You are right, I generally don't go to small villages in Africa or middle East but those are not places I would go to primarily due to personal safety issues.

I am sure that you didn't mean this offensively, but I find it extremely so. Interestingly, you cite all these dangerous things in Brazil, which you would most likely NEVER have an issue with in a small village in Africa, but that you have deemed "dangerous" while in Rio is is just something to be aware of.

While you may travel a lot, I doubt you have really seen much of the world

 

[dodukes]

Well just to jump in on a different point. I do just what another poster suggested. I have my own business (a photographer) and I charge for my "time". I usually include some prints with my "time" but otherwise you buy what you want. I found this works better than charging a whole lot and including things people dont want. Occasionally I get people who only stay with what was included but usually people will order off the website. So yes in turn I charge for my time and to put images on a website. I let the customer decide if they want more, I don't make them pay for more up front. And yes I think "my time" is valuable otherwise they would have just taken their own pictures.

 

[eliza61]

I am sure that you didn't mean this offensively, but I find it extremely so. Interestingly, you cite all these dangerous things in Brazil, which you would most likely NEVER have an issue with in a small village in Africa, but that you have deemed "dangerous" while in Rio is is just something to be aware of.

While you may travel a lot, I doubt you have really seen much of the world

Oh for godness sake. I deeply apologize . I did not infere any thing about Brazil. I told you the warnings we recieved before travelling to Brazil. Infere whatever you want.

 

[hipchickie]

Oh for godness sake. I deeply apologize . I did not infere any thing about Brazil. I told you the warnings we recieved before travelling to Brazil. Infere whatever you want.

I don't need to infer anything, you clearly stated that you do not go to small villages in Africa or the middle east because of personal safety.

So tell me, what is so much more dangerous in a small village in Africa than the dangers that you are OK with in Brazil? Or are you just assuming (in ignorance) that there is some great danger there? Are they going to use a cow as a deadly weapon to rob you?

 

[eliza61]

I don't need to infer anything, you clearly stated that you do not go to small villages in Africa or the middle east because of personal safety.

So tell me, what is so much more dangerous in a small village in Africa than the dangers that you are OK with in Brazil? Or are you just assuming (in ignorance) that there is some great danger there? Are they going to use a cow as a deadly weapon to rob you?

I'm not assuming any thing. I take the information found on travel boards and embassy pages and I use it. I gather state issued travel warnings and use that information accordingly. for example if you go to Rick steves page he will advise you on the pickpockets in Paris or the braclet con artist in front of Cathedrals. you can adjust your behaviour accordingly. If you go to the state departments travel warnings you will see the current warnings. currently Mexico is on the list due to the bombings in Cancun. Does that mean all of mexico is dangerous, NO. does it mean you should take a few more precautions. Yes. Maybe it means due to the drug trafficking in Tijuana I may change plans to visit there.
Just as I use the information on personal safety in NYC or the information of cm's who have stolen information from wdw guest. Does that make all cms thiefs no, does it make me more aware of who handles my credit cards, Yep it absolutely does. If that is offensive to you. those are your issues.

 

[hipchickie]

I'm not assuming any thing. I take the information found on travel boards and embassy pages and I use it. I gather state issued travel warnings and use that information accordingly. for example if you go to Rick steves page he will advise you on the pickpockets in Paris or the braclet con artist in front of Cathedrals. you can adjust your behaviour accordingly. If you go to the state departments travel warnings you will see the current warnings. currently Mexico is on the list due to the bombings in Cancun. Does that mean all of mexico is dangerous, NO. does it mean you should take a few more precautions. Yes. Maybe it means due to the drug trafficking in Tijuana I may change plans to visit there.
Just as I use the information on personal safety in NYC or the information of cm's who have stolen information from wdw guest. Does that make all cms thiefs no, does it make me more aware of who handles my credit cards, Yep it absolutely does. If that is offensive to you. those are your issues.

So, AGAIN, what is the danger in a small village in Africa?

I truly want to know, since I have family in one, so I want to know what to look out for...are they prone to assault and battery of they are not too tired from walking an hour to get water?

 

[need2cruise]

I do photography as a side job. I am paid for my "time" and then the prints cost additional based on what you order and there are times I offer a "credit" towards prints, but that credit won't buy an entire picture package. Prints are NOT cheap when you order through a professional lab service. A PP had it right when they said that $100 credit would go towards print package, and often the minimum print package is over $100.

As for traveling, last year in Mexico, we were advised to use large dollar purchases with credit card (primarily people buying jewelry), however other purchases use cash. We were advised strongly against using credit card when possible because of the abuse that had been occuring. If you go over to cruise critic, the big push there is pay with cash when in another country!