777 Portraits 777portraits.com.bestmyrtlebeachphotographywww.oceanislephotography.netothers.... beach portraits Myrtle Beach South Carolina
I worked for this company and they present themselves as brick and mortar on their several websites, yet they seem not to have a physical location. When I google earth the physical addresses, it is either a hotel location or something that does not look like a photography business. As far as I know they are providing photography services but their presentation on the web is a little shady.
I do know also, that they set up the photography gig with a deposit over the phone and then the clients pay the photographer at the end of the set before they get the dvd with the pictures on it. Then they ask the photographers to let them send a 1099 to them when the photographer has never been paid directly by them. A little shady to me!
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Christy
Wake Forest,North Carolina,
United States
I wish I had done better research.
#4Consumer Comment
Sun, June 20, 2021
As a recent customer, I can confirm that this is how they collect pament. They process your credit card for a "retainer fee" and then instruct you to give the remaining balance and a gratuity to the photographer in cash on the day of your appointment.
This company goes by several names (that I know of) including 777 Portraits Photography, Ocean Isle Beach Photography (which is the company I contacted to book) and North Myrtle Beach Photography (which is the company listed on my cc receipt.)
I am currently in a dispute with this company because there is a difference in quality of services and products the company portrays & what I actually received. I requested a refund b/c the images I received didn’t meet my expectations based on the standards the company advertises. I haven’t received the hi-resolution data disc as promised online. Our images weren’t retouched after Tom (a.k.a. Hal) told me he would have his tech team take a look @ them. And, I no longer have access to the digital download site b/c he deactivated it sometime between the time I emailed him & the time he replied.
He reacted with a similar response of threatening me with his attorney to intimidate to me stating, "Before we even get started addressing this nonsense and that’s exactly what it is nonsense I need to know who gave you permission to download my copyrighted pictures from my website. Your name is not on those pictures and you do not have a copy right release for those particular families pictures. But for some reason I guess you don’t think the rules apply to you. So here’s what’s going to happen. I’ll give you a choice, you can walk away from this right now and we never wanna hear from you or you’ll be hearing from our attorney! And any negativity about my company will bring about a defamation suit to you. We had to put up with 2020 and almost losing our business and then we get 2021 with overwhelming amount of families finally able to get out on vacation and the only one complaining is you and it’s absolutely ridiculous. !!!! Don’t you ever contact us again this is your only warning anything other than this is harassment. !!."
And, in response to my honest and factual review of the company, he sent me a text message stating, "We are pressing charges against you for copyright theft. You did break the law and you downloaded somebody else's pictures that did not belong to you, For your personal use. You were warned. We will also be filing a civil suit against you after you have been arrested and charged. You are a fu..[expletive] psycho!!"
To set the record straight, I’ve done nothing illegal or in violation of copyright infringement. In my email to Tom (a.k.a. Hal), I included screenshots of their pictures online for the purpose of comparing the difference in quality of what the company portrays & what I actually received. This was within the parameters of fair use.
Miser
Myrtle Beach,South Carolina,
Suggesstions for better professionalism
#4Consumer Comment
Mon, March 03, 2014
I love Ripoff Report and check it often to keep up to date with busineses because it is a guide for locals to better understand how businesses are operating in a person's local area. We are a tourist area and there are a lot of start ups here so it is often that people get taken. It looks like this company does have a decent product, but for an owner to rebut a person in the rude manner this owner did when it seems the employee has a legitimate concern seems a little odd for me. I would check them out thoroughly before using them. A good product is one thing but how are you going to be treated should you have a problem and need customer service? I don't think I would like to deal with this owner. Seems a little unreasonable to me.
Hal
las vegas,Nevada,
Your boss
#4REBUTTAL Owner of company
Wed, February 26, 2014
Hey, your just pissed off because you have to pay your taxes. It's not my fault you want to screw the government, but hey I sent the 1099 to your last known address, and it came back. Do you honestly think I wouldn't know it was you? You are the only one who put up a stink about this.
I'll give you 24 hours to remove this, or so help me God, My attorneys will have a field day with you. You can't post a ripp of report about my company, when you are the one doing the ripping off!!