Complaint Review: Bella Photo

My wife and I signed a contract in July 2004 with Bella Photo to photograph wedding portraits prior to our wedding date, as well as to photograph our wedding and reception. Both photo assignments occurred in October 2004, and the bride and groom made full payment to Bella Photo in advance of both assignments.

Bella Photo failed to fulfill its contractual obligation in two ways:

1) By delivering pre-wedding portraits that were -- by the photographer's own account -- substandard. Most of the images were overexposed, underexposed or out of focus. As the photographer said, he was "not happy" with the results.

2) By failing to deliver the most important shots from the wedding and reception. Bella Photo delivered no bride-and-groom wedding portraits. Bella Photo delivered only one portrait depicting the bride and groom with part of groom's family. The bride and groom have no portraits with groom's mother, bride's mother and father, bride's sister, the wedding party, grandparents, etc.

Needless to say, the loss of these images was -- and continues to be -- traumatic for the bride and groom and their family and friends. Nothing can replace those images.

And Bella Photo has shown no interest in refunding the money. The bride and groom have e-mailed and postal mailed written requests for a refund, but those requests have gone unanswered by Bella Photo.

Tom
St. Louis, Missouri
U.S.A.