Castelo Portrait Art Maria Sampaio "You have won" Scam Targeting Disabled and Children. Hollywood, South Carolina
This is not a business, it is a scam. After you enter for a chance to "win" a free portrait session, you will be contacted by someone telling you that you have "won". Everyone gets the call, there are no "winners". They will then tell you that they need a $200 "refundable" deposit to book the appoinment. Salespeople are instructed to book the first available time, which is within the cancellation period already so you automatically lose $200 for any changes. If you make it to the appointement you will receive a free picture which is called arists choice which will be the worst picture of the batch, after they put you in a sales room and use strong arm bullying tactics to coerce you into spending thousands for this crap. They prey upon the disabled, cancer patients, proud grandmas etc.
This type of scam, commonly known as a prize scam or lottery scam, involves deceiving individuals into believing they have won a prize but then requiring them to pay a fee or deposit in order to claim it. In many places, including South Carolina, such practices are considered fraudulent and may be subject to various laws and regulations aimed at protecting consumers from deceptive practices and scams.
https://hello.dubsado.com/public/appointment-scheduler/6624cfaf9cfb8902440e9622/schedule
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Maria
Charleston,South Carolina,
USA
A former employee who was dissatisfied after being terminated, has been posting false and misleading reviews under various names, despite our efforts to address the situation and provide evidence to the contrary.
#2REBUTTAL Owner of company
Fri, July 26, 2024
We believe in the importance of freedom of speech. Unfortunately, this freedom can sometimes lead to false information being shared, which can harm good people and businesses who work hard, like us. I only learned about this review site from a client who brought it to my attention.
Firstly, we don & rsquo;t have a client named & ldquo;FRED. & rdquo; We know exactly who wrote this review & mdash;it & #39;s a former employee who was unhappy after being let go. We & #39;ve seen this same review under different names on other platforms. Although we & rsquo;ve managed to address those elsewhere, this site does not allow for removal, which is disappointing given the substantial evidence we have. That & rsquo;s why I & rsquo;m responding directly.
On May 22nd, I received an email from this individual saying, & ldquo;I will continue to leave reviews to let everyone know what you are until you pay me what you owe me. I want nothing to do with your scam, just pay me what you f***ing owe me. & rdquo; This email was sent after I requested her mailing address to send her a check for the short period she worked for us, as she had not completed or submitted her accounting paperwork. She was upset and insisted on being paid via Cash App, which we don & rsquo;t use. We are a legitimate business that employs an accountant. I offered to mail her a check for $234, but she refused to provide an address.
To address some specific points raised:
Refundable Deposit: The $200 deposit mentioned is fully refundable. It & rsquo;s a standard practice to manage appointment schedules and reduce cancellations. It & #39;s not intended to mislead. Many clients choose to apply their deposit toward their order, but those who don & rsquo;t receive a refund during their appointment.
Sales Approach: Our team is dedicated to providing a positive experience. We do not use high-pressure sales tactics and strive to ensure that all clients leave satisfied with their portraits.
Respect for Clients: We treat all clients with care and dignity. The suggestion that we prey on vulnerable individuals is not true and deeply upsetting.
Regarding her claims:
Winning Call: She wrote that everyone gets a call saying they & rsquo;ve & ldquo;won & rdquo; when that & rsquo;s not true. Individuals are selected based on their responses.
Deposit and Appointment Scheduling: She claimed that we force clients into losing their deposit due to scheduling. This isn & rsquo;t accurate. We inform clients if an appointment slot falls within the cancellation period and confirm their agreement before booking.
Free Portrait and Sales Tactics: She mentioned receiving a & ldquo;worst & rdquo; picture and high-pressure sales tactics. As a remote worker, she never visited our studio or observed any sales appointments. We do not have a & ldquo;worst & rdquo; picture; we are professional artists who provide high-quality artwork. Please visit our website to see examples of our work.
If you & rsquo;re interested in hearing from our actual clients, please visit our website at www.casteloportraitart.com and check out our testimonials. There you & rsquo;ll find over 200 positive experiences shared by clients who have enjoyed their time with us.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out directly. If you & rsquo;ve had a positive experience with us, we & rsquo;d be grateful if you could share your kind words here. We love what we do and are deeply saddened that false information can be spread online. We appreciate the opportunity to continue doing what we love!
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