Complaint Review: MELANIE MOREE

Melanie Moree (Southern Belles Photography) ripped me off!

My husband and I hired Melanie last year to take our engagement and wedding photos! We paid her $900 upfront for the following items: taking and editing all photos, photo proofbook, and $150 credit on account to help us purchase photos after the wedding. Our wedding took place on November 22, 2008!

A few weeks in advance she asked me to prepare a list of pictures I know I want her to take at the wedding. (Bride, groom, groom's parents - that kind of thing) I did this and emailed it to her about 1 1/2 weeks before the wedding day, she was to bring this list with her to the wedding. 

 On my wedding day she called me last minute (on my way to the church) and said that she forgot the list and wanted me to go get her a copy. I had to drive 19 miles out of my way to get this list! I chalked it up as an honest mistake. I was almost an hour late for my wedding and I still had to get my dress and whatnot on! And some of you know how stressful it can be trying to rush threw getting dressed and down the aisle! That is a procedure that a woman should be able to take her time doing and enjoy her friends and family that are there with her. That is a special part of the experience! That was taken from me!

When I handed her the list, I specifically pointed out that I wanted a picture of my grandparents while they were dressed up (grandpa in his suit and grandma in her lovely dress together)! I told her how she will need to do that quickly because they are likely to change after the ceremony. This picture of them was to be their anniversary gift from us to them! After asking Melanie several times, during a time span of almost 2 months, if she got the picture, she finally said that she did not. 

 During this time she has told me that she can't post my pictures on her website so I can proof and order some. She didn't have a reason why and blamed it on the company that hosts her website. She seemed to have no problem posting her other clients photos online. She stated that she ordered my proofbook so I could look at my photos that way. This was March 08.

April rolled around and still no news from her. I called and left a voicemail, she didnt' respond. I sent her a text, she didn't responed until the 4th time I texted her. She finally responded saying that the proofbook was lost in the mail and she is trying to locate it.

May rolled around and still no news from her. I contacted her yet again and she didn't know anything and was "still working on it". And she wanted to credit my account an extra $50 for all the issues. At this point I had $200 credit on my account with her.

 June rolled around and still nothing. (Keep in mind that at this point I still hadn't even SEEN my photos!) I contacted her again and she stated she ordered a second proofbook and would give me a digital copyrighted cd with all the engagement photos and wedding photos free of charge.. (a $200 value according to her)

Nearing the end of June the proofbook was still not in and I was growing more concerned about the photos being as she was constantly switching between 3 cameras the day of my wedding. I contacted her again and she said that the 1st proofbook was lost and the second she didn't know what happened to it. She again blamed the company that she ordered the book from. She stated that she was going to order a new book from a NEW company.

Well 3 weeks rolled by and it was mid July, and still no proofbook or news from Melanie. I contacted her again about the proofbook and cd, she said on July 20th, that she will forward the tracking information to me for the proofbook when it ships.

It shipped July 29th and according to her it was shipped directly to me. She also stated that she is going to refund me an additional $100, totalling $300 total. She asked me to send her a paypal refund request. I did the same day. I asked her for the tracking information on the proofbook (something she previously stated she would give me) and she ignored my request, not once but several times. To this day I have not received this proofbook she said was shipped directly to my home.

 It is now October and I had to get a lawyer to send a letter to her requesting pictures before she did anything. I found out today that she mailed a cd in to the lawyers office with pictures on it. Because the lawyers office has a trial coming up, I won't be able to go and look at the photos until Tuesday. But ONE cd will not hold all the engagement and wedding photos she claimed to have taken! I am a Computer Tech, so I know...

 My one year anniversary is in 29 days and I haven't even SEEN my wedding photos!!! I have yet to see any money refunded to me, a proofbook, copyrighted cd or my wedding photos! I think I'm going to have to sue her to get my money back! I'm not the type of person that would just sue someone, but she is leaving me now choice! I want JUSTICE!!! I was wronged by this lady and I want justice to be served!!!!