Complaint Review: Professional Photo Storefronts Inc. (PPSI)

PPSI/Printroom.com is an image hosting and photo order fulfillment site for professional photographers where the photographer's customers can view their photos and purchase enlargements and photo products.  After fulfilling the photographer's customers' orders, PPSI is supposed to keep their service fees and forward a profit check to the photographer on the 15th of each month.  This procedure is clearly written in their Terms and Conditions of Service on their website.  I expected them to follow their terms.  I even paid them $99 for an upgraded membership to the Pro Member level which was supposed to give me additional services.

As of this writing, 3-14-14, PPSI owes me $2412.28 from orders they received from my customers since October 2013.  They have a customer service area of their website where the photographer can contact them regarding any issues.  I have used that area many times to try to track down my money.  The first few times I used it, they would create a case number and promise to contact me but nothing would happen after that.  I called them repeatedly and left numerous messages which have not been returned.  I sent them registered letters but received no response.  I complained to the Better Business Bureau for Santa Clara CA and they did not respond to the BBB.

In January, 2014, I finally got through to someone on the phone by pretending to be one of my customers checking the status of an order.  When I asked him why it was taking six weeks for a simple digital download, he blamed the photographer.  When I told him I am the photographer, he immediately put me on hold and a few seconds later the line went dead.

I finally got hold of Jim Mallamace who calls himself an account manager via email by pretending to be a potential new customer.  He seemed concerned at first and promised to check with the accounting department to find out why I have not been paid.  I have heard that story twice from him but now he does not even respond to my emails any longer.

I wonder how many other photographers out there are being ripped off by these scum bags.