uRGENT -MAYBE SCAMMED.

gomer

Nobody here can tell you if you will get your deposit back, you need to ask the people you paid it to about that. Your credit card company cannot stop the payment so all you can do is contact the photoshoot people and ask them if you will get your money back.

M_Ryan

This same thing happened on "The Real Hustle" - only not with photographs but with holidays!

tirlittan

Well, they say you get your deposit back and that they won't pressurise you to buy anything as they have their company's reputation to think about. They said that only if you don't show up or if you totally cancel you wouldn't get your money back. And if I don't want to go, I can also transfer it to someone else. So I'll hope for the best. I'll update when I've been and can let everyone know what it was like.

Thanks for everyone's advice.

ExNicotineQueen

Some good advice from the second poster in this thread:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=179156

Funny story about this. The background is that my OH fell for this scam a few years ago. During that period we were having a lot of malicious phone calls and we started recording phone calls for proof. Anyway, one of the phone calls that was recorded was between the sales person and my OH where she repeated that we didn’t need to have any photos taken, they just needed to take the deposit money to ensure that we showed up. When I told him it was a scam he was furious. I think they rely on the fact that most people book months in advance and then forget about it, or forget about getting their deposit back, or they try and hard sell you so that your deposit money gets eaten up in the cost of the photos.

Anyway, we went to their studios in Kensington and just demanded that the deposit be refunded and after they tried to fob him off with the excuse that we had to get the photos taken first before any deposit refund would be issued, they soon relented when he played back the conversation of the sales person telling him that no photos were necessary and all we had to do was turn up. Talk about looking sheepish lol.:rotfl: Then once they agreed to refund the deposit they tried to fob us off saying it would take up to 30 days for it to be refunded back on the card (yea right). We refused and basically said we would stay there all day if we had to and warn potential customers walking in what was going on, a manager was called at this point, took us into a side room and £80 cash (the deposit) was paid to us and he apologised.

JimmyTheWig

tirlittan wrote: »

Well, they say you get your deposit back

If you've got that written down somewhere, it might be wise to take that bit of paper with you to show you if they kick up a fuss...

they have their company's reputation to think about

Judging by some of the comments that have been posted, I'm not convinced that they rate their reputation too highly!

tirlittan

Thank you ExNicotineQueen.

Hope it all goes like in the link you provided.

paulwellerfan

so just out of intrest how much did you pay for the deposit???

tirlittan

£49.99 it was...

Grade_A_Reject

You may be covered under the 7 day "cooling-off" period offered under the Distance Selling Regulations. http://www.oft.gov.uk/advice_and_resources/resource_base/legal/distance-selling-regulations/

Try giving the "competition" company a ring and say you have changed your mind and want to cancel. Keep a note of all who you speak to and times etc. If they still charge your card then go for a chargeback from your CC company.

vaskara

report it to your credit card company and tell a white lie, call and ask for a statement of transactions. ten point out that the competition one was fraudulent. Fill out the foms and you will get your money back.