SkyLite Studio Free Make Over-Legit??

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi

Have just been called by this company based on Oxford Street stating I entered a comp end of Sept for a free make over and won Its for up to 5 people and get a 4 hour session free with all make up and haur stylists and to bring 3-4 change of clothes. They will show how to put make up and all refreshments are free.

They are wanting £30per person to book the date I want but have told her that I wont pay when I have no confirmation. The money will be given back in full and an authorization code given etc. Money can also be paid towards any pictures we wish to buy. Prizes range from £20 upwards.

Does this sound legit to you? I do remember entering a comp but cant remember the name of it. She has given me all personal details and awaiting an email with all the details on it.

The deposit is apparently to make sure we show as they could be loosing full paying customers

Do it or not?????

Thanks

PP
xx

VelvetGlove

Hi Penny-Pincher, I wouldn't take it up myself as I wouldn't want to pay for my prize - saying they'll deduct it from the cost of pictures you buy, then commits you to buying piccies that may be quite expensive.

I remember reading a few threads about make overs in this forum.. not sure if it was the same company though?

Little_Pickle

Same deal PennyPincher!!!! I just got called by Studio 64 or someone saying I had won a comp for me and friend to have hair / make-up / photos done but they wanted 50 ponds per person upfront to be re-paid on the day!!!!

she kept me on the phone for 15 minutes explaining everything... I got quite excited until she mentioned the deposit bit...

They also told me that they were the 'last two' remaining tickets!!!

I said to her that she had wasted my time and her time and I had been waiting for the 'catch'. Now that I have heard it, I am going to put the phone down and don't call me again.
(they have been calling from a 'witheld' number for the past week... I don't usually answer 'witheld' numbers but had to know who it was as 5 calls a day was annoying me!!)

ruthgirl

Well, I did receive the phonecall from this Skylite studio which is based in London - somewhere near M&S. I, too, did pay £30 deposit which they told me it was refundable on the day itself. I received the voucher through the post which stated the term and conditions. This £30 can be used to pay towards any pictures we like that was taken on the day of appointment. However, I found out that the £30 is not refundable on the day itself. Whoever the sales rep is had misquoted this. It says the refund will take 3-5 working days? I went for the makeover and photo shots anyway in order to get back my £30 deposit. I too can't remember whether I did enter a competition for this. I hated the whole session because first of all the access towards the studio was difficult. No lift and I had to carry the buggy down the stairs. The person at the receptionist isn't as friendly or approachable. The makeup and hairdo was terrible. I did not bring any spare clothing as I didnt want to be there for the whole day considering that I had to travel far to get to London. This was back in 18 December 2007. Up to today, I have yet to receive my deposit. I did ring them last Fri about this deposit and they told me they will make a note to their accounts department. I think this is a scam. I'm going to call them again today to ask about this deposit.
So my advise to whoever that got this call, not to repeat the mistake I've gone through. Or perhaps if you did have a good experience then fair enough but mine wasnt at all.

gayle.allsop7373

Do NOT go there, the whole thing is a very clever con, with you parting with lots of money for nothing! Myself and my daughter went, sat around for an hour - no champagne as they hype it, got a dodgy make up "makeover" and admittedly a nice hairdo, then sat again. In a room where the walls were dirty (which did show on the pics) we had the pics taken and sat AGAIN in the waiting room. When viewing time came, we didn't like the pics, maybe two were ok. The lad bugged us and said he had other clients waiting to view and to be faster we should just have a cd of them all and view and delete at home. We were pressurised into spending £210 (£60 fee at time of booking and £150 on the day) for basically 2 pictures. When i spoke to Boe Wright (the boss supposedly) I was told I HAVE NO CONSUMER RIGHTS, and they do not give refunds EVER !!!! Please Beware, we paid a lot in travel expenses to get there too, and the whole day was a total waste of money - don't fall for it!

Penny-Pincher!!

Thanks for the reply...I forgot about this thread.

I never went ahead, although they did pester me on the phone untill I threatened to report them to the poilce for harrassment.

Sorry you got ripped off.

PP
xx

hayleyw1

thats a a shame

torikate

Thank you so much for this thread. I had a call today from them saying I'd won. They hyped it up so much I got very excited! Then he said £45pp deposit, so I told him I'd call back once I'd checked my account. Came straight on here! So thank you for stopping me from parting with my hard earned money!

LauraB_3

My best advice is do not agree to this. A good photographer will not be that cheap. Either keep your money in your pocket or go to someone like http://www.paulwardphotography.com/info.htm
and pay more for good quality who will not just try and rip you off!!!

digii_dave

If an offer seems to good to be true.....then it normaly is!

I know someone who has just paid £600 for ONE photo under this scam.

I am a photographer (not touting for biz) and am fully aware of fake comps that evreyone wins.

"Only two tickest left" is called creating the urgency in sales. Just like when the glazing saleman comeas round and says "I can only hold that price till sat" Its to hurry you up in making a decsion.

If you want photos done, try the local camera club so you get a free or cheap pick and they get more experience without the need to scam.

Why is it in the UK these days everyone wants to rip us off?

Can anyone name anything good about living in this country any more?

nikki09_2

I recently had a phone call to tell me I’d won a makeover competition with Skylite Studios, but I did remember entering. I handed over my credit card details to secure a deposit, which I would not advise and would not do again (had a major panic after handing them over and reading these reviews). After I did a bit of research, I found out that Skylite Studios is GENUINE - Google it for their website.

THE CON PART - they are calling to tell you, you’ve won a competition, but actually on the website it seems to say that the booking is ALWAYS refundable (after you’ve had the photo shoot done). What they might be doing, is using competitions to collect the contact details for people interested in a makeover photoshoot, which seems somewhat unethical.

HOWEVER, my two friends and I went along and were really pleased with the makeover and hairdo. The photographer was great and gave clear instructions on how to pose, so we felt relaxed and got some great shots. The photos are expensive, but you can use your deposit towards them and if you haggle can get discounts. They were not as pushy with sales as I thought they would be.

What you need to remember is that they make their money from the pics, so it’s worth finding out how much each photo will cost (£45 when I went) before booking the session. If you’ve already booked and want your money back, Tanya, the booking agent, told me I had 28 days to cancel. On top of that Trading Standards say that unless you have been given the full terms and conditions on the phone when you make a distance purchase (which I wasn’t), you are entitled to a refund. Your credit card company will help you get your money back.

All-in-all I enjoyed the experience, but would say that their booking techniques are questionable. If you haven’t booked this, I’d recommend viewing their website and doing your research first. If they say it’s now or never when they call, you can always “win” another competition.