Missing Wedding Photos

What is the name of your state? Massachusetts

Worth it to take a SOB photographer to court or just keep waiting for pics?

I got married May 31st 2003 and still haven't seen a single picture. The photographer keeps avoiding us and when I do get him, he says he'll have all the pics ready by such and such a date. This has happened numerous times over the past year. Now after saying they would be ready to pick up on July 2nd (last month), he claims to have never received the list of our selected photos. How were the pictures going to be ready last month when he didn't know which ones we wanted??
I have been very patient considering all he has put me through. He showed up to the wedding with "food poisoning" a.k.a hangover and only took digital photos. Later, he said that I told him to only take digital at the wedding thereby "negating the written contract" which clearly states that we were to receive 250 medium format pics and 500 digital (plus the negatives if we paid $100 extra at time of booking..which we did). I should have known something was up when he demanded payment in full before the wedding-$1300 total.

I'm sick of being screwed around with, but what complicates things is that I now live in Nebraska and can't just knock on his door. Any ideas on what I can do. This man has our money and our pics and we have nothing but a contract that vaguely states "...we will make every attempt to get photographs back in a timely manner, in most cases six weeks or less." Right.

How much are you willing to spend to get your money or pictures? You will have to return to Massachusetts at a minimum a couple of times if you want to sue. And your travel expenses are not collectible.

Having just gotten married, moved half way across the country, bought a house, and started grad school, my funds are pretty limited. At the same time, I do not want to let this guy get away with what I considered to be one of most important aspects of our wedding.

Any idea as to how costly a court preceeding might be, as I'm sure that I would have to pay out of pocket up front? I have all documents surrounding our dealings with him, including emails (some nasty, some not) in which he specified dates he would have the photos ready.

Do you at least have the CD with the 500 digital pictures?
While you were originally dealing with him in another state and might have to sue in small claims court, since it has become an inter state issue including the internet, there may be a way to aviod that.

Report his internet fraud to your local law enforcement citing internet fraud and report it to the FBI. That may bring some pressure for him to reutrn at least the picutres and the money.

Since the amount is signifiant contact law enforcement where it occured and report the fraud and theft of your funds, that ammount may qualify as grand theft and the local procecuters where you were might prosecute it for you. That might save you the additional cost of travel back. This may have gone from civil to criminal. If you can get the cd with your pictures at least you can have copies made.

Yes, one thing he did provide us with is a CD with some of the pictures on it, but there is no where near 500.
I don't really understand how internet fraud would be involved, but that might save us some travel. Thank you.
I was going to try sending him a certified receipt letter with another copy of our selections along with a copy of our contract with the time frame highlighted. It actually says "the studio will endeavor to make proofs available within 20 days."

Dear SOB,
Enclosed is another copy of the list of photographs that we want developed. The amount of time that has passed is unacceptable. Either provide the 250 photographs as stated in our contract, or refund our money in full. You have twenty days from the receipt of this letter to comply; otherwise we will be forced to take legal actions against you.

I realize that we would never get our money back in full because he did show up and he did take pictures. But, I was under the impression that the digital was just an on the side bonus to the regular pics.

Thoughts, comments, suggestions??? Is this the appropriate move to make. I would much rather not take him to court.

You have had dealing with him on the internet via email. That has moved it into the arena of internet fraud becuase he is still not providing you with what was contracted. OK send him the demand letter, both by email and usps crrr and also demand all digital files and negitives, remind he he broke your contract and that in addition to taking legal action you will be notifying the appropriate authorities (don't tell him which ones, keep him guessing.) Most likely he screwed up and can't provide the pictures.

Thank you. I 'll keep you posted on his reply/excuses. If has screwed up and can't give us the pics, all he had to do was apologize and give us back our money. Now I will make it my mission to make sure everyone in MA knows what a crook he is...it could be fun.

FYI: I found another aspect of his work online
http://images.glamourmodels.com/photogs/Massachusetts.html
God help anyone who poses nude for this man

At least I learned a valuable lesson: always fully research a company/individual before investing, not after.

Hello--

We went through something similar with our photographer regarding our actual wedding portraits. She took nearly a year and began ignoring all of our phone calls, letters, even registered letters we sent, and a threat to sue did nothing. However, once I contacted a local news program which does a 'call for help' segment in which they investigate fraud and shady business people, we got a response from her immediately! She may have ignored our pleas for a year, but one phone call from a reporter got her in gear right away and we had our portraits in less than two weeks...she even drove an hour to deliver them to us. You might want to check out some Boston news agencies and see if they do anything similar. Here in Indiana it's "Call 6 For Help". It won't cost you anything and may work as well for you as it did for us.

That is such a great idea, absolutely worth trying. Thank you!!!