9 Months Later-Still No Wedding Album

DMsdbride

Hi! I'll try to keep this short but first of all our photographer uploaded half of our photos about 3 weeks late bc he was really busy. Then I emailed him about it and he finally put up the rest. Then he took forever to send me the link so I could actually download them. 

The package we paid for was significantly more expensive than the other because it included a wedding album. Then here come a slew of excuses: his wife is sick, he got in a car accident, it's the internet's fault only half the photos downloaded on the site, and now he's on a 3 week vacation with "limited internet" and also has a sick aunt and supposedly many other things he hasn't told us about. 

He upgraded our album cover for free (which I appreciate) and then he told the album company to add parent albums without even checking with us first. We got married last May so I ended up making parent/family albums on Shutterfly for Christmas so now what will we do with two more albums with the exact same photos?? 

At this point I would like either a full or partial refund. The contract states the whole album process was supposed to take about 12 weeks...it's now been 9 months. Can I request a refund? I dont feel this is right...

He was great, thorough and responsive before the wedding. Afterwards, i have to email him at least twice to get a response from him. I feel bad about his troubles but 9 months?? We have a contract and he is waaaay past his timeframe listed on it and just gives more and more excuses when we (nicely) bring it up. We've given him many many chances and were more than patient and were understanding about his trouble until a few weeks ago because the excuses just keep coming. 

Thanks in advance for your advice! 

ILoveBeachMusic

Check your contract to see what the specifics on delivery are. I would then send a certified registered letter outlining specifically what you expect per your contract. Give him a date by which you expect your album. You could also say since the parent albums were so late they are no longer needed and you expect a partial refund. I don't know if that will happen though. If you still don't hear from him, contact small claims court.

southernbelle0915

Yes, I think you're justified in asking for a partial refund. Be specific about what you want and ensure it's quantifiable and justifiable. Like if it's the album that was late, say you want a refund on the album and know what the album costs. Know what I mean? 

But since this guy sounds flaky and a little shady, I would be sure that you have everything you want from him before you go after funds. After you hit him up for funds, don't expect prompt responses or services. 

In the event he doesn't work with you on a refund, I really wouldn't bother with small claims court. That's a lot of time and stress and you're maybe looking at a couple hundred dollars. I would just write it off and make sure you document your experience in online reviews.