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Photo281 References

jcsunshine14jcsunshine14
First Comment
in Texas-Houston
My fiancee and I are considering hiring Photo281 as our wedding day photographers; they're only a year old and reasonably priced.  I found out about them through the Houston Bridal Extravaganza, but they don't have any reviews that I can find on their website or online in general.  They also were unable to provide me with any references.  Does anyone have any experience with Photo281 that could provide me feedback on their experience?  Thanks so much!
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Re: Photo281 References

  • Belle101781Belle101781 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011

    Sent you a PM.

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  • LindsayTaylor8LindsayTaylor8 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011

    Did you find anything out?  I am looking into Photo281 as well!!  Any help would be appreciated!!  =)

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  • jlburchjlburch member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011

    I would be interested in the information as well! Thanks!

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  • emoliver87emoliver87 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Do you have any information on photo281? I am interested in using them but I do find it odd that there are no reviews. Thanks.
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  • jcsunshine14jcsunshine14
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I wish I had more info to provide about Photo281, but no one's provided any through this board.  I tried to make a consultation with Photo281 for this upcoming week (emailed a week ago), and still haven't received any kind of confirmation.  Previously, Troy at Photo281 promptly responded to my emails and questions.  He did provide the following info: 
    "The only references we have are the images on our site and whatever reviews may exist online. We have not asked any brides whether they would be willing to act as references.
     
    We get half our bookings from referrals and half from the bridal shows. We only recently added email ads for our special package through The Knot."

    Hopefully I'll hear back soon.  Photo281 is beginning to loose points with me.  Good luck to those considering them!
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  • emoliver87emoliver87 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011

    I had a meeting a few days ago and he told me the same thing. I think they are a legitimate company, I just wish I could find someone who has used them and could share their experience. Thanks :)

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  • jcsunshine14jcsunshine14
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I sent you a private message.
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  • rach637rach637
    First Comment
    edited December 2011

    I found this board trying to get some info on photo281.  Did anyone successfully get any info/reviews?

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  • SydneyHeartSydneyHeart member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011

    DO NOT HIRE Photo281, they called 30 minutes before my bridal portrait shoot and said her camera wouldn't turn on, she wasn't coming and we'd have to reschedule.  We already paid in full the entire photography contract. I was at the hotel suite where we were to do the portraits, in full hair & make-up, wedding gown, etc. with my parents and grandparents, we paid the hair & make-up professional, paid for the site fee, my wedding gown had been rushed to be ready for the shoot, I had manicure and pedicure done, spray on tan- THE WORKS!  Rescheduling was not an option.

    We called Manny Chan (from the hotel vendor list)- Creative Photography in Galveston, and he rushed over to take the photos.  Manny is my hero!

    When we tried to get a refund through Photo281, they stopped taking our calls.  We had to get a refund through our credit card company. 

    DO NOT HIRE PHOTO281!!!

    DO NOT HIRE Photo281!!!   I hired this company and paid in full upon signing our contract.  TheKnot should NOT recommend this company.  They did NOT show up for my scheduled bridal portraits, after we paid in full.  I was sitting in the hotel with hair & make-up done, and with my entire family ready to do the shoot, when the unprofessional photographer called 30 minutes before she was to take the photos and said her camera wouldn't turn on, and that she wasn't coming and we'd have to reschedule.  I had paid all the vendors, the facility rental fee, etc., and so rescheduling was NOT an option.  We had to track down an available replacement photographer using the hotel’s vendor list (Manny Chan from Galveston is my hero!).  Also, after seeking a refund from their corporate office in Louisiana, they would not take our phone calls and we had to seek a refund through our credit card company.  This company is not one that theKnot should recommend!  In fact I would recommend that theKnot seek some additional company profile information from them before continuing to advertise this company on your website.
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  • diivadolldiivadoll member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I am so sorry to hear about your experience. I am so glad that I read this before. I was considering them for my wedding. They seem so reasonably priced and The Knot advertises them so much.

    Thank you!
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  • dmariebugdmariebug member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I would say run the other way.  My daughter used Photo832 (sister company) which she also found at the Bridal Extravaganza. 

    We are a 4 days away from her wedding and are not getting any responses.  Do not have her bridal portrait which were taken on October 18.

    I've hired another photographer and will not take the chance of no communications or no pics after the wedding.

    In fact, after doing some research $600 too late, they are not registered to do business in the state of Texas.  They are a company out of Louisiana.
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  • marifengmarifeng member
    First Comment
    DON'T USE PHOTO281!

    My fiance and I hired them last year because of their amazingly low price quote. We are both just getting out of school and wanted to save every penny for our wedding, so we decided to try out Photo281. Troy and Christie from Photo281 were nice and responsive when we initially reached out to them. Once we signed with them and paid our deposit, everything went downhill.

    We had scheduled an engagement session in October. Nobody contacted us in the days leading up to or on the actual day of the photo shoot. I had to call them a million times. I tried calling all the numbers I could find through past emails and their website, but no one responded. 

    Eventually I got a call from Troy 20 minutes before the appointment and he told me there was a mixup with the photographer. There were a few confusing phone calls back and forth between me, Troy and the photographer. Eventually my fiance and I had to rush to Herman Park and we had our photoshoot. I was furious, but decided to suck it up since we had already paid our deposit.

    Post shoot, Troy told us we would get our edited engagement photos back within 3 weeks. 3 weeks went by and I heard nothing from him. My bridesmaids and I started calling and emailing him by week 4 to see if he had forgotten. He never responded to any phone calls or emails. Randomly one day (probably two weeks after that), he sent me a link to download our photos online. The email had no message or no explanation as to why the photos were given to me so late. To top it off, the photos were not edited. 

    I was so fed up with Photo281, I emailed Troy a week later to cancel our contract. That definitely got his attention because he responded within 24 hours. I explained how awful the whole experience was. He wanted to argue that there was no cancelation of the contract. Once I told him I didn't care to get my deposit back, he stopped emailing me. 

    Awful awful awful organization of Photo281. I regret my decision to not fight for my $600 deposit back, but there's not much I can do about it now. 

    Again, DON'T USE PHOTO281. 
    You don't want to risk this all happening on your wedding day!

    Best of luck to you all,
    M
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  • Dont use PHOTO281Dont use PHOTO281
    First Comment
    DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT use these scammers. I cant believe they were allowed at the Bridal Show at the George R Brown or even on the knot.com. Don't let their pretty little package and website lure you in. You will be scammed like everyone else has said. They are affiliated with Photo832, Chamberlain Photography, Party Pics in Louisiana, Kenneth Ramsey Photography, Photo225, Photography Shoppe. Please just google those sites and you will see that they all have the same complaints. They have several name changes already and will not return calls or emails. I wish I would have read the reviews before paying my contract in full. I have contacted the BBB. the knot.com, the George R. Brown, H Magazine, the Franklin Lofts where their "office" is, the police, and the news stations about these crooks. I am attempting to get a refund from Wells Fargo but I still plan on pursuing a small claims suit if my criminal fraud investigation falls through.
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  • rox74everrox74ever member
    First Comment
    DO NOT HIRE PHOTO281!!!

    I had the nice package as well.
    They ignored my calls and emails for my bridal and ignored my emails and calls for my wedding, only contacted me 1 day before the wedding.

    Its been 2 months since my wedding, they posted my photos online, which are crap, on the family photos, my mom has her eyes closed the everyone has a shadow over their face... crapy pictures.... I asked where my DVD with the photos is and  and they have not contacted me.. after emails and phone calls...



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