PictureMe Portrait Studios (Inside WalMart) Horrible experience taking Family Holiday Portraits Mechanicsville Virginia

I made an appointment to have family holiday pictures taken at PictureMe Portrait Studio inside my local WalMart on Dec 7, 2008 @ 4:00pm. We arrived promptly at 4:00pm to find there were still customers waiting to have portraits taken. We were called to have our portraits taken @ 5:30pm (a full hour and a half after my scheduled appointment time).

Once we were called to have our pictures done I asked the girl to use a certain holiday background that I specifically asked if they had when I called to confirm my appointment (I was told yes they did have that background). The girl told me they do not have this background and that I would have to choose a different one. I dressed my family according to this background and was upset that I would have to choose something else.

So I chose another background (which I really didn't care for) and proceeded to explain to the girl how I wanted my family arranged in the picture, to which she told me we would be doing it another way. I must be mistaken because I was under the impression that these were my portraits and I was paying for them so at least I should be able to have them taken how I wanted.

Several of the shots she took were horrible and they refused to retake the shots because they said we were only allowed 6 shots whether they were good or bad. I guess I should feel lucky that a few of the shots were ok.

As we were going to view the portraits my husband overheard the store manager tell the photographer "that woman is getting on my last nerve", referring to me. I was flabbergasted when my husband told me what he just heard.

I called Customer Service when I got home and asked to speak to a supervisor to which I was told there was none available. They suggested I make an appointment and have the portraits retaken. So I asked if all of the portraits that were retaken would be free and I was told no they couldn't do that. So let's think about this logically for a moment: They want me to make another appointment, get my family dressed (again), wait in line to have the portraits taken (again), pray that the portraits they take look halfway decent, and put more money out of my pocket for more pictures because they screwed up and I'm completely dissatisfied with my experience. I don't see where any of that benefits me.

The fact that the store manager made such a rude remark about me loud enough for my husband to hear it while I'm a paying customer should at least be grounds for me to be able to have our portraits retaken and all of them given to me for free.

I understand that sometimes things go wrong, sometimes you have to wait in line, sometimes they don't have what you want, but the entire experience was upsetting and I am completely disgusted. The portraits were TERRIBLE. I refused to purchase anything other than the advertised package because I was so disgusted with the entire experience. The portraits taken were not worth the prices they charge for their packages.

When I called Customer Service I was told there was no supervisor to help me, they told me they would pass the information along to the District Manager, I asked what the name of that person was and they gave it to me but refused to give me any contact information for this person.

So let me get this straight; they are in the business of dealing with the public everyday but if a customer has a complaint there is noone in charge to speak to. Great way to please your customers and make them want to return.

Rhonda
MECHANICSVILLE, Virginia
U.S.A.