Wal-Mart Supercenter Would Not Give Me Photos After I Already Paid Online...Big Hassle, Super Rude Bitches Port Lavaca, Texas

On Friday, May 21, I had a horrible experience with my local Wal Mart store's photo center.  I know, I'm not surprised, either. My brothers graduation is about 2 weeks away, and I was running late purchasing invitations.  I bought a proof online, to be sent via email and to be printed by me, aka, a "Print Your Own" type invitation.  As a gift to the graduating seniors, my brothers school takes a couple formal photos with a digital camera and prints them there at the school on a printer dock and gives the students a folder with about 4-5 pictures in them.  The students can of course choose to use these to make their graduation pictures or go to a studio. They are free, and they do this every year. 

I used one of these photos in my brothers graduation invitation.  I ordered 50 invitations online to be made at my local Wal Mart and picked up in an hour.  The photos were not copyrighted, a lady just uses her camera and takes the photos in the school office with a digital camera.  The lady that made the invitation did send me a copyright release, (for the invitations.)

When I went to go pick the invitations up, the lady said I needed the copyright release, which I did not bring, because I was not aware I needed it. I said "Well, that sure would have been nice to know before I came up here to get the pictures. " She says "Well, most people just understand...I thought you would have just figured..." Figured that I would need a copyright release for a photo that was not copyrighted? No, I sure didn't "figure."  So back home I go to print off the release that came with the invitation proof. I go back, with the release, and the first lady was not there, another lady was there.  She asked if I had the copyright release, I gave it to her, she asked if it was from the person who took the pictures, I told her no, it was from the person who made the invitations.  She said they needed the release from the person who took the "professional" photos!  Mind you, I have already paid for these.

This is when all hell breaks loose. I told the lady that the picture was not professional and did not come with a copyright release, and she said "Well, they LOOK professional." First, yeah, they do. Thats kind of the point...I wouldnt want them if they looked like s**t. Second, who is she to have the authority to say what looks professional and what doesn't? This is a small town of about 13,000 people. We have 2 high schools.  I fail to believe that this is the first time this woman has encountered this problem. She is really rude through this whole ordeal, and has this air of superiority in her voice the whole time.  Really? You work at the Wal Mart. Get off it. 

Then, she calls a manager over. The manager looks over everything, hears what I have to say, hear what the employee has to say, and says (again, in a very condescending tone) "Well, I am going to let it slide this time, but we are going to call and check on these photos..."  Insinuating first of all that I am trying to pass off copyrighted photos, and second, THIS time? Like there is going to be a second time? She asked several questions, such as "You did have to pay for these photos, right?" No...we sure didn't. I had explained this several times.

The manager and both employees I dealt with were extremely rude and weren't any help at all.  I am offended at their lack of knowledge, their obnoxious tone of voice, and all of them insinuating that I am trying to do something illegal.  I spent over 20 minutes in the Wal Mart dealing with these incompetent morons! It was ridiculous. I ended up purchasing over $50 in pictures...that is alot of money.  They seem to be forgetting we have 3-4 other stores in town that I can make my photo purchases at.