Wedding Photography Scams Are on the Rise
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has issued a warning about an increase in wedding photographer scams.
The BBB says it has seen a rise in reports of wedding photographers who scam couples, taking couples’ money and disappearing before the big day.
Meanwhile, in other scams, the wedding photographer will reportedly shoot the big day but then never deliver the images that the couples have paid for in advance.
The BBB explains how the most common scam seems to be one where a couple finds a wedding photographer that they like on social media and reaches out to them. After discussing the details and confirming their wedding date with the photographer through email or social media, the couple decides to book them.
The couple will then sign a digital contract and send their deposit through a peer-to-peer payment app — with the final payment due just before their wedding date.
This type of scam can take a few different turns as the wedding date approaches, according to the BBB. Some brides report after making the final payment before the wedding, the photographer reaches out to them a few days before the big day to cancel.
In other instances, the photographer may not show up to the wedding at all. When they try to contact the photographer to get your money back, they are unresponsive, or their contact information no longer works.
“After receiving my money, she stopped contacting me and all of her contact information went out of service,” a bride, who was not named and lost $1,700 in the scam, wrote in a report to the BBB’s Scam Tracker.
“After digging I found she had done the same if not worse to 30 plus other brides, some who never received their wedding photos.”
Another bride shared how she lost $5,300 in a similar scam with a wedding photographer.
“She [the photographer] began the process of setting up a plan for our wedding day. She took our deposit. She took our payment in full the week before the wedding,” the bride told BBB. “She canceled two days before the event and kept the entirety of the money.”
Other couples say that the scam doesn’t take place until after the wedding when waiting for their photos to arrive. A couple reported how they lost $2,400 to a wedding photographer/videographer in such a scam.
“He charges a deposit and has you sign a contract. Full payment is due before the wedding/event and he would either show up and do the work and you never hear from him again or he doesn’t show up at all, either way, you never get any photos [or] videos and he stops all contact with you,” the couple says.
PetaPixel has reported on several such scams in recent months. Earlier this year, a wedding videographer was arrested after police received more than 100 complaints from couples about her.
While another wedding photographer pleaded guilty to stealing thousands of dollars from brides after she allegedly took their fees and failed to show on the big day.
The BBB offered the following advice to couples on how to spot a wedding photographer who may be trying to scam couples.
How to spot and avoid wedding photography scams
Do your research ahead of time: Before you book with any vendor, look at several sources for ratings and reviews. Don’t rely on one website. A great place to start is BBB.org, where you can check the business’s BBB Accreditation and read complaints and reviews. If you suspect a potential scam, search BBB Scam Tracker to see if any reports have been filed.
Check out the photographer’s online presence: In addition to reading ratings and reviews, look for the photographer’s website and social media pages. Photographers usually share their work on social media, so seeing a long history of happy clients on their pages is typically a good sign.
Use caution on social media: Be wary of booking services with someone who only operates and communicates through social media. If you can’t find anything else online about the photographer, obtain some references from the photographer and call them to get feedback.
Ask for a phone call or in-person meeting: Before booking your photographer, ask to speak on the phone or to meet in person to finalize the details and sign the contract. If the photographer refuses a phone call or a meeting, take that as a warning sign.
Review your contract and keep it on hand: Check that the terms and conditions meet your expectations, especially regarding cancellations and refunds. Confirm the details for the day of the wedding and the expected turnaround time to receive your edited photos. Review the terms for making your payments, and make sure the contract includes the photographer’s contact information. Be sure to ask for a copy of the contract that is signed and dated by both you and the photographer.
Peer-to-peer payment apps can be a red flag: Businesses that only accept payments through peer-to-peer payment apps can be a red flag for a scam. If you’re being asked to send a large amount of money through one of these apps, ask if you can instead pay via a different method like a credit card, cash, or cashier’s check.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
