Woman Claims Camera Repair Shop Stole Her Grandma’s Rolleiflex
A woman in Los Angeles has accused a camera repair store of stealing or tampering with her grandmother’s Rolleiflex camera.
Content creator Kai George says she recently discovered her grandmother’s 1960s Rolleiflex Planar and, after posting about it on Threads, decided to get the retro twin-lens reflex (TLR) camera serviced.
George documented her trip to Walter’s Camera and Digital Repairs. The store clerk told her that the camera’s mirror is “outdated” and that it needed to be replaced. He also said it needed cleaning and lubricant to get the shutter working again. All in all, the repair cost came to $450.
About five days later, George posted on Threads about an “actual nightmare,” claiming the store attempted to return her Rollei with “swapped out parts, missing parts, scratches, dents all throughout.” She questioned if it was even her camera.
George filmed a confrontation with the store clerk, in which she says, “This ain’t my damn camera, sir.” She points out apparent inconsistencies between videos and photo she took of the camera before it went in for repair, and the TLR camera presented to her by the store clerk.
“I don’t know if you think that you are literally about to pull a fast one on me, but this is actually crazy,” George tells the store clerk. “This is literally not the camera that I actually gave ya’ll.”
George says that the conversation between her and the store clerk continued over text after she left the shop. She refused to take the camera and didn’t hand over the $450. George says that she has now gone to the police over the issue.
George calls her grandmother’s Rolleiflex camera a priceless heirloom, and says all she wants is for it to be returned to her.
PetaPixel has attempted to reach out to Walter’s Camera and Digital Repairs but so far has not heard back. The store’s Instagram page has been taken down as of today (Monday).
The internet drama is having real-life consequences, with at least one person visiting the store with the intention of pressing the Rolleiflex issue. Meanwhile, RedRoom Photo Lab, also in L.A., has put out a statement clarifying that it is “not affiliated with Walter’s Camera Repair.”
“During the covid lockdown, we used Walter’s Camera Repair as a drop-off location to provide a more accessible way for customers to send us their film. That was the extent of our relationship,” the statement reads. “We do not repair cameras in any capacity. We are a small, independent film lab located in Van Nuys that develop and scan film rolls, print photos, and make custom framings.”
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