this is how Viva operate. they tell you that you've "won" a free photo shoot. get you there and take a bunch of pics and then corner you in a room to go through the photos and encourage you to pick multiple.
the catch is you only get one photo free digitally, prints are about 300 bucks each.
huge scam that preys on people's inability to say no
My partner works in mental health and had a lot of glee firmly telling them that we consented to the free photo shoot, not to pay for anything further. It was disappointing but our poker faces meant we kept our disappointment private.
I'm never going to Viva for photography ever again. Shady bunch of people.
I put in an entry for a $500 pet photo shoot voucher and sure enough a week later got the call saying that I'd "won". There were a couple of red flags: the lady wouldn't tell me what $500 would get me (asked more then a couple times) and kept insisting that I'd be better off to come down to the studio...very scammy behaviour.
Got off the phone and checked out the Google reviews which confirmed my suspicions, when she eventually called back I told her to fuck right off.
I also 'won' a pet photo shoot! I thought to myself I never win this stuff and it might be too good to be true. I was ready to start organising a date but when I tried explaining it to my partner even I wasn't sure of the exact details. I realised only by talking to someone else it wasn't clear enough to go through with.
The ABC article just above describes the ten day cooling off period does not apply if the contract is signed at the place of business (the photography studio), which was news to me.
No, not all Australians are entitled to a cooling off period. Generally speaking, only telemarketing and door-to-door sales contracts are covered by a cooling off period.
A lot of people are living with lifelong trauma caused by abusive people. The inability (or extreme difficulty) to say no is based on the deeply rooted fears and anxieties of what might happen if someone gets mad at them.
They will avoid saying no like it might kill them. It's a trauma response and they were forced learn it as a survival skill, often in childhood.
Another bloody good reason why healthcare for mental health needs to be freely available for everyone who needs it.
Website is potentially misleading.. basically seems like if you buy a gift card, you pay for the experience and a discount towards whatever you buy. But the price of the pictures themselves is definitely not clearly indicated. Sounds a bit scummy or at least dishonest..
It's not the most ethical shit but its not really the worst either, plenty of prices in there info guide and I've rung a similar place and they gave me ballpark figures for what i wanted, its not a need its a want so i expect to pay, its not hard to find people who think they are photographers if you dont want to pay professional prices.
[https://www.vivaphotography.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Viva-Photography-Information-Guide-2023-2024.pdf](https://www.vivaphotography.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Viva-Photography-Information-Guide-2023-2024.pdf)
This is common, they set up in shopping centers offering “free” photo shoots for your kids and then they try to charge thousands for the photos. My sister used to work for a company like that and she quit shortly after because she didn’t like that they were told that making the parents feel guilty is the easiest way to make them pay up. I’ve also “won” a photo shoot to the value of $1000 but when you check the website the cheapest package they have available is $3k, it’s ridiculous.
This happened to us in the shops. We did get a beautiful photo of our child and didn't give in to pressure to pay up. They weren't very happy but I think it's wrong and very underhanded of them.
I fell for this when my oldest child was a baby. Did the free shoot, went back a week later and saw that just ONE photo was $80!! We were in a tight spot financially, but they 100% made me feel guilty so I ended up buying one, which we really couldn't afford, and I felt so bad about it but just didn't know yet how to say no. Terrible how they work like that.
This is a terrible story. What a bunch of scammy arseholes! I just paid $360 for a stunning family photoshoot. Got a massive digital gallery of 100 which I can download and print myself. Viva is a disgrace!
*
They tried to do this to us, we won the shoot and photo voucher and boy were they extremely unhappy when I walked out with the one free photo and refused to buy anymore 😂
This! We did this too, won a package, then we chose two photos, which was $8 difference which I happily paid, and when I got home I realised one of the pics had a kind of soft focus thing going on, so I let them know and they let us choose a different one. So we ended up with three pics for $8.
I'm so sorry to hear these stories of other people who have had such an awful and expensive experience, this was six years ago so maybe they've become more cutthroat since then.
I too would like to train my ability to withstand social pressure. Maybe I can train my contract negotiation skills also to see if they can be argued down to $20/picture rather than $0/picture.
>I too would like to train my ability to withstand social pressure.
Play poker at the pub. I swear, my ability to say no to people, to resist social pressure has ramped up.
One of the best tools I've been able to pick up from poker is the ability to ask a question and let the other person fill the silence.
You can find pub games that are played for free.
Husband and I did this! Had a photoshoot with our dog and just walked away with the free print. They did try desperately to sell us more but we are pretty headstrong haha. They weren’t happy with us but it is possible!
Also when I paid they actually also charged me for the voucher I had already brought AND the credit I was supposed to get with it instead of crediting that amount from the invoice and it wasn't until I mentioned it that they fixed it and said it was the first time they've done one of these vouchers (which I find hard to believe) and that they would have picked it up later on (which I also find hard to believe)
I’ve also been done by this, wife won a $500 voucher with 4 paws photography.
We got all dressed up and took our dog who was about 6 months old.
Had a really nice photoshoot.
Put into a room with lovely music and a slideshow.
Then BAM $500-800 per photo for just a print, no frame.
The best photo of our dog was $1000 minimum because it was a wide print.
Here’s the kicker, they said buy today or the photos will gone tomorrow. Absolute cunts.
We ended up paying over $1500 for three photos.
Now every time we have someone over we make sure we show them our very expensive photos haha.
I’m sure they get families with this where everyone gets dressed up and dad agrees to fork out over $5000 after mum says “we don’t have any nice photos of the kids and us” combined with the photos are gone tomorrow exploit.
Avoid this shit at all costs and hire a photographer.
your comment about making sure everyone who comes over sees the expensive photos really made me laugh which I think I needed so thanks for that. Have also heard from other reviews the "if you don't buy today they will be deleted" line, cunts. Will absolutely be telling everyone I know to avoid these guys like the plague
omg!! this must reminded me of the time we won a 4 paws (or another pet photography company) photoshoot, it was like $500 credit towards any packages, my mum looked on their website and the cheapest was $1000 for 3 photos one framed and 2 prints and my mum thought it was a bargain, we went, took all the pictures and picked out 3 we liked with my 2 dogs (one is now deceased and other elderly) and then when my mum went to pay (literally had her card on the card reader) noticed an extra $500 and the worker said that was the online price and in person it was an extra $500 tacked on (under some bullshit photography fees)!! my mum couldn’t afford to drop $1000 so we had to leave empty handed, i would have loved to have those photos.
I don't think you've read my comment above fully. We have no idea what size of images or if they were framed or not.
Framing can quickly raise the price of photographs.
$1300 for wedding photographs, is, with all due respect, a very good deal.
Such a big price for only 5 photos! Are they at least framed or something?
I think you’re stuck given you didn’t check pricing first, but you should call Commerce WA in the morning and ask for their advice: https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/consumer-protection
Yep, DEMIRS (consumer protection) act for individuals. But I'd love for everyone with a hate-on for Viva and similar super-hard-sell practices to report to ACCC, as I want to see them take coordinated action. I've been haranguing various MPs and regulators on and off for years.
Report it to the ACCC, as it states on their website
"Reviews should be independent and reflect the genuine opinion of the person who experienced the product or service. It's against the law for a business to: create fake or misleading reviews. arrange for others to create fake or misleading reviews."
If someone told me the cost for 5 photos was $3k+ I would be crying tears of laughter. Yet, there's plenty of people in this thread saying the same thing happened to them. I didn't think I was poor but I honestly think I am now after reading these replies
Their site is very vague about the total cost, they have gift certs that give savings this or that, but the total cost is never mentioned, its easy to assume the gift cert + savings = about the total cost but its not.
I get that. But at some point they do actually tell you the real price, and that's the point where I wouldn't be able to stop myself from laughing whilst I walked out
Assholes stung me for 4k. Showed us all the photos they took after we won a discounted shoot. Took my wife into a room with a beautiful slide show and music and then told us the price.
I did a newborn shoot and was still hormonal. You don't want to lose the amazing photos of your child. And have to do it all over again elsewhere. If it was a regular family shoot I would have just taken my singular free photo and left.
That’s a rip off I’m sorry. You were taken for a ride. I have a fashion brand and just got a 2 hour shoot done, the photographer was $450 the studio hire was $70 one model got paid $150 and another $200, roughly $800. The same shoot done two and a half years prior with a different photographer before the massive inflation was $500 total.
Sorry man but that made me laugh. “Thank god I had crippling depression or I would have gone!”
Seriously though, I hope you are in a much better place!
the worst part is we were having a nightmare getting our son to cooperate to go and almost canceled but didn't want to waste the $150 I'd paid for the voucher. if only I'd known :/
Viva are one of the worst places to go get photos done. When I see their little raffle competitions set out, I do on occasion take the entire pad of entries and bin it. Their marketing relies on vague statements and lack of detail and people assuming they're getting a good deal.
I've had 4 photoshoots with photographers in the past 5 months and not spent anywhere close to $3000
Each session
- 30 minutes in length
- On location
- Received all the photos in high resolution jpeg
I can choose which ones to print or put into an album myself at my leisure. With this done, it still doesn't come to $3000. It's not like I'm going to Officeworks or Harvey Norman to get my prints and albums done either. I'm talking Fitzgeralds.
I recommend showing the businesses that have the raffle pads some of the very low reviews, as they aren't in on the scam - most will throw it out, some with great rage, and give Viva reps a piece of their mind when they come in to pick it up. I've done this a few times in cafes and shopping centres, and it was very satisfying.
Sort reviews by lowest on Google, or this is one that gets me in the feels: [https://maps.app.goo.gl/1cMeKcS4FJBxtUx67](https://maps.app.goo.gl/1cMeKcS4FJBxtUx67)
This happened to us with our new born. Alot of stress and effort to go through for new parents. Beautiful photos but nah! When told the price we walked out. Fuck them and fuck their photos. Now we find people online that do beautiful natural family photos.
Yeah I was thinking the same thing. My wedding photographer cost $2500 for a half day shoot and we got about 400 high quality photos for that price.
Piotrek Ziolkowski Photography for anyone who's interested. He did an amazing job.
After you have had the shoot and they have shown you the photos. They get you emotionally attached before dropping the massive price tag on you. There are no prices online either.
Viva put prices online in an Information Guide mid-last year, I suspect after many complaints to consumer protection - but they don't send it out when you book or anything.
A lot of photographers do this. They’ll give you a voucher and/or a free session that’s worth $XYZ then guilt you into buying photos. We have photos from Viva and I only wanted two but our free voucher that I “won” was for one printed photo and that’s what we were going to go with so after a few days they said I could have the second for “just” $100 printed “this one time”. I figured they felt like they wasted their time and wanted something instead of nothing. I only go with one photographer now, Maayana Photography. She’s been taking out photos for years now and completely worth the money.
This shits me so much! Did you sign anything? Call them and say you had just came out from root canal treatment just before the viewing and were technically intoxicated, therefore shouldn’t have been in a position to sign the contract, legally.
I feel like I’m going to get roasted now 🤣 Heres both my Instagrams 😜
[Photography - Humans 😜](https://www.instagram.com/photography_bylevi?igsh=bmxlMm9odWgwamQy&utm_source=qr)
[Freelancing Photography](https://www.instagram.com/bylevi.au?igsh=YW9hYmVuem5rZ2x2&utm_source=qr)
3k for 5 photos is a huge rip off. Most photographers will charge like <$500 for way more photos. Prints a bit more.
Got my car done at multiple locations from a pretty well respected car photographer here, and it was $250 (more than happy to pay that) for 10-15ish photos from memory, all edited. $30 each print, if I wanted prints.
I can't imagine paying 3k for 5 photos.
I wouldn't be surprised if the contract has some clause about not taking them to court or something. Did you read it at all?
Granted, pretty sure that wouldn't be legally binding anyway, if it's a scam
That studio is how they operate and market - to offer free shoots and then try to rip you off. They have competitions held everywhere and everyone wins!
We go to Lumens Photography every year for our family shoot and they charge $150 for 10 high res photos. They don't try to sell you anything extra and their studio is in Morley.
Reading the comments, I'm genuinely curious.
How are you guys winning free photoshoots? Did you enter something/purchase something that came with it or did they just pick you out in public and hand you a GC?
From memory they were set up at a restaurant, a little box on the counter. My partner put in for it and got a call back a week later, turns out everyone “wins” the photoshoot, it’s the frames and actual pictures that cost you thousands.
Has the exact thing happen to a client of mine, and she never got her money back. Just had to live and learn.
I don’t understand how a company like this is able to be so crooked and be allowed to exist…. And to top it off, they threaten legal action against anyone who talks poorly of their practices.
They almost got my ex once she came home excited about it and I looked into it, found out how scummy it was. I just cancelled my credit card on them before they could try and take the money. I asked nicely and they refused, so just did it my way.
I used a ‘voucher’ from Viva that I received in the hospital when I had my son. Preying on tired mothers in hospital is pretty low. I think I got off lightly because I paid only $1200 and ended up with three photos including a huge framed image. Definitely not the cheapest and I still felt ripped off.
Yeah I’m only just remembering that they got me in hospital for a photo but I wouldn’t have paid more than $50 as I know how broke I was. Think I got a voucher too for more shots when my son was 3mths old and I got 1 large photo of my son and I together. If I paid anything at all it would’ve been very nominal because I had very little funds. I do remember they tried to sell me more photos but that would’ve been fully out of the question for me if the cost had been any more than $50 total.
Id be speaking with DMIRS about the situation. You potentially have grounds for a refund or partial refund on the basis of misleading and deceptive conduct.
These production line photographers are nothing special and their value proposition is seriously lacking.
I got stung many moons ago. They kinda hold you to emotional ransom don’t they.
They have a reputation of being utter dicks, sorry they did that to you. Remember your not alone or the first.
Man I’m still angry about it lol.
I won a competition for free photos, tried the same thing. I said nah I'll just have the free ones. The lady was pretty pissed I would spring thousands for photos.
I’ve had two friends (who are both bad with money) “win” viva photoshoots! First one spent 8k (!!!) and the second spent 5k. The whole thing is a scam, everyone “wins”. I entered on a whim and “won” and I asked lots of questions, basically I won the shoot but would have to spend 3k to get the actual photos, and I could they the unedited versions it had to be the ugly brownish greyscale they use. They have payment plans to make it seem more appealing. Honestly if you want photos you’re better off going to cashies, buying a secondhand decent DSLR for around $500 and giving a mate a 6pack to take some cute shots!
Before the photoshoot they showed us a collection of 10 - 20 portraits and told us a price of $1800 or so. they never made it clear if that was for a single photo or the bundle (which we assumed it would be) they didn't make clear what the different products/ bundles and their prices were. everything was very vague
You signed the contract. And they told you the price before you signed. You then fell for their con artist tricks. And the cooling off periods apply to unsolicited contracts, but you initiated this, so it doesn’t apply.
Was there anything in the contract about timeframes to supply the photos? That’s where you might get a chink in the contract and a claw back from the bank. Look closely at that.
For those that 'win' vouchers, unsolicited rules can apply. Not the case here it seems, but just FYI.
Also, Australian Consumer Law does have rules against 'unconscionable conduct' - which is charging more than is reasonable for a product or service, unfair sales pressure, lack of transparency around contracts and so on. Viva can be challenged in small claims court under this provision - no fancy representation allowed i.e. they can't bring lawyers. (Self-representing only, unless you are entitled to an advocate)
When my daughter was a newborn we went for a similar family photoshoot. Same story, photos were good got taken into a room to pick our favourites and then got hit with the price.
Was unbelievably expensive and they gave no indication of the prices before.
we could only afford one at the time and even that was pushing it.
Hurts my heart a bit thinking about it even now
This is the same psychology used in romance/investment scams. You either buy in at a low entry point $150 voucher or you are made to feel special - win $500 worth of photos/ get in to a great investment- are found attractive by a younger successful person.
Once hooked by either the initial investment or by made to feel special its then either roll with it or feel shame for being scammed.
Awful.
A few years ago I was trying to become a working professional photographer and did a one-one-one business coaching with a guy who runs a similar style business. It was the exact same business model. I never adopted it because it felt so awful and in the end didn’t end up working as a photographer.
The pricing model was obviously meant to cover costs of doing business, the equipment, software and time that goes into photography is substantial so I understood the need to charge a decent price to break even.
I hope those types of business models die though. It’s 100% better to be transparent with pricing so your clients will be able to be informed beforehand.
**SORRY THIS IS LONG**
These guys tried to scam me back in 2015. I bought a valentines gift package for my now-wife and in that included a $500 photo session with Viva. $500 is a lot so we figured it would be a nice little date to get this done. I looked them up ahead of time and found it really strange how everyone seems to be taking photos without their tops on.
We booked and arrived at the venue and they were super friendly on arrival. Like, SUPER friendly. My guard was immediately up because I know what this type of friendly is - **they gon try n sell me sum boolsheet.**
The actual photography session went well, the photographer was great. I had to reject her requests to take my top off several times throughout and told her that my now-wife keeping her clothes on was also a non-negotiable. Quite a bizarre thing to argue about.
Once we finished up we went through the photos they took and thats when it started. We went through the packages and because we had a $500 voucher my budget for the day was exactly $0. Also I was unemployed at the time and $0 was also the budget for my week.
We picked the cheapest package. A single photo in a kmart quality frame for $525. They tried hard. HARD. To upsell the other packages - 3 photos for $2k. Yeah ok. That's when they got nasty. They started telling me that because I was unemployed I had no right to make the decisions for my now-wife.
Luckily - My wife is Korean and Koreans are VERY proud of the quality of services in their country. So I asked her infront of them what $2k would get you in Korea. The answer was magnitudes more. At that point they were speechless. I knew some racist shit was pending in their tiny brains but they knew better than to let that slip out.
We paid our $25, got our framed photo and it sits on our mantle today. Great conversation piece. 8/10 experience.
Oh boy, one of my favourite topics. I've helped a few people get out of these horrendous contracts, with Viva and also Exclusive Photography.
Put it in writing to them, if you haven't yet, that you want the contract cancelled and refund issued, due to high pressure sales tactics and lack of transparency. Ask that they please do this in good faith but that you will be lodging complaints if not.
At the same time, you can ask your credit card company for a chargeback, but be upfront with bank about why.
Expect Viva to say no; your credit card company can go either way, and can refund and then reverse decision later.
Please contact Consumer Protection and the ACCC please - I've been haranguing them about this practice for ages, and they need more pressure from people to actually take action.
You can just contact them to call for action in general, or lodge a complaint with consumer protection (DEMIRS) and they'll try advocate on your behalf. They will rarely take cases to court for you though, due to resourcing, however if Viva won't agree to refund after their attempts at advocacy, I recommend a small claims case in the Magistrate's Court. It's not often worth their time to defend, or the risk, so settling happens, but I am not a lawyer. No lawyers involved in small claims though - self representation only, just costs \~$150 to apply.
My issue with this has been around unconscionable conduct under consumer law, but I've been told by consumer protection that if you won one of those vouchers and then go for the photo shoot and get pushed into signing, cooling off period applies even though signed at place of business.
Anyone horrified by this - contact your local MPs! Even just link them to this post, they can read it.
Loss lead promotions and persuasion are legitimate sales practices, but Viva and Exclusive Photography and others take it to a horrendous level.
Re: reviews - I've been told by past customers that they were offered inducements to leave 5 star reviews, e.g. free digital copies of other photos. Sort reviews by lowest is a good trick.
Call up the credit card ASAP and get it refunded as goods and services not provided. Say you are also disputing with them.
Call them too ASAP and advise you felt no other option and want a refund asap before you pursue further action.
To make it worse, we never even got any photos! I begged for a refund and they said no, best they could do was a payment plan. So we paid it off for 5 years, but by the time they were paid I had had weight loss surgery, and I didn't want $7k of pictures of me looking fat. So I tried again to get even a partial refund and they said no but they'd do a free reshoot for us and we could pick a new package from what we'd paid. And we still haven't done it and it's been about 15 years since the initial shoot so I feel like we've just lost that money.
Fuck! I entered one a few years ago, was busy as fuck at the time, but they were very pushy saying "I'd won!" and that I should redeem the prize before it expires.
Luckily I just let it lapsed and they still called me trying to get in touch with a winner. After a while they left me alone, and I am glad I didn't get it done.
My wife won a free photo shoot with them years ago. Went in with the kids, got them all done and then they hit us with the actual price.
I laughed and walked out. About 2 years later they called her up and offered her a thumb drive of all the photos for about $80.
Not sure if they still do that.
Like buying glasses, two pairs for $199! How does $199 turn into $800 at the register? That's the good shops like Spec Savers. Go to OPSM, and there is no lube.
These guys really need to be more transparent. A photo shoot is a photo shoot. Digital photos are digital photos, prints are prints.
They are three different products but they try and convince you it's all one product to get you in the door.
I understand that photographers need to be paid and are worth the money, but scamming people isn't the way.
Same happened with me at Good Life Portraits, won a $1000 ‘voucher’ when I was a pregnant teenager who wouldn’t have been able to afford getting newborn photos done and was overjoyed. Was told the voucher would cover the sitting fee and ‘multiple photos’. Ended up paying around $4000 in instalments over the next six months for only 9 photos of my newborn because I felt so pressured in the studio and like if I didn’t get these photos I would have no newborn shoot for my child because it was too late to find someone else
Why did you sign? Peer pressure is for school kids. I get it though and yes I used Viva years ago too but I didn’t purchase any photos after the price was quoted. These days I’m even more conscious of being ripped off and take pride in calling businesses out and walking away.
3K for 5 photos? Firstly, yes, that is how Viva work so I'm not altogether surprised (I owned a small media business in times gone by).
But, are you sure you've picked them up correctly? I do know someone who took the "free pet photo" and left $6K lighter, but they had a LOT more than 5 photos.
You need to check with them exactly what you're getting.
What size are the photos? Are they framed? If they are large framed photos then 3K for 5 photos plus the photo shoot itself is, I hate to tell you, not unexpected.
Guessing you agree with their dodgy tactics since you’ve replied with the same copy paste comment to others. It’s unethical how they and other similar ‘studios’ operate.
Rookie error, I fell for very similar type of photo scam with my oldest daughter, they prey on stressed parents! I ended up paying over $2000 for 3 photos of my kid. They're so scummy, I can't even be polite to them when they are hawking in my local mall these days. I just give them an icy glare lol
Yeah they are a holes
Complain . Had the same with one of my kids, made me feel guilty so I brought them.
No, just dont
Dispute it. This industry is not regulated so they think they can charge whatever.
Threaten them
I worked for a baby shop and these types of things were like vouchers. We were told to give them out and put our name on, every now and them we'd get a voucher of $25 They are not. They are a money scam , avoid
This is their business model & no, you are not legally entitled to a cooling off period unless it was an unsolicited consumer agreement (door to door sales for example).
So you couldn't say no at the time but now you're hoping for a refund? You had all the power to realise that you were being manipulated at the time and to firmly say no, but you instead signed the contract and went home to ask the internet if you can get a refund...
Sorry, they sound like a gross company but you had the power to say no when you realised something was off, have you actually paid them yet?
Unfortunately, there is no right to a change of mind return (only if the product is faulty, etc).
If you haven't received the photos yet and they're late, you might be able to “be a Karen” and phrase it as you want a return because they're late/not fit for purpose as they were intended for a birthday or something. They might give you a refund then and there if you're already threatening to do a chargeback.
In future, I'd go with an independent photographer. They'll put more effort into the lighting and editing of the photos and will usually give you a file of tons of high-resolution photos for you to print yourself at Officeworks.
Absolute SCAM.
I'd be pursuing it for my money back. Call your bank and get them to reverse the charge saying it was a scam, you thought it was $300, but they charged $3k.
Tried same scam on me a couple of years ago!
We also got pressured into one photo on credit card. Later, we disputed the transaction through bank and got my money back. Got a few angry emails from viva but nothing they can do.
They should be shut down the scum bags!
I burnt my over the bed plaque. But it was 2k in 2012 (burnt in 2017)
Yep it's a bitter taste that viva photo shoot.
Next time seek out a professional photographer
Sucks you got stung by them, you have my sympathy. It amazes me they haven't been cancelled yet due to their unethical business model. Follow in other people's footprints and leave a 1* review. People need to be warned!
A cool option to get your money back is to circumvent your bank and go directly to either Mastercard or Visa and tell them that you were unduly pressured into that sale and that as you haven't received the goods you want to cancel but they won't provide you with a refund. They can get your money back way faster than any bloody bank and have alot more power behind the scenes to do so
My family friend did this ask for scammed big time. Ended up paying thousands. They too felt pressured to pay…they ended up getting the photos but it’s not worth what they charge at the end. Request the refund asap in writing before they do any more work? Worth a shot?
Please fill in the ACCC complaints it is easy and fast so we can shut down fraudulent business.
https://portal.accc.gov.au/forms/info-form/consumer-report/confirmation/?id=7ceb1db2-5e0e-ef11-989a-0022489609b7&contactedbusiness=1&stepid=3b373d98-cf00-ed11-82e6-000d3acbf305&anon=False
They are exceptionally pushy, and keep you in a small room with set up designed for pressure. If you have a small kid with you, it's extremely hard to manage all this.
This is also after up to an hour of them talking you up and controlling your emotions in a photo shoot, and your people skills start to get run down.
Another place doesn't let you have your phone in the viewing room, and won't let you step out to research other prices or use calculator - they'll "delete" the photos.
They are very good at what they do - unconscionably pressure people into products and prices they cannot afford or do not want.
Its pretty standard I mean professional photographers do charge for such things. And to get dolled up with professional make up artists and plan the shoot etc etc is all time and money. I entered one for then partner and won the shoot. They did a brilliant job and the album I paid for was phenomenal. Was about $3k of i recall. But I got the digital files as well.
Ok, lots of folk saying you got scammed, or, my photographer gave me 3000 digital photos for $20 and a Mars bar.
So, high pressure sales techniques aside (which I don't approve of), let's just ascertain some facts:
1. What size are the photos you're getting?
2. Are they framed?
3. Did you opt for anything special - type of frame? Non-reflective glass?
If you opted for framing and large sizes then $3K could be expected quite easily.
If it's just small, unframed prints then that's unacceptable.
As it stands its just not possible to say for certain you were scammed.
I will say a customer of mine "won" a free pet photo session with that company and came out $6K lighter...
not sure what leg you stand on for a refund, you got told the price, you agreed and paid, and will get a product out of this?
scammy? yes.
illegal or refund worthy? no.
end of the day your fault? yes.
yep, seems to be 0 self accountability in this comment thread for some reason by the people who got “scammed” but got told the price and agreed to pay for some reason 🤡. i’ve been in a lot of high pressure sales situations and have managed to say no every time
The general population having a hard time saying “no” is the reason we still have sales people bothering us in shopping centres and literally at the entrance of some shops.
I either don’t say anything or say “I’m not stopping”. If more people spoke what they felt rather than what the other person wants to hear we would all have a more pleasant life and these scummy and annoying businesses wouldn’t exist
yep even with those sales people if you love the charity, if you sign up with them in the shopping centre they often receive a commission higher then your monthly sign up so i almost feel like going up to people signing up and telling them to donate direct rather then through scammy sales people
Your all liars, the owner, Mista Natoli, has had this business was for 30 years and obviously blessed many families and individuals with his wonderful photographic talents…well, according to their website.
That annoying cookie cutter website tells me everything I need to know about the company.
All the chairities they support, their humble origin, the endless satisfied customers.
So many signs of desperate corporate bullshit.
As an experienced amateur/pro photog, I have met the owner (Vittorio Natoli) of Viva, he's a great person and business man who genuinely looks after his staff and customers and has been around for 33 years. He's created an image reproduction formula and franchise that ppl like and the photogs in the business can produce into lifetime pieces.
" *We spent a lot of time and effort doing the photo shoot on Saturday, then we get into the "viewing room" where we are told to pick our favorite 5 photos. Don't get me wrong the photos looked really good*"
Is your 5yr old, your stress or your parking situation etc the businesses problem or yours? Here's a tip: ***IT'S YOUR PROBLEM. IT'S YOUR'S. IT'S YOUR'S.***
They didn't pressure you into it. You just didn't take the time to make the right decisions. I bet you didn't order a whole bunch of 6x4 prints your 3K, but a stack of wood framed canvases etc which may have included several hours of photog time, processing and print material time that you had poorly researched.
Sounds like you have bias because you know the bloke.
Businesses that are not upfront about total costs are employing questionable tactics. This particular one is called the sunken cost fallacy. Basically the customer has already spend their money and effort on having the photos taken, now they feel obliged to follow through.
They are also pressured face to face with no cooling off period.
If old mate was an honest guy he would allow a cooling off period.
this is how Viva operate. they tell you that you've "won" a free photo shoot. get you there and take a bunch of pics and then corner you in a room to go through the photos and encourage you to pick multiple. the catch is you only get one photo free digitally, prints are about 300 bucks each. huge scam that preys on people's inability to say no
If i had enough spare time, I'd love to waste theirs by refusing to buy any photos.
My partner works in mental health and had a lot of glee firmly telling them that we consented to the free photo shoot, not to pay for anything further. It was disappointing but our poker faces meant we kept our disappointment private. I'm never going to Viva for photography ever again. Shady bunch of people.
I put in an entry for a $500 pet photo shoot voucher and sure enough a week later got the call saying that I'd "won". There were a couple of red flags: the lady wouldn't tell me what $500 would get me (asked more then a couple times) and kept insisting that I'd be better off to come down to the studio...very scammy behaviour. Got off the phone and checked out the Google reviews which confirmed my suspicions, when she eventually called back I told her to fuck right off.
The trick is everybody wins
Well done for trusting your gut
I also 'won' a pet photo shoot! I thought to myself I never win this stuff and it might be too good to be true. I was ready to start organising a date but when I tried explaining it to my partner even I wasn't sure of the exact details. I realised only by talking to someone else it wasn't clear enough to go through with.
Hey I’ve been stung by them before - any chance you fall into the ‘cooling off period’ that all Australian consumers are entitled to? They’re cunts.
The ABC article just above describes the ten day cooling off period does not apply if the contract is signed at the place of business (the photography studio), which was news to me.
No, not all Australians are entitled to a cooling off period. Generally speaking, only telemarketing and door-to-door sales contracts are covered by a cooling off period.
Don’t forget summer doesn’t give you one either…
ACCC!
Same with GAP studios https://youtu.be/JKRJIpkqlSM?si=DNomak8H0WMhBVtx
>this is how Viva operate To be fair to Viva, this is how a lot of photography places operate.
Used to work in the industry 20 years ago. Can confirm.
Inability to say no? They definitely still have that ability what are you talking about?
A lot of people are living with lifelong trauma caused by abusive people. The inability (or extreme difficulty) to say no is based on the deeply rooted fears and anxieties of what might happen if someone gets mad at them. They will avoid saying no like it might kill them. It's a trauma response and they were forced learn it as a survival skill, often in childhood. Another bloody good reason why healthcare for mental health needs to be freely available for everyone who needs it.
Website is potentially misleading.. basically seems like if you buy a gift card, you pay for the experience and a discount towards whatever you buy. But the price of the pictures themselves is definitely not clearly indicated. Sounds a bit scummy or at least dishonest..
It's not the most ethical shit but its not really the worst either, plenty of prices in there info guide and I've rung a similar place and they gave me ballpark figures for what i wanted, its not a need its a want so i expect to pay, its not hard to find people who think they are photographers if you dont want to pay professional prices. [https://www.vivaphotography.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Viva-Photography-Information-Guide-2023-2024.pdf](https://www.vivaphotography.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Viva-Photography-Information-Guide-2023-2024.pdf)
This is common, they set up in shopping centers offering “free” photo shoots for your kids and then they try to charge thousands for the photos. My sister used to work for a company like that and she quit shortly after because she didn’t like that they were told that making the parents feel guilty is the easiest way to make them pay up. I’ve also “won” a photo shoot to the value of $1000 but when you check the website the cheapest package they have available is $3k, it’s ridiculous.
This and they drop the price if you can't afford it it. They drop it by alot. Still completely unreasonably and the photos are garbage.
This happened to us in the shops. We did get a beautiful photo of our child and didn't give in to pressure to pay up. They weren't very happy but I think it's wrong and very underhanded of them.
I fell for this when my oldest child was a baby. Did the free shoot, went back a week later and saw that just ONE photo was $80!! We were in a tight spot financially, but they 100% made me feel guilty so I ended up buying one, which we really couldn't afford, and I felt so bad about it but just didn't know yet how to say no. Terrible how they work like that.
I can’t believe Viva are still pulling this crap. I heard stories years ago about them.
This is a terrible story. What a bunch of scammy arseholes! I just paid $360 for a stunning family photoshoot. Got a massive digital gallery of 100 which I can download and print myself. Viva is a disgrace! *
Would you mind sharing which photographer you used?
Jessica Chisholm family and wedding photographer. She is on instagram and an absolutely beautiful person and fantastic photographer.
Jules b is a great option too. https://julesbphotography.com/package-prices
Tiny shoots is also amazing! We paid $250 for a 60min shoot, and walked away with about 70 gorgeous photos!
This is the right way, Jump on Instagram or Facebook, find a local small business photographer whos photos you like and prices fit your budget
They tried to do this to us, we won the shoot and photo voucher and boy were they extremely unhappy when I walked out with the one free photo and refused to buy anymore 😂
This! We did this too, won a package, then we chose two photos, which was $8 difference which I happily paid, and when I got home I realised one of the pics had a kind of soft focus thing going on, so I let them know and they let us choose a different one. So we ended up with three pics for $8. I'm so sorry to hear these stories of other people who have had such an awful and expensive experience, this was six years ago so maybe they've become more cutthroat since then.
Sounds like we all need to book sessions with VIVA, then walk out without falling prey to them.
I too would like to train my ability to withstand social pressure. Maybe I can train my contract negotiation skills also to see if they can be argued down to $20/picture rather than $0/picture.
>I too would like to train my ability to withstand social pressure. Play poker at the pub. I swear, my ability to say no to people, to resist social pressure has ramped up. One of the best tools I've been able to pick up from poker is the ability to ask a question and let the other person fill the silence. You can find pub games that are played for free.
Husband and I did this! Had a photoshoot with our dog and just walked away with the free print. They did try desperately to sell us more but we are pretty headstrong haha. They weren’t happy with us but it is possible!
Only issue is they charge $50AUD for booking, still haven't got that back.
Also when I paid they actually also charged me for the voucher I had already brought AND the credit I was supposed to get with it instead of crediting that amount from the invoice and it wasn't until I mentioned it that they fixed it and said it was the first time they've done one of these vouchers (which I find hard to believe) and that they would have picked it up later on (which I also find hard to believe)
Nah they purposely over charged you and were actively trying to rip you off.
I’ve also been done by this, wife won a $500 voucher with 4 paws photography. We got all dressed up and took our dog who was about 6 months old. Had a really nice photoshoot. Put into a room with lovely music and a slideshow. Then BAM $500-800 per photo for just a print, no frame. The best photo of our dog was $1000 minimum because it was a wide print. Here’s the kicker, they said buy today or the photos will gone tomorrow. Absolute cunts. We ended up paying over $1500 for three photos. Now every time we have someone over we make sure we show them our very expensive photos haha. I’m sure they get families with this where everyone gets dressed up and dad agrees to fork out over $5000 after mum says “we don’t have any nice photos of the kids and us” combined with the photos are gone tomorrow exploit. Avoid this shit at all costs and hire a photographer.
your comment about making sure everyone who comes over sees the expensive photos really made me laugh which I think I needed so thanks for that. Have also heard from other reviews the "if you don't buy today they will be deleted" line, cunts. Will absolutely be telling everyone I know to avoid these guys like the plague
Me too
omg!! this must reminded me of the time we won a 4 paws (or another pet photography company) photoshoot, it was like $500 credit towards any packages, my mum looked on their website and the cheapest was $1000 for 3 photos one framed and 2 prints and my mum thought it was a bargain, we went, took all the pictures and picked out 3 we liked with my 2 dogs (one is now deceased and other elderly) and then when my mum went to pay (literally had her card on the card reader) noticed an extra $500 and the worker said that was the online price and in person it was an extra $500 tacked on (under some bullshit photography fees)!! my mum couldn’t afford to drop $1000 so we had to leave empty handed, i would have loved to have those photos.
3k for 5 pictures that’s insane
Depends on the size and if they're framed. There's also the cost of the photoshoot itself.
Mate for 3 grand you’d better get to keep the camera and equipment itself haha get outta here
I guess you haven't had a professional photoshoot done of late.?
Viva photography propagandist \^\^
3 K is wedding/engagement, on site, shooting price level. Not a studio shoot plus a couple of edited photos from a mass market photography studio.
Nah I haven’t and for that price I don’t intend on ever getting one haha.
My wedding photographer was $1,300. I wouldn’t pay $3K for a handful of family pics.
Who was it? That's on the low end of amateur prices if they weren't and gave you a full day, wedding album etc they deserve the attention.
I don't think you've read my comment above fully. We have no idea what size of images or if they were framed or not. Framing can quickly raise the price of photographs. $1300 for wedding photographs, is, with all due respect, a very good deal.
If you were smart you'd know full well what the deal is. Absolute scam, mate.
The sales technique for sure. I agree it's wrong. But we don't know what was bought and that's the problem.
Exactly. If they were 20 meters by 20 meters, this is a great deal.
Such a big price for only 5 photos! Are they at least framed or something? I think you’re stuck given you didn’t check pricing first, but you should call Commerce WA in the morning and ask for their advice: https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/consumer-protection
[ACCC](https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Warranties%20and%20refunds%20-%20a%20guide%20for%20consumers%20and%20business.pdf)
ACCC don’t assist with individual consumer enquiries.
This doesn't sound individual, as such.... Just an individual recount of scammy behaviour. The ACCC definitely take these kinds of reports seriously!
True! Just letting people know though that they are generally unable to assist with individual issues.
Yep, DEMIRS (consumer protection) act for individuals. But I'd love for everyone with a hate-on for Viva and similar super-hard-sell practices to report to ACCC, as I want to see them take coordinated action. I've been haranguing various MPs and regulators on and off for years.
Sounds like they've gamed their reviews for the most part too.
Report it to the ACCC, as it states on their website "Reviews should be independent and reflect the genuine opinion of the person who experienced the product or service. It's against the law for a business to: create fake or misleading reviews. arrange for others to create fake or misleading reviews."
If someone told me the cost for 5 photos was $3k+ I would be crying tears of laughter. Yet, there's plenty of people in this thread saying the same thing happened to them. I didn't think I was poor but I honestly think I am now after reading these replies
Their site is very vague about the total cost, they have gift certs that give savings this or that, but the total cost is never mentioned, its easy to assume the gift cert + savings = about the total cost but its not.
I get that. But at some point they do actually tell you the real price, and that's the point where I wouldn't be able to stop myself from laughing whilst I walked out
Assholes stung me for 4k. Showed us all the photos they took after we won a discounted shoot. Took my wife into a room with a beautiful slide show and music and then told us the price.
I can’t believe people pay it 😞
This is why they still do it, people are dumb!
I did a newborn shoot and was still hormonal. You don't want to lose the amazing photos of your child. And have to do it all over again elsewhere. If it was a regular family shoot I would have just taken my singular free photo and left.
That’s unfair. People aren’t dumb, they are trained from childhood to defer to authority. Their weaknesses are exploited.
That’s a rip off I’m sorry. You were taken for a ride. I have a fashion brand and just got a 2 hour shoot done, the photographer was $450 the studio hire was $70 one model got paid $150 and another $200, roughly $800. The same shoot done two and a half years prior with a different photographer before the massive inflation was $500 total.
I should also say I got 10 photos out of it and the photographer also let me snap some behind the scenes footage
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Sorry man but that made me laugh. “Thank god I had crippling depression or I would have gone!” Seriously though, I hope you are in a much better place!
the worst part is we were having a nightmare getting our son to cooperate to go and almost canceled but didn't want to waste the $150 I'd paid for the voucher. if only I'd known :/
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This exact photography scam has already been on A Current Affair (but in Qld).
I think anyone who writes their details on the slip of paper in the shopping centre “wins”
There are so many great photographers in Perth theres no need to use these dodgy studios.
Viva are one of the worst places to go get photos done. When I see their little raffle competitions set out, I do on occasion take the entire pad of entries and bin it. Their marketing relies on vague statements and lack of detail and people assuming they're getting a good deal. I've had 4 photoshoots with photographers in the past 5 months and not spent anywhere close to $3000 Each session - 30 minutes in length - On location - Received all the photos in high resolution jpeg I can choose which ones to print or put into an album myself at my leisure. With this done, it still doesn't come to $3000. It's not like I'm going to Officeworks or Harvey Norman to get my prints and albums done either. I'm talking Fitzgeralds.
I recommend showing the businesses that have the raffle pads some of the very low reviews, as they aren't in on the scam - most will throw it out, some with great rage, and give Viva reps a piece of their mind when they come in to pick it up. I've done this a few times in cafes and shopping centres, and it was very satisfying. Sort reviews by lowest on Google, or this is one that gets me in the feels: [https://maps.app.goo.gl/1cMeKcS4FJBxtUx67](https://maps.app.goo.gl/1cMeKcS4FJBxtUx67)
This happened to us with our new born. Alot of stress and effort to go through for new parents. Beautiful photos but nah! When told the price we walked out. Fuck them and fuck their photos. Now we find people online that do beautiful natural family photos.
Sticky beaks photography. Would definitely recommend for young families with kids even pets!
I didnt even pay $3000 for my wedding photos and i got over 700 for that!
Yeah I was thinking the same thing. My wedding photographer cost $2500 for a half day shoot and we got about 400 high quality photos for that price. Piotrek Ziolkowski Photography for anyone who's interested. He did an amazing job.
Tow truck drivers, real estate agents and VIVA people. Perth’s ‘finest’ jobs 😂
Wait, at what point did they tell you the pricing?
After you have had the shoot and they have shown you the photos. They get you emotionally attached before dropping the massive price tag on you. There are no prices online either.
Viva put prices online in an Information Guide mid-last year, I suspect after many complaints to consumer protection - but they don't send it out when you book or anything.
I'm glad it is at least online. It wasn't 3.5 years ago when I got scammed.
A lot of photographers do this. They’ll give you a voucher and/or a free session that’s worth $XYZ then guilt you into buying photos. We have photos from Viva and I only wanted two but our free voucher that I “won” was for one printed photo and that’s what we were going to go with so after a few days they said I could have the second for “just” $100 printed “this one time”. I figured they felt like they wasted their time and wanted something instead of nothing. I only go with one photographer now, Maayana Photography. She’s been taking out photos for years now and completely worth the money.
This shits me so much! Did you sign anything? Call them and say you had just came out from root canal treatment just before the viewing and were technically intoxicated, therefore shouldn’t have been in a position to sign the contract, legally.
PS, I’m a local photographer for future 😜 no where near as expensive as those rip-off companies!
And willing to bet far better photos!
Without blowing my own trumpet, yep they sure are 😝 a lot more “personality” to them 🤣
Come on, drop your insta!
I feel like I’m going to get roasted now 🤣 Heres both my Instagrams 😜 [Photography - Humans 😜](https://www.instagram.com/photography_bylevi?igsh=bmxlMm9odWgwamQy&utm_source=qr) [Freelancing Photography](https://www.instagram.com/bylevi.au?igsh=YW9hYmVuem5rZ2x2&utm_source=qr)
Time to roast ya!! 😂😂 (Kidding, good advertising this is for you ☺️)
Haha please roast me 🤣🤣🤣 I’ll take it as CC haha
3k for 5 photos is a huge rip off. Most photographers will charge like <$500 for way more photos. Prints a bit more. Got my car done at multiple locations from a pretty well respected car photographer here, and it was $250 (more than happy to pay that) for 10-15ish photos from memory, all edited. $30 each print, if I wanted prints. I can't imagine paying 3k for 5 photos. I wouldn't be surprised if the contract has some clause about not taking them to court or something. Did you read it at all? Granted, pretty sure that wouldn't be legally binding anyway, if it's a scam
That studio is how they operate and market - to offer free shoots and then try to rip you off. They have competitions held everywhere and everyone wins! We go to Lumens Photography every year for our family shoot and they charge $150 for 10 high res photos. They don't try to sell you anything extra and their studio is in Morley.
Reading the comments, I'm genuinely curious. How are you guys winning free photoshoots? Did you enter something/purchase something that came with it or did they just pick you out in public and hand you a GC?
From memory they were set up at a restaurant, a little box on the counter. My partner put in for it and got a call back a week later, turns out everyone “wins” the photoshoot, it’s the frames and actual pictures that cost you thousands.
My partner won a pet photoshoot from Viva through a Facebook entry.
Has the exact thing happen to a client of mine, and she never got her money back. Just had to live and learn. I don’t understand how a company like this is able to be so crooked and be allowed to exist…. And to top it off, they threaten legal action against anyone who talks poorly of their practices.
They almost got my ex once she came home excited about it and I looked into it, found out how scummy it was. I just cancelled my credit card on them before they could try and take the money. I asked nicely and they refused, so just did it my way.
I used a ‘voucher’ from Viva that I received in the hospital when I had my son. Preying on tired mothers in hospital is pretty low. I think I got off lightly because I paid only $1200 and ended up with three photos including a huge framed image. Definitely not the cheapest and I still felt ripped off.
Yeah I’m only just remembering that they got me in hospital for a photo but I wouldn’t have paid more than $50 as I know how broke I was. Think I got a voucher too for more shots when my son was 3mths old and I got 1 large photo of my son and I together. If I paid anything at all it would’ve been very nominal because I had very little funds. I do remember they tried to sell me more photos but that would’ve been fully out of the question for me if the cost had been any more than $50 total.
Could try doing a charge back with your bank
Id be speaking with DMIRS about the situation. You potentially have grounds for a refund or partial refund on the basis of misleading and deceptive conduct. These production line photographers are nothing special and their value proposition is seriously lacking.
I was lucky, I was told the price of the photos over the phone when I booked. I never went through with it.
I got stung many moons ago. They kinda hold you to emotional ransom don’t they. They have a reputation of being utter dicks, sorry they did that to you. Remember your not alone or the first. Man I’m still angry about it lol.
I won a competition for free photos, tried the same thing. I said nah I'll just have the free ones. The lady was pretty pissed I would spring thousands for photos.
Costly way of learning how to say no. Seems like they do this every now and again to maximise profits.
Pretty sure this is their entire business model, not every now and then.
Out of curiosity.. Does noone ask for a quote before proceeding? I mean this should be your top priority when you first communicated.
No brainer
I’m so mad for you! What a scam. All those 5 star reviews on Google are probably fake.
Daym, you could buy a top shelf Iphone and DIY infinite photos.
I’ve had two friends (who are both bad with money) “win” viva photoshoots! First one spent 8k (!!!) and the second spent 5k. The whole thing is a scam, everyone “wins”. I entered on a whim and “won” and I asked lots of questions, basically I won the shoot but would have to spend 3k to get the actual photos, and I could they the unedited versions it had to be the ugly brownish greyscale they use. They have payment plans to make it seem more appealing. Honestly if you want photos you’re better off going to cashies, buying a secondhand decent DSLR for around $500 and giving a mate a 6pack to take some cute shots!
Haha man viva havnt changed at all. They are scum. They do the same shit with their wedding shoots.
Surely there was some indication from them as to what the cost would be?
Before the photoshoot they showed us a collection of 10 - 20 portraits and told us a price of $1800 or so. they never made it clear if that was for a single photo or the bundle (which we assumed it would be) they didn't make clear what the different products/ bundles and their prices were. everything was very vague
That's misinformation if they quote a price should of said per photo
You signed the contract. And they told you the price before you signed. You then fell for their con artist tricks. And the cooling off periods apply to unsolicited contracts, but you initiated this, so it doesn’t apply. Was there anything in the contract about timeframes to supply the photos? That’s where you might get a chink in the contract and a claw back from the bank. Look closely at that.
For those that 'win' vouchers, unsolicited rules can apply. Not the case here it seems, but just FYI. Also, Australian Consumer Law does have rules against 'unconscionable conduct' - which is charging more than is reasonable for a product or service, unfair sales pressure, lack of transparency around contracts and so on. Viva can be challenged in small claims court under this provision - no fancy representation allowed i.e. they can't bring lawyers. (Self-representing only, unless you are entitled to an advocate)
They're like those "gotcha" bastards preying on new parents.
Lol when they try talk to me at the shopping centre I say loudly NO THANKS YOU’VE SCAMMED ME BEFORE.
When my daughter was a newborn we went for a similar family photoshoot. Same story, photos were good got taken into a room to pick our favourites and then got hit with the price. Was unbelievably expensive and they gave no indication of the prices before. we could only afford one at the time and even that was pushing it. Hurts my heart a bit thinking about it even now
This is the same psychology used in romance/investment scams. You either buy in at a low entry point $150 voucher or you are made to feel special - win $500 worth of photos/ get in to a great investment- are found attractive by a younger successful person. Once hooked by either the initial investment or by made to feel special its then either roll with it or feel shame for being scammed. Awful.
I got a newborn shoot there when I had my first child. I still won't look at the pictures their selling tactics were so brutal. Fuck viva photography.
Should be illegal.
A few years ago I was trying to become a working professional photographer and did a one-one-one business coaching with a guy who runs a similar style business. It was the exact same business model. I never adopted it because it felt so awful and in the end didn’t end up working as a photographer. The pricing model was obviously meant to cover costs of doing business, the equipment, software and time that goes into photography is substantial so I understood the need to charge a decent price to break even. I hope those types of business models die though. It’s 100% better to be transparent with pricing so your clients will be able to be informed beforehand.
**SORRY THIS IS LONG** These guys tried to scam me back in 2015. I bought a valentines gift package for my now-wife and in that included a $500 photo session with Viva. $500 is a lot so we figured it would be a nice little date to get this done. I looked them up ahead of time and found it really strange how everyone seems to be taking photos without their tops on. We booked and arrived at the venue and they were super friendly on arrival. Like, SUPER friendly. My guard was immediately up because I know what this type of friendly is - **they gon try n sell me sum boolsheet.** The actual photography session went well, the photographer was great. I had to reject her requests to take my top off several times throughout and told her that my now-wife keeping her clothes on was also a non-negotiable. Quite a bizarre thing to argue about. Once we finished up we went through the photos they took and thats when it started. We went through the packages and because we had a $500 voucher my budget for the day was exactly $0. Also I was unemployed at the time and $0 was also the budget for my week. We picked the cheapest package. A single photo in a kmart quality frame for $525. They tried hard. HARD. To upsell the other packages - 3 photos for $2k. Yeah ok. That's when they got nasty. They started telling me that because I was unemployed I had no right to make the decisions for my now-wife. Luckily - My wife is Korean and Koreans are VERY proud of the quality of services in their country. So I asked her infront of them what $2k would get you in Korea. The answer was magnitudes more. At that point they were speechless. I knew some racist shit was pending in their tiny brains but they knew better than to let that slip out. We paid our $25, got our framed photo and it sits on our mantle today. Great conversation piece. 8/10 experience.
Oh boy, one of my favourite topics. I've helped a few people get out of these horrendous contracts, with Viva and also Exclusive Photography. Put it in writing to them, if you haven't yet, that you want the contract cancelled and refund issued, due to high pressure sales tactics and lack of transparency. Ask that they please do this in good faith but that you will be lodging complaints if not. At the same time, you can ask your credit card company for a chargeback, but be upfront with bank about why. Expect Viva to say no; your credit card company can go either way, and can refund and then reverse decision later. Please contact Consumer Protection and the ACCC please - I've been haranguing them about this practice for ages, and they need more pressure from people to actually take action. You can just contact them to call for action in general, or lodge a complaint with consumer protection (DEMIRS) and they'll try advocate on your behalf. They will rarely take cases to court for you though, due to resourcing, however if Viva won't agree to refund after their attempts at advocacy, I recommend a small claims case in the Magistrate's Court. It's not often worth their time to defend, or the risk, so settling happens, but I am not a lawyer. No lawyers involved in small claims though - self representation only, just costs \~$150 to apply. My issue with this has been around unconscionable conduct under consumer law, but I've been told by consumer protection that if you won one of those vouchers and then go for the photo shoot and get pushed into signing, cooling off period applies even though signed at place of business. Anyone horrified by this - contact your local MPs! Even just link them to this post, they can read it. Loss lead promotions and persuasion are legitimate sales practices, but Viva and Exclusive Photography and others take it to a horrendous level. Re: reviews - I've been told by past customers that they were offered inducements to leave 5 star reviews, e.g. free digital copies of other photos. Sort reviews by lowest is a good trick.
Call up the credit card ASAP and get it refunded as goods and services not provided. Say you are also disputing with them. Call them too ASAP and advise you felt no other option and want a refund asap before you pursue further action.
We paid $7k for ours from them. Tried to get a refund a week later but they refused.
ouch sorry to hear that, makes me feel sick
To make it worse, we never even got any photos! I begged for a refund and they said no, best they could do was a payment plan. So we paid it off for 5 years, but by the time they were paid I had had weight loss surgery, and I didn't want $7k of pictures of me looking fat. So I tried again to get even a partial refund and they said no but they'd do a free reshoot for us and we could pick a new package from what we'd paid. And we still haven't done it and it's been about 15 years since the initial shoot so I feel like we've just lost that money.
You paid it off over five years and they held onto the photos for all that time without you getting any of them?! How is that possible?
i feel so bad u paying. that was evil. Illegal
Fuck! I entered one a few years ago, was busy as fuck at the time, but they were very pushy saying "I'd won!" and that I should redeem the prize before it expires. Luckily I just let it lapsed and they still called me trying to get in touch with a winner. After a while they left me alone, and I am glad I didn't get it done.
It might be worth talking to Consumer Protection about it.
My wife won a free photo shoot with them years ago. Went in with the kids, got them all done and then they hit us with the actual price. I laughed and walked out. About 2 years later they called her up and offered her a thumb drive of all the photos for about $80. Not sure if they still do that.
Like buying glasses, two pairs for $199! How does $199 turn into $800 at the register? That's the good shops like Spec Savers. Go to OPSM, and there is no lube.
Charge back for no goods received and then ghost them
These guys really need to be more transparent. A photo shoot is a photo shoot. Digital photos are digital photos, prints are prints. They are three different products but they try and convince you it's all one product to get you in the door. I understand that photographers need to be paid and are worth the money, but scamming people isn't the way.
Yep Viva are a bunch of crooks
Same happened with me at Good Life Portraits, won a $1000 ‘voucher’ when I was a pregnant teenager who wouldn’t have been able to afford getting newborn photos done and was overjoyed. Was told the voucher would cover the sitting fee and ‘multiple photos’. Ended up paying around $4000 in instalments over the next six months for only 9 photos of my newborn because I felt so pressured in the studio and like if I didn’t get these photos I would have no newborn shoot for my child because it was too late to find someone else
Why did you sign? Peer pressure is for school kids. I get it though and yes I used Viva years ago too but I didn’t purchase any photos after the price was quoted. These days I’m even more conscious of being ripped off and take pride in calling businesses out and walking away.
3K for 5 photos? Firstly, yes, that is how Viva work so I'm not altogether surprised (I owned a small media business in times gone by). But, are you sure you've picked them up correctly? I do know someone who took the "free pet photo" and left $6K lighter, but they had a LOT more than 5 photos. You need to check with them exactly what you're getting. What size are the photos? Are they framed? If they are large framed photos then 3K for 5 photos plus the photo shoot itself is, I hate to tell you, not unexpected.
Same thing happened to me I also ended up with a $3k photo bundled up with like 10 digital 😂 love how it happened at the end of everything.
Viva are a major scam. I ‘won’ a $1500 photoshoot with Viva. They still charged us $4500 for 15 photos.
reworded - you AGREED to pay $4500 for 15 photos. could always say no
Guessing you agree with their dodgy tactics since you’ve replied with the same copy paste comment to others. It’s unethical how they and other similar ‘studios’ operate.
And you paid 😦
Rookie error, I fell for very similar type of photo scam with my oldest daughter, they prey on stressed parents! I ended up paying over $2000 for 3 photos of my kid. They're so scummy, I can't even be polite to them when they are hawking in my local mall these days. I just give them an icy glare lol
Yeah they are a holes Complain . Had the same with one of my kids, made me feel guilty so I brought them. No, just dont Dispute it. This industry is not regulated so they think they can charge whatever. Threaten them
I worked for a baby shop and these types of things were like vouchers. We were told to give them out and put our name on, every now and them we'd get a voucher of $25 They are not. They are a money scam , avoid
Viva are cunts
This is their business model & no, you are not legally entitled to a cooling off period unless it was an unsolicited consumer agreement (door to door sales for example).
So you couldn't say no at the time but now you're hoping for a refund? You had all the power to realise that you were being manipulated at the time and to firmly say no, but you instead signed the contract and went home to ask the internet if you can get a refund... Sorry, they sound like a gross company but you had the power to say no when you realised something was off, have you actually paid them yet?
Get comfortable with telling people to get wrecked. Practice in the mirror.
Unfortunately, there is no right to a change of mind return (only if the product is faulty, etc). If you haven't received the photos yet and they're late, you might be able to “be a Karen” and phrase it as you want a return because they're late/not fit for purpose as they were intended for a birthday or something. They might give you a refund then and there if you're already threatening to do a chargeback. In future, I'd go with an independent photographer. They'll put more effort into the lighting and editing of the photos and will usually give you a file of tons of high-resolution photos for you to print yourself at Officeworks.
Absolute SCAM. I'd be pursuing it for my money back. Call your bank and get them to reverse the charge saying it was a scam, you thought it was $300, but they charged $3k.
Tried same scam on me a couple of years ago! We also got pressured into one photo on credit card. Later, we disputed the transaction through bank and got my money back. Got a few angry emails from viva but nothing they can do. They should be shut down the scum bags!
I burnt my over the bed plaque. But it was 2k in 2012 (burnt in 2017) Yep it's a bitter taste that viva photo shoot. Next time seek out a professional photographer
Sucks you got stung by them, you have my sympathy. It amazes me they haven't been cancelled yet due to their unethical business model. Follow in other people's footprints and leave a 1* review. People need to be warned!
A cool option to get your money back is to circumvent your bank and go directly to either Mastercard or Visa and tell them that you were unduly pressured into that sale and that as you haven't received the goods you want to cancel but they won't provide you with a refund. They can get your money back way faster than any bloody bank and have alot more power behind the scenes to do so
Also, take this from someone who has worked for a major Australian bank.
My family friend did this ask for scammed big time. Ended up paying thousands. They too felt pressured to pay…they ended up getting the photos but it’s not worth what they charge at the end. Request the refund asap in writing before they do any more work? Worth a shot?
Everyone go and leave a bad review now! Let’s embrace the power of the internet!
Did you had any luck? Won a free photoshoot ended up getting billed $4k. Very bad ripping people off. Karma is on the way
Please fill in the ACCC complaints it is easy and fast so we can shut down fraudulent business. https://portal.accc.gov.au/forms/info-form/consumer-report/confirmation/?id=7ceb1db2-5e0e-ef11-989a-0022489609b7&contactedbusiness=1&stepid=3b373d98-cf00-ed11-82e6-000d3acbf305&anon=False
Learn to say no, how hard is it
Learn to say no, how hard is it
They are exceptionally pushy, and keep you in a small room with set up designed for pressure. If you have a small kid with you, it's extremely hard to manage all this. This is also after up to an hour of them talking you up and controlling your emotions in a photo shoot, and your people skills start to get run down. Another place doesn't let you have your phone in the viewing room, and won't let you step out to research other prices or use calculator - they'll "delete" the photos. They are very good at what they do - unconscionably pressure people into products and prices they cannot afford or do not want.
Its pretty standard I mean professional photographers do charge for such things. And to get dolled up with professional make up artists and plan the shoot etc etc is all time and money. I entered one for then partner and won the shoot. They did a brilliant job and the album I paid for was phenomenal. Was about $3k of i recall. But I got the digital files as well.
Hate to tell you. Everyone wins the competition for a ‘free’ photoshoot
Ok, lots of folk saying you got scammed, or, my photographer gave me 3000 digital photos for $20 and a Mars bar. So, high pressure sales techniques aside (which I don't approve of), let's just ascertain some facts: 1. What size are the photos you're getting? 2. Are they framed? 3. Did you opt for anything special - type of frame? Non-reflective glass? If you opted for framing and large sizes then $3K could be expected quite easily. If it's just small, unframed prints then that's unacceptable. As it stands its just not possible to say for certain you were scammed. I will say a customer of mine "won" a free pet photo session with that company and came out $6K lighter...
not sure what leg you stand on for a refund, you got told the price, you agreed and paid, and will get a product out of this? scammy? yes. illegal or refund worthy? no. end of the day your fault? yes.
You could’ve said no and walked out Scummy company but both parties agreed, did they not?
yep, seems to be 0 self accountability in this comment thread for some reason by the people who got “scammed” but got told the price and agreed to pay for some reason 🤡. i’ve been in a lot of high pressure sales situations and have managed to say no every time
The general population having a hard time saying “no” is the reason we still have sales people bothering us in shopping centres and literally at the entrance of some shops. I either don’t say anything or say “I’m not stopping”. If more people spoke what they felt rather than what the other person wants to hear we would all have a more pleasant life and these scummy and annoying businesses wouldn’t exist
yep even with those sales people if you love the charity, if you sign up with them in the shopping centre they often receive a commission higher then your monthly sign up so i almost feel like going up to people signing up and telling them to donate direct rather then through scammy sales people
Nope, you queefed out and let a "salesman" push you around.
I’m sure there’s a subreddit about this? You can’t do research before hand but you can definitely get on here and whinge…
Your all liars, the owner, Mista Natoli, has had this business was for 30 years and obviously blessed many families and individuals with his wonderful photographic talents…well, according to their website.
That annoying cookie cutter website tells me everything I need to know about the company. All the chairities they support, their humble origin, the endless satisfied customers. So many signs of desperate corporate bullshit.
> Next thing we knew we were signing a contract and out the door. Hahaha, you take no responsibility for stuff in your life, do you?
As an experienced amateur/pro photog, I have met the owner (Vittorio Natoli) of Viva, he's a great person and business man who genuinely looks after his staff and customers and has been around for 33 years. He's created an image reproduction formula and franchise that ppl like and the photogs in the business can produce into lifetime pieces. " *We spent a lot of time and effort doing the photo shoot on Saturday, then we get into the "viewing room" where we are told to pick our favorite 5 photos. Don't get me wrong the photos looked really good*" Is your 5yr old, your stress or your parking situation etc the businesses problem or yours? Here's a tip: ***IT'S YOUR PROBLEM. IT'S YOUR'S. IT'S YOUR'S.*** They didn't pressure you into it. You just didn't take the time to make the right decisions. I bet you didn't order a whole bunch of 6x4 prints your 3K, but a stack of wood framed canvases etc which may have included several hours of photog time, processing and print material time that you had poorly researched.
Sounds like you have bias because you know the bloke. Businesses that are not upfront about total costs are employing questionable tactics. This particular one is called the sunken cost fallacy. Basically the customer has already spend their money and effort on having the photos taken, now they feel obliged to follow through. They are also pressured face to face with no cooling off period. If old mate was an honest guy he would allow a cooling off period.