Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
Options
Photo rip off?
The materials in this website are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified personal trainer, therapist, dietitian or nutritionist Runners's World, Part of the Hearst UK well-being network © Copyright 2017
Comments
I've never bought a race photo, and I don't think any of my friends have.
I have a real bee in my bonnet about postage charges, and quite often get to the last part of an on-line order only to see amounts like £5.99 for postage of something small and light. I cancel the order.
I'll happily pay what it would actually cost to package and post the item, but some companies pile it on to make up for a cheap item price.
In the case of race pictures, they want it both ways.
phew - so none of you buys photos - but clearly a large number of london runners do, even at these ridiculous prices, otherwise it wouldn't be worth marathonfoto's while?
sounds like you lot are faster and more experienced than me. and so don't need photos to remind you of what you've achieved.
me? am just thrilled to get round in one piece, and am quite excited that this year there are some photos of me smiling and not looking like the back of the bus while i'm doing it....
I've never bought a race photo, as I always felt Marathon Photos were a rip off. These guys are twenty times worse.
Who can I email to express my disgust to most effect? Emailing the company won't do a jot, I suspect.
Gladrags, I didn't feel I needed an unflattering photo of me to help me remember my first marathon!
It's all stored in your head, you've got your medal and (huge) t-shirt - what does a crappy photo add?
That and I'm a tight old bat.......
I'd rather remember the race as I want to - rather than see a pale/sweaty/knackered guy coming up the Mall on my photo !
Sorry to reopen the whole sordid issue again but, having picked myself up off the floor after seeing the prices I decided (as its a special occasion) to persevere (more fool you I hear you cry!) and order.....
What a nightmare! Not only are these guys ripping us off but they are completely incompetent. I tried to use the discount code printed on the leaflet I picked up at the Exhibition, but it doesn't work. So i emailed them - it took them a week to respond and then simply to say that I would need to call them.
So I called them and fought back the tears as they confirmed my order back to me. I received a confirmation email which doesn't match what I ordered so Ive just had to call them again - they cannot even retrieve my details for me - I now have to wait until they call me back. How hard can it be?
Do the organisers not have the capability to hire someone decent? How many photography companies must there be that could better fulfil this? What a joke!
Sadly, not many. Though there probably are one or perhaps two other companies in the world.
Outrageous prices. Won't buy, even though family failed to take snaps.
Have scanned the teeny pics on the leaflet they mailed me and have done 'print screen' on the on-line proofs. That will have to do.
Oh, and a complaint to the organisers. How about a Facebook group? --- 'We hate the FLM photo rip-off'.--- And a few letters to the press.
Having just received a reminder telling me that there is a cut off to buy photos, I felt drawn to send the following email. Is this unreasonable?
Dear Sir,
Thank you for this reminder.
Unfortunately your products are too expensive. Rather than giving 50% of 'my' money to a charity, I'd prefer a cheaper product cost and retain my option to give money to a charity of 'my' choosing.
It is entirely within the policy of an organisation to become 'not-for-profit' but to force the customer to pay a 100% premium to fund an unnamed charity, where there is no competitive option, is scandalous.
Please comment.
pretty damned disgusted, with my photos, that arrived from marathonfoto, yesterday.
I ordered 2, 7X5 sized , copies of one photo.
They arrived, yesterday, in a cardboard envelope, with a compliment slip, second class postage,
unprotected and uncut.
I've either got to take a pair of scissors to separate them, or take them to a photographic shop, to get it done properly.
Quite frankly, i'm appalled at the poor level of service and value for money, i've received
.... and the cd/dvd thingy, i also ordered, hasn't arrived yet.
As race organiser for the Wilmslow Half Marathon I can only agree with the above comments regarding marathonfoto.com. We used them in 2008 and I have never had so much negative feedback from runners and I vowed never to use them again. This year we used www.mickhall-photos.com who provided an excellent service at sensible prices. Bryan Dale at www.racephotos.org.uk is also another good local photographer and I am sure there are many other local photographers around the country that don't rip runners off .
I was guilty like a lot of race organisers of only looking at the bottom line. Marathonfoto offer money to race organisers and it's easy to be tempted but of course they get this money by charging excessive prices to runners. They insist on having full personal details of all competitors which I was never comfortable with giving them and they then start dictating what photo's you can and can't display on your own race website.
Sadly some race organisers will always fall for their marketing technique, but in future I will always forgo the extra money and go with a firm that runners are happy with.
thanks for your insight into this sorry saga, Malcolm.
...never again.
Complete incompetents!
I ordered and received a photo detailing that i had ordered a photo "with the London skyline" - there are 2 with the London skyline so this email was useless. I emailed them, and heard nothing back, so called them and spoke to someone to confirm that it was the photo with the skyline and the Union Jack and NOT the Flora emblem....they confirmed that was the case....it arrived yesterday....and guess what.....? Yep, Flora emblem......unbelievable
Have just called the London Marathon office to ask why they give monopolistic photo rights to such a company. Apparently i have to write in to complain - its the only way to make change - Race Director, Lodnon Marathon, PO Box 1234, SE1 0XT.
presumably they went bust because no one was paying anything?
Just got mine from this year...... Wasnt going to get one, but on of the pics has big ben in the background, with the time clearly showing and a clear blue sky...
I have a close up of me with the clockface cut out.....!!! Marvellous...
Here goes the timewasting trying to get in touch and sorted!
I can understand that people who have done their first London want a photo as a momento. It was my second London, so I'll probably just get my number and medal framed.
rang them up for the 4th time today.......apparently DVD was posted from the U.S on friday, so
i should have it within the week.
I do not have much confidence, though.....
Demands for refunds and seeking legal advise, if i don't get it by the weekend.
These people are charlatans and absolutely hopeless......do not touch with bargepole.
I'll never use these people again through choice, but as it was my first marathon, I wanted the photos.
Check the 42run website.
http://42run.com/
There are lots of good quality photographs which you can search with the bib number.
If I don't get a place next year, i will be going with a camera to take some photos and upload them undere the 42 run network.
You can look for the photos from the flicker website
http://www.flickr.com/photos/42run/
Did anyone else get photos that were out of focus even though the thumbnails and order form were clearly in focus? Plus printed on the flimsiest paper possible? (I had read everything on here but it was my first and probably last marathon and as family didn't get the chance to take photos this was my only option.)
I've emailed them to complain but will also be putting in a formal complaint to Trading Standards if anyone wants to join me.