COUPLE USES THEIR POPULARITY TO RUIN WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER’S IMAGE FOR $125 AND GETS CAUGHT UP IN LEGAL TROUBLE
A majority of the population believes that weddings are one of the most magical events in anyone’s lifetime. Everything is supposed to be perfect on one’s wedding day. Couples do everything to make their big day a memorable one. And hiring a trusted photographer is one of the best ways to store the memories of this special day in the most spectacular way possible.
This is the story of a photographer, Andrea Polito, and the couple who hired her. The couple had an issue with Andrea which they shared on their social platforms which destroyed Andrea’s career. But later truth turned the course of events in such a manner that the entire world blamed this couple for all that had happened.
A Photographer’s Worst Nightmare
Wedding photographers earn a lot more than compared to other photographers in various fields. Once a wedding photographer gains popularity, they are offered with many packages and just two or three offers a month keeps their business going well and fine. When anyone chooses to become a good photographer, the liking towards wedding ceremonies is obvious.
A Lover Of Celebrations
Andrea Polito always had a different place for wedding bells and ceremonies. And Andrea enjoyed her work and after many years of experience, she was now a pro in her field of work. Many of her old customers used to refer their friends to her. Certainly, life was going pretty well for her until one couple approached her.
A Referred Couple
This couple heard a lot about Andrea’s incredible work from one of their friends who recently got married. They wanted to get some memorable pictures summed up in a wedding photo album with the best shots. After researching many of Andrea’s old project, the couple was finally confident that Andrea will be the right choice to shoot their best day’s memories.
A Blogger Bride
These days, bloggers make a great impact on people through their social media accounts. When they share the products they use or the brands they prefer, it directly influences their followers. This couple who approached Andrea that day was quite active on social media. In fact, the bride-to-be was a very popular lifestyle blogger.
A Golden Opportunity
To Andrea, this wedding photography offer looked like a great way to expand her business and popularize her work. If a famous blogger will give the credit of her wedding photographs to someone, then that photographer is sure to get lots and lots of offers in the future. In short, Andrea was hoping that this project will skyrocket her profits. Sadly, the scene was actually going to become the opposite of her expectations.
Finalizing A Deal
After a long discussion on requirements and a little bargain, both parties seemed to see this project as a beneficial deal and a wise choice. Now, there was just one more formality left before everything could finally be settled. What seemed like the end of the discussion was actually going to be the beginning of a future accusation.
A Contract
Before Andrea could start the project for the couple’s wedding, she gave them a bunch of papers to read and sign on if they agree with the terms and conditions. It was the legal contract to be signed which had all the terms and conditions of the photographer and the payment details which the couple agreed upon.
High Hopes
Andrea had high hopes with this project and she started working on it right after the contract was signed. She was planning on giving them the best shot for their album and their social media accounts.
Bad For Business
Completely opposite to Andrea’s initial expectations, this couple actually destroyed her career to an extent that she had to close her studio. But this entire case was misrepresented and once the news came out, everyone was shocked and sorry.
A Blogger In Love
In October 2014, Neely and Andrew were eagerly waiting for their wedding photos to be delivered. Which photo will be uploaded and where was already planned by the couple. They wanted to decorate the walls with the memories of their big day.
Sadness And Disappointment
Several months passed after their wedding but they didn’t receive the photographs. Out of desperation, Neely made an online post. She shared her frustration with her followers in the post that immediately served its purpose by grabbing the attention of most of her followers.
The Media Takes Notice
As the post was being discussed by many people in the virtual world, one of the local news channels noticed this post and helped it in further going viral. This news channel approached Neely who instantly said yes for the interview.
Empty Frames
In the interview, Neely sat with empty frames trying to gain the sympathy of every viewer watching her on the TV screen. She said that all she is asking for is her wedding photographs which she had already paid for. But what was the reason that refrained Andrea from giving them the photos?
Bad Press Around The World
People were taking the story of a couple waiting for their wedding photographs pretty seriously. When The Daily Mail, U.K. published the sensational story with the headline stating: “Wedding Photographer Holds Couple’s Pictures Hostage”, it was believed by many of the sites’ audience. The main point that everyone kept missing here was the fact that this was just the couple’s side of the story.
The Photo Package
As per Neely, she paid a sum $6,000 to Andrea for their wedding shoot. The issue started when the couple was asked to pay $150 more to get the full versions of the images. Neely couldn’t remember signing up to pay for this extra money.
The Photo Cover
After paying $6,000 for the shoots when Neely was asked to pay more sum, she just couldn’t accept that. This wedding package included countless full-resolution photographs and 80 pictures arranged in a beautiful album. That’s exactly where the issue began.
Why Pay Extra?
According to Andrea, there was a fee of $150 for getting their choice of the picture as the cover of the album. Neely was angry with this hidden charge, and she didn’t want to pay it. Her point was very simple; she had already paid $6,000 in advance.
An Angry Husband
Neely’s husband, Andrew said in an interview, “It just didn’t make sense. An album comes with a cover. It’s a component of an album. It’s a book.” And this wasn’t all the reason behind the couple’s shock, the next email from Andrea was an even bigger shock.
Increasing Numbers
So, when the couple decided to not pay up this money, they received another email stating the increase in price if they didn’t submit the money by the last date. So, now they were supposed to pay $250 just because they missed the deadline of the initial payment.
Not About The Money
“We can pay the $150, but it’s the principle. It’s not the money to us. It’s the principle of the fact we already paid,” said the couple. They were not doing this for the money but for clearing out the doubts. The couple was curious as to who authorized Andrea to charge them something which was never on papers.
The Negative Buzz Begins
Everyone was in support of the couple and didn’t miss any chance to criticize Andrea and her photography studio. Neely’s followers were feeling sorry for her, and they took to Andrea’s social pages to share their negative views about the photographer they all found very unprofessional and mean.
Two Sides To Every Story
Andrea later recalled telling her studio manager about this contract as: “She’s a blogger. Make sure everything looks perfect. She posted those all over social media. Photographers will hand over the images and the bride disappears.”
Trying To Resolve The Matter
Soon enough, Andrea’s story was revealed and everything became clearer. She was trying to resolve this matter with the couple as she knew it will be affecting her reputation. Andrea contacted them even after the couple took this on a public level. The people were criticizing her but she was trying to solve the matter professionally.
Picture Perfect
Andrea accepted that she was working hard to make Neely’s wedding photoshoot a great success. Photos from their engagement, rehearsal dinner, and the wedding were supposed to be included in their 80- photo- album.
Immature Behavior
Andrea found this to be a very immature decision on the couple’s end. The couple gave frequent updates to keep the people interested in their story instead of trying to resolve the matter with Andrea and thank her for the hard work.
Trying To Get An Hold
Andrea was being a professional and she was making sure to resolve this issue without affecting her work. Sadly, 12 years of her experience was of no use anymore. As she recalled: “They can’t refer a bride when this is going on.” But she couldn’t help it as the couple wasn’t ready to listen to her.
The First Cracks Appear
Neely and her husband started poking Andrea for the images after a month of their wedding. Andrea made sure that she replies to all of their emails. Andrea couldn’t understand why the couple was so anxious to have the pictures.
Ready To Go
Andrea took her time and informed the couple about the high-resolution images. She emailed Neely to select 80 out of the 4000 photos to make it a perfect album. Sadly Neely wasn’t in the mood to deal with Andrea anymore.
Months Of No Answers
Neely who must have wished to get the pictures right away waited for a couple of months before replying to Andrea’s email. Before informing Andrea about her choice, Neely first tweeted on Twitter about her selection of 80 photographs and later replied to Andrea.
The Telling Email
Neely replied on the email and said: “I’m finally getting around to filling this form out. Do we pay extra for the cover?” Neely selected the decent cover in the beginning but later on changed her mind. A cover with the picture of the bride and the groom was going to cost extra and she was informed about it clearly.
Making Efforts
Andrea explained, “In fact, over two weeks ago we emailed the bride and stated our willingness to release to them their images prior to having a completed album. Then last week, we also offered to assume the cost of the album cover before the mention of a news interview ever occurred.”
Making An Exception
Andrea further said, “Although the contract provides when the images were to be delivered, we attempted to make concessions to keep the bride satisfied.” She tried it all but nothing seemed to convince the bride who was misusing the power of her social popularity to ruin a hard-working lady’s life.
An Open Letter
In the middle of this chaos, Andrea wrote an open letter in which she said: “Thousands of people that I have never met and have never worked with have gone to great lengths on social media to disparage my name and my businesses.”
Negative Judgement
She further added: “The most disgraceful review of them all occurred on Yelp: someone stated, “She gave me AIDS. Photos were okay. 2 stars.” The worst and most humiliating part was that the bride’s husband “liked” the comment.”
Calling Her A Cheat
Andrea was stunned at one point and she explained it as: “On a different social media site, the groom also called me a cheater and a scammer, and someone who “steals” money from her clients. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hundreds of people followed this comment and posted the same words on a variety of other websites, including my business Facebook page, which I temporarily had to shut down.”
Unhappy Customers Unite
Neely didn’t believe that there will be an extra cost on the album she had already paid for. Not getting the high-resolution photos of her wedding was frustrating for Neely. And that’s when the couple decided to win this fight with the support of the large population.
Nasty Messages
Neely and her husband were texting many of their friends about their plan. One of the messages read: “I’m going ape**** on our photographer, we want the wedding album we already paid for!” There were more such messages which revealed Neely’s intention to destroy Andrea’s reputation.
Shared It All
On one hand, Andrea was trying to fix the issue while on another hand, Neely was not leaving any single point to create a fuss about this incident. She once tweeted: “broke down and chose our wedding album photos… .80 out of 4000 yeah that was like sophies choice.”
Goodbye Reputation
Unfortunately, Andrea was unaware that her status was adversely affected by this incident. She said, “Thousands of people that I have never met and have never worked with have gone to great lengths … to disparage my name and my businesses.”
The Damage Is Done
After the story broke out, only two people approached her for small events photography. She was forced to leave her rented studio and turn her study room into her workplace. Penny by penny she saved for 2 years before she could finally afford a trial.
On Purpose
“We are hoping that our story makes the news and completely ruins her business,” Neely Moldovan sent many texts like these to many of her friends. These texts were used as evidence in the court to show the couple’s mean intentions for the photographer.
Two Years Of Shame
Andrea’s life became miserable as she remembered: “For two and half years I walked around my daughter’s school feeling ashamed and embarrassed. They know I’ve won now.” For a woman who never compromised with her self-respect, this was the worst moment.
Attorney Dave Wishnew
Detailed by Andrea attorney Dave Wishnew, mentioned the social media response “instantly burned down the reputation that Andrea built up over 12 years. She didn’t book any more weddings after that. It was done. The negative reviews destroyed her reputation, and in a business that is largely word-of-mouth, no one was referring her.”
Jury’s Decision
When the trial was over, a Dallas County jury supported Andrea’s case. She was awarded a seven-figure amount. Andrea said, “When the jury came out and said that, it felt like I got ‘me’ back, and that’s all I ever wanted. I just wanted my name back, for me.”
$1.08 Million Worth Damage
The judge made the decision in Andrea’s favor. She couldn’t be happier, all her stress and burden finally came to an end. Andrea was compensated for her loss with $1.08 million. She started her work all over again and this time with more confidence than ever.
In Their Defense
The Moldovans statement read: “We are stunned. We did what consumer advocates say to do: When you are wronged, you fight back. We were unhappy with a situation, so we complained like anyone would. This court decision tells consumers not to speak up for fear of fat legal bills and painful judgments.”
Taking Seriously
When the final decision came out, one of the sponsors named Martinelli’s took action against Neely. The company released a statement which read: “We have learned of a legal matter involving one of our sponsored bloggers, Nelly Moldovan, and have terminated any collaborations with her.”
Finally Vindicated
“She basically didn’t read her paperwork or contract. She just couldn’t understand why she couldn’t have her high-res images. It’s in bold in our contract,” explained Andrea. According to her, the couple believed in their own theory and they never even looked at the contract clearly.
Unalterable Damage
“The damage had already been done,” Andrea said in an interview. Yes, she had restarted everything again but the impact of all these obligations can still be seen on her career. She finds solace in the fact that she was proved right and no one can taunt her for the mistake she never did.
Moldovans’ Wedding Shoot
“Blatantly steals money from you all while holding your pictures ransom,” a profile holder wrote in the review section of the Moldovans’ wedding shoot. Many other people’s negative comment still remain on this page.
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