Watch Out For Studio Photographer Scams

I remember watching Seven’s Today Tonight show about the heavy handedness used by the mob at Studio 2000. The way they suck people in is by having competitions where the prize is a free professional photo sitting. You can imagine how many prizes they actually hand out for this competition, but while photo shoot is free it’s when they get you back in to view the photos that they come in with all guns blazing.

Gone are the friendly photographers and in come the high pressure sales people who’s only consideration is to get a sale before you leave their premises. If they are having problems then they get the managers involved and they both jump in on the attack. If I remember correctly, after telling one young mother how beautiful her child looked in the photos and they were still having trouble getting the big bucks out of her, they come up with the line, “if for some reason your baby was to die, wouldn’t you want a nice funeral photo for him?” I can still remember the horrid look on her face as she was telling the story. She fortunately got out with only one photo.

Another lady wasn’t so lucky and it actually was going to put her in debt to the tune of several thousands of dollars. It seems that this unscrupulous mob love to prey on the weak. I did a bit of a search and found a transcript of the show. You can view it on the Today Tonight site.

Basically the thing to remember is that nothing is for free and when it is then there is a catch somewhere just waiting to get into your wallet. Oh, and one other thing, unless you were stupid enough to sign something, you don’t actually have to buy a damn thing.


This Post Has 90 Comments

  1. Chris

    This is so bloody stupid… I’ve been reading up on this situation over the past few days, and every single person who has complained about being in debt and “being conned” have all done it to themselves. Their excuses are “I was young and weak”… what the hell is that?! If you’re too bloody stupid to realise you can’t pay for something, you weren’t raised properly and it won’t just be Studio 2000 you have an issue with. This ignorance to basic math and common sense is probably not your fault, but that of your parents for not raising you properly. If you are in there, and they’re trying to sell you something you can’t afford, don’t buy it. If you say “Gee, I don’t think I can afford that” … then you can’t… and that’s just too bad… you don’t have a good enough income to afford this kind of luxury, just like you can’t afford a new Ferrari or to buy a house. If you find yourself in this situation, don’t sign… you don’t go and look at a brand new car worth $70,000 and sign up for it, knowing you can’t afford it – because you say to yourself “No, i can’t afford this, it’s silly to think I can” and then you walk out…

    Grow up and learn to manage your finances and stop looking for someone else to blame for your own stupidity.

  2. BS Artist

    I don’t think you understand the situation at all. These people are sucked in on the premise that they won a free photo sitting. When they come back to see the photo the sales pitch starts. If after awhile it seems that it isn’t working they bring in another salesperson in to try and browbeat the customer.

    Not everyone has the strength to consistently say no when they are being ganged up on.

  3. The Mole

    BS Artist is right, these people are being sucked in, i work at studio 2000 as a bookings consultant, these people think that they are going to have $95 taken away from them if they don’t come in to view the photos after the shoot, but this is a huge load of shit, the $95 is only for the actual shoot, they don’t need to come in to view the photos, but they are told they will be charged $95 if they don’t so they come in against their own will where they are bulldozed by very well trained sales staff who bully them into a debt they cant pay off! I’m planning on brining these guys down from the inside, and i honestly feel bad for every single person i have booked in, i really do wish they had never answered their phones to me 🙁 the reason i know all of this is because they have done the same to me, and now I’m in debt well over $4000, and i work there, imagine what they will do to someone who has no idea how this company works!

    1. BS Artist

      Wow! Thanks for being so forthright with your comment. Too bad that knowing how they operated you were still foolish enough to let them rip you off. I hope it all works out for you. 🙂

      1. The Mole

        I’d only just started working there so I was still unsure as to what was going on, but we were lied to by the sales rep and told certain aspects of the payment plan were optional, my partner and I had no problem with the actual weekly payments it was the deposit that we were un-sure of, and we were told if we could pay it by the date then we would recieve an extra enlargment with the deal but if we couldn’t make the payment then we just wouldnt get that extra enlargment, so we were happy with that, but then we found out that it wasnt optional and it was going to be sucked off my credit card wherther i liked it or not 🙁 unfortuantley I’ve had to quit my job because I’m currently trying to get myself out of this mess and I can’t be working at a place to sign people up to something I am trying to get out of myself… But I’ve been into consumer affairs and it turns out these guys have been in alot of trouble in the past for this kind of thing, its all on the consumer affairs website, just type them into google and then go from there, you shouldn’t have much trouble finding it all.
        If anyone wants any advice on what to do, just message me on this forum and I will help out as much as I can with any loopholes that I may know off.

        Always watching…
        The Mole

        1. BS Artist

          Thanks again for your input. For those interested in what Consumer affairs had to say they can click on this link

        2. Curious

          Hey Mole,

          I’d love some info on how to get out of this ‘mess’ too. Yes, admittedly I worked there for 2 months and quit after getting a real insight as to what these people do! I’m ashamed to say I worked there and of course getting a debt which I am no longer able to pay. Can they acually refer you to a debt collector?

    2. One of Intelligence

      you have no one else to blame but yourself these guys know what there doing thats why they have the business and you were their empolyee glad that your gone and that you no longer work there you dont understand the concept of a business and how to run one. these guys have been in business for more the 25 years and are still well known and still have clients that love to be booked in and love to be photographed by the professionals that work there.

      1. BS Artist

        If they’re photography is so good it sort of makes you wonder why they have to resort to these tactics to make a sale?

        We had some professional photos done of our kids from Anthony Of Adelaide, and they didn’t have to resort to this form of Gestapo tactics.

    3. ex employee

      hey mole!
      Your awesome for saying all of this. I used to work in bookings myself, was made to say some pretty stupid things to get people in and also to cover the Studio’s back. High level of anxiety made me leave. I was bullied while i was there also and used to get information out of. We are all so cool and “good friends” at studio 2000.

  4. Lil'Fish

    Hi I’ve only had one experience with studio 2000. My friend called me to say she had won a free photoshoot with studio 2000 and at first I was reluctant because I heard they would be dodgy. But I did it for my friend and I was stupid to give my bank details over the phone and so I was locked in their contract. I came to the photoshoot and at the last minute my friend bailed out on me. I wanted to bail out too, but I couldn’t afford the $90 cancellation fee. The photoshoot seemed fun, I had a good time. I told them I wasn’t going to buy any photos. Then I was forced to come in to view my photos, but if I didn’t go I would have to pay $90. I kept telling the salespeople I wasn’t interested, but they made me feel like I should buy at least one photo. I felt so guilty for not buying one. But I knew I just couldn’t afford any photos not even one. I came there because it was “free” and I didn’t even get a free photo… lol.

  5. BS Artist

    Well Lil’Fish, I reckon one experience is enough, wouldn’t you 😉

  6. Wendy

    I did a shoot with studio 2000 not very long ago and I was tremendously pleased with the results.

    I think you all need to grow up and stop blaming ‘sharks’. No one is making any one do anything they don’t like and it takes a really immature person to pass the blame.
    People who win free shots DO NOT have to accept the prize. They have the choice to call up and have it canceled, to turn it down from the beginning, or to take the shoot and say ‘no’ to the prints.
    When I did my shoot I had a wonderful day with my sister. It really was allot of fun and I know when she moves to England it will be one of those memories I will treasure- and I will have the photos to reminice over!

    The entire reason Studio 2000 has a bad name is because of immature individuals going in, then being angry at themeless because they didn’t do the maths and work out a budget before they spent their money.
    We walked in there and had the prices explained to us from the very beginning. They certainly do not do the shoot, keep the prices a secret and come in later with “all guns blazing”.

    Sure, the studio has some hefty prices but it is a professional business. Its no ones fault but your own if you think you got ‘ripped off’. It just shows the rest of the world what kind of person you are for going out and treating yourself when you couldn’t afford it or didn’t think their photography was worth the cost.

  7. BS Artist

    Thanks for your reply Wendy, and no-one is saying that their product is substandard. The complaint is about the high handed tactics they use to get the sale. They use the freebies to suck people in and when people try to buy the minimum they brow beat them into buying more than they can afford.

    1. Chris

      If people can’t handle a “brow beating”, they need to learn to… It’s not Studio 2000’s fault that they crumble because someone makes the POOR and HELPLESS consumer feel bad. People have got to start taking responsibility for their own actions. The clients of Studio 2000 were offered a free photoshoot. Providing there is no fine print saying otherwise, they can take that free photoshoot! There is no obligation to buy, so if they have to go back for a viewing, they just need to keep in mind that there is no obligation to buy! Just GET UP AND WALK OUT! Do you really think people are actually going to kidnap you, take your hand and forge your signature onto a contract you don’t want while you sit there with duct tape over your mouth, a gun to your mother’s head and tears rolling down your face? I don’t think so. Just stand up, say “I cant afford this” or “I don’t want this” and just walk out. Why is that so hard? And really, you don’t even need to be that rude, BUT YOU CAN if you need to. Whatever stops you from purchasing those photos.

      1. BS Artist

        Of course it’s their fault if they decide to use those tactics, and they use them because they know that there are people who are intimidated by others and do not know how to protect themselves, which is why these sort of tactics are illegal as is shown by this report.

      2. brad

        ohh god, i would totAlly love for you to both get scammed, good on ya’s both for knowing absolutely everything,
        totally disagree as you are both probably to good to get scammed *raises eyebrows*
        as mentioned about 50,000 times above to u stupid idiots, they don’t mention anything about any cost, so it seems legit and free. but at the end of the day they try suk u in bout paying for cancelation/photos.
        and yeh too you, u may actually budget for it, but its extremely sad that they target 15 yr old kids and promise them something sounding so gr8 then there parents have to bail em out,
        just hope u both get conned and have worst of luck.
        jeeze u got me mad

        1. BS Artist

          Hey Brad, have you had a bad experience with this mob, or perhaps someone you know has?

  8. The Mole

    Well it seems alot has gone on since my last post… To Wendy and Chris, I have to say that I dont think you know entirley what it is you are actually talking about, as an ex-employee, I can tell you right now that what Studio 2000 is doing is most certainly not up to par, I can understand when you say that they don’t have to go into the photoshoot, I mean, once they mention the credit card details, most people back right off, but quite a few people think to themselves that a “free” photoshoot will be alot of fun, so they agree to lock in the appointment, what they dont realise, is that they keep those details and once you’ve made it to the photoshoot, after getting together all the different outfits you want to wear during the shoot, (and trust me when I say that alot of these people especially the girls go to alot of effort to make sure they bring exactly what they want to the shoot) , and not to mention getting there, some of these people come from all different areas of Adelaide, not just the city, they then tell you before you can even do the shoot, you have to sign a form saying you will come back and view the photos, or be charged once again $90, now they can choose to say no to this, but then they can’t go on with the photoshoot and are charged the $90 cancelation fee, (thats right there screams illegal) and after all the efort they have put in, most people will just sign off, no intention to buy, but the moment they come back to view the photo’s its a completley different story, when I view my photos the camera guy couldn’t even remember me or my partner, but acording to him we were the best couple he had seen all day, but reguardless of that, these people have now come back to view their photos, because they had no other choice, view the picture or loose $90 which is alot to some people, and thats when the “sales sharks” step in, their job is to make sure you leave with something, and trust me when I say they are good at what they do, they wouldn’t be hired if they weren’t, their job is to make you feel bad for not buying. They use a number of different tactics to make you purchace from flattery to regret (telling you an offer like this will never come around again) So I’m sorry to say, but although you may have had a fun time, and you can afford it, most people can’t but it’s their job to make you pay reguardless. But what I am more curious about, is how you actually found this fourum? becaus ehwn you look up Studio 2000 on its own, this sight doesn’t come up, so it would seem you would actually have to look up sites claiming that Sudio 2000 is a rip off, now why would you do that? It could be that you are just in the mood to bad mouth some un lucky people, but in my opinion, it seems as though you may have more of a link to Studio 2000 then you let on, I’m not asking you to admit or deny this claim, but I think you’ll find many people will agree with what I am saying…

    Always watching…
    The Mole

    1. curious

      I’m glad that there are people like you on this planet that know when something wrong is going on in the world and even though you are caught up in the middle of it you do the right thing by the people, Thank you!! I heard that studio 2000 could be dodgy, but some people I know got some photos done and had no complaints at all. But anyway my friend got called up and asked me to come along so I agreed I would. I am happy to go to the shoot with her but do not intend to buy any photos (I’m really going for my friend for moral support and incase they pressure her she has back up) so I am worried about the part where you said that they ask you to sign a form agreeing to view the photos or you will be charged and if you say no to it then you can’t go on with the photo shoot and they will charge you the cancellation fee. Well that is rediculous. I only agreed to come to the photo shoot, they never mentioned anything about what you just said. thats horrible they can’t do that. If they say this to me and I say no I can just walk out without having to pay any fee, right? I mean that would sound more normal. Do you have any advice for me? I’m worried what do I do?
      thanku… hope eveything works out for you 🙂

      1. Chris

        Yes, you’re right… you CAN just walk out. That’s all you need to do. GET UP AND WALK OUT… Don’t say anything if you don’t want to. They can’t shut the door on you and keep you from leaving. So just take it to the extreme if you need to. Just. Walk. Out. It’s easy. Then, if you decide not to buy anything and you DO walk out, come back here, and tell everyone about it. The sales people will try to get you to stay as best as they can, BUT ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS WALK OUT. Just continue to say “no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no” as you’re walking out. Let me know how it goes.

        1. BS Artist

          Unfortunately Chris, not everyone is privy to this blog, and so not everyone has your strength to stand up for their rights. Perhaps rather than berate them for their weakness it would be more noble to stand up for them in ensuring that the likes of Studio 2000 do not take advantage of those unable to fend for themselves.

        2. Only go if you want to pay big $ for photos

          So for anyone who gets this free photoshoot thing I will tell you how it goes down. Studio 2000 are trying to get customers in and to buy. They aren’t giving things away for nothing and they have come up with this “free photo shoot” thing to tempt you in. This is a good oppertunity to go to if you are prepared to pay BIG BUCKS for your photos! They are beautiful photos I do have to say. But if you are just going to go in for a free photo shoot like I was, I would highlty recommend not bothering. I was like “wow free photo shoot! awesome! ima gonna be a like a movie star!” But its not just a free photo shoot they are luring you in, they want you to buy, that is their aim. Once you get there you get taken upstairs and it looks stunning like you are behind the scenes at a fashion shoot, it is all very modern. If you haven’t already given them your bank details over the phone you will be asked to fill out a from with your details and you have to sign it or you can give them a $95 cash deposit which they will give back to you when you come in to view your photos. If you don’t turn up to view your photos you will have $95 taken from your account. If you don’t agree to fill out the form with your bank details or give them a $95 cash deposit then you CANNOT go on with the photo shoot and your fantasies of having a free photo shoot end there. If you do agree and sign you are given a date about two weeks after the photoshoot to come in and look at your photos. They keep saying no obligation to buy. They then show you all the things they can do with the photos on the computer with retouching etc. etc. You then are given examples of different photoshoots and styles and makeup looks, to give you an idea of what you want to look like. A stylist will look at the outfits you bring in and give you tips about what and how to wear things. You then get your hair and makeup done by a makeup artist and you can choose how you want to look if you like. Once you are done they have a photographer ready and you get changed into your outfit. The photographer will ask you if you have any ideas of themes you want etc. If not they will just make it up themselves. after having all your photo’s done you are ready to leave and off you go home. Before the day of the viewing someone from studio 2000 will ring and ask if you are still coming and tell you how beautiful your photos look and how they have a favourite one because they took a quick peek hehehe (sales talk, bleh! pisses me off). On the viewing day we got away without seeing the photos or paying any $95 fee, but it wasn’t at all easy (we didn’t view the photos because we knew what was to come, the pressuring sales talk ambush!) The staff kept pushing us to view the photos and there was a lot of carrying on, we asked for the manager, it was all a big circus! but eventually they let us go, but not in a nice way some of the staff were quite rude and petty, but the manager was calm and quite professional. So I’m not going to go through that again! If you have a lot of money to burn I would recommend going, but if you don’t then stay away!!! its not worth it!!! They did give us a price list on the photoshoot day and for the cheapest photo untouched (which is tiny by the way) from memory it is no bigger than a standard photo 4x6in I think it might be smaller than that actually! well that costs $200!

  9. The Mole

    To everyone reading this, for or against studio 2000, YES, you can walk out the moment you get to the office to view the photo’s, but the point is you HAVE to go view the photos or be charged the $90 this is something that should be mentioned to the client from the very first phone call, but unfortunatley it’s not! And unfortunatley that little miscomunication is what gets people sucked in to having to go and have them selves put infront of the sales reps, to do what it is they were hired to do, SELL SELL SELL, and it is their job to play hard ball, and unfortunatley many people especially young girls fall victim to peer preasure and hard handedness… Like I said, the problem is not that you can’t just walk out, it’s that you have to have a swim with the sharks before you have the chance to say no! So to anyone who has been bulldozed into signing a contract, get yourself strait to consumer affairs, they will be more than happy to help out, and give you the information you need, also, if you gave them a credit card go into the bank and tell them the card was stolen, they will issue you a new card with a new number, stopping them from taking any further transactions from your card. And to anyone who needs my help and I haven’t replied strait away it is due to only getting the internet hooked up in my own home recently, so I appologise, but I will now be checking this site alot to make sure I can help out as much as I can.

    Always watching…
    The Mole

  10. Almost a customer

    to the mole,
    my boyfriend entered in a comp for this “free” photo shoot at a shopping center like so many others and has booked me in for a shoot tomorrow and am taking my sister in law who has 2 little ones along for a bit of fun, i asked repeatedly over the phone and even called back twice to make sure i wasnt going to be stung with any extra fees and i have been re-assured that the only extra charge is $95 cancellation fee to pay for free-lace photographers, stylist etc….we do not have a credit card (thankfully!) but my boyfriend has handed over his regular bank account details, is this going to be a problem? please reply ASAP as we are going to the photoshoot tomorrow evening and i would like to know before hand…

    thanks!

    1. The Mole

      To Almost a customer, please note that it is a little bit trickier if you hand over your bank details as its not practical to just go in and close off your account, but what you can do is try and find out what bank details they use, take them to your bank and tell them you do not wish for anyone from that account to take money out, also if they try to hold you to it, get yourself into consumer affairs strait away, because it is illegal to hold somone over a barrel to come back to view the photos of something that is labled as “free” infact it is actually illegal for them to make you lock in with the 95 dollars also as you do not have any obligation to something that again is labled “free” they have been in trouble with consumer affairs before but promised they had cleaned up, but all they really did was try and find a better loop hole, but don’t worry, there are more people like me, and I will be starting a facebook page dedicated to taking these people down once and for all, I will post the link once it is ready to all who want to join me 🙂

      Always Watching

      The Mole…

    1. BS Artist

      Sorry Mole, I had to delete a whole lot of those comments as it looked rather awful. left that last one though.

      1. The Mole

        Thats ok BS, I was hoping someone could, they really just weren’t working they way I wanted them to, oh well, hopfully people click the link and help out, it’s about time someone took this fight to the strets, innocent people are being conned into debt, it’s time to stop!

        Always Watching
        The Mole…

  11. Molly

    There is no scam.
    Mole is feeding you fake information. Wow, I’ve been there once and had my photos done and I know more about this company you supposedly ‘work’ at.
    When they called me, I was told that due to them putting aside time for me to come in, if I cancelled or didn’t attend I would be charged $95.
    This is not an uncommon business practice, restaurants will ask you to put down a deposit for reservations, because IF PEOPLE DO NOT ATTEND THE BUSINESS LOSES MONEY AND STAFF ARE STANDING AROUND DOING NOTHING.
    Once you attend you make an appointment to come in and view your photos once they are developed. You are again informed TWICE that if you don’t come back you will be charged $95 for the same reason.
    You may choose to leave at this point, if for some reason you decide this isn’t for you. You can leave at ANY time.
    But if you COMMIT to making an appointment, and you are any kind of decent person, you will honour that time and there is no fee.

    And to all you people complaining about price, you’re given a professional stylist to help organise your clothes and the look and feel of your shoot, a professional hair and makeup artist, and a full hour with a professional photographer. If you walk away from this amazing experince, and I say that because that’s exactly what my boyfriend and I had, with one photo and the whole thing only cost you $200, I think you’re walking away with a pretty amazing deal.

    1. BS Artist

      No-one is complaining about price at all. What people complain about, what that whole thing on Seven’s Today Tonight Show was all about, was the high pressure salesman technique they used to force a sale.

  12. Kat

    I work in bookings, we have a strict script to follow NOWHERE IN THE SCRIPT IS WON, CONGRATULATIONS or any other word to make you think you have won. We dont mislead you, you just have to think about the words that have been used!

  13. sugarloaf

    The $95 is meant to go towards paying wages etc. But when they have clients not show up they put their staff on two hour breaks sometimes even change their shift times minutes before they start, if not cancel them altogether.. So the irony is that the fee everyone gets upset about is a total scam anyway. And about the restaurants cancellation fee, This is a studio not an exclusive restaurant, were not dealing with foot traffic here.
    Most of their staff are on sham contracts as sub contractors and they don’t have a legal leg to stand on.

  14. Sucker

    To the mole.

    Please help me.. iv gotten sucked into having the “free” photo shoot next week. so i plan on going to that so i dont lose $95. im worried about the next bit.. if i sign to say i will go to the viewing and go along with the photoshoot.. then go to the viewing but refuse to buy anything will i walk away loosing any money??… is there any sneaky contract i am getting into when signing to view the photos??

    please help.

  15. BS Artist

    I’m lost, if it’s a free photo shoot where does the $95 come in?

    Personally I don’t see why you have to sign anything unless you agree to buy any photos.

  16. Dob in Bullies

    Studio 2000 is a con. Everyone who has written the above comments against Studio 2000 is telling the truth – the other few defensive comments you can tell they are staff of Studio 2000 trying to get people not to believe the true facts. They are a bunch of bullies. What goes on inside that building is unreal. Consumer Affairs and other departments need to get onto this lot. Their staff in bookings are bullied and pressured, they are given a huge script to read and must have 6 bookings each night otherwise they are called into the boss and he is nasty and rude. If they dont get bookings then they take their chairs away and they have to stand at their desks and talk to customers on the phones, not until they get a booking do they get their chair back. These people need closing down. Not only do they hold customers to ransom with outrageous prices, taking bank/credit card details and making fake promises they also bully and put tremondous pressure on the younger staff members. They insist they work a full days shift then send them home with novels and recordings they MUST listen to before the morning. They also call them in for “training” on days off with no pay, as well as continual hostile emails from the boss if you dont get your bookings that day and also text your phone with the same or messages they want you to come in on your only day off. They have a huge turn over of staff due to all the above. If anyone has any sense after reading this forum they will NOT go ten feet of Studio 2000. I suggest all the workers past and present form a group and get Studio 2000 and their nasty bully boss dealt with legally to stop this continuing anymore.

  17. Wina

    Hi.. I’m a bit confused about my situation. studio 2000 called me and I made an appointment but a few minutes later I cancel it because I think 3 hours for photo sessions is too long and I am not a model-like person. I just realized that they actually have bad reputation on scamming their consumer, thanks God I cancel my appointment, but I already gave my card’s detail and I forgot to ask whether they are still going to charge me for cancellation. Can someone tell me (especially the mole) what will happen next? are they going to charge me and do some kinda direct debit through my bank account or something?if they will, I’m going to full block my account as soon as possible.

    Please help

    1. BS Artist

      Actually I don’t think 3 hours is too excessive a time for a good photo session, especially if they were to do it properly. After all you need to allow time for makeup, setting up the studio for the shoot of your choice which could include props and the right clothing etc.

      They shouldn’t charge your card but if they do I would call the bank that issued the card letting them know of the situation.

  18. beenbag

    Entering the promotion and receiving the free photo session is a great opportunity. i work within many departments of studio 2000, so i see all sides. I love working there because we provide such great service and excellent quality that i believe in the products we are selling.

    We are famous for a reason, because we are one of the top photography studios in the southern hemisphere. All our documents and scripts are overseen by consumer affairs, so nothing we do is immoral or illegal. We do not con people and we are upfront from the beginning regarding the $95 cancellation, reschedule or no show fee. As kat said above, we only take the precaution to ensure that if clients do not attend, our staff will be paid for those hours lost.

    Studio 2000 has been alive and running for 30 years. 30 years! How on earth are we still open if we are scammers?

    People purchase thousands of dollars of images because they adore them. we’ve seen an array of clients who choose to pay anything up to $7000 in full for their photographs or perhaps pay off a $1200 package at $20 a week. We cater for all type of clients, and do not discriminate, bully or demean.

    We get a bad name by people who do purchase thousands of dollars worth and simply can’t justify to their friends who haven’t been into the studio exactly why they spent that amount. (the reason they did purchase is obviously because they loved the photos so much they couldn’t leave without them!) that’s why they simply put the blame on us by implying that we scammed them because it is easier.

    We know of the statistics… only around 70 – 80% of people purchase… and if you feel as if you’re part of that 20 – 30% who don’t, won’t or simply cannot purchase… we are just simply happy that you made the decision to go through such a great experience.

    🙂

  19. Only go if you want to pay big $ for photos

    So for anyone who gets this free photoshoot thing I will tell you how it goes down. Studio 2000 are trying to get customers in and to buy. They aren’t giving things away for nothing and they have come up with this “free photo shoot” thing to tempt you in. This is a good oppertunity to go to if you are prepared to pay BIG BUCKS for your photos! They are beautiful photos I do have to say. But if you are just going to go in for a free photo shoot like I was, I would highly recommend not bothering. I was like “wow free photo shoot! awesome! ima gonna be a like a movie star!” But its not just a free photo shoot they are luring you in, they want you to buy, that is their aim. Once you get there you get taken upstairs and it looks stunning like you are behind the scenes at a fashion shoot, it is all very modern. If you haven’t already given them your bank details over the phone you will be asked to fill out a from with your details and you have to sign it or you can give them a $95 cash deposit which they will give back to you when you come in to view your photos. If you don’t turn up to view your photos you will have $95 taken from your account. If you don’t agree to fill out the form with your bank details or give them a $95 cash deposit then you CANNOT go on with the photo shoot and your fantasies of having a free photo shoot end there. If you do agree and sign you are given a date about two weeks after the photoshoot to come in and look at your photos. They keep saying no obligation to buy. They then show you all the things they can do with the photos on the computer with retouching etc. etc. You then are given examples of different photoshoots and styles and makeup looks, to give you an idea of what you want to look like. A stylist will look at the outfits you bring in and give you tips about what and how to wear things. You then get your hair and makeup done by a makeup artist and you can choose how you want to look if you like. Once you are done they have a photographer ready and you get changed into your outfit. The photographer will ask you if you have any ideas of themes you want etc. If not they will just make it up themselves. after having all your photo’s done you are ready to leave and off you go home. Before the day of the viewing someone from studio 2000 will ring and ask if you are still coming and tell you how beautiful your photos look and how they have a favourite one because they took a quick peek hehehe (sales talk, bleh! pisses me off). On the viewing day we got away without seeing the photos or paying any $95 fee, but it wasn’t at all easy (we didn’t view the photos because we knew what was to come, the pressuring sales talk ambush!) The staff kept pushing us to view the photos and there was a lot of carrying on, we asked for the manager, it was all a big circus! but eventually they let us go, but not in a nice way some of the staff were quite rude and petty, but the manager was calm and quite professional. So I’m not going to go through that again! If you have a lot of money to burn I would recommend going, but if you don’t then stay away!!! its not worth it!!! They did give us a price list on the photoshoot day and for the cheapest photo untouched (which is tiny by the way) from memory it is no bigger than a standard photo 4x6in I think it might be smaller than that actually! well that costs $200! I dunno about you but the photoshoot was supposed to be FREE but that costs to much just for one tiny photo! or maybe they are sneaking in a way for you to pay for the photoshoot after all?…

    1. beenbag

      it is a free photo shoot, and it is up to you to purchase. there is no pressure selling… and you would have seen that if you actually went through the proper ASISO process.

      Since the new year, all of our clients now receive a free 5×4 photo, which is worth $200. so now if you don’t wish to purchase, you still get to walk away with an image of your great time at the studio.

      1. Only go if you want to pay big $ for photos

        We felt pressured to buy the whole time because we had to give bank details or a $95 deposit otherwise we couldn’t go on with the photoshoot. Then all the sales talk and charm on the phone and on the photoshoot day just adds to it….believe me you feel pressured. If you could go in have your free photo shoot and then have the choice to come back later to view the photos or not without the $95 pressure and sales talk then I’m sure things would be different.

        1. christine

          I have also won a photo shoot at studio 2000 I am booked in for the 04/02/2011, I now want to cancel, can they charge me that $95 cancellation fee, I didnt give them my bank account details, there was no way I was going to do that, um although I did send a message saying I agree.

          1. BS Artist

            Christine, if you didn’t sign anything, haven’t given them any banking details and have a legitimate reason for canceling I can’t see how they would even try to charge you anything.

          2. christine

            They rang me up in the afternoon, an I then told them I was canceling, gave them the reason why, although I believe she did not believe what I said, also told her I have looked on the net an done some reasearch an realized I couldnt afford the photos, an she says you dont always believe what you read on the net, so she put me onto the cancelation people, so I explained again, an I get the reply, an how are you going to pay for the cancelation fee, do you have a credit card? I say no I dont, an then they try an get me to rescedule, I say no im not interested a few times, then they say ok then we will cancel the cancelation this once and it will be free of charge, now what a load of bull, if I see them in the shops again Im a be running lol……..

          3. BS Artist

            I’m glad to hear that they showed some sense and let you off the hook Christine. Good on you for standing up for yourself. :thumbup_tb:

          4. This company sucks!

            Hey everyone about to do battle with this company. They called my g/f last night and did the high pressure sell. Thank god she didn’t give over credit card or saving account details. However! I plan to use the 10 day cooling off period required by law for this unsolicited call and also bring up the fact they called outside of the legal selling hours for telemarketers to make the agreement. I can’t see how it will be binding.

            Can anyone tell me when their office shuts? Cheers

          5. reply

            Im not sure exactly what time they shut but it is not before 7pm because i remember them telling us they had bookings around that time

  20. Realist

    If you can not afford to buy professional photo’s then do not go and sit for a professional photo shoot – just because the shoot is free doesn’t mean it gives you the right to leech of a business which exists to make money. You are all bludgers trying to rip off a good deal – the photo shoot is FREE get it? The PHOTO SHOOT is the free part, that itself could be saving you hundreds of dollars!! Alternatively they could offer you free photo’s to the value of $1,000 but in turn you would have to pay for the PHOTO SHOOT instead. Geeze use common sense people.

    1. BS Artist

      You’re missing the point Peter, it’s not that people don’t want to pay for the photos, they only want to buy what they can afford. That may be just one or two photos, not the $1000’s of dollars worth that the sales people try to con out of them. If they wanted to be completely up front why don’t they say to people; “Say would you like a free photo shoot? You would? Cool, but just so you know once you’ve had it you will be expected to buy a couple of thousand dollars worth of photos!” They don’t because they know people won’t sit for it and the whole idea is to get people to sit for the shoot and then to pressure them into buying the photos.

    2. This company sucks!

      Simple to say that mate! But what you don’t realise is this company does the high pressure sell on people barreling into a contract into unsuspecting victims. For those of us who are aware of companies like this it’s no problem but for people who aren’t used to it or are easily conned it tasks real advantage.

      They even told my g/f that they didn’t offer a cooling off period, well i’m sorry Australian law says that any unsolicited contract has one. To top it off they call outside of the legal selling hours to do the deal!

      Good news is they let her out of it, even though they made it seem like they were doing her a favor waiving the cancellation fee. By law we cooled off there was no favor on their part!!

      IT IS NOT A GOOD DEAL! THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT LEECHING! THEY ARE PRESSURED IN! BIG DIFFERENCE SUNSHINE!

  21. jb

    Studio 2000 had my friend signed up for a $2,000 package! Yep, it may not be a scam, but the people working at Studio 2000 are manipulators. My friend stayed there for 4 hours – they won’t let you walk out without signing anything! I bet you they can make you sign something. Now, they are calling me cos my friend referred me. Not even picking up the phone. It might be easy for others to say to those who have signed up and are now complaining to be responsible for their actions. Still, this company sucks! DO NOT EVER GO TO STUDIO2000!!!!!!!!!!

  22. Chloe

    Hey,
    I’ve been stupid enough to agree to do a shoot this Friday, and they have my bank details. I’m a student, I cant afford the cancellation/reschedule fee, but I really, really don’t want to do the shoot. I think I’ll go in tomorrow and try to explain my situation to them but..I’d love some advice on what exactly to do and say about my situation.
    It’d be great if you could help.

    1. BS Artist

      I think going in tomorrow and explaining to them your situation is a great idea as you’ve given them plenty of time to cancel the shoot. If they refuse don’t get upset or argue or anything, simply tell them that you will be getting in touch with consumer affairs. I’m sure they will be able to put them straight.

      1. This company sucks!

        Hey Chloe,

        A couple of things, how did they get your contact details?, if you didn’t give it to the personally it is what is called an unsolicited agreement.

        Under federal law you are allowed to cool this off (cancel it) within 10 days of any unsolicited agreement. Any clause in the agreement is no longer valid including a $90 cancellation fee.

        If you go in today they will try force you into another agreement saying you will come back to view the photos. If you refuse to sign they will say the shoot won’t go ahead and you will be charged $90 to cancel.

        Rest assured they will keep telling you there is no commitment to buy! But when you view your photos as you will be contracted to do they’ll put a real hard sell on. My advice if you can, if it was unsolicited (you didn’t give them your contact details, they got it from someone else) COOL OFF!

        1. Chloe

          Thanks so much for replying.

          They got my details from a friend of mine who did a shoot with them; they asked her to put down 10 names and numbers, and she happened to put down mine.

          So that means I can cancel and not incur any fee? Brilliant.

          What happens if I go in and cancel, and they tell me I have to pay the fee, or seeing as they have my bank details, they simply take the fee? =|

          1. BS Artist

            No worries Chloe, that’s what this blog is all about.

            Simply tell them that you won’t be paying the fee and that they have no right to deduct it from your account. I doubt that they will but you may want to contact your bank just in case,

          2. This company sucks!

            Agreed BS Artist, do contact your bank. If you choose to go in come armed with a printed copy of the Australian law about unsolicited agreement. Personally I wouldn’t even go in, just cool the contract off on the phone, that is perfectly legal. They may say “We don’t have a cooling off period”, but just inform them Australian law says you do.

          3. Chloe

            Thanks guys, you both saved my life. And money hah (:

            I ended up going in there, I asked for my appointment to be cancelled with no fee. I thought they’d be a bit narky or try and convince me, but they were oddly fine about it. The woman asked if there was anyone who could fill my place, I said no, and she said okay, and she’d make sure no one rang me about prepping for the shoot.

            I went straight to my bank and asked about my card, and they said, with the type of card I have, that they couldnt charge me without knowing my PIN, which I didnt give them.

            So I’m safe! They’ve been calling me all day but i’m not picking up.

            Thanks again (:

          4. BS Artist

            Hey Chloe, that’s great news. :clap_tb: Good to see they showed some common sense, perhaps they’re starting to turn over a new leaf.

  23. alaiya

    I filled out a competition entry in a shopping centre, which seems to be the normal way they approach customers. It said you could win a trip to Paris, and I checked that I agreed to them contacting me in the future about special offers on the entry form.

    I just received a phone call saying I was being offered a free styling, makeup and photo session valued at $125 as well as a $200 dollar voucher to be used when purchasing pictures. Stupidly I was talked into making an appointment and gave my bank details over the phone, (which I regretted almost immediately) in order to be charged a refundable deposit in case of a no show. I verbally agreed that if I cancelled or changed my appointment I would be charged $75, as well as the refundable amount of $20 because my appointment was on a weekend.
    I told the woman that my card was a debit card and there would be no money in there until the next week, so they could debit the $20 then. She sent me a text message asking me to confirm this arrangement.
    It says
    “Hi as discussed please reply to this text with ‘I agree’ for us to take $20 for your deposit from your ****** account and that you agree if you cancel, reschedule or no show to your photoshoot and you give us permission to debit an extra $75. Thanks, ******”

    I didnt reply, as I went onto Google to look at some of their work and immediately found the Today Tonight article and the Consumer Affairs warning. I then found this site and others warning that it was a scam and am now wondering am I bound to this contract.
    I plan to phone Consumer Affairs for advice and my bank cancel my card, at worst I suppose it will be a $95 hard lesson but am hoping not.
    Any recent dealings with the company?
    As my boyfriend said, since when does a free photo shoot cost you $20?

    1. BS Artist

      alaiya, it’s not that Studio 2000 is a scam site at all. Apparently their work is pretty good, it’s the method they use to extract money form their clients that is questionable.

      If you give them enough warning, see Chloe’s comment, you should not lose any money. I would still contact the bank, and you could always ask consumer affairs for advice.

      1. alaiya

        My bad, scam was not the right word to use. Its more of a bait and hook kind of thing from what I’ve read so far.

        I’m usually very cautious and am furious at myself for giving my bank details out to some random person on the phone.

        All in all its made me very uncomfortable and I don’t wish to proceed now I’ve looked into it, so I hope that I too can cancel and that will be the end of it.

        1. BS Artist

          We all learn from our mistakes. I hope it all works out for you.

  24. Hannah

    hey

    I got pulled into the idea of the photo shoot as well – handed over my bank details for the stupid reason of ‘ensuring that I was a legit customer and that I would turn up (or get charged $95)’ which seemed so completely reasonable at the time. My friend was the one who warned me about it being a bit dodgy and after finding this website I called and cancelled straight away.

    It seemed to be no problem when I called up but I am so paranoid now I called my bank and cancelled my card. They were really nice about it, and I now feel SO much better, even though I have to wait a week for a new card.

    Thanks guys so much for posting on this site, especially The Mole. I owe you guys a huge debt (emotionally) for letting me know what my stupidity could have caused.

    All the best
    Hannah

    1. BS Artist

      Hey Hannah, I am so glad that I was able to help you with this post. You look after yourself.

  25. Lini

    I got pulled in to the same thing. They called and said that i won a free photoshoot blah blah blah the usual. They asked for my bank details but i didnt give them my credit card number as i was sceptical. I just gave them my account number and BSB. Im not sure what they can do with that details though. I read the complaints and immediately called them to cancel the booking. They said I cant cancel coz it’s already been processed. And they said someone will call me on monday.

    So what should i do? im getting paranoid. Can they deduct money from my account with my account number and BSB? Im freaking out!!

    1. BS Artist

      Hey Lini, having your BSB and account number will only allow them to deposit money in but I would contact your bank just to be on the safe side.

      As for them not letting you cancel, it’s not like you booked it, especially seeing as how won a free photo shoot and all. If they call on Monday just let them know that you’re not interested and how you you did tell them that last week.

      1. Lini

        omg…thank god..i was freaking out for a moment there…i thought it would b fun going for a free photoshoot on my birthday… but after reading all the complaints, i dont wanna go anymore… thank u so much for the reply.

        1. BS Artist

          No worries Lini, and you have a good birthday and a great weekend. :thumbup_tb:

          1. This company sucks!

            Lini never hurts to come armed with Australian law.

            If they say you have an agreement and it was unsolicited (you didn’t give them your number) just cool it off.

            http://www.lawhandbook.sa.gov.au/ch08s03s04s01.php

            I had one of them approach me at Munno Para the other day and ask if I wanted to go to Paris. My response was fairly terse! Had a bit of a go about how it’s wrong to target disadvantaged people! She kept persisting that they were a genuine company who sell a good product. After she kept persisting I told her to “F*#@ off” quite loudly!

          2. Lini

            They sent me a text today confirming my appointment.. I called them last week to tell them im not interested and they said I can’t cancel. So what should I do? they can’t do anything with my account number and BSB right? Im planning on going to the bank tomorrow and explaining my problem…I hate this company…preying on innocent people. 95AUD cancellation fee is a lot of money for a uni student!

          3. BS Artist

            The thing is you did the right thing by telling them last week that you weren’t interested so they had plenty of time to fill the booking if they wanted to.

            Don’t worry, if all they have is your BSB and account number they can’t do anything without your signed authorization. Even so it won’t hurt to see the guys at the bank.

        2. Mistydaze3

          Hun, they called me couple weeks ago- I’m supposed 2 go 4 shoot in 6days. They already took out 20 & short of closing my bank account il b out anotha 95. Im calling bank 2moro but wen st2000 took out the 20 deposit the bank sent me a letter saying if I want direct debit canceld I had 2 call bank & st2000.like the studio wil not take the money out.Greedy bastards!

  26. Possible Customer

    Hey Mole,
    I got a call and asked multiple times if there was going to be a charge and even triple checked that my $20 deposit would be refunded. I am a university student and have NO money, ever! so I thought that a photo shoot would be something fun to do with my friend. Only after I gave my details and after I hung up did I get the SMS saying that I will be charge $95 if I cancel! Where was that information?!
    When I told my friend to come with me she was worried about all the stories and referred me here. I didn’t give her number to them because I didn’t want them to bother her if it turned out to be dodge. I can’t afford to cancel it but I really don’t need the stress of someone trying to pressure me into buying things. I have a very strong will but I get very frustrated when people don’t listen to what I am saying. Simply because of what I have read I think I should cancel and report my card stolen.
    Would it be better not going?

    1. This company sucks!

      Couple of things. If you never said “I agree” in the text then your fine.

      Also if they gave you an unsolicited call (ie you never gave them you phone number) you can under Australian law cool off to all clauses of the contract. Namely cool off from that $95 cancelling fee.

      Just dictate to them what this website states ” http://www.lawhandbook.sa.gov.au/ch08s03s04s01.php

      If you have trouble contact the state ombudsman. Hope this helps.

      1. Possible Customer

        They got my number when I entered their photo competition. I only did it to be nice because everyone was ignoring the girl at the mall.
        The text never asked if I agreed, the girl listed off this agreement on the phone which I am reasonably sure they didn’t say anything about the cancellation fee but I am not sure enough about if they say they did I will agree.
        I also have no money to pay the cancellation fee, so If I cancel they cant get the money because my card cant be overdrawn (as far as I know). I am still very nervous about them having my card details and want to cancel it as soon as possible.
        Is there anything I can do or is this going to be an expensive lesson that nothing is free?

      2. Possible Customer

        They also called me at 8pm on a Monday night. I think this means they have breached that law of not calling within the designated hours. I really need help! I want to cancel ASAP and need advice!

      3. Possible Customer

        Thank you for your help, I was able to cancel my booking without charge, they were really nice about it and It made me wonder if I had been unfair. I guess I am a bit of a softy. I’ll know better next time! Thank you!

        1. BS Artist

          Sorry I got to you a bit late but I’m glad it all worked out. Good on them for being nice about it.

  27. photoshoot sucker

    hey, like many of you..i stupidly enough to agree to a photoshoot friday night. I gave them my credit card details..and immedietly regretted it. I want to cancel but don’t want to pay the $95 or any other unknown fees. Help!

  28. cathy

    I just found 2 amounts of $39.95 taken from my credit card for myself and my daughter from studio 2000. Even though its over 12 months ago since we did our shoot and bought the full my folio packages. Apparently it is a yearly charge for them to store your photos digitally just in case you want more photos later down the line. So just under $80 for digital storage and taken from my credit card without my permission. Not happy.

    1. BS Artist

      That’s a bit rough Cathy. I’ve never heard of that one before. I’d get in touch with your credit card company and get them to act on it.

    2. Herpes

      I’m sorry to hear that happened. I think you must have gotten a really dodgey sales person.
      When my sister and I went there they gave us the option to have it stored for $80 per year, but we turned it down. It sounds like your sales person just didn’t even mention it to you. 🙁 I would recommend talking to the studio and having it canceled. If you remeber who sold it to you in the first place, tell them about it. There is nothing the company can do unless they know about what’s happened.

  29. Steven

    Hey!

    I just got a call from Studio 2000 letting me know i’ve won a ‘free’ photoshoot with them since I filled out one of their promotions at the shops.

    The person who called me told me all the things that i’ll get out of this, including a free photoshoot of my choice.

    They then asked me for my name, address & post code, which I gave them. I was starting to get a little suspicious when they were so keen on booking me THIS Wedneday. I told them that I would be busy the next couple of weeks and they kept giving me possible times to book. At this point I asked them to call me back so I can ‘check’ when i’m free.

    They said they’d call me in the next 24 hours, so once I hung up I immediately blocked their number on my phone so they can’t ring back.

    Just thought i’d let you all know, but i’m sure they can’t do anything since they don’t have my bank number or the fact that I haven’t made any sort of booking, right?

    1. BS Artist

      That’s right Steven, as long as you haven’t made a booking and didn’t give them any credit or banking details there’s absolutely nothing they can do.

  30. Herpes

    Be nice to the sales people. They are just people trying to make ends meet. Feel free to just say no and explain why. They hear it every day and will drop it once they are convinced that you are not at all interested, or they will offer you cheaper options if you are interested but can’t afford it. Don’t get me wrong- they will try to convince you, but there is no need to lose your cool at them over it or become verbally abusive towards them. They are just doing their job.

    On that note, be polite to the Dead Sea Salts people. They really have it rougher than any other sales positions I know of. They are brought over to Australia to sell the stuff, but only get paid by commissions and when they get here they have nothing and are on a contract to the company. Meanwhile, they have to pay for their living expenses all while receiving no financial assistance. Many of the people I’ve met who where working for them had to take up second jobs- making their working week upwards of 50 hours on average.
    I’m not saying to go out and buy that stuff because you feel sorry for them, but at least don’t get abusive towards them when they approach you. There is a reason they are trying so hard to sell this stuff.

    1. BS Artist

      Hey Herpes, I never heard of the Dead Sea Salts People. Will have to look that up.

      Also I would never be rude to anyone including sales people. I actually happened to be one and I never tried to convince someone to buy something they didn’t want.

      I don’t know what they are like at Studio 200o these days but when this post was written they would not take no for an answer and would gang up on people in order to get the sale. The strong could resist but the weak were usually roped in and that is not the way a reputable company should work.

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