SCAMStafford Portraits Reports & Reviews (7)
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Charity Scammer
Groupon Silent Auction Scam Stafford Portraits, Amie Stafford, Eterna Studios steals thousands!
Amie Stafford is a scam, crook and mediocre photographer, at best, so avoid this person! She's is still actively trying to donate her portrait packages at non-profit silent auction and Groupon scam in Washington state, Oregon and Florida. I'm trying to recover nearly $3k on top of the $800 donation for a family portrait seating package at a silent auction, as I have done 4 other times with other wonderful Seattle area portrait photographers. She is definitely aggressive, rude and possibly mentally unstable (legitimately). She won't provide pricing, written ANYTHING, won't use email and is very, very annoying to try to reason with.
First I was frustrated when I felt pressue to pick a pre-session package without any package information or pricing in writing. I committed to $1k, confused at what the packages were, just thinking I'd decide what we'd order for that amount later. That was my budget (I am a single mom who was not working at the time), and she assured me I would get a great package and all of the digital images--yes even the rejects, she assured me, and I explained I want them all unretouched, since I retouch my own work and I often crop photos other might reject with success!). Knowing I'd like to place an order for Christmas gifts, I just assumed $1k is likely around what I'd spend and I could decide later when we see the photos.
The next warning sign was when she insisted the only time she could meet me to present our photos for 2 MONTHS was at 6AM on one specific day. She would not just email me proofs, which was my preference having a busy work schedule, but I thought she might want to present her art, so I agreed begrudgingly to a 5:30am wake up time to meet her, as an artist courtesy. So I had no family with me in this meeting (at 6am!), but she was INSISTING that I choose my photos right then and I REFUSED, because my family should have a say. She forced me to go through and design and choose photos, though I told her I need family to see them all first, and then told me the package would be $10k. I am not even kidding! I laughed out loud! Told her I wanted the smallest $1k package that I already paid for and would be done--this was nearly 9am at this point--she would not stop!
Then she started discussing all kinds of packages, was REALLY fuzzy and all over the place--and would not give a price sheet in writing. I was taking notes, and know what I'm negotiating since I've managed a major photography budgets professionally for 20+ years! WARNING: Amie Stafford's 6am meetings, zoom-only, no-email and no-quotes-in-writing policy this to confuse her customers, so she can go back and gaslight her unsuspecting clients into thinking they agreed to a ridiculously OVERPRICED package (especially with her basic-at-best photography skills) package. I am a respected brand creative executive who manages millions in photography every year, so Amie Stafford tried to scam the WRONG person this time. I made her verbally, very clearly spell out package details and wrote them down. She then proceeded to charge me a full $1000 more than she quoted me on the phone and I would have NEVER paid that much for her crappy work!
I immediately disputed the massive overcharge via text message to her (she won't give an email!) and she refuses to refund my money despite the fact that I did NOT agree to pay for anything. I immediately told her I would not be selecting my photos or placing any order until we had clear order details and a resolution. Then, I said that she can keep my $1k, give me NOTHING and just send me the photo images she guaranteed when I paid her the initial $1k for my VIP package. She then suddenly declared that there is no way she'd give that to me, and never agreed to it--see, she wont' put anything in writing for a reason--she LIES and STEALS. She refused and has been a nasty person to deal with. I got the auction board to contact her, but she is now saying they negotiated something else entirely, which they did NOT. She has been AWFUL and is harassing me--and even had her husband call and make a homophobic slur about my female partner.
I have NO photos, I have no refund of my $3k, and am also out the $800 portrait seating. I think we need to file criminal charges given how many people she and her husband have victimized.
Scammer's website www.facebook.com/StaffordPortraits
Country United States
Type of a scam Charity
Initial means of contact In person
On the day of our family photo session, Amie Stafford pretended like she was at the location we all chose, and never even showed up. We finally met up with her at a different location. She took a few snaps while her teenage son assisted. So unprofessional! She was very rude, and it was difficult communicating with her. She became aggressive with snide remarks when we asked her for clarification on what exactly we were paying for. When we called her out on not showing up, she began lying about being there, and months later she states she was “lost”. (Pretty sure she just forgot what lie she told us).
Five months after our photo session is when we received our 'emailed portrait'. We never even got to see our options from the snaps she took, and there was next to zero communication during those 5 months of waiting. We were scammed, and it’s been a total nightmare ever since, all because I left an honest review. We started receiving phone calls and text messages from her demanding we take down our review and she would “consider giving us our money back”. We haven’t even replied to her and now she is saying we have threatened her. We filed a report against her, and her response is that we didn’t show up to our chosen location for the photo. Little does she know my dad works in that area we chose, and he was the first one there early, after work waiting for us, so we know for a fact she never showed because we were all there waiting on her.
Amie Stafford is an unstable woman with a shady business, trying to hide how poorly she treated us. I’m not backing down on my review, in fact I am updating it so other people hopefully can avoid the mess she is, and possibly see other similar experiences from google and yelp before purchasing Groupon’s by her or bidding on her ‘Certificate’ for what ended up being nothing more than a lousy, overpriced $500, emailed photo! What a nightmare.