I want my free portraits sheets, Olan Mills

Depending on the time of year, obviously a long wait is expected if
you don't have an appointment, or if it's Christmas time... 12 sheets
and a canvas is a RIDICULOUS compensation for any issue. In my
district, we would give a percentage off or maybe a free sheet, but
$250 worth of portraits, I don't think so.

At least you got a full refund.

Our church contracted with Olan Mills to do a pictoral directory this
year. Against my better judgement, I ordered portraits above the
complimentary one. I also ordered a frame for a 16x20 portrait. At
$85.00.

I was told this frame would fit perfectly but when it arrived, it was
for a canvas portrait and mine was a regular portrait and the picture
flopped around and you could see daylight around the edges. It also
had no glass covering to protect the portrait.

I called and was told that I would receive a replacement. Thirty
minutes later, I got another call saying that not only would they not
send me any glass but that that frame was only for canvas portraits
and that they would send me some foam squares to fill the gap. I
asked for a refund and a label to send back their frame.

I received the label and I mailed the frame back on December 2nd. As
of today 12/30/08, no refund! I had to frame the portrait myself
because it was a Christmas present so I'm out another $70 for that and
now I have a supervisor tell me that I am only entitled to a refund of
$70 and some change. For an $85 frame!!

I have been met with rudeness at every phone call and they still
refuse to do the right thing.

I'll NEVER use Olan Mills again and I'll advise everyone I know to do
the same! I'm filing a report with the Better Business Bureau but I
know that will prove pointless.

Well let me start off by saying that we ( yes I work for olan mills)
are made to make appointments every 15 mins. and we are made 25
appointments on saturdays ATLEAST. I understand you wanted you pic's
and did not want to wait we could have r/s the appointment for you we
can only work as fast as the person infront of you will let us.

You spend $21 that is not enough to cover that package I know Tim
Nelson and he does everything by the book soory spend some money I'm
sure he would give you a % off.

Grow UP. They already offered you a full refund...but that's not
enough. So wipe the snot off your nose, and get a life. Big deal, you
had to wait. If your time is so valuable why not leave and ask if you
can come back on another date. But no, you just want SOMETHING FOR
NOTHING like other crybaby whiners on here...

here is my story:

I wanted to make you aware of a problem I have had with both your
products
and more importantly your customer service. October 2005 I had my
children photographed at your Kmart store location (9187) Charleston,
SC.
Upon viewing my pictures I purchased $259.00 worth of pictures,
including
enlargements. Two of the poses were to be adjusted and then replaced
and
enlarged. After receiving the first set of enlargements, I called to
let
your customer service department know that they enlarged the two
poses
that were to be adjusted. I was told they would adjust them and
then
ship those out. In speaking with the Customer Service representative
I
made it clear to her I had been told at time of purchase that all of
my
pictures would be delivered in 2-3 weeks. (plenty of time to be
included
in Christmas cards) At this time I tried to get contact information
for
the regional manger of the studio location. I was told by the store
Manager that Ms. Patricia Clark does not allow her phone number to be
given out and she took my phone number. I received the last set of
pictures, including the adjusted enlargements on 11/24/04- I called
Monday 11/29/04. The adjusted pictures had been printed off color,
with a
tint of yellowish-green. I was told that there was nothing the plant
could do at this point, and that I should take the children back to
the
studio to be rephotographed. Of course I was flabbergastered, in
that
everything I had been promised had failed to happen. I asked to be
contacted by a supervisor. Needless to say 1 and weeks later after
not
having been contacted I again tried to contact Mr. Patricia Clark.
Although Ms. Clark did not immediately contact me she had her
assistant
Bruce Bradt (1-800-249-4555 ext 7373) call me. We spoke a number of
times, as I relayed the entire situation to him. Mr. Bradt said he
was
trying to get me a partial refund, but told me numerous times that
"Olan
Mills does not give refunds." Through all of this Ms. Patricia Clark
called both my home phone & cell phone once each and left messages.
This
was the only contact she initiated. I tried to call both her office
number and the cell number she called me from with no luck.
I know of no other company who would so blatantly walk away from a
customer. I made it very clear why I was upset, how I felt I was
mislead
at the time of sale and what I was requesting.
Over and over again requesting a call back from a supervisor and Ms.
Clark. I can only hope that these pictures are not something Olan
Mills
would be proud of and certainly their customer service leaves much to
be
desired.

You have lost this customer and everyone that I have told this story
to.

Sincerely,
Didi L

I can understand that you were probably really frustrated waiting for
over 3 hours to get your child's portraits done, but am also curious
as to WHY you actually sat there and waited. You must be a VERY
patient person-especially having to entertain your child the entire
time. If they took this long the first time to take the pictures, why
would you want them to give you free lifetime portraits? What if you
had to wait that long every time? As a mother I can tell you that as
your child gets older, it will be a little harder to entertain for
that long. Maybe you should try a private portrait studio in your area
that specializes in childens photography-they might be better about
getting you in to your appointment right away.

September 26th, 2006? Not thats planning ahead!

Is there anything else that you want while you are at it? I think you
should be ashamed that they had to shorten your title because it was
too long. In your original title itself you have stated several things
you wanted for free. Greedy much. With your title I don't think they
will take you seriously, infact they would probably delete it. With
all your demnands they will probably think you are scamming them.
Free potraits for life get real. You need to get your act together so
that you can teach your child that things in life are not for free
that things that she wants don' just come to her and that she had to
make money and earn them.

Okay, I'm going to assume she meant August. August 26th, 2006 is a
Saturday.

According to the Olan Mills website, appointments aren't necessary for
the K-Mart locations. In the FAQs, to the question of "how long does
it take?" Olan Mills says, "lso, the day of the week (Saturday is the
busiest) as well as time of day and holidays will extend the workload
of the photographer."

My guess is that OM had a walkin, and the photographer underestimated
the time that walkin would take. Or there could have been a problem
with the equipment, or any number of things the OP didn't feel the
need to share.

Ok so I was unsure of how much portrait sheets were so I looked
online. They have the regular price at $7.99 per sheet.

12 portrait sheets would cost roughly $100.00. They don't have a
pricing for a 16x20 canvas print but I can safely assume that it's
pretty expensive.

So you spent 20 bucks and because you had to wait you should get over
100 dollars in compensation?

I don't think so!

Hey, I would like a bigger package too. Let me know how that works.

But seriously You wrote a Letter for 21 dollars and four pennies???
Demanding "I want my free 12 portrait sheets and 16x20 canvas I was
promised or free portraits for life"

Um Timothy Nelson, the District Manager?,,,, what he says goes. Period
End of Sentence. You got your freebies and a refund of 21 dollars and
four pennies. and your coupons honored..not good enough for you.. you
want freebies for life....Hey it's worth a shot.. it's only human
nature..

I think it's time to re consider this letter, Jennifer.(between you
and i... Posting your phone number on a public letter forum where
creatins troll looking for numbers to call and harass people..... not
very prudent.) Maybe calm down a bit and realize you already got
compensated above and beyond what the others who waited over three
hours just like you.

I commend Olan Mills on how they handled themselves in a business
like, professional manner. They did the best they could to satisfy a
very picky customer... and became the focus of misplaced rage and
anger. Good luck learning to deal with that stuff...for the sake of
you and your child... it's a good thing if you nip this in the bud.

I'd like to say thank you for a very happy break in an otherwise
hectic and busy day. I needed the endorphine rush of a good belly
laugh.So for that, your letter gets an "A" from me. But if you're
expecting an answer, maybe a new approach is in order...you can ask mr
Helpfull to remove your phone number from the shared letter.... but
it's been out there awhile... anyway good luck to you in all your
endeavors...

Hey Jenny!

Being that you can see into the future, can you tell me what the
Powerball numbers are going to be on Saturday?

We have a dear young lady who is agitated because she had to wait 3
1/2 hours to get the portrait of her sweet child done. She now wishes
to be compensated. She was promised at first 12 free portrait sheets
and a 16X20 canvas portrait. A district manager contacts her and
offers her something a little bit less than that. The only problem is
that this has not happen yet. Today is September 19, 2006 and the
initial troubling incident takes place a week after that. How can
that be? It can happen if, like Jennifer, you are in the TWILIGHT
ZONE.

On the subject of whether the 3-1/2 hour wait was to get the pictures
taken or printed - - I tend to think that in this case "made" means
printed - - just my interpretation. And I do agree that you get what
you pay for - - on top of that she was using a coupon for a birthday
package - - heck - - you can hardly go out to dinner for $21.04 these
days. And the issue of the dates is also very telling about the
letter writer. Bottom line? I don't think Jennifer is entitled to any
compensation at all - - I think she waited 3-1/2 hours to receive her
photos and that seems pretty reasonable to me. I guess it's the
repeated phrase "I want" that makes me feel this way - - and is
probably why she claims "I can't get no one to call me back about
this". If she had nicely stated her case and asked for something
reasonable I might bend the other direction but to demand 12 free
portrait sheets and a 16 x 20 canvas seems greedy and over the top.
It's about time that reasonable complaints backfire due to
unreasonable demands.

Are you sure free portraits for life is enough compensation for this
twenty-dollar tragedy? I think you should ask them to install a
portrait studio in your house the can only be used by you, or at least
send a chariot drawn by white horses so you can be whisked away each
weekend and have your portrait taken by Olan Mills himself. Each
year, the loveliest of your portraits will be chosen by a team of the
world's best photographers, and will be laser-etched on the surface of
the moon so that all humanity may see it every night.

Congrats on the ability to make asking for free flights and free
Ventian stays look like a comparative walk in the park.

I have three reasons why their end result should be sufficient.

1) You spent $21.04.
2) $21.04 was spent by you.
3) On September 26th, you will spend $21.04.

If we assume 100% truth in what you said, it seems as if Miss Nolton
was trumped by the District Manager once he found out what she had
done. Was that right? As described, probably not handled the best.
He should have called, not e-mailed. He should have better explained
the situation. Again, this is taking the above letter as 100% true.
Melissa was overly kind if she indeed did offer you 12 portrait sheets
and a canvas on a $21.04 order. Asking for free pictures for life?!?
Amazing, simply amazing.

On October 5th, I went into a Burger King and was given a steaming
hot, soggy, microwaved "Wopper" :P
I called and talked to the guy who cooks the fries and he offered me
free happy meals for life. Then the district manager called and said
sorry, I would be offered some coupons for a free meal or two. Here it
is on October 19th and I am tired of these people. I now want free
happy meals for life and the chance to bonk that stupid platic mascot
in the head while he is trying to play football.

Oh crap - I made up the wrong dates, it's only September 19th!

Don't know about our friend Jennifer, but I can think of lots of
people I would definitely NOT want to see "birthday suit" pictures
of!

Gross!

I don't much care about your photos but I would like to know where you
get your Flux Capacitors. I used to get them online but the company I
went through went out of business when the market for used Deloreans
dried up. I tried the capacitor district in Denver, but all they had
were rebuilt units.

If I don't get back soon to make sure my parents kiss at the dance I
may never be born.

Tell me do you know when your daughter was even born?

This is either a scam to get free products or something, it does not
make sence, how could you have went to the store on September 26 2006,
that is very strange.

Also On September 30, 2006 Mellisa called and promised you
compensation for your long wait. This too I don't believe.

Today is September 19, 2006. What happened to you would have to
happen in the future. So here are the possible things that could have
happened.


1. There is something wrong with you in the head because you not only
referred to the feture once but twice.

2. This was a well thought out scam, only you planned to carry it out
in October 2006 However you wrote the scam letter well in advance and
when you copied and pasted this you forgot to change the date.

3. You broke the law and built a time machine without telling your
government officials, then you went back in time.

4. You have a gift of telling what happens in the future

5. You were so angry at this The potrait studio that you were not
paying attention to what you were writing not you shared the letter
and look foolish.

6. The rest of us were in a Coma for a few weeks and it is actually
after September 2006.


If none of these are true and you actually believe that it is past
September 2006, I sure hope you are not planning on home schooling
your child. If you are planning on home schooling her and you don't
know today from tomorrow do her and the rest of us a favour and
reconsider your plans of homeschooling her.

1st problem - you went to Olan Mills, which is now the cheapo-cheapo
rent-a-photog cubby inside your local Krap-Mart to get your daughter's
1 yr. pictures done. That alone was a mistake!

Olan Mills has NEVER been a 1 hr. studio, even when they had stand
alone sites and there was a little bit of quality behind them, so
regardless of whether they overbooked you for the sitting, it sounds
as if you expected to walk out of the studio with your pictures in
hand the same day - it doesn't work that way.

2nd problem - YOU PAID $21.04!!! YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR! You want
high end service and high quality portraits, GO TO A REAL
PHOTOGRAPHER. As others have pointed out, you MIGHT luck out to get a
photographer with some experience at OM, but more likely than not,
you're going to get some $6 per hour dork who could not care less HOW
your pictures come out, let alone if you have to wait to have them
taken.

3rd problem - just a little demanding, aren't we? You weren't out
anything but time, and the reality is that if you were planning on
having your child's pictures taken, why would you be so foolish to
think that you'd be in and out in an hour??? Poor planning on your
part does not translate to freebies now, or for life.

4th problem - You're complaining about an incident that hasn't even
happened yet??? WOW! I didn't realize you had ESP!

Just as an FYI, if you can't even get your dates right, how can you
expect any company to take you seriously? You just proved that it
wasn't important enough to you to check your facts and list them out
right, so why should they believe you?

Problem #5 - HOW MANY TIMES DO WE HAVE TO SAY THIS??? Do NOT include
any personally identifying information (i.e. full names, phone
numbers, addresses, etc.) in a letter being posted to the web. You
just invited anyone and everyone who comes on this site to call you up
and harass you.

In the words of Julia Roberts, "BIG mistake! HUGE!"

great idea to put your full name and phone # in the letter...

Do you have to bow? Do you have to rent a tux?

I worked at Olan Mills as a telemarketer (yes...that was me. *hangs
head in shame*). I was being trained for management. One day, I came
in and my time card was missing...I asked where it was, and was
escorted to my car. I'd been fired, along with everyone else in my
shift, and they'd hired new staff. Because that's what they do.

Here's what you can expect from Olan Mills. A "sounds too good to be
true" deal that has more hidden hooks and sinkers than the musical
"Peter Pan" has invisible flight wires. Amazing paper that they will
tell you can not be damaged, even if you spill Kool-aid on it...and it
can't. Printed pictures are great quality. Sometimes a photographer
with 30 years of experience, sometimes a photographer with 30 days of
experience, and no way to know which one you've gotten. And one hell
of a time getting anyone to listen to or respond to your complaints,
once you've paid for your product.

But I digress. Today is only September 19, 2006, so I assume you
meant 2005. The difference between September 26th and September 30th
is only four days. Most in store studios take 3-6 weeks to get your
pictures back to you....you seem to have expected them the next day.
Is that right? Did someone tell you you'd get them back that fast?

My God. Talk about greedy.

And how was the DM rude? Why aren't you backing up what you say?

I've just re-read this one, now that I've had my coffee.

Not including the title, I have counted no less than *three* times
that you've demanded FREE items. That's quite a whopper, even when
comparing it to the usual 'freebie demand' standards that are
typically seen around here.

Not only do you want what was supposedly promised to you, but you want
*more* now? Why? Because you had to wait, or because the second
manager came forth and nullified the original 'freebie'?

I won't even start on the demand of a 'formal' apology from Mr.
Nelson.

Bottom line: It sucks that you had an appointment and had to wait.
However, no one forced you to do so. You are entitled to a refund of
the $21.04, that's all.

FREE PORTRAITS FOR LIFE?

Here's a hint. You CHOSE to wait that long; you could have left and
gone elsewhere.

Someone has a case of the gimmes...

Yarr! 'Tis a time traveller from the future! Shiver me timbers!

To the poop deck with the whole lot of ya! Avast ye, scurvy dogs!
ARRR!!

Please contact Mr. Helpful and have him remove your telephone number
from your letter before the resident PFB crazies start calling you.
Also tsk tsk on asking for a lifetime of freebies, we frown on that
here at PFB

Are you in a parallel universe or something? Sept 26, and September
30, 2006 have not even happened yet so how did you get your daughters
pictures taken? NO ONE WILL CALL YOU BACK BECAUSE IT HAS NOT HAPPENED
YET!! If this was September 2005 then why have you waited a year to
complain? Please re-evaluate your dates and rewrite this letter more
concisely. Also did they put it in writing about the 12 sheets and
the canvas portrait? If not you are out of gas because no one at Olan
Mills is going to believe that anyone agreed to give you all of that
at no charge.

Not that it makes a difference in your complaint, but did all of this
take place in September 2005?

I think a refund is more than generous. It's hard to believe someone
promised you 12 portrait sheets and a 16x20 canvas, but if it can be
verified, I agee that the company should honor that offer.

It's too bad you spoiled your letter by asking for "free portraits for
a lifetime".

I have to ask, why would you want to deal with "these
people" for life?