AIBU to just use the free photoshoot and not buy any prints?

[PhotoPromotion]

I have a won a photoshoot for my family which I am very grateful for, as it’s not something we can afford to pay for ourselves.

The shoot we have won gives us different scenes and one free framed photo of our choice.

I would love a professional photo of us altogether, but my family are saying it is cheeky to take them up on the prize if I am not intending to buy anymore prints.

I am aware they do these giveaways in the hopes people will then go on to spend hundreds on the photos, but unfortunately that’s not money we have, and it is a prize I won fair and square.

They are making me feel entitled and embarrassed to go ahead with it and just get the free print.

AIBU?

You counted? They've certainly touched a nerve.

It took me a while to realise it was the same sad poster over and over again as I don’t usually look at the usernames 😂

Not really, I was curious 😅

you are confused about the pp being invested

we are confused why you’re asking if something is unreasonable that you’ve done in the past

and

why you’re asking if you’re unreasonable about something that you very very very clearly think is absolutely reasonable

That is confusing!

I campaigned to put a stop to these 'competitions' in the 1980s!

One of my colleagues was the 'winner' of having a makeover and photoshop with one free print.

I warned her that it was a con but she went ahead

She came into work the day after she had it done and was very subdued. The staff had been lovely whilst she had her make over and photos done and she said she had felt wonderful with all the compliments

Afterwards they directed her to a room where four of them worked the hard sale on her and she felt intimidated.

At the time a very similar thing was going on with time share holidays where holidaymakers were accosted on the beach and told they would get free drinks if they attended a short film on time share holidays in a nearby hotel conference room. Afterwards the hard sell kicked in and couples signed up for long term expensive time shares.

A way back to my colleague, she was very upset that she had committed to £400 of photos that she didn't want.

She was also upset that when she could leave she was excited about showing her then boyfriend the make up and hair styling they had given her but she was led to a bathroom and told she couple not leave wearing their products and she felt upset at having to remove it all.

I was so annoyed with what had happened to her that I took the company on and I did eventually get her money back. I was not successful in getting these kind of 'competitions' stopped.

I wanted the wording of it being that it was a competition which instantly makes the winner feel excited and in a mind frame to be grateful.

It's disgusting that it's still going on. I have a newspaper clipping somewhere as I made the news with my campaign! 😂

Yeah just do it, we "won" similar, and felt guilty so purchased a photo and it wasn't even nice!

@MrsBennetsPoorNerves totally agree which is why I never offer them.

Good for you. Tbh, I would far rather agree on a fair price from a reputable photographer up front than have a free print from an unethical company that tries to recoup its losses by applying high pressure sales techniques after the photo shoot.

Have it done but just be strict and firm about choosing one picture

i hope the free 6x4 was worth the effort OP! 😂

Never had any high sales pressure techniques form this company 😊 This one is reputable.

It was! The scenes were great and from the sneak peaks we saw they looked amazing.

We had a really good time; I’m so glad we did it.

but still only taking the freebie?

Unfortunately! Would love to take the whole collection but cannot afford to right now.

so not be antagonistic

but surely all the “amazing scenes” will just al now be binned?

I think it’s fine to do it to these companies offering the shoot that try the hard sell at the end, you have to be prepared for it or it can be very awkward.

I do however think that as it’s someone you know and have used before that it is a bit of a different situation, I imagine you were picked as a winner because they expect you to spend as you have in the past so I think it would be really excruciating knowing at the end you are going to have to turn down the photos, even thought they might be great.

They keep them for 10 years, so there’s always the option in the future to buy them.

We’ve done it just for the freebie before; it wasn’t “excruciating” at all.

they keep photos for a decade???!

how long did the photo shoot take?

have you told him yet that you’re just taking the freebie?

seeing as you’ve used him in the past and get on well

I wonder he would have said if you had said before the shoot “would i be unreasonable if i do the shoot and only take the freebie at the end of it” what his response would have been. Unless you did this?

If it's something you've won, do it. I wouldn't expect to pay anything for a 'prize' (although I do understand that it's a loss leader for these companies).

i imagine that the date of the free shoot would be pushed back, postponed, pushed back, postponed again…. over and over again!

You know him well and get on really well and our kids love him

and yet you want to waste his time on a shoot you have no intention of paying for?

nice OP. nice

Oh sorry zombie thread!!