help!!! my wedding photographer is MIA!!!

[calidaisy]

Hi,

I got married in September 2008.
I received a digital file of our wedding photos in December 2008 and due to various reasons, I didn''t pick out the photos for print, albums, etc. until September 2009.
The last time I communicated with our wedding photographer was in November and his phone was working until the end of December--I left multiple messages and thought he wasn''t responding because he was busy/ on vacation. I don''t know ... what was I thinking?

I just tried calling him again to find out when we were getting our photos, albums, etc. only to find out that his numbers have been disconnected.

So, what should I do?
I''m getting ready to go to his studio(even though I doubt that it''s still there) hoping to gather some/ any information.

Otherwise, I''m at a loss as to what I should/ can do--whether I should just accept this as reality that people are losing businesses in bad economy, or be determined to track him down and make sure I get what I bargained for.

Please give me any advice ... as my mind is a blur right now.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I would do two three things, google him to see if there''s some record online with new contact info, 2. post this question on your local knot board, and 3. go to his studio.

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

Follow HH''s advice...

I''m assuming your contract & package included and album? If so, and if he has really "bailed," then I would hunt him down and take him to small claims court.

Of course, I''m jumping to conclusions.

I do hope you can find him. At the very least, I''d file a BBB complaint, because moving & changing numbers without notifying clients are both lousy business practices. Who knows- maybe you''ll find some negative reviews of him online written by brides who are going through the same thing.

Please keep us updated!

 

[Inanna]

Also do a search on Facebook of his full name and his business name.

Did things seem normal when you talked to this Photographer in November? I would also check out Wedding Wire and other review sites to see if his ratings have declined recently or if there are other disgruntled brides in your situation.

 

[sunnyd]

He doesn''t have a website?

 

[LilyKat]

First, thank your lucky stars that you at least have the digital file. I shudder to think what would happen if he''d disappeared and left you with nothing at all.

I second the other posters in their ideas to track him down by any means possible - visiting the studio, googling, facebook, etc. If his studio is no longer there, consider checking with his neighbours to see if he mentioned where he was going, if they have alternative contact details etc. If all else fails, small claims court.

Hopefully it won''t come to that and this is a simple communications breakdown.

 

[calidaisy]

thanks for all your responses.

he has a website and the website is still up.

however, i contacted the management company of the building where the studio was located and the woman who answered the phone didn''t recognize his name. i asked her how long ago he moved out and she said she can''t give out any information but assumed that it was some time during 2009. when i told her my sob story of not having received my wedding photos and albums and there is only so much i can do since i''m currently pregnant with bed rest orders, she offered to call him herself only to find out they also only have his disconnected numbers.

i tried googling and searching him on fb but couldn''t find anything.

i will try knot and other wedding boards even though i never know how to navigate those sites.

i''m not sure whether i''m allowed to post people''s name/ businesses here but if anyone is interested, the name of the studio is "david william photography." if anything, i hope PSers will stay away from him.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Try Linked In as well. A lot of professionals keep information on that site up to date.

 

[princessplease]

What town is he in? That seems like a common name, and a town may help us narrow down.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Have you tried checking your local BBB website? They might have some additional info about him and/or the business.

One other thought - I seem to remember that a few years back when my DH and I were looking at filing a claim in small claims court, there were various procedures you could employ (fully legal obviously) to find a person or a business and get their "real" name or address. I don''t know if your situation is at that point yet, but this might also be worth considering - most places have guides to small claims court info for their local jurisdiction online, and it might be worth browsing that as well.

 

[calidaisy]

once again, thanks for all your kind responses.

the good news is, david responded to my email this morning saying he''s (STILL) working on our album and that he''ll call me later today.
i''m hoping that he''s still in business and we''ll get our album.

will keep everyone posted as to how things turn out.