Need Advice - Photographer Scam? XPost from BHB
O.K., so I'm a bride on an extremely tight budget and just don't have the $$ to spend 3 to 6 thousand bucks on a photographer. I did a goolge search on 'affordable photography' and found a bunch of listings on Craigslist. Long story short I hooked up with a photographer whose work I liked, who I really clicked with and was willing to give me a nice package at a reduced price. I've been in regular contact with her, her last correspondence to me was last week to ask I we wanted to try and get some Epics in while she was on LI shooting another wedding (she's from way upstate).
This evening, when I went to look at her website again I found it was down. I did a google search and found a few disgruntled people from whom she supposedly took down payments from and never delivered (her claim is they did not follow through with their end of the bargain as far as the payment schedule). All this occurred in October - February in TN.
Now I don't know if it was just one person who was disgruntled and may have been partly to blame but are now posting bad stuff about her on various websites (found some other posts including one from her supposed ex-assistant who was also 'scammed').
I just mailed my deposit to her this past Monday! Do I (a) send her an email and explain what I found and how/why and wait for her explaination of the events or (b) send her an email explaining the above, adding that I will be cancelling the check and then go to the bank first thing tomorrow to cancel it?
*sigh* why me?
**UPDATE**
She wrote me back and explained everything. I thanked her for being honest but decided to move on. I feel bad for her situation but feel I would rather start over fresh, you know?
This evening, when I went to look at her website again I found it was down. I did a google search and found a few disgruntled people from whom she supposedly took down payments from and never delivered (her claim is they did not follow through with their end of the bargain as far as the payment schedule). All this occurred in October - February in TN.
Now I don't know if it was just one person who was disgruntled and may have been partly to blame but are now posting bad stuff about her on various websites (found some other posts including one from her supposed ex-assistant who was also 'scammed').
I just mailed my deposit to her this past Monday! Do I (a) send her an email and explain what I found and how/why and wait for her explaination of the events or (b) send her an email explaining the above, adding that I will be cancelling the check and then go to the bank first thing tomorrow to cancel it?
*sigh* why me?
**UPDATE**
She wrote me back and explained everything. I thanked her for being honest but decided to move on. I feel bad for her situation but feel I would rather start over fresh, you know?
