Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Refund Please

The kids came home with their school pictures last week. I love school pictures. They're so convenient! I don't have to do anything except remember to dress them halfway decent and send some money with the kids to school. The part I don't like is that those pictures have gotten so dang expensive. Like ridiculous expensive. But they're usually worth it because the people taking the pictures are "professionals" or at least supposed to be.

LifeTouch is the company who does Clyde's school district's pictures so we don't really get a choice but to buy the pictures from them. Here is Xander's Pre-K school picture:
Isn't he absolutely adorable?! Now, I love the background in this picture. I think it goes great with his shirt and it looks outdoorsy; perfect for a little boy. He also has a great smile on his face. Not too much, but just enough where it doesn't look like a driver's license picture. Beautiful!

Okay, next year not so much. Now, I think my son is the most beautiful little boy ever at all times. And I thought there was no way he could look anything but adorable. But, evidently, LifeTouch found a way. This is Xander's Kindergarten school picture; or what we call around my house, Exhibit A:
I want to know what the heck happened here! I see that they went with the outdoorsy background again. But because the background blends with my son's hair, his head seems to be cone-shaped. I don't even know what to say about the grimace (yes, grimace. that's the closest word that can describe it) on his face. If a stranger were to see this photo, they might think Xander is some kind of growling wolf-boy. I wondered why the photographer did not do a retake. I also wondered why I didn't get a proof so that I would know better than to pay $30 for this debacle. When he brought this picture home, I just prayed that next year would improve.

Well, it didn't. Here's Exhibit B:
Again, why didn't they do a retake?! I know that all those pictures are taken with a digital camera. And why did they choose a blue background when he's wearing a blue shirt?? Did they wait til the exact moment when he was making a weird face that makes him look like he has a face defect???

Okay, LifeTouch, you are officially on My List. It's not a good list. It's a list of people who I want to break their kneecaps. Seriously! C'mon! What kind of photographer takes these pictures? And then makes a parent pay almost $40 for them!!!!!! Extortion, I say, extortion!!

Anyway, I'm obviously really upset about this. I just hate that I'm spending money on things that I will never, ever show to anyone because I am so embarrassed of them (except here to show as proof of the inexcusableness of the photos). These pictures just do not do my son's beautiful face justice. I'm currently lodging complaints with LifeTouch and demanding a refund.

10 comments:

Amanda said...

Retakes are on Thursday. You could go up there to make sure that everything goes the way you want.

It took me at least 5 minutes to calm down before I could type this. I was laughing so hard!!!

Pamelotta said...

My girls just came in and asked me why I'm crying. Happy tears, I said. Happy tears. I hate to be laughing so hard at Xander's expense, but oh, my, gosh. I've never and I think I mean NEVER laughed so hard as I just did.

Those are the kind of images that stay with you and resurface at terrible times, like in the middle of the night when your spouse is trying to sleep next to or in the middle of a sermon of Brandon's when the subject matter is maybe not that funny.

Poor kid. Poor mom. Here's my advice, even though it won't help you until next time. Someone once tipped me off that the fall pictures require payment up front and the spring pictures you pay for after you have seen and ordered them. Hope that helps.

Brandi Wilson said...

That is just so dang funny!

Lydianna Bradford said...

Wow. Lydianna walked up to the computer while I was reading and asked why that boy was taking such silly pictures....

You should definetely go for retakes. That's probably why the things are so expensive...they have to retake and reprint all the crappola ones.

You'd think they could have taken a minute though....

Jennifer said...

That's just sad when another kid sees the picture and thinks he's trying to be silly!!

trish said...

I think Xander is adorable. I think it is definitely a right of passage to have some bad photo years. I know my 5th grade year I had four little boobs. I did not know my training bra was riding up. The result was disaster. Needless to say, I did not pass any out to my friends or family.

Unknown said...

HOLY CRAP BATMAN............THATS ALL I GOT TO SAY ABOUT THAT. AND I THINK I WOULD REFUSE ANYTHING LESS THAN A TOTAL REFUND FROM THIS HORRIBLE COMPANY. OH YA AND BY THE WAY, WENDY DOES WONDERFUL SCHOOL PICTURES OF KIDS AND YOU GET TO PROOF THEM I'M SURE.

Anonymous said...

So sorry for the lack of commenting...oh...the last few months. I just found out the secret to unvailing the words to your blog. Since it takes so long to load, you've got to highlight the words and then you can see them! So, I'm all caught up, now. Funny pictures. They made me smile.

DICK BROWN said...

LIFETOUCH NOW HAS EMPLOYEES WHO PERUSE THE INTERNET LOOKING FOR COMPLAINTS. I'M SURPRISED THEY HAVEN'T FOUND YOU YET. YOU WILL BE CONTACTED BY A VERY NICE PERSON WHO WILL OFFER YOU A COMPLETE REFUND AND LET YOU KEEP THE PHOTOS. THIS IS THEIR NEW DAMAGE CONTROL DEPARTMENT. THE IDEA IS THAT YOU BLOG ALL ABOUT THE NICE LIFETOUCH REP & YOUR REFUND THEREBY INCREASING LIFETOUCH'S BOTTOM LINE.

Unknown said...

I just found this and I agree with you that these photos are quite unfortunate. I am a Lifetouch school photographer and I have been for 9 years. I'm not making excuses for these photo's, but I suggest you volunteer to help on picture day sometime. I know it is easy to blame the photographer for everything, but we truly do have a very tough job. We have 30-60 seconds to capture a photo that best expresses your child. Some kids do not do well on the first picture day because there are so many people watching them and they feel under pressure to do things perfectly and quickly. I know that for spring retakes are not offered (at least they aren't offered here in WI), but I beg you to send your son for retakes when his fall portraits are not to your standard. As I mentioned before, retake days are much more relaxed and some students are just more comfortable on those days... As Dick mentioned above, you can call Lifetouch anytime for a full refund as there is a 100% satisfaction policy... Hopefully since this blog started his pictures have gotten better! I'd like to see an update though!