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client from hell story
Painful: valium time. client called and requested a model portfolio. We agreed on price , time. Shows up on time. good you say, NOT! I showed her the standard release, fine, signed. The before we start shooting I get a two minute lecture on NO nudity; warning flag YES! Ten shots in the session, she changes puts on lingerie and pops the left boob out. Gives me a 30 second lecture that I can photograph the left boob only; warning flag, YES. crazy on the set, YES! Ten more shots she take off her underwear and wants some on the floor nude shots; I say "is this a model port or what EXACTLY do you want?" You guessed this is for a escort site - they are paying her to use her photos - she is NOT a participant she says. She does not need the money; she makes $60K a month, she states. She had a bad accident and is suing the company and was in a wheelchair and will collect millions! thirty seconds later - she offers "can I turn upside down over the chair?" Thinking insurance and lawsuit and ambulance I go "NO! NO!" , you are injured. Bam! the woman is upside down and takes her pics. Then I get the question: do you do hardcore? "NO NO NO." I say, "I think we are finished." Now it gets interesting; she says " I want edited pictures NOW". Now you say, Now! instantly! this took ten minutes of heated discussion to explain that that is not possible. She then chooses ten photos are asks me to ERASE the others - she does not want me having copies. I erased them while she watched - she needed proof. I thought I saw the last of her. One day later she loses the CD and requests the photos - ALL of them. You requested that they be erased I reminded her. "NO I never said that, never, I just dont want you to have a copy " she says. Trying very hard to explain that I would have to have a copy to cut another CD for her - like falling on deaf ears. Now being prudent I can recover the photos, but I have NO intention of being in her vicinity, so I told her it was impossible. Should I give her a copy or just run like OJ's ex-wives May 11 06 11:28 am Link Run and don't look back May 11 06 11:32 am Link Wow lol. What rock did she crawl out from under. I would blow her off. She sounds a little off anyway. May 11 06 11:33 am Link God that's horrible. Why didn't she just tell you from the beginning what it was for? Crazy people! Yes, you should run. If you spend too much time with the crazies, they might convert you. May 11 06 11:35 am Link Wow.. You poor baby. I truly feel for you. I wasn't even a part of the shoot and I'm cringing as I read this. Meds are good. May 11 06 11:35 am Link Run!  Really. I'm serious. "Unstable personalities", whatever the diagnosis, aren't much fun, and the manipulation experienced in the presence of someone that off the hook may be matched by worry about what they're doing (to you) that you don't know about. Advice: 1. If your business doesn't have a problem file, start one. 2. Write a memo to the file on the incident reported here (you might even copy in the retelling here). 3. If any part of your interaction with the client threatens to go beyond words, counter with the threat of consequences involving the law and do what you have to to secure your interests. There's an old saying to the effect that, "If you're not aggravated, you're not in business." Take it at face value: if you deal with the public, you're going to encounter difficult personalities from time to time. If you can filter them out before entering a business relationship (or personal one, frankly), you do that; if there are no warning signs and you get stuck, have in mind some things you can do for the next time. May 11 06 11:42 am Link Melissa Lynnette wrote: This is true.....now RUN LIKE HELL!!!! May 11 06 11:43 am Link Maker her an offer. One copy of the CD for a BJ, 2 copies for 1/2 and 1/2 and so on. Might as well get laid since she's screw'n you  May 11 06 11:46 am Link Sounds like this person was a serial lawsuit filer, and was unknowingly admitting to setting you up as the next victim. This also suggests to me a disability abuser that claims to be injured to get benfits but is physically fine when no one is looking! May 11 06 11:47 am Link C R Photography wrote: Crazy people have teeth! May 11 06 11:50 am Link rp_photo wrote: Well, I do have pics of her doing a handstand nude and other interesting upside down poses that the insurance may want to see. May 11 06 11:53 am Link Run swiftly like the wind... May 11 06 11:56 am Link Run like the wind and buy some commas and periods along the way. May 11 06 11:56 am Link I get the feeling that you haven't heard the last of her. May 11 06 12:04 pm Link UnoMundo Photography wrote: Tell her to f**k off [she lost the CD not you] and if she calls you again get a [no contact] TRO for harassment. May 11 06 01:27 pm Link i say run too, and while you're on the way, can i get her name so i know who to avoid next time im in NV? May 11 06 01:28 pm Link Holy Jesus in a handbag, Uno. I feel for you. She's nuts. May 11 06 01:34 pm Link Give her ONLY the ones she had before ... not all of them. If you do that she will say that you were dishonest and did not delete photos as she demanded. May 11 06 01:43 pm Link Glamour Boulevard wrote: haha May 11 06 01:45 pm Link Claire Elizabeth wrote: I think she smoked the rock. May 11 06 01:51 pm Link rp_photo wrote: I totally agree, dont offer her anythign and run like oj's ex-wives!!! some people you just really dont need to be in business with (crazy's in specific!!) May 11 06 01:57 pm Link rp_photo wrote: I totally agree, dont offer her anything and run like oj's ex-wives!!! some people you just really dont need to be in business with (crazy's in specific!!) May 11 06 01:57 pm Link rp_photo wrote: I totally agree, dont offer her anything and run like oj's ex-wives!!! some people you just really dont need to be in business with (crazy's in specific!!) May 11 06 01:57 pm Link studio36uk wrote: excellent advice. May 11 06 02:05 pm Link The OP described her as a client. Clients may be difficult, but if you treat one client poorly then you might as well put your cameras up for sale on eBay and go looking for a day job. The ONLY option with a client is for the OP to do his best to fulfill his original agreement, nothing less or more. You can't make every client happy, but it's important to leave them with no legitimate complaint against you. May 11 06 02:17 pm Link wow that is really odd. Shit I hope she feels stupid. Sounded like she was lying about a lot of things, models like that make us other models look bad, AGHH May 11 06 02:26 pm Link I don't think she's nuts, I think she's looking for any sort of lawsuit she can find against you or anyone else. Hire an attorney to mail her a copy of the CD with only the ten images on them (via certified mail, of course) along with a letter telling her that your agreement is now fulfilled and any further correspondence will need to go through your attorney. I would also give her full permission to do anything she would like with the CD so that she doesn't contact you again with another B.S. story. Lastly, burn the rest of the images from that shoot and have your attorney hold them in his files in case something comes up later (i.e. a claim that she injured herself in your studio). I once had a tenant like this woman and believe me, the money you spend on an attorney now will save you huge money and aggravation in the long run. May 11 06 02:28 pm Link You are already on the record as being able to recover the files. Offer to recover the files if you have the proper paperwork in order. Otherwise make sure they are unrecoverable. If you ever show up using a "deleted" file you may be her next lawsuit. May 11 06 02:29 pm Link ArtisticDigitalImages wrote: Can I say format? YES! May 11 06 02:36 pm Link All fear the left boob! May 11 06 03:22 pm Link Rebekka Raynor wrote: HAHAHAHAHAHA! Wonder why it was only the LEFT boob? May 11 06 03:25 pm Link Haullllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Assssssssssssssssssssss and after your done haulin ass, use window washer to clean that disk..... Mac Wolff May 11 06 03:35 pm Link If its an email, requesting the 2nd CD. I wouldn't even acknowledge its receipt (probably one of the few times, I'd encourage such a thing). If its a call, remind her how losing the CD you gave her how its your problem. She still insists & wants it bad enough. Charge her for it, something like in the triple digits. May 11 06 05:04 pm Link UnoMundo Photography wrote: OJ had sex wives? May 11 06 05:11 pm Link I had a client that was an escort agency. They sent every girl or boy that worked for them to me. Your post just sounds like a typical Monday back then. They suddenly went out of business. I was relieved, I was about to fire them as a client. May 11 06 05:30 pm Link oh dang that sucks really bad... I hope she won't be any future trouble for you  May 11 06 05:47 pm Link UdoR wrote: that was funny - took me a while to get it May 11 06 07:48 pm Link UnoMundo Photography wrote: RUN, HIDE, and lock the door behind you! May 11 06 08:29 pm Link what's wrong with making a copy ... & charging for it ? Get paid first. Then hopefully, you wont hear from her again! May 12 06 02:13 am Link Great story. Run like the wind ;;P May 12 06 02:53 am Link |
