Beware Palm Springs Photo Festival

MrFotoFool

This post is a general warning for all readers to stay away from Palm Springs Photo Festival. It is supposedly rescheduled (due to Covid-19) for September 2020 (from original May date) and now supposedly changed from in-person to online. Since I am not interested in this I have been trying to get a refund, but the online refund says unable to process and I cannot reach them. There was no response to my initial voicemail and now when I tried to call I cannot even leave a voicemail (the message just says "we are closed"). When I sent an email it bounced back saying the address does not exist. There was also no reply when I used their online form. I think they have shut down and run off with $1,400 of mine. STAY AWAY - STAY FAR AWAY!

WestEndFoto

Did you pay with a credit card?

tc88

For my own curiosity, what is the $1400 supposed to cover? I didn't know it can be that expensive.

Pretty much for all events, if they get cancelled, you are screwed because most of the time they have already spent the money anyway. Your only recourse is probably your credit card.

MrFotoFool

I am going to contact my credit card company and see if there is anything they can do. The reason it is so expensive is because in addition to the daily presentations I paid for a dozen portfolio reviews, which are one-on-one sessions with curators and publishers.

WestEndFoto

Generally, if you pay with a credit card and the goods or services paid for are not delivered, you have the right of a refund. You might have to wait until September to make the claim. The provider will then owe the credit card company.

While I am in Canada, I suspect the rules are similar in most places. And don’t let the credit card company weasel out of their guarantee.

MrFotoFool

Today I checked their site and it showed a slightly modified email address (with "the" added at the front). So I tried that and they did reply and said they could issue a refund either with Zelle (which I don't have and have not heard of until I looked it up just now) or they could send it by mail if I give them my address. I did the latter and we will see if a check ever shows up.

Pistnbroke

Companies love o pay by cheque because a high percentage dont get cashed . Most here in UK dont even have a cheque book .

MrFotoFool

Trust me, I will definitely cash it. But I do wonder how many of the younger generation actually know how to write a check?

stephens7

MrFotoFool said:

Today I checked their site and it showed a slightly modified email address (with "the" added at the front). So I tried that and they did reply and said they could issue a refund either with Zelle (which I don't have and have not heard of until I looked it up just now) or they could send it by mail if I give them my address. I did the latter and we will see if a check ever shows up.

Zelle is perfectly real and you get the money transferred to your bank very quickly

MrFotoFool

Check received today (minus a small processing fee, which they disclosed in the original refund policy). All is good.

spraynpray

Phew! Good to hear,