Venture Photography: Anyone have any experience dealing with this co.? Hard Selling.

Orad

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Does anyone have any experience dealing with this company ?

(It is a branch of a UK co. based in Swords - and elsewhere in Dublin, I think).

I recently competed a family portrait session with them and have arranged to look at the resulting pics in a couple of weeks.

Their prices are simply ASTRONOMICAL ! (€800-€2,000 per pic, depending on size)

Admittedly, I havent actual pics yet - but can they really be worth it ?

Also their policy of using a "Discount if commit to buy now" tactic sounds a bit worrying.

Anyone have any thoughts on Venture, or any suggestions of cheaper alternatives.

Thanks...
 
Re: Venture Photography

Did they not give you a quote beforehand?

I saw them doing the hard sell in the Pavillions - that alone puts me off.
 
Re: Venture Photography

Does anyone have any experience dealing with this company ?
(It is a branch of a UK co. based in Swords - and elsewhere in Dublin, I think).

I recently competed a family portrait session with them and have arranged to look at the resulting pics in a couple of weeks.
Their prices are simply ASTRONOMICAL ! (€800-2000 per pic, depending on size)
Admittedly, I havent actual pics yet - but can they really be worth it ?
Also their policy of using a "Discount if commit to buy now" tactic sounds a bit worrying.

Anyone have any thoughts on Venture, or any suggestions of cheaper alternatives.

Thanks...

The prices you mention sound absolutely crazy - are you sure?

I presume the portraits were in their studio?
When you think of a wedding photographer's charges (who have to be 'on site') it sounds insane - how long did the session take?

I'd check out prices for any small studio and compare - shouldn't be anything like these prices.
 
Re: Venture Photography

I bought the €50 voucher which gave me a session and 1 free photo. I wasn't expecting the prices they charged, so we just took 4 of the small prints (which still cost a fare bit) and got them framed myself at a fraction of the price! Once you go for any of the larger prints you have to get the frame and they touch them up. The photos are lovely and get admired on a regular basis....but it is expensive.
 
Re: Venture Photography

I have heard of this before. A large picture and three small ones for €2300.

It seems very high. I can't find the prices on the website [broken link removed]

So I would avoid them.

Brendan
 
Re: Venture Photography

I got a voucher for these guys and the prices are indeed as high as quoted. In fairness, the photos are amazing and they put in a lot of effort to make them different and special. They do a VERY hard sell at the 'show' stage - you get a full "sit down and watch our amazing photos, how could you not want the pics of your kids looking so gorgeous" session - drinks, music etc. It is very hard to walk away from some of the photos but they are really really expensive (some settings were €3000+ for a single montage!!). I would love to be able to pay cost++ for the digital proofs and then do my own thing but that's not an option. And I know I could go to a different photographer/do it myself but they really do an excellent job of composing unusual pictures. I toughed it out though and came away with the single 7X5 that came with the voucher.
 
Re: Venture Photography

I second the above post, absolutely amazing pictures, and they have the viewing session down to a tee, dark room, music, they tell you to leave the kids at home... Thepics will bring a tear to the eye. But if i didint have my very sensible OH with me i def would have spent a fortune. But then you come away and realise that it is just waaay overpriced. They will keep them on file for 5 years tho so ya never know when i win the lotto....

Having said all that tho the actual picture session is great fun as a family thing to do, they really work well with the kids. If it is a free voucher you have( as most of the posters, including myself, had it seems!!!) then it is def worth going for the experience.
 
Re: Venture Photography

I have to say that the sample pictures on their website are really superb but the price is extraordinary, there are dozens of studio photographers in Dublin that produce similar results for far, far less.
 
Re: Venture Photography

Thanks for all the info,
Purpeller, no, I didn't get a quote beforehand (I know, I know...).
But with no commitment to buy, there was little to lose - and the hour-long session was quite good fun.

Caveat, yes I am sure - in fact you can spend up to €5000 on a pic !
Even the postcard sizes are €300+

The general consensus seems to be the the pics are very impressive, but VERY expensive.
At least now I am prepared for the "hard sell".
I suppose the trick is to decide on a budget and stick to it rigidly.

By the way, congrats to all on this site.
I have been a long-time visiter, but just registered - looking forward to contributing.
 
Re: Venture Photography

A large picture and three small ones for €2300.

It seems very high. I can't find the prices on the website [broken link removed]

So I would avoid them.

I would avoid them too. Something not quite right about an ordinary working person spending € 2300 on a few photos of a human being when half the human beings in the world are malnourished and so many millions dying of hunger or disease etc.
 
Re: Venture Photography

These guys typify everything that is wrong with celtic tiger Ireland. I got €250 voucher free when I bought my car and for the next 6 months I had guys from Venture calling me every week to book in a photo session, eventually I gave the voucher to friends who just got married, they went out got the photos taken and were asked to return to view them some weeks later, when they did return there were lots of super photos there to pick from- the only problem being they were only allowed select 2 of them for within the €250, if they wanted any of the nicer photos Venture were going to charge something like €1900 for one, in the end they got a framed photo for €250, it’s A4 size and framed with a cheap plastic frame (my mate is a framer so should know)
Anyone who spends 1900 on a framed photo needs their head examined, if you’ve that kinda money to spend, go to trail finders buy a round the world ticket for 1500 and your own digital camera and you’d take photos of plenty of unforgettable moments
 
Re: Venture Photography

I felt a bit scammed by commercial photographers who covered a work event for me last year. Having paid an attendance fee for the guy to show up, they were then charging €20 for each 10x8 print (for which they will pay less than €2 from their printer) and €50 for each digital copy. This seems to be a common practice, but is quite outrageous to me. Once you've paid for the guy's time, you shouldn't have to pay again for the materials.

This year I've made sure that we pay a once-off attendance fee and then get full-size digital copies of all prints at no extra cost. That way we can share the digital copies with internal & external partners, and we can also print at our leisure for about €2 per 10x8 print.
 
Re: Venture Photography

I went to venture recently, and it was a venture alrite! The place is chaos luckily were not too affected personally. But when we went for our sessions we heard how they had paint disasters the week previous and had to turn people away and the next week they had no electricity. Our shoot was fun, bar getting covered in white paint! We went back for our viewing and at the beginning explained what it was we wanted and we were given a price which we were happy with after two hours of picking the actual photos etc which does not change the price we were told it was over a grand dearer when we queried this we were told you must have misheard me! This was not possible as we had explained when we were given the initial price that we were delighted because we did not think we could afford the set we were after and anyway how could we both have possibly heard wrong and spent two hours debating over which photos for something we could not afford! PS check your credit cards for the cancellation fee it was taken off my credit card even though we did not cancel any appointment and months on I am still ringing to get it refunded. The sooner the recession hits venture the better because their prices are ridiculous! I could trip around the world twice over or have few photos in my house!!!
 
Re: Venture Photography

My mother was at us for ages to get them done, they were good but not good enough to justify the price. A photography student would probably do a nice job for a fraction of the cost. I doubt once you have nice photos it would be that expensive to get them blown up and framed.

They did the hard sell act with us as well. I don't like that.
 
Re: Venture Photography

Well - my story is that I bought a 2 for 1 voucher at the ideal homes for 55 euros. Each voucher came with the promise of a free photo shoot and a free 10x8 picture with each shoot.

I gave one away as a present and was told later that when they had the shoot they were told they were only entitled to a 5x7.

I called to complain and in fairness it was sorted out within an hour and I was told that both vouchers were for 5x7 (in the small print) but that they would stand by what was advertised to me verbally on the day and would change them to 10x8.

My friends have said that the shoot was very good and the staff were very nice.

All in all - no complaints yet.

My friends did mention that the prices startled them alright. But just don't buy if they are that high?
 
Re: Venture Photography

We were given the voucher for the session and 5x7 photo as a Christmas present. It has not been used for the following reasons:

We have seen the way the staff approach, and find it aggressive and 'hard sell' and annoyingly persistent.Some people may even be intimidated by it!

We had just had our second child and the first phone call came when the baby was 2 days old (needless to say I couldn't book an appointment with them). This has been followed by at least 8 phone calls by now, possibly more. Each time they were told that we were settling in with the new routine and that we would contact them. They have continued phoning despite us saying that we would contact them and it now feels almost like harrassment and their tone in conversation is not good.Very persistant, and they obviously do not listen!

Have tried to find an address for a head office to complain, but unable to. Only option is for them to CALL US!!!!!!!!! The last thing we want! Has anyone got an address.?

We really do not wish to deal with them atall and hope others take heed too.

We have used Pixifoto in the past and will probably go back to them at some stage. No hassle and lovely photos. More traditional, but it depends what you prefer.
 
Re: Venture Photography

In our local primary school , a group of photographers , come in once a year , and take professional photo's of the pupils ..............The prices they charge are astronomical , by our standards anyway .

Dont want to mention who they are , but based in Co Cork.

They really put un-necessary pressure and hardship on the parents . Buying the photos are of course obligatory , however they send the photo's home with the children , and you know how hard it is to say no.
 
Re: Venture Photography

In our local primary school , a group of photographers , come in once a year , and take professional photo's of the pupils ..............The prices they charge are astronomical , by our standards anyway .

Dont want to mention who they are , but based in Co Cork.

They really put un-necessary pressure and hardship on the parents . Buying the photos are of course obligatory , however they send the photo's home with the children , and you know how hard it is to say no.
Indeed - I wonder if there is a better way of doing this. I resent the photographers charging €50 for a 10x8 print, when it costs them €2 to get it printed. Do the schools normally get a kick-back from the photographer?

Would it be possible to engage a photographer for a flat fee per pupil, who then provides digital copies to allow the parents to get these printed at bargain rates?
 
Re: Venture Photography

I bought the session and one photo deal - around 40 quid at the time, about two years ago after they were promoting it in nutgrove shopping centre. Did the sessions. Dropped dead at the price. Brother in law is a photographer (press not portrait) so I know what they cost and they are having a laugh. Rang them and told them I wasn't buying anything. Didn't even pick up my free print.
 
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