Comments on: Fake Photo Competitions - Avoiding These Scams

By: Tired of scams

Tired of scams — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 21:15:06 +0000

I got the photlaureates and did not buy the book. They send me new attempts every so often, I guess I need to block them. May their film corrode and their digital cameras have dust.
The real problem is how to post pics to legitimate sites withot them being stolen by whomever is sleazy enough to do so. There was a photographer on Flickr that had a lot of work stolen by a Britsh poster company that made lotsa money from her hard work and there was no legal recourse. I am now reluctant to uplaod anything to anyone. Pretty sad place the internet these days,. One scam after another.

By: Tired of scams

Tired of scams — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 21:10:21 +0000

There is a new one in town called Scmap.com that wants you to give your permission to use your photo’s on their website. They feed off of Flickr phots’s. Seems to me if they are making money off of our pics they should share the wealth.. I also wonder why links to these phony contests are still showing up on legitimate sites. Seems like if everyone knows they are a ripoff their links should be removed. Don’t make sense to me, if your not part of the solution ya must be part of the problem ??

By: Chzyphoto

Chzyphoto — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:35:59 +0000

We sent one picture in to check out this site and immediately started getting the scam emails saying “we won”. Make them work to try to sell you the book or award. Reply back to their emails stating that you need more information and comfirmation of the award. Flood their incoming email with bogus requests for further information acting like you are interested. Ask them what page of the book your image will be on so your friends and family can find it when they order their copy. When they have to reply to all these potential sales and not getting any, maybe they’ll get the hint.

By: John

John — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 06:47:19 +0000

Basically Picture.com is a very slick sales operation. It is not a scam as such but it’s methods are less than openly honest. They will publish anyone who is prepared to buy their book. The quality or merits of the photos are irrellevant. Even in a genuine photo contest, 80% of the submissions will be complete rubbish. Picture.com cream a few of the 20% good photos that give them credibility. Although I haven’t been to one of their seminars, judging from what is written here, they do deliver, although if you have got there by way of little more than a family snap, I doubt if you would benefit from your expense.

Their crime, if any, is running photo competitions as a business, but there is no law against that, and in my experience I did receive the goods I paid for even though I live outside the USA.

By: Jo

Jo — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 05:41:57 +0000

Picture.com told me thesame about my picture, that it had won, i did purchase the book; however, a few months later i realized i should have done some research, so I did. Most people say it’s a scam. I didn’t know how to contact them, i don’t remember if I did. I did call my credit card company and told them that i had not received what i purchased, so they did what’s called a “chargeback”. If they don’t respond to the bank as to why they have not sent the items you get your money back. So they did not respond and I got my money back. CALL YOUR CREDIT CARD COMPNAY, THEY WILL HELP YOU GET YOUR MONEY BACK!

By: Marvin

Marvin — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:49:25 +0000

I entered the “PICTURE.COM” free photo contest and was first turned down but my second entry was placed in the editors choice award and I was told that I could become an ISP (International Society of Photographers) club and that I was awarded their Editor’s Choice Award plaque…for only $89.00 I could have the plaque and the membership. I bought into the scam and must admit I should have listened to my gut feelings about this. I take photographs that my family says would make wonderful postcards and I just had to enter to see what someone else had as a critique. I called picture.com several times and was put on hold for over eight minutes.

By: Christine

Christine — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 15:07:28 +0000

Well,
I submitted a picture to picture.com and forgot I had even done it. I just started getting e-mails about how fantastic it was and how I had won the Editor’s Choice Award so I COULD BUY the medallion and watch.
If I won, why should I BUY it? I also got the Las Vegas Invite….I don’t do anything or buy anything without researching it first, and this started sounding real fishy. I’m so glad I followed my instincts. I wish I could get my picture off the website. Thanks for the warning.

By: Jenn

Jenn — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 20:42:54 +0000

Have a picture in picture.com… I didn’t fall for the book nor the medal. In my opinion, If I won something, why the heck will I have to buy it? Now, I’m trying to figure out how to delete my picture on the site… I was able to block them from sending me more emails, but want my picture off the site a.s.a.p. Anyone know how?

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:37:31 +0000

Sad really. I haven’t bought any ‘books’ luckily and will add further emails to my scam/spam list. Another thing I have learned to look for is ability to MANAGER YOUR PHOTOS!!! If you can’t remove your photo or even edit it once it is up there, then it smells a little rotten.

By: brivics

brivics — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 10:11:23 +0000

I actually paid money to Photolaureates. This is definitely a scam. For the information of other scamees this is what I did about it. After several attempts to contact them and receiving automated replies, I threatened to report them to the Fair Trading Authority in my country (Australia) and guess what…………the money was credited in full to my bank account within days. Maybe I was just lucy but it pays to try.