Picsolve Photo Rip Off

[swalesuk01]

Hi I thought i would add to this with my experience with yesterday which will also be going to merlin as a complaint. I already wasn't a fan of not getting discounts on bundles as where is the M.A.P perk with everyone able to get a good deal I would accept reduced discount say 10% on bundles. As a rule though we usually don't buy single ride photos unless its something we haven't done. Yesterday we decided to head down to Thorpe and did the Swarm backwards and now they have ride photos, so we thought we would buy one charged £8.40 no mention of the digital photo added extra just shown how to retrieve it. Then as we went around 2 main water rides shut so all queues had at least 1 1/2 wait for the main rides so we decided as chessington was close and we had never been we would head over to see what it was like. This is now my next 2 examples firstly we thought we would buy a picture from the log flume as it looked all right this is when I got the spiel about having to purchase the the digital photo to qualify for my discount. Then finally found an honest member of staff on the Vampire as we went to get our picture he gave us the choice of paying £6.40 without or £8.40 with digital.
This just leaves me asking why don't we actually get discount on digital prints and secondly I want to know how they can justify the selling tactics. If I could get the photo for £6.40 why was I overcharged the two times before.

 

[djtruefitt]

I have never bought a photo from towers (had quite a few when I was a child and friends have bought, but never me!), but it does seem Picsolve or their staff don't know what they are doing, or the prices! By the reports in this topic, it seems everyone at various Merlin parks have been told something different and charged something different! Especially in terms of Annual pass discount and digital downloads.

It would be nice to know what the official rules are on things such as annual pass discount. Is it 20% off anything, 20% off single photos only, but not digital downloads, or what? On my next visit I think I might ask a few staff about photos and see what various answers I get.

 

[TheMan]

If I could get the photo for £6.40 why was I overcharged the two times before.

Called them out on Social Media about this the other day, and not responding to my complaint in over a month. (Yet to check if they have or not).

It would be nice to know what the official rules are on things such as annual pass discount. Is it 20% off anything, 20% off single photos only, but not digital downloads, or what? On my next visit I think I might ask a few staff about photos and see what various answers I get.

I did agree with this entirely, but as I have moaned on about repeatedly now lol, they actually used the fact I used my MAP as a REASON that the digital photo was not optional and refused to be refunded!

Get that straightened out first I think, as a MAP holder we HAVE to buy extras? Not sure I remember that in my T&Cs?

 

[TheMan]

Excuse double post, but poll added.

 

[masterphotospy]

Just to help answer a few of the questions that have been raised in this thread......

Picsolve is owned by Fidelity Finance - an American private equity company that paid £30m for it 5 years ago and pumped in another £20m since then and its still losing money. They want to sell off the company asap so are trying to boost the profits by any means....

Their deal with Merlin is a revenue share so Merlin get like 40% of all photo sales.

I've heard the reason they are bundling the digital is that they have spent millions - yes millions - betting that paper photos would be dead by now and it would all be digital - and its not worked so they are desperate to get as much digital based revenue as poss to prove they havent wasted investors money.

The big idea is to get everyone to go and download their photos so that Picsolve get your email address and can sell your details to other companies and use your contacts to sell you your photos back to you!!! after you have already paid for them.

This is from a close and reliable source in the company.

Team Edit Personal info removed

Any other questions? I can try and find out the answer......

 

[NickT04]

I bought a Carnival of Screams picture the other week, I don't normally buy the picture unless its a new ride but I found this particular picture quite funny. After buying it he asked if I wanted a digital upload to share my picture on Facebook, Twitter etc.

His face after I declined and said "I can scan it in on my scanner and do that anyway." was a right picture!

 

[TheMan]

Just to help answer a few of the questions that have been raised in this thread......

Very interesting information there, thank you for posting it in this thread!

I never got any answers, had the complaint ignored multiple times not even a cursory response.

That makes me wonder if they didn't already know about this.

 

[AstroDan]

Many parks, e.g. Europa Park, give you the digital download free of charge - photo's are €6 (£5.00).

It seems absurd to pay £2 extra at Merlin parks for the privilege.

Chessington now force you to spend £10 on a photo as they bundle the digital and you can't refuse!

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Croftybaby]

I've heard the reason they are bundling the digital is that they have spent millions - yes millions - betting that paper photos would be dead by now and it would all be digital - and its not worked so they are desperate to get as much digital based revenue as poss to prove they havent wasted investors money.

The big idea is to get everyone to go and download their photos so that Picsolve get your email address and can sell your details to other companies and use your contacts to sell you your photos back to you!!! after you have already paid for them.

The ironic thing in all this I think is that the above sounds like a good business idea but they put the knockers on it themselves by charging over the odds. I have no doubt at all that if the charges were reasonable then they would sell heaps of digital downloads and get the email addresses they are after.
Whats the first thing people do with ride photos? They take a picture of it and slap it on facebook!

I was in Plopsaland a couple of years back and there you could download a ride video to your email for about 3 Euro (it may be more now) and at that price I didn't hesitate to hand over my money.
I know this sounds harsh but I think picsolve should lay off most of the staff, make the whole thing digital with self service machines and lower the prices so that the majority of people feel that it's good enough value to purchase a digital download.

 

[smudge]

I know this sounds harsh but I think picsolve should lay off most of the staff, make the whole thing digital with self service machines and lower the prices so that the majority of people feel that it's good enough value to purchase a digital download.

I agree that this idea makes better sense, but then Picsolve have to invest further millions to implement these systems. At the minute they are just trying to recoup some of the failed (so far) investment.

If pictures could be emailed to you for £3 (even with the staff manually managing this) I think sales would skyrocket. Hopefully releasing funds to invest into an automated system.

 

[TheMan]

Many parks, e.g. Europa Park, give you the digital download free of charge - photo's are €6 (£5.00).

It seems absurd to pay £2 extra at Merlin parks for the privilege.

Chessington now force you to spend £10 on a photo as they bundle the digital and you can't refuse!

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

You know my original point was about being told I HAD to have it because I was a MAP holder, at least Chessie force everyone to buy it ;D

 

[Sam]

Picsolve are con artists and rip-off merchants?

Yeah, the Pope is also a Catholic and bears have a habit of defecating in woods.

I have no idea why people buy ORPs at Merlin parks anyway, even with 20% off they are absolutely ludicrous prices for a photograph. Anything over a fiver for a photo is a rip-off as far as I'm concerned, and even that's a bit dodgy. You can buy a bottle of wine for that!

Anyway, a friend with a camera can takes photos ten times higher quality than any ORP...

Proud to say that I've never bought an ORP and never will.

 

[Croftybaby]

But what if you have no friends? :'( :'(

 

[jmc]

It doesnt help that when you opt to buy the digital download they still give you a leaflet with instructions on how to download it that also says in massive writing "FREE DIGITAL DOWNLOAD"

 

[PicsolveServiceDesk]

Hi TheMan and Masterphotospy

I am the Service Desk Manager for Picsolve and this week recent comments on this forum topic were brought to my attention. If possible, I would love the opportunity to discuss any of your concerns related to Picsolve photographic offerings at Merlin sites. Please could you PM me with your details and concerns and I'd be delighted to address them for you.

I hope to hear from you soon,
Emma

 

[TheMan]

Hi TheMan and Masterphotospy

I am the Service Desk Manager for Picsolve and this week recent comments on this forum topic were brought to my attention. If possible, I would love the opportunity to discuss any of your concerns related to Picsolve photographic offerings at Merlin sites. Please could you PM me with your details and concerns and I'd be delighted to address them for you.

I hope to hear from you soon,
Emma

I'd be delighted to talk to you about it Emma. Thank you for taking the time and effort to post and get in touch. I shall PM you later on with the details.

 

[cybermen39]

I would also like to say thankyou to Emma as you sent out my 2 Halloween photo's and they are wonderful Thankyou

 

[Ben]

Nice to see a Picsolve representative on here. Thanks for joining Emma.

 

[TheMan]

Much of the frustration comes when you feel your concerns/issues are ignored. When someone takes time to actually chase me up about it, I have to give that great respect!

 

[TheMan]

A post to thank Emma for her efforts in resolving and addressing my concerns on this issue.

I consider the matter closed. All businesses get things wrong, it happens, what defines true service is addressing issues, Emma was courteous, patient and conscientious.

Whilst what was discussed will out of respect remain private, I feel my complaints were given a very fair hearing and I am left with confidence that things will get better - which of course is what we want here, the best for Towers and its loyal customers.

So whilst I will always bring up service issues, I feel it is equally as important to be give praise and thanks for what I consider exemplary service in this case.