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Photographer Fails to Produce Wedding Album
Your wedding album is something that you treasure for years, something that you will enjoy flicking through the pages of and remembering your wonderful wedding day. For some couples in Londonderry they have been waiting for their albums to be finalised by photographer Edel Payne for years!
Ashley and Stephen Diggle were married in August 2007 and after paying a deposit of eight hundred and fifty pounds to the photographer are still to this day waiting for their album to arrive. Three months after the wedding they contacted Ms Payne as they had not had any correspondence from the photographer and just before Christmas 2007 they received a DVD of photos but it was not what they had paid for. Ashley called and emailed Ms Payne every single day for four months but to no avail.
Out of desperation, Ashley’s mum turned up at the photographic studio in an attempt to make contact with Ms Payne and when eventually Ashley did get in touch with Ms Payne she was actually asked to stop harassing her with the constant phone calls and emails. Finally a year after walking down the aisle Ashley attended an appointment with the photographer. She was informed that while some editing of the photographs had been done the album was yet to be finalised. Ashley left the appointment having been assured that the album would be completed within the next four months but this never came to fruition and in July 2009 after having to resort to taking Ms Payne to the Small Claims Court the ruling went in Ashley’s favour as the photographer failed to turn up on the day of the hearing. Ms Payne was ordered to pay the deposit back to the newlyweds in full but this has yet to be paid and Ms Payne has also requested a re-hearing scheduled for October.
Multiple Claims
Once Stephen and Ashley had gone public with their predicament, more couples came forward having encountered similar problems with the photographer’s lack of performance.
Damian Dowds was married over two years ago and it took him and his new wife over a year before they received any contact from Mr Payne about their album and when they did receive it, it was not the right package. They are taking legal advice on their dilemma.
Edel O’Neill was warned about Ms Payne’s services right from the onset but still decided to hire the photographer for her wedding day in December 2007 and after paying a large deposit did not receive her package but a single canvas and a CD full of pictures. She has been unable to get in touch with Ms Payne since but stated that she will not give up until she has her album.
Married on the 19th April 2008, Patricia and Mark Brinkley are still waiting for their album. After paying almost fifteen hundred pounds Patricia received a phone call on the morning of her wedding day from Edel stating that as the money had not been paid in full that no photographer would be turning up. Edel did however turn up to take the photographs and after the wedding they received a CD with thousands of pictures included on it and they were told to inform the photographer which pictures they would like in their album. After a few days they gave their chosen list to Edel and they were informed that they would receive their album in sixteen weeks. The album was never finalised and after not showing up for numerous appointments they were given one excuse after another of lost telephone numbers, deaths in the family and the photographer even stated that albums were not that important. Patricia has asked Edel to sign the photographs over to another photographer so she can at least have her album finished but also stated that the excitement has been destroyed.
Another bride in a similar situation, Adele Donnan who was married on the 31st of May 2008 has still to receive her completed album. She, like Ashley, has been trying to contact Ms Payne almost every day by phone or email and has now resorted to taking Ms Payne to the Small Claims Court.
Rumours Were False - Or Were They?
After thinking they had endured enough bad luck when their bridal shop closed, Adrian Houston and his wife retained the services of Edel for their wedding on 19th December 2008, even after hearing bad rumours about the service she provided. Edel had assured them that the rumours were falsely spread by a rival photographer in order to harm her business so the couple paid Edel fifteen hundred pounds. The wedding came and went and after the newlyweds returned from their honeymoon they attended the appointment they had planned with the photographer but Edel did not show up.
Other couples who have paid deposits to Edel Payne have since cancelled her services which unfortunately meant that they lost their deposits. Photographers in the local area who have benefitted from these cancellations have stated that some of their reservations have been a last minute booking as the couples no longer want to risk not receiving an album.
The phone lines to Ms Payne’s studio have since been disconnected.
This photographer has taken the money from many couples and failed to deliver the services she promised to provide. It is unfortunate that these newlyweds have found themselves in this situation and hopefully this photographer will not be allowed to ruin the hopes of other brides and grooms!
