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Gap Studios review: $800 gift vochure... 21

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8:27 am EDT
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Total rip off place. Felt like thriller movie suspense revealed only in the end. Please check reviews and then proceed further.
In the name of $800 gift voucher charging ridiculously unbelievable rates at the time of finalising photos. Highly recommend to discuss price/rates before photo shoot!
$800 gift voucher will easily change to $8000 credit card bill like a flip of coin by the end of photo shoot.
Just sharing one of my painful experience like many others. Such a waste of time and money $.

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21 comments
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RJ Quiliope
, US
Mar 07, 2023 4:28 am EST

I had the same experience here. One of the studio in Crow’s nest has charged me about $3000 with a winning package of $500. Did not even discuss with us about the whole thing prior but then proceeded us with this consultation that left me with a shocking price. The photos are great but this kind of business of not disclosing first about the prices is just too disappointing

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Anon2023
Sydney, AU
Mar 08, 2023 12:07 pm EST
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I also won a $500 voucher for the same studio on Crows Nest which gives you a free 12 inch photo. The prices are not disclosed on the website. After you book they send a seperate link which does disclose the astronomical prices. We decided to go ahead with the photo shoot and paid the $100 reservation fee which was never refunded. A few weeks later we had the presentation via zoom and hard sell to commit to buying photos then and there on the spot. We weren’t allowed to take a few days to think about what we wanted.

In the end we chose to get a small 10 photo album for $1500 ( plus our $100 that was not refunded) but we also got to keep the digital prints. Unfortunately there is a push to sign a contract at the end that allows them to keep the copyright of the photos.

The photos are nice, but definitely not worth the money.

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Insiya Hararwala
, US
Nov 16, 2022 6:48 pm EST

So helpful to read all these reviews. Looks like they have been playing this $800 trick for quite some time now. I signed up for it on Facebook and few weeks later received a text and call to book in a spot for a free experience and one free print. However to lock the booking I had to pay a refundable $99 fee and she wanted my CC details over the phone. I said I could come in to the studio and pay but she said it has to be on phone only. That’s where I got suspicious and googled if this was a scam and here I am! Thank god I didn’t waste my 2 hours going into the studio, my husband would have been furious.

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Natasha Hart 3
, US
Aug 14, 2022 6:27 am EDT

Scammers for sure, my 19 year old daughter thought she had won a competition of $800 photography package, when it really cost her $1500 as she is a young mum and couldn't say no to the package of her new born daughter offered after the shoot. She is now paying them off at $50 a week and still has no photos to show for it. The photo shoot was in October 2021 and it is now August 2022. 10 months later, no photos even though $1000 has been paid and they said she could get them after half was paid ...DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY...ITS A SCAM...They pray on young innocent vulnerable people for a business, disgusting...

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Anmu
FLETCHER, AU
Jun 13, 2022 5:26 am EDT
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I went to the studio today for a photo session.everything went well until they started explaining their package.it was not that what i been told and offered when they made the appointment.i felt like being deceived on a Facebook scam.The sale tactics they make you feel such an embarrassment not to having any photos taken.Totally felt so miserable and disappointed. This is a total SCAM.

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Sophyjom
, AU
Jun 12, 2022 9:54 pm EDT
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It’s purely a rip off.Its one kind of Facebook Scam.they better go and steal insted

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annapp
Brisbane, AU
Nov 07, 2021 3:18 am EST
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Very bad experience. Entered a competition on IG and were told we'd won an $800 package where we get the session and a print for free. We thought that was great! After a couple of busy weeks, we finally had our session. Tired and rushed, I forgot to check the email about our prize before we went. Subsequently, we were scammed into spending money on an extremely expensive package. ($2300 for a couple of digital images). After getting home I reviewed the emails I'd received and realised we'd never been offered our prize, they had one intention, and that was to get us to spend thousands. After seeing all of these reviews, I can now see they're running "fake" giveaways and competitions, and everybody is lured there by the $800. Don't fall for it! Oh, and BTW, I emailed them immediately, following the Australian Scam Watch instructions. I got a reply to that email that said the manager will be in contact with me on Monday. I never heard from the manager, but received a missed call and message from their receptionist the following Friday asking me to get back to them ASAP.

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Misse Belinda
, US
Jul 22, 2021 12:24 am EDT

Very nice and friendly place, however they make you so comfortable in order to get you to spend. The packages are HUGELY expensive. I like photos of course - who doesn't? But i have better things to spend thousands on as I'm sure most of us do. We went in for the Who am I Project but when I expressed an interest in how it worked etc they showed no desire to tell me. Focused on selling me a package. When i asked if I could come back later he almost spat back at me you've been told in emails and its on our website what you don't buy today is deleted. It supposed to be a building confidence type of endeavor.
I felt he was angry and just wanted me out after I said I will buy one photo. His friendliness disappeared.
Just wanted to get to the next poor person in line i suppose. So sad. I sort of wish I hadn't gone.
Definetly I wish I'd seen these reports first. I cant reccommend these people its all about money.

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Mumto2
Bligh Park, AU
Jun 22, 2021 9:22 am EDT
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I have nothing positive to say about GAP Studios. My daughter broke her 3 front teeth because of negligence. Spraying water on a polished concrete floor and not wearing shoes (as requested by photographer) does not mix. We have not only had to deal with the trauma that my daughter had to go through but also having to deal with GAP Studios ignoring us when we ask for their insurance details so we can claim back the expensive dental work to fix my daughter's teeth! We will never again use their services. What kind of photography studio does this to a family who only wanted to build the confidence of their 12 year old daughter.

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idau
, US
Apr 20, 2021 2:28 am EDT

Thank you everyone for your comments and honest reviews I am definitely deleting the $800 gift voucher email I just received: not worth it. I am so glad I read these reviews

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Marlin Badenhorst
, US
Mar 28, 2021 3:08 am EDT

Also wish we had read these comments before going. Our end of session price came to over $10 000.00, we hastily left and will see if the voucher photo ever materializes. So disappointing to say the least. Definitely seems to lean towards a scam...

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Justin Tayton
, US
Mar 28, 2021 2:16 am EDT

Really disappointed, same experience, we spent an hour travelling from central coast and spent money getting hair and make-up only to be told that the total package was $6000, we almost fell off our seats, my wife said later that if she knew she would not of gone, con artists

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Katryntjie
Bulli, AU
Feb 21, 2021 4:52 am EST

Unfortunately we just went through the same thing. I didnt think to check for reviews, since i thought a $800 voucher is quite a big amount, he photo sessions and photographer was so nice and professional. THEN they sit you down to look through all these beautiful pictures, and they are beaitiful. The compliments are a bit to much and over the top. When the "desinger" starts talking about the weekly down payment options you realise something is up. For $800 you literally get one printed picture, no digitals. We were charged $3000 + for I think 20 digitals. The pictures gets deleted right in front of you. I was so disappointed, sad and just shocked.

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Stevie Stevie
, US
Sep 11, 2020 4:43 am EDT

What can I get with the 800 dollar voucher? 1 photo ?

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GAP_Studios
, AU
Apr 15, 2019 11:11 pm EDT

Hi Sue,

Thank you for voicing your opinion and I am so sorry that you are left feeling the way you are. We never want any of our clients to leave upset.

Just to address a few things; I am saddened to hear you did not like your photographs from your photographer, it is something we would like to rectify with you. In regards to our packages, they range in all different prices if you do choose to purchase above your gift voucher you can, but there is zero obligation to. I do understand your frustration and would love to have a chat to you over the phone to hear your out and see what we can do to turn this negative experience into a positive one.

If you could please contact us on customerservice@gapstudios.com.au so that we can have a chat to help you out.

Warm Regards,
Gap Studios Management

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Sue727
, US
Apr 08, 2019 3:56 pm EDT

How I wish I had read these comments before wasting 3 hours of our time over the weekend. I feel so terrible that I made my little 7 month old baby sit through that session, smile and play around for two hours. We got a $800 voucher from Kia and ai thought that's a good amount to maybe getting 2-3 photos at least and isn't a bad deal. My husband was reluctant to go but I pulled him along. Photo session itself was alright since the photographer was nice...but they show you all these photos which mind you was very very avaerage - I could take these photos myself if I were in a studio...and their sales tactics are annoying. Right at the end she tells us it's worth $3900 but you get a $650 discount, how amazing so it comes down to $3300, how lucky we are that we have such an amazing price. My husband and I looked at each completely shocked and asked her what we can get for the voucher - that's all we need. She tells us we get one paper copy, I ask for a digital copy of that ONE PHOTO and she says NO DIGITAL COPIES. Apparently each digital copy is $300 worth. Are you kidding me?! You waste 3 hours of our time for this absolute rubbish and can't give us one digital copy?!
Oh and they make you feel so bad for not buying into their demands. She even went onto say I hope you don't look at your house in 5 years and regret this decision you made of not having this photo hanging up there. My husband walked out but I decided I'm going to at least take that one family photo for having spent all this bloody time there. So yeah, one paper copy is all we get! Oh btw, that takes 4-6 weeks to be ready and $25 for delivery. Absolute [censored] hole of a place.

Please please avoid this place and throw the voucher away. Don't waste your time unless you want to spend some ridiculous amount on some average photos.

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csonn
, AU
Apr 03, 2019 1:33 am EDT
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I wish we did too. It was the worst experience and likes others were pressured into spending $4, 500 on photos. When we said no, we will just get the one free with our $800 voucher they said they were shocked that we don’t value our family that much, but are happy to spend $70k on a car (the voucher came to us from Ford after buying a car). The worst and I only wish I’d read this all before we wasted hours of our time. Didn’t know such high pressure sales tactics were legal, it’s like emotional blackmail.

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HondaVoucher
, US
Dec 11, 2018 6:16 pm EST

Its a waste of time and money . Had a very similar experience, they try to create such a homely experience by getting so information from that u literally fall prey for their words . There is no doubt they create wonderful memories, but its heart wrenching to pay such a heavy price for it.We actually placed an order worth 2000 dollars, but when we wanted a cancellation for the same they were reluctant and tried to pacify us again . We even asked them to deduct a cancellation fee if required and asked for a refund, but all in vain. My family was so much looking forward for this photo shoot, but it was a horrible experience .I also feel that $800 voucher is just another way of making business between the two organisations as i have read most of the reviews, and most of them mention about this scheme and i feel that they share some profits .Will surely not recommend this place to anyone even in my dreams. Very disappointed .

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parkridge3
, US
Dec 31, 2018 8:26 pm EST

Thank you for your post. I will be putting my gift voucher in the bin

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Jass90
, US
Nov 14, 2020 10:01 pm EST

I am happy that I read all these comments before I booked in the shoot! Thanks everyone!

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Renee Eve
, US
Aug 03, 2018 11:09 pm EDT

This pretty much sums up our experience too. How are these people allowed to get away with this? We received an $800 voucher as well. I have since written to the company who gave us the voucher. We have a large family, had fun with the photos - then at the end (after all the sales schmooze) they told us the price - $5, 000. Unbelievable! My husband and I looked at each other and almost laughed, if we weren’t in a state of shock I think we would have. We said absolutely not, no thank you. Then he kept pushing, oh but you can have the one photo for $1, 500, and pay it off. We looked at him in disbelief. Considering we get more enjoyment and fulfilment out of the photos we take by ourselves, and the fact they’re instantaneous, leaves me wondering how this company manages to survive. By the way, the one little photo (which came with the voucher) will take several weeks to be ready. It would have cost us $25 to get it delivered, but we will be picking it up - whenever it is ready. What an absolute waste of time!