Lifetouch review: charge 21

I am a single grandmother raising two grandkids plus two of my nieces kids and we recently had pictures taken. I ordered the same packet for all four kids and didn't get what I ordered. Again this year. The boys got what I ordered but the girls did not. And of course my check has been cashed. Still haven't cleared up last years goof. And they were at a different school.
Thinking next year I will pass and go to walmart.

Just because I didn't order and pay for my daughters portraits within 48 hours of her taking the pictures I was told that I have to pay more for the packages plus a shipping and handling fee. Why should I be penalised for being misinformed? No one told me of this. Then lifetouch said it was the school's idea, then the school said it was lifetouch's idea. I'm a busy working mother and just wanted to order pictures online when I got the time instead of writing a check on the spot.

i loved everyone's post about life-touch pictures, but im fighting the schools and i need you help?. im trying to do all the research i can about the company lifetouch and where i can find out whats the deal that was made for them to be able to take him out of class for these pictures & then send pictures OF MY SON on key chains bookmarks & all kinda things in a picket and give it to my 6yr old son and the back of the packet said these are no free and if you keep these you will be charged for the packet, , , i am so mad because i had to fight with my son and wife of how/why this is a sneaky trick, and why should a 6yr old ever be given something as a contract with rules saying you assume the terms by not returning?... i hope to know as much as i can before the next county school board meeting and i wanted to know where you got your info & COULD you find anything about schools in cabarrus co. concord nc 28025 . thanks everyone... i feel we should ban together for a law suit ... im sick of the sneaky tricks using my son as a ADVERTISEMENT TOOL ... PLUS..we are paying the highest taxes EVER!

We have switched from Lifetouch to Picture Me Perfect Studios and what a diference! The photographer was really nice (even brought us doghnuts), he was so patient with the little kids and super polite to our parents and staff. Really a night and day difference. I never thought picture day coould be so pleasant!
We got our proofs about a week later and for my surprise, there was no prepay, no confusion, I did not have to deal with people"s money. They took care of all. The pictures were gorgeous, really looked as they were taken at a private studio and not a daycare. Our parents LOVED the pics! We are happy to have found such a company. I am not sure if Picture Me Perfect Studios operates in your area but it's worth knowing that Lifetouch is not the only option. Do your research and find your school a better match!

As an employee of Lifetouch I would STRONGLY recommend that you speak with your youngest daughters school about this. The rep you spoke to on the phone was telling you the truth. The school (whoever is in charge of picture day, usually the principal ) sets the costs and options available to the students, which is why one had different background choices and the other didn't. What most parents don't realize is that the school gets a nice little commission check from Lifetouch. It is a fundraiser for the school, so yes, you may be spending more money for one daughters photo's, but it is the schools fault...not Lifetouch!

It appears as if Lifetouch is ripping off its customers in their pricing of school portraits. Both of my daughters had their school pix taken in the past 2 weeks and I realized as I was writing the check for my youngest daughter who attends middle school, that the pix for my oldest daughter (in high school), taken 2 weeks prior, were more expensive, and they were the EXACT same packages and products, with no choice of backgrounds. I called the company to complain (you won't find their # on their website - so here it is - [protected].) They told me that the prices vary by schools due to the price agreed upon between the school coordinator and the lifetouch rep. I told them that I doubted very much that there was any kind of negotiating going on, so I'm sure it's the Lifetouch rep. that's setting the price. How can they charge more money to the high school students than the middle school students? It's the same parents paying for all the pictures! They never gave me a valid answer to my question. I will not use Lifetouch again. Their portraits aren't anything special anyway.

So, you take a baseline package and mark it up to 40%, that is how they do the commission rates... so if base is $8.00, your markup is at $11.00...

I have seen the size of checks schools receive, its a lot. (here its 45% in Fall and 25% in Spring)

I think teachers should get a free package, think about it...who keeps track of picture day fliers, money, scheduling...the teachers, who collects money in the spring, fills out all the names for group pictures and helps get their kids ready, the teachers...they deserve it.

The company is sinking, they will tell you differently...I worked there 5 years, I am disgruntled...for the amount of passion I had, they should have paid me more, I worked HARD and I won awards and I cared...they gave me more duties, but never increased my pay, the photographers make a really crappy wages, just ask them...This company sucks because they can't hold on to good employees, they don't see the value, they see everyone as replaceable... next time ask about the turn around rate...you will see they hire and rehire constantly and train poorly...downhill that's where they are headed, bad business model to come, you'll see...they may "fire" your schools or "cut services" to save the company money. It's all changing...and they spent billions on a new camera system, X1...sucks that they did this, but can't give their workers who make poverty level wages a step up when deserved...oh and if I ever saw a "good ole boy" company in action...hmm, maybe I will sue them...

i am just pissed off becuz i had my babygirl take her very first school portrait i was given the sheet for pricing to me i dont care how much i pay( if i have the finicial freedom i will buy her anything) well i opted to have her name put on the bottom of her photots and her name has 11 letters plus a space so 12 altogether well its cuz its 2 names i was told yes and to pay 11$ for the custom touch so i did just to personalize her photos well they sent me her pix and guess what no name yet no class pix...i calld immedately after recieving them and complained i explain this is her first portrait and they mean alot to me well they right away sent me a new batch of photos i askd when i first made the order form if her name would fit she goes by her first name but to me i say her first and middle together as one full name and thats how i wantd her pictures well they said yes of course ma'am her name will fit well for pay 11 $ for it it better for me aslong as they got it right well not even 4 weeks later i recieve her pictures and no full name just her first i was like watver so why did i pay for 11 letters plus a space in between if they only used 6 letters?well i was just happy they got something right i was told her class portrait would arrive at her school at a later date well she ened up being transferred and they said no worries we will send them to her new school she had pictures taken last year in early septemeber and i still havent recieved her class portrait i am upset cuz one of my husbands coworkers sons is now in her old classroom and he recieved his class picture and shes in it but i have yet to recieve mine! these are moments of her life i will treasure i have her first painting in my closet i feel like they have robbed me of that expreience because i havent seen her class i feel like they just took her pix and blew her off i will remember this for next i will buy her photos whether its a package or just one i can have i will call to ensure they dont get wrong i will not put up for purchasing her package and only recieving half!

I work for Lifetouch - I'm thinking that it's because the economy is so bad that they may be electing to not have free pics for some schools. However, it could also be the school's choice. Each school gets a cut of the Lifetouch profits- also why some schools photos cost much more than others. Maybe that particular school elected to cut the free faculty portraits to up thier percentage. And finally, as you said, what faculty would buy them anyway? Teachers hate getting their pictures taken, they complain about the fact that they have wrinkles, double-chins, everything. Why waste the ink and trees used to make the paper?

"Lifetouch has never given anyone anything close to 40%. I have been in the industry for over 16 years and always find out that their 40% promise was never kept. Think about it, how can you give somebody 40% of what was brought in. Have you ever heard of overhead, sales tax (7%)? Come on. Use common sense."

School A's gross sales: $11, 325
School A's commission check: $4, 303
School A's comm. percentage: 38%

School B's gross sales: $20, 169
School B's commission check: $7, 664
School B's comm. percentage: 38%

These are actual figures from 2 schools photographed by Lifetouch. The rest of the schools exactly match these %'s. As you can see, these figures are very close indeed to 40%. And all they have to do is line the kids up and bring them to the camera. School portraits are a fundraiser for your local schools. Lifetouch gives back generously.

The bottom line is that no one has to buy photos, and anyone complaining about *not* getting something for *free*, doesn't deserve to get them.

I went with my son to get our pictures taken for the church directory. We hadn't had our pictures taken together in quite a while and I was excited to get a free 8x10. I also wanted a sheet of wallet photos. I decided that I wanted to get the "special" texture for our 8x10 ($10) and the sheet of wallets ($25). Thought it was a little pricy, but we hadn't done a picture together in quite a while, so I agreed to that. As I was getting ready to pay $35 (plus tax) I am told it will cost another $9.95 for photo delivery--by UPS--I said forget it. The "free" photo would cost me $10--for shipping and handling.. The price for everything would be $45--the free photo, the upgrade texture, the one sheet of wallet and shipping and handling. RIDICULOUS!

Lifetouch took pics this fall at my kids school and this spring. ...not sure why they had to take pictures again in one year. They never sent an initial price sheet home on what this second picture sitting would cost...when my daughter brought it home the sheet said they wanted $20 per sheet! they sent cute keychains home too...$20 for those. ridiculous! the end of they year and they are taking pictures. I sent them back and told the teachers we did not want them. It's a real turn off that they do this. It creates friction with the parents and kids because the kids want to keep them. I already bought pics this year...and they are not very good quality at all! They also screwed up the class pic for my son. ...put the original not retake pic in it and he was making a weird face...great! so the kids in his class all saw that! I'm not impressed with them either! I took a photography class years ago...my pictures are much nicer. Those look like a kid took them.

why should teachers get free pics ? My family consist of 3 children in the public school system, I have never bought lifetouch pics they are extremely over priced. I take my kids to a private photographer that is about 60% cheaper and the pics are much better quality and you actually get what you want and she pays very close attetion to detail, she even touched up my daughters cheerleading pics to remove a blemish from her forehaed!

Lifetouch has never given anyone anything close to 40%. I have been in the industry for over 16 years and always find out that their 40% promise was never kept. Think about it, how can you give somebody 40% of what was brought in. Have you ever heard of overhead, sales tax (7%)? Come on. Use common sense.

Lifetouch also usually gives 40% of the sales back to the school.

I don't think that it's necessarily a ripoff if Lifetouch charges faculty and staff for their pictures. That's there perrogative. You can choose to buy or not buy the pictures. However, in my case it's a different story. They took an extra picture of my daughter because on the first one she came out with her eyes closed, but sent us the ones with her eyes closed, they never sent the good picture. Then, for the annual picture they put the wrong color background on several of the student's pictures, including my daughter's. Two years and several email and phone calls later, they haven't gotten those pictures back to me. Also, many of the pictures of the whole class had wrong names. The class picture also had pictures of the same students more than once and students from another classroom. We were asked for that picture back and never got it back either. It was only today that I found out I wasn't parent at my daughter's school with that problem. Now, I'm seriously thinking of filing a class action lawsuit. Any takers? [protected].

Lifetouch usually always give complimentary packages to schools, unless there is some unique circumstance. They also give the schools many service items (cd with all pictures thats made to download with every student information software system, sticky pictures for the schools files and for teachers, id cards, smile safe cards). The school also recieves free student recognition items such as award certificates, bookmarks, visitor stickers for the office and school calendars.
Long story short, Lifetouch gives so much back to the school that I think a lot of people aren't even aware of. I think the pricing is competitive for the quality. You should see some of the other pictures that are coming from different companies.

How selfish to complain about not getting free pictures! It's ok to rip off students as long as you're getting free pictures? What a joke!

why should teachers and administrators get free pics and the students pay rediculous prices?walmart is just as good and a lot more affordable in these times!

Lifetouch has called my sister & made things right & apologized for her bad experience we are happy now!

Life touch was rude to my sister & rushed her through her senior portraits C/O 09 we have called & complained twice but after reading these reviews they probably won't call us back! They overlooked her bangs in her eyes in alot of pics & in her personal pic which she paid extra for the gentleman was weird & made her uncomfortable & she said he reeked of booze! Maybe 3 out of 24 pics look beautiful. She & our family are highly upset this is suppose to be a magical year & they screwed it up! For the price they charge for the pictures they should pay alot more attention too details & not be rude to these kids & make them feel rushed & be rude & unprofessional!