Pixifoto (in some countries Pixiefoto) suck worldwide. It is a fact. They are known to be pricey and provide a low quality service both in terms of customer care and picture quality. And a really really bad communication with the client.
But, hold on, You don't have to trust me on this, just google pixifoto and you'll find several unflattering reviews, scattered in basically every family forum you can find. From UK, to Ireland to Aussie, Pixifoto holds the stunning record of being a regrettable(yet bloody expensive) choice for your family portraits. Seriously, you are better off buying your own camera, very likely you'll wind up getting better results.
How bad they can be
- read what they have to say on Babyexpert
- read the pixifoto warning on Netmums
- read about a disgusted user on Boards.ie
- read about a user who elegantly says they are a pain in the bum, on Baby and Bump
- read about users speculating Pixifoto it's a big scam, on Magic Mum
- and on Quick Sales
- and on Yahoo answers (again)
- and (omg it's the 4th) on Money Saving Expert
- a users asks wtf are they doing??, on Essential Baby
- read about the gift shot scam on Bubhub
- read what people are saying on Babycentre
- read more rants from australia Essential kids
- read even more complaints at My Bounty
- read what people at Not Good Enough are saying
- read more people complaining about how sketchy they are about prices Mums net
- more disgusted customers at Ciao UK
- read customers' reviews on Dooyoo
- read what employees think on Indeed
- read the advise given to perspective employees on Yahoo answers
Convinced? If not, keep reading, I'll tell you my experience and why you should never have your family portraits taken by Pixifoto, especially if you have a GIFT voucher (that is part of the gimmick as i'm about to tell you).
My experience - The ruse explained
The only reason i went to the Pixifoto store is that i had a voucher for a GIFT portrait. Well, first of all i ended up paying ten quids for the GIFT shot. This is only the beginning of their well conceived ruse to sponge money out of partents' pockets. Keep reading.
During the sitting i ask several times how much would cost the whole session, how much is a single picture, and so on. With no luck. They will hide that information and keep that secret. They are trained to circumvent any question about price you might have. Standard answers are:
a) it depends on how many photographs you purchase
b) it will be easier to discuss the price while you are in front of the developed pictures
c) i don't know
d) some other vague reply along the lines of the above examples
So, they take 10 shots and, before leaving the store, they give me an appointment for 2 weeks later to collect the pictures. They present me a Grand total of 930€!. Yes, you read right. Now, that is not the real final price, it's only one part of the gimmick. They apply a permanent promotion discount so the final price is roughly half of the made up figure you are shown initially. In my case the actual price was 375€. Still bloody expensive for 10 shots and 15 minutes work! Here comes the funny part, keep reading.
I'm asked to pay 10€ as a sort of deposit. Unsurprisingly i didn't get back the tenner so i guess that was to cover the GIFT shot (yes, it is not free, it's just to lure you in the store). And that tenner wasn't discounted from the final price either! A wicked way of doing business, isn't it? The price is totally made up depending on how many photographs you decide to buy. Why do i say that? Well, consider the price for a single print is 35€, it's simple math. They wanted 930€ initially, dropped it 375€ with the fake promotion discount and still the math is wrong. 10 shots at 35€ is 350€. See? They are there to rob your money! But let's speak about quality, are the portraits worth the money? Short answer is NO, they aren't, following is the long answer.
Not worth the money
By now, If you read the reviews online, you should know that mine is not an isolated case. Of 10 portraits taken NONE was acceptable. The GIFT portrait was the worst one (unsurprisingly), my child was looking away from the camera!! They said it has been printed by mistake! My arse! Truth is they are unprofessional at the least, they work like in an assembly line, fast paced sessions of 10-15 minutes, with no attention to detail or quality whatsoever.
Frankly, i've taken better shots of my child at home with my camera. The pixifoto shots featured in my case:
- wrong poses
- dirt visible on the floor
- in some shots the exposure is wrong, some important details are clipped
- wrong shadows (due to dirt on the floor)
Customer care
Simply put, their customer care policy is that they don't care! I wrote a complaint letter to Pixifoto...never received a response. Keep in mind that if you book a sitting with them you'll have to wait. I waited 20 minutes for my sitting to begin because they were late. And so did all the parents after me. They don't care. They don't talk straight, they are very cagey about the price. They don't clean the workspace!
Conclusion
I bought one picture (two actually, as i paid the GIFT shot) in the end, out of compassion, after all they worked 10 minutes. My advice, and the advice of many reviewers online, is: don't go there. Buy a camera, use your mobile, or go to a professional studio. You're bound to be disappointed by Pixifoto.
Have you been ripped off by Pixifoto too? Please post your experience in the comments.
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