Joe is a true scam artist. First he came to my house with a pretty impressive album and laptop showing us a wedding that he just recorded. He talked a good game and we signed a contract that was not very specific and gave him a deposit for $2000 for our wedding in August. When it came time to take the engagement photos, Joe called me early in the morning stating that he had to reschedule due to an injury and that he was sitting in the emergency room. Close to the scheduled time he called back and said that he was still tied up in the emergency room. So, I asked him what would he had done if this were our wedding day. Then my fiance spoke to him and he was at the location for our pictures in less than 10 minutes with a poorly bandaged thumb. Our engagement pictures were one-note. There were so many shots of the exact same pose. We had to ask him to take different poses in different areas of the park. That's when I became leary. Needless to say we were locked in the contract...
The day of the wedding Joe arrived to my house with some teenager who was supposed to be our "professional"videographer. He was teaching him while taking my pictures. He was late arriving to my house and againg we had to instruct him on pictures to be taken. For example, pictures of me getting dressed, my mother putting on my veil etc. He was all over the place.
There are no pictures of me leaving my house, getting in the limo, or any pictures with my mother! He had to rush to the ceremony location which was 5 minutes away to get before pictures of my husband. There are no pictures of my husband with the groomsmen! He didn't take the pictures that we requested, specifically of my husband with his son!
We then went to take the pictures at the park. He again was taking the same corny posed shots over and over again. We requested that our pictures be more photo-journalistic, but that wasn't the case. We had a strict time schedule and we left the location in time to arrive at the reception at 7pm. Joe and his teenage assistant did not arrive until 7:25. He took a quick shot of the cake and me "arriving". The rest of the night he was walking around showing the guest the pictures that he took instead of taking pictures of the guests sitting at the tables. I have no idea who all was at my wedding. He also didn't take pictures of the tables, favors, chocolate fountain. We had to ask him at the end of the night to get of picture of the rings and bouquet.
So, at the end of the night, he gave us a disc with the pictures that he took that day and demanded that balance on the spot, $2350. We gave hime the money and he did not give us a receipt. They were checks, so we do have a record of the transactions. Needless to say weeks went by and I called asking about the video. Each time that I call he says that I'll be getting it in 2 weeks. I sent in my selections for the albums via email. I called him a month later and he said that the lab messed it up. I resent the selections per his request via email and he never opened the email. I attached a read receipt.
I recently filed a police report and on that day I contacted him. He said that I would receive the albums and video in 2 weeks, that there was a delay because the albums were coming from China. Now that's the lamest excuse ever and now I am truly convinced that this man, Joseph Montalvo is a crook!
0 comments