Melissa and Mary Galea hired my business in June to provide wedding photography services on September 8 at 3 locations for 9 hours and paid $725 up front to save 50% on the purchase price. The first week of September a bride requested me last minute so I sent another photographer had worked with previously with many years of experience andmore than enough equipment to render the entire service in the best way possible. These ladies called later that day cursing the photographer up and down demanding a full refund immediately. They were angry and using profanity on the phone and I spoke to the photographer a few minutes later and he reported verbal abuse and threats from members of the bridal party. I asked him if he wanted to stop and depart but he told me he would stick it out until it got worse or if the threats continued. I explained more than once my company has a right to send any photographer it works with even if that persons name is not listed on the contract prior to the service date but they wanted all the money back anyway. This contract was never canceled but they wanted a complete service and every item listed on the contract plus 100% refund and I told them it would not happen. We had legal and contractual rights to keep that money for the services rendered. They wanted everybody to think the photographer kept 75% of the wedding photos after the wedding but he saved every image to a double-layer DVD and we gave that disc to the clients including rights to make prints forever. Melissa and Mary Galea kept calling me for weeks demanding a refund and photos we already delivered, posted malicious reviews on various websites, false accusations, embellished statements, and misleading information with the intent to harm my reputation and drive others away from my company. Over 2 years later and the harassment has not stopped. They were not happy with most of the wedding photos by the photographer but we don't accept money and render services just to give all the money back even if the person they expect to provide that service is not available on the service date. What if I was deathly ill or was in a car accident that week - the company did the right thing and paid another person to execute the entire service because it has right to and we don't pull no-shows on the wedding dates. If these ladies don't stop the harassment - they will be sued for defamation, libel, extortion, tortious interference with business expectancy in the State of Michigan. We hired undercover agents to collect evidence of defamatory postings and sent copies to a lawyer because we are preparing civil suits against any person (s) that post reports or malicious reviews over the web. They cost my business thousands in damages and legal fees from causing fear among brides that were looking at my company for services. The reputation was beyond repair even though we had 50 brides in the last 3 years that posted excellent reviews. What they did was unforgivable. Do not work for these ladies - they could ruin your personal or business reputation, erase many years of hard work, cost you several thousand in damages, and force you to pay hefty legal fees on civil suits and lawyers if theyget pissed for any reason. Its not worth the risk, they cannot be trusted. Don't loan them money or provide them with any type of professional service, and don't give them too much personal information.
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