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A United kingdom-dependent wedding ceremony pictures organization, South West Image and Movie, has declared individual bankruptcy very last week leaving hundreds of partners and newlyweds out of pocket, with no their illustrations or photos, and in some instances without having a photographer – just times prior to their large working day was expected to consider put.
The enterprise (also beforehand recognised as Lee Brewer Pictures and Film) has shut down its internet site and online social media web pages, eradicating all points of make contact with following sending out reluctantly worded apologetic emails to consumers as the information broke.
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A post was shared on Facebook by Lee Brewer, the business proprietor of South West Photo & Movie, that has due to the fact been deleted. The post from 28 July 2022 clarifies his aspect of the story, in which he states “Owing to the sizing of my personal debt and reviewing my choices I was encouraged bankruptcy was my only selection”. Screenshots of his total (and pretty lengthy) assertion can be uncovered in a comment area (opens in new tab) on Facebook.
The most hard factor of this firm’s downfall is not only the devastating decline to hundreds of brides and grooms, but quite a few photographers and videographers who were sub-contracted out below South West Photograph and Film (opens in new tab), which means they also are not acquiring any payments for weddings they had presently shot, and are in the challenging posture of working with reasonably distraught purchasers.
Fortunately, the wedding ceremony images group has occur out in comprehensive power to enable these couples by offering tips, support, and discounted re-booking premiums for their readily available dates to the regrettable clientele of the organization that has now ceased all investing. Tips on deciding upon a extra reliable new wedding day photographer has also been offered by other regional organizations, right after several consumers have developed understandable rely on concerns on shelling out any further more deposits to photographers.
A Fb web site has been established up titled Moments For You (opens in new tab) arranged by a staff of previous admin team for South West Photo & Film (SWPF) to enable out all the partners afflicted and make sure that they nevertheless get the photographer and/or videographer that they experienced booked for their marriage, and enable brides and grooms obtain alternate local photographers at short recognize. It is stated that the webpage had attained around 1 thousand likes and follows within just 24 several hours!
Wedding ceremony photographers are just as furious and indignant about the problem as clients, with the marketplace status also set at hazard. A lot of photographers really feel accountable to assist and have closely discounted their charges, knocking off hundreds of lbs to aid individuals who have been allow down by South West Image & Film.
One particular few from Devon were being remaining with just one particular day to locate a very last moment photographer for their wedding ceremony, and some others have expressed the shock of being instructed their wedding insurance could not support as coverage begun a little way too late to obtain any compensation for their payments to SWPF.
An further Fb assistance group Let us Uncover you A different Marriage ceremony Photographer/Videographer 2022 (opens in new tab) has been developed by photographers as a additional useful resource to url partners with photographers and videographers who may well be available on their marriage ceremony day. The team presently has 1.7k associates.
Hundreds of couples have posted on the group due to the fact, exploring for photographers and sharing how they’ve been substantially afflicted the two emotionally and financially by the news, with several owning paid out up entrance for their weddings with SWPF, and are now getting to source funds to fork out yet once again for a alternative photographer.
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In speaking with (opens in new tab) the BBC, a Taunton dependent videographer, Sam Richardson, has stated how overdue invoices from his work contracted out by Mr Lee Brewer (proprietor of South West Image & Movie) experienced started to pile up and he was struggling to get paid for his operate. “In the very last 6 months payments experienced slowed to a issue, not just for me but for all the shooters, wherever the overdue invoices were being building up in the hundreds,” he shared.
Soon after calling Brewer frequently, Richardson at last been given acknowledgement that dollars was owed to him, but it was a very little as well late as on 27 July 2022, he heard from an additional utilized SWP&F photographer that “it was all more than” and “none of us had been finding paid”.
Browse extra: Wedding day photographers shamed by customer over gorgeous photographs?
A shootproof consumer shipping site for SWP&F (opens in new tab) even now continues to be active for the time getting, with several galleries of wedding photos uploaded that may sad to say expire shortly, as some have pointed out that the web page operates on a shell out-month-to-month basis from the operator, who has now ceased investing.
Nonetheless yet another Facebook team with 520 associates has been developed titled Lee Brewer/ South West Image and Movie Cash Restoration (opens in new tab) giving help and financial information for everyone that has been affected and in other text scammed by the operator of the organization. Quite a few say that they ended up hounded and badgered by Brewer for payment in total and inspired to pay back a “faster enhancing” cost immediately after their marriage for a more rapidly turnaround of receiving visuals, which they did not acquire.
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It is unclear as to the validity or truth of the matter at the rear of several statements produced by customers of this Fb team, so they need to be taken with a pinch of salt – but a rapid scroll as a result of the remark sections has revealed stunning accusations that Mr Brewer is at present “hiding” in the US, noticed in New York and Vegas, with other claims that he has earlier acquired a few exceptional CCJ’s (County Court docket Judgements) for credit card debt from his title, relationship again to 2017.
Some enraged purchasers have claimed Brewer to insolvency groups, Action Fraud, Investing Benchmarks, victim assistance, spoken with legal reps, and some are taking into consideration taking the business owner to compact claims court. There are of study course two sides to each and every tale, and whilst a lot of publications and news shops have attained out to Brewer for comment, all we have to go on is his authentic (now deleted) Fb article in which he did not arrive off in a extremely apologetic or remorseful mild.
Men and women are sensibly quite indignant, damage and of course shocked by the whole ordeal, on the lookout for any indicates important to get their funds back. As the tale appears to be to maintain unravelling, we will update this posting as finest as we can with any additional updates on how those people impacted can get hold of authentic aid and hopefully some justice.
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