 Veronica S. McGinnity |
photolaureates I just received an email from photolaureates saying that my photo was going to be published in their book but they want me to BUY the book? I smell scam...can anyone give me some answers as to whether it is legit??? Thanks! Veronica plus if it is a legit book couldn't I just order one throuh Amazon or something????? I guess I just do not trust to give my credit card out and get scammed....thanks again!
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Deb Koskovich |
It's a scam, and there are many old threads on it - do a BP search on both photolaureates and photo laureates (with a space) and you find a lot on it.
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- Carolyn M. Fletcher  Contact Carolyn M. Fletcher Carolyn M. Fletcher's Gallery |
EVERY photo submitted to them gets the same email or letter. DO NOT SEND THEM ANY MONEY! They eventually do publish a book once they get enough people to pay for the publishing costs, usually 2 or 3 years down the road at minimum. Somebody submitted a shot of a duck's butt to see if it would get a letter and sure as heck, it did!
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Veronica S. McGinnity |
Thanks so much. I thought it sounded like a scam but I thought I would ask. A duck's butt huh? Too funny!
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Christina C. Moore |
I've often been tempted to submit work to them. Thank you for the head's (or butt's) up!-C2
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Elina |
I got really sad about this too... three months ago, I think, I send them one photography, and, then in next day I got the same email. And, so I paid $152 (fool me), and two months later get a sertificate or something like that. they said that frame of that sertificate will be from fine quality oak tree or something, but now I see it's only a plywood. And yes, I paid for that $52!!! Yeah,now Im waiting for that crappy (Im sorry, but Im REALLY angry for that, 152$ is not so low price)book, and I can say, that I will be happy if it'll not come. Anyway Im happy that I didnt paid them $250, because I order only that sertificate and book..... So, yes, just DONT send them money!!! P.S. Im sorry for my not so right grammar, Im still learning this language. E.L.
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Jessica Jenney |
Elina... sorry to hear your story, but if someone wants to use your photo then they should be paying YOU!
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
That's okay. Seen plenty of Americans around where I am that don't know the language that well either. Hello to Latvia.
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Jeffrey Wayne Roseberry |
I also signed up for that thing and got a message back. I was pretty happy at first, wanting to buy the book, however, I decided before that I was going to check it out and be sure that I wasn't going to be scammed... and what do you know, I found multiple sources from different sites... I feel kind of stupid, and I am extremely angry. I'm just glad that I looked into it. Elina, you have my sympathy, and I want to thank all of you for talking about this. If I wouldn't have found this, I would have wasted load of money.
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James Donohue |
Be aware of photolaureates.org. Unfortunately I was a victim of a clever and money making scam. These are facts that have happened to me, I have kept all evidence and can uphold my claims with living proof. I’m a professional photographer, but wanted to get some recognition from somewhere serious on the web. As most photographers, you’d like to know if you’re doing a good job by showing others your work and getting critics to evaluate you. After a brief search throughout the web, I found photolaureates.org . Happy with my find, I signed up and entered an very nice photo that I took while in Brazil. A few weeks later I receive an email congratulating me and informing that I was chosen as a finalist in the 2008 photography competition. With all the hype in this email, I sent in a high resolution final for the book that was supposedly going to be published in. One this was done, I received an email with options to pay for an award plaque, and pay more for a larger photo and biography. I did so, spending a total of about $ 160.00 for 1 large photo, 1 book (2008 photography awards) and 1 customized biography. Once this was done, I was asked to wait from November 2007 all the way until April of 2008 to receive my award and the 2008 published book. So far, so good! Being that everything did arrive, I was so proud of my award and being published in a book that completely blew off my first impression and went to show some friends my accomplishment! When I pulled out the award to show everyone, at first everyone was impressed, I was too!! But then one of my friendS pointed out and said “Strange, I didn’t know that Snoop Dog and Notorious B.I.G. were into photography”, to which I replied, “what??”. So, naturally, I went online to check this all out, sure enough, I came across 10 forums of people all saying the same thing… it’s a SCAM!!! At one point someone mentioned that they fell for it too, and when they figured it out, they saw that the page that was in the book was GLUED to another page at the binding. As curiosity got the best of me, I looked at my book, and sure enough, my photo was glued into the book as well. At this point I was furious and needed to tell people about this. How can someone claim to be something wonderful, then turn around and make money off some ones biggest dreams and turn these dreams into ashes by faking everything and sending out a load of crap. MAY EVERYONE BE WARNED - THESE PEOPLE ARE CROOKS - IT IS A SCAM!!!
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Scott A. Willman |
Hi Everyone, Photolaureates will scam you with the book. They do have a photo contest. Called the photochallenge on the same page or Global Race. you do have to pay an additional $65.to enter for the year. You can enter a picture a day or up to 365 pictures a year. Now the only way to get to the top of the challenge is to review a picture. More reviews you give the more responses there ar by other photographers in the contest. the most stars win but you have to stay in for 2 years. I have been a member for over a year now and feel it is a big scam and a popularity contest. the range of photographer's go from beginner to Professional. There is no one on their staff the give you any real help in taking a better picture. There is a nice thing called Picture of the Day Most reviews will get you this reward. If you win 5 POD's they will give you a refund on next years annual fee. Having been in the site for a while and hearing some complaits in the site and on various photography sites. I can tell you without a doubt it is a scam. The annual prize is not given out at the end of the year they expect you to stay for 2 years. There was no winner last year Scam Stay away
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