Shoulda, woulda, coulda - but didn't...

I should have checked it before I left.

I know I should have checked it before I left, a little voice niggled at me as I walked out, but you see, it had been a long day, we had Concert Band rehearsal after school (with big performance on Friday) and then I had to hoof it into town before the shop shut, and I only just made it, plus the fact that I was due to meet Jane (housemate) for dinner before we went to the theatre. So I thought, she’ll be right, the package looks right and feels right – it’ll all be ok. There's no way they can stuff it up twice.

You know I was wrong, don’t you. You can feel it coming, it's Murphy's law. So, despite my earlier attempt at decorum (and avoidance of a lawsuit), I find I have no choice now but to name and shame. Jessops on the Strand, you really suck. I am now an avid enemy, and will stop at nothing to ensure that none of my friends ever fall into your trap. You are a poor excuse for a photo developer, and in the words of Derryn Hinch - shame!

Basically, the story is this: I went into town on Monday to pick up the reprints from the London Camera Exchange so that I could take them down to Jessops to complain about the poor quality of my Iceland photos. I presented my case to the little man at the front desk, who promptly told me that the reprints had obviously been enhanced by LCE, and were not a true representation of what was on the negative. Excuse me? Not a true representation? Compared to what – their pic, or your washed out one? Just by holding the negative up to the light you can see that there is infinitely more contrast in the picture than the poor excuse for a print that Jessops dished up.

Then he tells me that it is company policy not to correct the prints in developing (what, not even re-calibrate your machine?), and that if customers want this, they have to specifically ask for it and pay an extral 99p per roll. Beg pardon? And where is this information displayed in the shop for new customers who don’t know about this “company policy”? And for that matter, where is any information displayed in the shop about the cost of developing rolls of film, reprints from film – anything related to film? Exactly. Nowhere.

So he tries to fob me off with camera psycho-babble, but we shall not be moved. I told him I was incredibly unhappy with their work and either they reprinted my pictures correctly (and fix the CD problems), or they refund my money. So they said they would reprint them.

You know, I should’ve just taken the money. Shoulda, woulda, coulda – but didn’t. No, I wanted the prints. So I gave him my negatives, all the dud prints (and the dud CD) and he tells me that “just this once” he’ll waive the 99p per roll for the hand adjustment – how big of him. Like I’m ever going to get photos developed there again.

Anyway, I go back today to collect my photos. I should have checked them before I left, because the blighters have only reprinted 5 of the 6 rolls, and in fact have only returned 5 of the 6 negatives (although they have returned all 6 rolls of dud prints) – they’ve lost my negatives. And the pics are still upside down on the CD! You wouldn't read about it...

So, this Saturday, I'll be back on the 159 bus (hopefully the wacko won't be), back to Jessops – and I’ll tell you now, they sure won’t like it if they can’t produce my precious negatives…