Marietta is one of the worst and most unprofessional people I have had to work with. There is…read moreabsolutely nothing positive to say about her. My daughter wanted to get her 15 birthday pictures done in Miami (we live in the Pacific Northwest, so halfway across the country), so when looking for photographers, we found Marietta. Marietta had a package for 1000 dollars which was her economy package. In the said package, one quince dress and one fashion dress were included. My daughter said she wanted two, maybe three, quince dresses, so we asked Marietta how much it would be to exchange the fashion dress for a quince dress and add another quince dress. Attached in the number one screenshot below, you can see Marietta say that the price of the dresses will be 100 for the one being exchanged and 180 for the third dress.
I thought, "Wow! What an amazing deal" my daughter and I decided to send Marietta her $500 REFUNDABLE deposit through ZELLE (this is important later in the story). Two days before the photoshoot (about a month and something following the text about the dress prices), Marietta says that the first dress exchange will now be $250, and the third dress that WE were bringing, not provided by Marietta, would be $280. (Check screenshot number 2). THIS IS NOT AT ALL WHAT WE HAD AGREED TO THE DAY I PUT IN THE DEPOSIT. I bring this up to Mariettas attention, to which she responds by talking about how "prices change all the time" (Check screenshot number 3). I then call Marietta to ask about the price change in which she tells me that this should be a lesson to my daughter that she can't get everything she wants. Marietta can deny this, but I have a video of the call.
On the day of the photoshoot, MY DAUGHTERS BIRTHDAY, we weren't going to make it on time to the location of the shoot, so my daughter got her makeup done at the hotel we were staying at. We did this instead of using Mariettas makeup and hair artist because we (my daughter and I) weren't going to make it on time. We weren't going to make it on time due to Marietta was very crafty in her schedule of her timeline for the photoshoot day, and there was no possible way for us to make it to her makeup artist and the location on time. I let Mariettas makeup artist know we were not going to be using her services, to which I get a text from Marietta saying that I was going against "the contract" (See screenshot 4). The only one violating the contract was Marietta. She by now said that I have to pay her the total upfront before the shoot, about an hour after the text was sent, and provided me an address to drop off the money at (see screenshot 4 - the times are changed due to the time zones, PST to EST). I told Marietta that I could not pay her through Zelle as my Zelle was having issues, and I had cash with me and will pay her on-site- (Screenshot 5-) is her response. I ask her for my $500 deposit back, which she then says is non-refundable, something that was never mentioned on her website.
I could not try to challenge the money I sent to her because money through Zelle is gone money. Once you send it, there is ZERO way to get it back. Marietta says that we cannot continue with the shoot because she is scared for her life. I never made any threats to her safety. She sends a fake link to me from "Zelle," which is supposed $250, only half of the deposit. I continued requesting my $500 be given back, or I would file a lawsuit against her for the money she would not return. Today, almost a month after asking for my entire deposit back, she returns me the money and says she is only doing so because she is fearful for her and her children's lives. Mind you; I never mentioned anything about them. Nor did I make any threats to their safety EVER. NOW, AFTER THIS, SHE ADDED A DISCLAIMER ON HER WEBSITE THAT PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND THAT THE DEPOSIT IS A NON-REFUNDABLE 200. Screenshots 7 and 8 are screenshots of her website terms BEFORE the changes.
Marietta, I can still sue you for the cost of plane tickets, hotel expenses, last-minute photographer, last-minute outfits, and above all, the emotional damages caused to my daughter for canceling on her birthday and the drama Marietta created to get away with her scam and keep the money. My daughter didn't ask for much and could not have a quince party, so instead only ask for photos. That was ruined by Mariettas pettiness and manipulation.
Too long to read: Marietta is a manipulator and scammer who ruined my daughter's birthday and tried to steal our deposit.