Arkansas Times is reporting a Judgement on a photographer who has been fined $200,000 for not delivering photos to clients as agreed.
The photographer was charging clients upfront which is normal in the industry – but as many as 54 people complained to the Attorney General of Arkansas after they never received the service they paid for.
The services offered by the photographer included event photography and newborn baby portraits. Customers were charged as much as $2,000 for sessions with all the money taken upfront. It seems that the photographer in this case never carried out the photography sessions and decided to keep all the money and issue no refunds.
Photographs of some of life’s most precious events will finally be given to their rightful owners where they can be appreciated and shared,” said Rutledge in a prepared statement. “Arkansans who pay for photography services at their weddings or other special events expect to get what they pay for, but companies like Jonathan Funk Photography who act dishonestly will not be tolerated in Arkansas.
Once the case went to court, the judge ordered Jonathan to pay $98,625 in restitution, $100,000 in civil penalties, and $1,135 in filing fees and service costs. He was also ordered to turn over Hard Drives containing images for the sessions he did photograph. He was charged under the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.