Reviews

Review Details

• Review fromAbigail M

  Date: 06/13/2025

  1 star
  I too was conned into thinking my dog was on a 'short list' for a free portrait session. They immediately asked for the $300.00 deposit in order to secure my appointment. I had second thoughts about bringing my very lively dog in for the amount of total time required. I called this afternoon (Friday) and explained why I wanted to cancel my Monday appointment. I was told that I hadn't called early enough to cancel and therefore would have to lose $200.00 of my deposit. I sincerely wish that I had thought to read all of the reviews ahead of time.

• Review fromAyako H

  Date: 04/14/2025

  1 star

  Ayako H

  Date: 04/14/2025

  Deceptive business practices. They lure customers in claiming they are looking for senior dogs for a senior dog calendar. Never once did they mention it when we went, and when I asked about it, they didn't have any information they could give me. They asked for a $300 "hold" ($100 for a pet cleaning fee in case of damages and $200 for the time slot) which would be refunded after the session. It has been over three weeks and they have not yet refunded me my $300 payment. We were told to expect to be there for two hours, but we were there waiting for nearly four hours. After waiting over an hour and half, our photography session lasted some 15 minutes followed by more waiting before meeting with a woman in the back room. I was under the impression my dog had been selected to be a part of the senior dog calendar - a calendar I would be able to purchase once it was completed and gift to family members. When I would ask about it, she would not answer or say she didn't know much about it and instead made it very uncomfortable pressuring me into stating what I would purchase if I could. It was a complete bait-and-switch; no calendar (potentially an online calendar?), and a hard upsell, pressuring me to finance my purchase to be able to leave. It was all a very uncomfortable experience. Moreover, they charged my credit card and never refunded me the $300 charge. This is a very deceitful company - buyer beware!
  

  Mallory Portraits

  Date: 04/15/2025

  Dear BBB Representative,

  
  We respectfully request that the claims in this complaint be reviewed alongside the documented correspondence and attached client order form.

  
  As shown in the attached email thread dated yesterday, the client is requesting a refund of $300. However, this amount was not simply a depositit was applied directly toward the artwork she selected and ordered at our studio on Tuesday, March 25th. We are, of course, happy to refund her deposit; however, in doing so, the client would still owe $300 for the portrait artwork she committed to purchasing during her in-person appointment.
  Please also refer to the attached signed order form where the "applied deposit" is clearly noted. This client chose to invest in a larger artwork as well as purchase digital images beyond the complimentary experience.

  
  Additionally, wed like to clarify a misunderstanding presented in the complaint. The client references a calendar project, which is not a product or initiative we offer. Our current projects include a studio artbook and an eBook, the first volume of which is proudly displayed on the front page of our website. All participants invited to these projects receive a 14" portrait and a complimentary session, with no purchase required.

  
  We remain committed to transparency and integrity in all of our client interactions and are confident the attached documentation supports our position.

  
  Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

  
  Sincerely,
  Mallory Portraits

• Review fromTravis R

  Date: 09/12/2024

  4 stars
  I had a very good experience with Mallory Portraits. I got selected for one of their free sessions for my dog ****** as part of a senior dog portrait thing they do. The whole experience was great. Unlike other reviews, I didn't feel pressured at all, and I selected the free 14" portrait that came with being selected. My deposit was refunded within 2 days. They showed me lots of options and suggested some things, but I never felt pressured in any way. The staff was great. Loved the experience.

• Review fromJohn V

  Date: 05/18/2024

  1 star
  SCAM BEWARE. My husband scheduled a session with them for what was advertised as a ******** contest that we would receive a free print of our dog. This is actually them booking a little con artist sales session. My husband took hours out of his day to drive to this, they didnt ask for any preferences on his photos- did he want to be in them, did he have any ideas. And then they try to sell photos (that he had no say in) back to him. Once they realized he was likely not going to purchase (since we thought this was a winning contest and we have a baby on the way) their attitudes completely changed. They were no longer friendly and warm. It was like a light switch. They are preying on folks through what we love- our pets, and using things like our pets getting old to try and sell their products. I am absolutely disgusted by this business . We never received our free print in the mail. If I am ever in the market for paid photographs I will seek elsewhere.

• Review fromElena K

  Date: 05/13/2024

  1 star

  Elena K

  Date: 05/13/2024

  The day of the shoot we drove 2 hours in a white out snow storm, called ahead of time to see if they would even still be open due to the weather. We were met with a confused woman saying "well yeah of course we'll be open?" even though there were travel advisories throughout the **********. When we got there, the only person in the studio was the photographer because no one else could manage to drive out. Once the photo shoot was over we couldn't review our photos because of the storm, so they scheduled us via Zoom for reviews later. Because my partner is in the military, getting a time to align with their VERY limited scheduled vs hers was impossible. I ended up asking to reschedule and they didn't respond for over a week and then pushed our review back over a month. It took two full months before we even got to look at our photos.In the actual review the woman was kind and not too pushy, but as a number of other reviews mentioned I was jaw dropped at pricing which she started at $6k. I had assumed that my voucher for the "free photo shoot" and $300 down payment would cover a print and all the digitals. Turns out they "specialize in prints" and that buying a single digital print would cost $500/photo. Absolutely not, we are a young couple in the military, the $300 was already all I was hoping to spend on this. She tried to sell us more, pushing payment plans, but I said no, I want what I got for free and no more. Ended up with a single print and a single digital for $300 total. If you have to offer payment plans for your non-essential services you are basically admitting people need to go into debt to afford your work, which means you might be over priced. Second, if all of your reviews are from your free give aways, it is clear you can't bring people into your studio without tricking them into being here and you're relying on people being kind and compliant in order to get their money.
  

  Mallory Portraits

  Date: 05/15/2024

  We are very sorry you feel we are overpriced, *****.We are not like everyone else. We spend our marketing dollars to give people a complimentary portrait session AND a complimentary portrait. What we do is unconventional in the world of business and quite honestly, giving away complimentary items makes some people feel uncomfortable. We are not the cheapest photographer nor the cheapest photography studio in ***********. We take pride in providing heirloom quality fine art portraits, and our pricing is reflective of this. We know we aren't for everyone and we know we cannot be. Additionally, we have never received a complaint before about offering payment plans, 99% of our clients are exceptionally grateful we provide this service. Thank you for providing your feedback. If there is anything further we can do for you please do not hesitate to reach out ************.

• Review fromMelanie C

  Date: 01/26/2024

  1 star

  Melanie C

  Date: 01/26/2024

  Think it's important to provide my personal experience with Mallory Portraits.
  When my husband shared the vague details about how he “won a free portrait session” my antenna immediately went up. I asked initial questions but overall trusted the process. I did not look into Mallory Portraits myself.
  When we arrived, I immediately was skeptical. The photographer and assistant were kind and professional; however, the setup was lengthy and forced. We were then taken to your back room to review images after almost 2.5 hours. Having a baby and 2 dogs for that time was stressful. I repeatedly declined print requests and made it very clear I wanted to leave, but was assured there were more photos to review.
  My husband ended up purchasing a rather small print for an extremely high price. I was unhappy with the entire evening but tried to forget about it.
  Until recently. A local mom posted on a Facebook page asking about the studio. She had experienced the exact same thing I had. In fact, many others had as well.
  Mallory Portraits has more than a few BBB complaints over the last 12 months, multiple poor **** reviews, ******** reviews, Complaint Board reviews, etc. Again, they all say nearly the same thing: families were offered a free photography session, provided a deposit, had their photography session, and then were strong armed into purchasing goods at a high price. People felt uncomfortable, trapped, pressured, dissatisfied, and/or generally put off by the sell. I was also one of those people.
  I attempted to cancel the order but was met with the "terms and conditions" line. While I understand this to be a realistic outcome, it serves as a good reminder for myself and my family to always do our due diligence.
  

  Mallory Portraits

  Date: 01/29/2024

  Dear *******,
  We truly value your feedback and apologize for any misunderstanding or inconvenience you may have experienced.
  Upon reviewing the details of your session, it seems there were several points of communication, including 3 phone conversations with your husband, aimed at ensuring clarity and transparency regarding our studio's services and offerings. We're pleased that we were able to accommodate your request to reschedule your appointment due to unforeseen circumstances with your pets.
  At our studio, we strive to maintain open and honest communication with our clients, which includes being transparent about our giveaway model and pricing structure over the phone, on our website, and in your mailed correspondence. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive understanding of what to expect during your session and the options available to you regarding your portraits and our process. We are pleased to be able to provide a a complimentary studio session ($200) and a complimentary portrait ($2000) to all of our clients regardless of purchase.
  We want to highlight that our policy regarding cancellations and refunds is rooted in maintaining fairness and consistency across all our client engagements. It's important to note that due to the nature of our process, once an offer is accepted and the contract is signed, we are unable to offer cancellations or refunds ss we cannot resell your artwork to another party, regrettably . We ensure clear communication and understanding by obtaining initials and signatures on our contracts, underscoring our commitment to transparency and accountability.
  Best,
  Mallory Portraits