ComplaintsforDigital Pix & Composites, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  02/06/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On November 28th 2023, Digital Pix & Composites took individual pictures for a composite photo for my nursing class on behalf of my university. This gathering was extremely disorganized, and the class was told multiple conflicting statements. We were told that the picture would cost $36 and that we could choose later whether to pay for these photographs. Knowing I would have a choice in choosing to purchase the photograph I allowed my picture to be taken along with my classmates. On December 6th, 2023 I received an email advising me I owed $46 ($36 + $10 late fee). Operating on the information given I politely declined the product. Digital Pix & Composites said that I took the photo, and this is not an option. I reached out to the company via telephone. Speaking with a rep I asked what would happen if I declined to pay this amount. The representative said that I would keep getting calls and emails until I paid the amount. On December 11th 2023 I agreed to pay $36 with the $10 late fee waived by *******. I expressed my dissatisfaction with the companys unprofessional tactics akin to bait and switch. ******* advised no further communication would be sent to me and the matter was settled. January 30th 2024 I received another email advising me I owed a balance of $26.33. According to the correspondence, the charge is due to 5 students not paying for photos. I emailed Digital Pix & Composites advising me I have already paid my agreed portion and I never agreed to pay so much for a photo that I wont even receive. February 5th 2024 I received a retaliatory statement that added $20 fee to the $26.33 I disputed totaling $46.33 with a threat of sending the amount to collections if not paid. Digital Pix & Composites is either negligent in its business practices or is operating with ill intent to extort students. Adding late charges and threats to ruin my credit by reporting to a debt collection agency are aggressive. I paid the agreed amount back in December.

  Business response

  06/13/2024

  Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention, we apologize for the delay in responding to this submitted complaint as time was taken to address the concern with the faculty of the school and come to a resolution. We would like to clarify the dispute that occurred and provide more information, including the steps that were taken to come to a satisfactory resolution.
  
  The initial misunderstanding in December of 2023 was clarified at the time they paid the original photo sitting fee, as students were required to check a box upon appointment sign-up acknowledging they understood that they were responsible for the fee associated with sitting for their photo (sample screenshot provided). Due to an unmet minimum participation obligation for the project, the university had a remaining balance due for the individuals who did not attend or were removed for nonpayment. We were advised by our faculty contact to distribute the remaining balance to the participating students and a note was posted on each invoice stating the reason for the invoice and to bring any concerns to their instructor. We understand that this was an upsetting development from the perspective of the customers affected. In the event that an invoice was not replied to, the emails warned of late fees being assessed and they were then added by the auto-billing system if there was no reply. In response to the refusal to submit payment for this new invoice, this customer was advised multiple times to bring her concerns about the additional bill to the instructor. Attempts were made to discuss the concerns over the phone, but the calls were never returned. We received a strongly worded email from the student prior to their formal complaint, which was brought to the attention of the faculty and for the third time, the billing representative urged her to reach out to her instructor regarding her concerns. During this time, we were also reaching out to the faculty contact to bring these concerns to their attention and were able to resolve the matter directly once we received a response. 
  
  The customer followed up with our representative on February 22nd regarding the submitted complaint, which had been escalated to the management team once she had notified them that the complaint had been submitted. We confirmed directly to the customer that the remaining balance on the invoice was cleared and we were seeking resolution of the final bill with the university, which was resolved later this spring. We have since reviewed the process of distributing information regarding fees due for the provided photographer service and products to the institution in order to minimize surprise invoices. Posted signs and fliers with QR codes were present at all photography sessions during the 2023-2024 school year. Digital Pix &Composites strives for transparency with our billing practices and the process has been adjusted to improve the overall experience.

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