I’ve been wanting to type this post for such a long time, but every time I start typing I think: just let go. It’s not worth it! But today a close friend phoned me and after chatting to him I decided I can’t just let go, I need to tell you and warn you. I love blogging about beautiful and uplifting things. I love talking about success, love and awesomeness, but unfortunately this post is not about any of those things. This post is about the opposite.
This post is written to make you aware and protect photographers not to make the same mistake i did…And in the same breath I want to apologize for only posting about this now… so here I go…
About a year ago I received a phone call from a guy in the UK, called Brian. He was a very friendly guy. Asked me about my business and then told me about their company Tisgo. He told me that it was a company with a few magazines and one of them was for weddings abroad. This is were I apparently fitted in. So he told me about all the different advertising spaces they had and everything sounded so professional. Then I told him, I’m not quite sure, but I’ll think about it. I hate it when people force me to do anything. I told him I’ll think about it and then I’ll let him know. The next morning 9am sharp Brian was on the phone again. Same story and he was selling the add like crazy, I said I’ll think about it. He told me about all the wedding expos they go to and he personally will be there. I’ll be taking down bride’s details and mail me the list, ok seriously when I think about this now, it sounds so stupid, but I kinda believed him…He told me that the biggest show in the UK was coming up soon and they had to get the booklets printed asap, so I needed to let him know. At the end (something I regret today) I decided to take a chance and see what happens. What could be the worst? I get only one wedding from them and then I pay off the add? So I tried it out. I said OK.
He then wanted my credit card details over the phone to process my order. Luckily I was not that stupid, so I asked him to mail me. I wanted everything on paper and wanted to see they actually exist… I received the order form straight away and after my order was placed I never heard from them…
He phoned me in the middle of the season, so I was so busy I forgot to follow up…After a few months I emailed them to find out when they needed my artwork. I was doing the follow up work, which was very strange. Were they not surpose to ask me for my add. And the strange thing, was that this was a few months after he sold the add to me. At that stage he told me the Tisgo booklet was going to be printed in that week, for the wedding show. But that never happened. I was promised a booklet in the post and never received anything, until I nagged them for one. I was told I will be receiving enquiries and hits…but nothing. I have google analytics installed on my website, so I can see where all my hits come from and Tisgo didn’t even feature on the lowest referrals. Till today nothing.The other day I receive the strangest email..10 emails all in a row, apparently referrals from the Tisgo site. I just deleted them, because they looked suspect. I phoned a few other photographers today that also advertised with them and the same thing happened to them. They actually replied to the enquiries and then the “brides” said that they don’t know where they go their info, cause they were NOT getting married. So where these emails comes from, no one knows…
Why am I writing this? Well, because I don’t want you to waste your money. Each one of us have a set budget for marketing. Use it wisely. Make sure you use it for companies that will give you a return on investment. Companies that has your best interest at heart. Companies that you can trust or someone recommended to you. But above all make sure you’re putting the most of your money, time and effort into good Word of Mouth. Good WOM is the best advertising you can ever have. Make sure your clients are happy, your website/blog is updated and make sure your products and packaging is an extension of your brand. Utilize Facebook and Twitter and by just doing these small things, you’ll receive more bookings than any advertising can ever bring you.
Ps. I’d love to hear your experience with Tisgo…Whether it was successful or not, please leave a comment.
Hey Christine
hope this email finds you well? Glad you wrote this, As I have had a call from this guy quite a few times. He even goes by the same name Brian, for everyone by the sounds of it. Too me it sounded a bit suspected as, as you mentioned he kept on and on and same thing, promised to phone me the next day to get an answer as time was limited and space for photographers in the Cape Region was limited etc etc. So I just told him no thank you, but he would phone back to see if I had made a decision, eventually when I saw it was an overseas call (as on my phone it does not say private but shows no number) I just didnt answer, eventually he gave up and left me alone…..
sorry to hear you wasted your money, one has to be so careful these day.
take care Christine,
blessings
Ronel
Thanks for sharing this post with us Christine. I am so sad that people are out there scamming others. Why not be a legit company and be there to help others? Oh well. I will make sure to be on guard for companies such as this one. Thanks!
They phoned me too, a few weeks ago. At least I THINK it was them. They rattled off a list of names, supposedly “top SA photographers” who were advertising with them. I’d never heard of any of those photographers, and I told the guy so, which kind of took the wind out of his sails a bit. I expect usually people don’t want to say they haven’t heard of alleged famous people in their industry, for fear of looking stupid. I didn’t care, because I was so sure he was scamming me! I told him I didn’t go for print ads, that I was high on google, and that was all I needed. Eventually he had to hang up because I just kept saying “No, I’m really not interested”.
Ugh, scammers.
We too were “Caught” after being promised that we would be the only photographers in the Eastern Cape. Same guy, same spin!!!
We too received 10 e-mail referrals from Tisgo all at one time. I replied to each one and only one responded. Here was her response:- “Hello
Please remove me from your mailing list as I am not looking for wedding photographer nor getting married in South Africa
Linda”
Too bad we used part of our advertising budget on this absolute scam of a company!!!
Thank you Christine for taking the time to post this warning so other photographers do not get “caught” as we were.
Hi Christine
I had someone call me twice last week and twice today. After saying No I am not interested. They are so insisitent. Each time I tell them they have already called me and they act like they had no idea this is the 4th time!
I did get roped into the guy also from the UK, who says they work with GOOGLE. I did use them for 3 months. Fortunatly when I told them I was no longer interested they were prompt to end the debit order. Luckily!
I also should make aware of a “magazine” done by the “Wedding organiser” they are a wedding co-ordinators from the Garden Route who asked for advertsing in their booklet that was going in with the Top Billing magazine. After having my money for 5 months and still me having to run after them about the design work, there still was no booklet! After complaining several times asking for my money back they aplogised and said it was coming out over the next few weeks and they gave me a bigger ad for the same price. Still NOTHING! Eventually after phoning and getting her off guard at another number I managed to get her to give me my money back. SHEEEWWWWW there are lots of scammers out there.
Dear Christine. Thanks for this post. I’ll be on my guard too – they’ll probably be targeting videographers next. What they sent through looks totally professional. At least my advertising budget is so small I probably wouldn’t have been able to afford it.
I have been targeted by something similar with regards to being seen on Google – got to be so careful and I’m sorry they treated you so shabbily.
I also got phoned by the Google guy and I was actually very interested but didn’t want to commit to anything over the phone and then lost the piece of paper with their URL. Sounds like it’s good that I did!
Thx for the warning Christine & others :-)
What can I say. I’ve stepped in it in 2009.
Everything that has been said here is true.
These guys know what they are doing. They know exactly what to say to get your attention and then to convince you to sign up with them and then dissapear!
Good someone is finally doing something about it!
Chirstene, you did what we should have done a long time ago!
Regards
Mark
Is it possible that this company does not even exist? We recently got an enquiry from a ‘bride’s father’ who wanted to book a wedding for his daughter in SA. He supplied us with credit card details to process the deposit of R 140 000, of which we had to pay R 60 000 to the ‘travel agent’ he was corresponding with – also a “Brian”.
It turns out that the credit card details supplied was information of stolen cards and that the transaction would have been refersed by the bank in a few days. Luckily I had not paid the R 60 000 to the ‘travelling agent’ yet, otherwise they would have disappeared with my money.
Please be very careful, as it seems like someone is trying to target the wedding and media industry.
no way! Brian phoned me TODAY!!! i was busy so we had a quick chat. He said he was from ‘Weddings & Honeymoons abroad’ and that he had only a few spaces left, but I had to hurry. I said I was busy and he said he’d call call back at 3.30. I have caller identity and the no. that showed up was 088888888888 – he called 3 times and I didn’t answer. It’s important when things like this happen to keep everyone in the industry updated and protected. thanks for posting that.
xmoni
Beste Christine.
Ek steel gou bietjie editing-tyd om te facebook en sien toe jou inskrywing oor hierdie company….ek het my man natuurlik wakker geroep nadat ek jou inskrywing gelees het!!
Ek het vrydag ‘n oproep van hierdie tydskrif gekry, en die ou was fantasties oor die foon: NET soos jy beskryf in jou blog. Ek het lank geneem om te byt, maar toe ek hoor jy adverteer, toe dink ek ‘wel, as jy hulle vertrou, dan kan dit nie so erg wees nie’ (ek het spesifiek gevra wie adverteer nog). Tog is dit ‘n klomp geld en het ek hom gevra om my ‘n dag of wat te gee om daaroor te dink. Hy was nogal opdrukkerig, maar ek het sterk vasgeskop daarteen om my kredietkaart details te gee en wou ook alles op skrif he. Alles was binne 5 min by my, baie professioneel! Maar ‘n gutt-fealing het gese niks is so haastig dat dit nie kan wag tot maandag nie…. Ek het werklik belanggestel, maar met twee troues die naweek en hope werk het ek dit net bietjie in my inbox laat linger…..
Totdat ek my ‘facebook’ break neem so 10min terug….en jou inskrywing sien. Ek skuld jou meer as net ‘n koppie koffie en ‘n middagete!!!!
Dankie 10 000!!!
Groete
Estie
Thanks for posting this and warning other photographers. After I’ve spoken to you today, I realised how many people were scammed, just like me!
The same thing happened to me, just like you described it and after a year I didn’t get one response.
Then they phoned me a couple of months ago, accusing me of still owing them some money and threatened to blacklist me if I didn’t pay up. Luckily I had all the proof of payments and they never even replied with an apology.
I also got no proof that the “brochure” even exist!
So yes, an expensive lesson to learn.
Thanks Christine!
Thanks for the warning. Always good to be on guard and re-check some companies double time.
Thanks a lot for sharing Christine!
I almost signed up with them but said no in the end.
Yip they called me too (I am based in the UK but South African for those who don’t know me) – thanks to seeing Christine’s advert I emailed her right away to ask if it was worth while. Luckily she gave me the warning and I did not advertise. Horrible!
That person was me! I am so glad that I talked to you earlier! I blocked them on my e-mail account and told them never to contact me again. Thanks Christine for the info.
Great, so if they are on facebook they are probably checking out all our profiles and all these comments and now they’ll know that everyone knows … and try a new scheme.
Thought I’d share my experience. I live in Austria and was going to be the only photographer represented in Austria. Sounded like a great deal. I initially only took 3 months investment for the ad at a ‘special offer’. Contrary to you I received all details promptly also for submitting my artwork. I also received the magazine in good time. However it has totally not been worth it. Very few referrals from the online version of the advert, and nothing from the so called ‘brides’ they were going to refer to me – who were only interested in honeymoons and not weddings. I none-the-less contacted all the brides and not one of them even replied to me.
They still call me trying to sell me more ad space, I told them it’s not worth it and said goodbye.
To whom it may concern,
It saddens me that people spend there life’s trashing others. Don’t you have better things to do with your time? My experience with the InternetSHOPPER has been very refreshing. Maybe this is how you deal with Issue’s in South Africa, however in Italy we do not have the time to blog and trash people and companies names. The InternetSHOPPER has been a part of our marketing for over a year, with the most sufficient, helpful dedicated staff I have ever conducted business with. I will RECOMMEND this company to many other businesses. It truly is shameful that people like you exist. I trust some day some one will bless your company and blog it with hurtful, blameful rumours.
All the best
Richard
Dear Mr Eal,
I’m very glad to hear you’ve had a good experience with Tisgo. Please understand that I was not out to “trash” anyone, but merely wanted to warn fellow photographers of a company that promises one thing, but delivers another, or in my case…nothing.
I think it is obvious to realize after reading all these comments that none of the photographers were happy with the advertising.
Kind Regards
Christine
Dear Mr Eel… I wonder, do you perhaps work for InternetSHOPPER??? Or do you just agree that it is standard business practice to scam hard working people out of their money and deliver nothing!?
Thanks Christine, I had a call from them as well…luckily I avoided it, but its a good thing you put this out there so that our industry is aware.
When the InternetSHOPPER contacted me, I went back to the brochure example and contacted every South African photographer listed… Christine included… everyone had the same story – money spent and not one wedding booked by any of them… I also made contact with friends in the UK and asked them to please find a copy of the publication – well after three weeks – not one of the five people I contacted could find a copy or had ever seen a copy.
So I like Christine would warn you strongly against it!! I have posted it on a number of SA Photography forums and they have contacted an alarming number of togs in SA… so spread the word and lets make sure they don’t take anymore togs for a ride…
Mr Eel mentions that in Italy people do not have time to blog, and do not have time to talk negatively about service providers. He seems rather annoyed at you Christine for having mentioned this on your blog at all.
I have not lived in Italy, but I did live in the UK for 5 years. I worked for Nikon UK (who provides service and support for Nikon users throughout Europe. Whilst working for Nikon I dealt with forums and websites that are dedicated to the reviews of photographic equipment and services within the industry. One only needs to type in “forum” and whatever product or service it is that you want to know about to get information from users about it. Mr Eels seems to think that this doesn’t happen. How wrong he is.
He also seems to take the whole situation quite personally. If people in Italy do not have time to blog about bad service, then how come he had time to write a rather sharp response to what you had to say?!
This is your blog Christine, say whatever you like! And thank you for warning those of us that don’t know about these things. I am new to the industry, and I certainly couldn’t afford to be paying
Hi Chrisitine
Well you’ve certainly got the tongues wagging! Good on you for bringing this to everyone’s attention. I was called last week by them. But no Brian for me! I got Steven instead! I must say, the guy did a really good selling job – slick stuff. But it was the fact that he was prepared to sit on the phone with me for so long that raised my suspicions. And then the continuous call-backs to find out whether I was going to take up his offer or not. I didn’t. Oh and as for Mr Eels, well, thanks for the light-hearted moment their fellow – you’re a real comedian.
I actually worked for this company a few years ago. Brian is real, and a complete shark, he only ever cared about the money, and never cared how he got it, so long as he got the commission.
I sold ads really well when I believed the things they were saying, but when things did not start to add up, I did not sell and I was fired. Best thing ever, I say.
This company is related to an old one called seek.net, who used to make… A sort of yellow pages for webites in the London area.
They do go to events such as the national wedding show etc, but it is not to give out the books, it’s hunting for more clients.
I feel so much guilt for the people that were ripped off when I was young and unaware. I would steer clear if I were you!
Thanks for this Christine, I’ve just been contacted by “Weddings Abroad” and remembered seeing this post when I was browsing for images.
I’m glad you took the time to post this.