Scam: Naughty by Nature • 02.22.08
Times have gone bad. It seems that even photography studios have to resort to underhand tactics to lure unsuspecting customers (remember Discovery VIII) to part with their hard earned money. This time, HF told me that a caller from Naughty by Nature (NBYN) is going to provide her a free photo shoot, 2 photos. Oh what joy!
I went down with her only to hear the guy informing us that no outsiders, as in only by appointments. With such a large space, I was rather surprised that they didn’t have seats to cater for ‘bodyguards’ (in his words, not mine). So, we asked how long the shoots would be and the reply was 2 hours. That’s freaking nuts!
For makeup, some change of clothes and 2 shoots, they needed 2 hours? It was 7pm and none of us had our dinner yet. So, it was very ridiculous to hear that we were to sacrifice our dinners just for a simple photo shoot. I was beginning to suspect something fishy. It must be some package that she would have to buy after the shoot.
We went for a makeover before and it certainly didn’t take 2 hours just for one to take a photo shoot. We aren’t even going for bridal makeup, D & D makeup, modeling or anything. For a ‘free’ photo shoot, this did sound like a scam, to fleece people’s hard-earned money.
HF decided to postpone the appointment to another day. The place was spacious and not crowded. We just couldn’t understand why it would take 2 hours and no bodyguards. Oh well, it was a good thing HF didn’t stayed for the shoots. I found that someone had taken a family shoot, wasted 3 hours trying to tell the manager that they didn’t want to take up the $2, 500 package.
They weren’t the only ones to be pressured into taking the package either. So, beware of some one calling you to say you have been referred by some friend (no names given) or win a lucky draw of some sort.
They called HF again to insist her to go down for a photo shoot despite her saying ‘not free’. So, they don’t understand the meaning.
