Commercial processing disaster stories?

[markkubis]

I've had 3 priceless C-41 films out of 5 lost in the post on the way to a commercial lab that I sent in June. This has really got to me as the pictures were of a photographic trip to Istanbul.

Only 2 of the 5 flms have been recovered. The commercial lab received the original lab envelope containing my films damaged with only one film inside. Each of the 5 films had a sticker on it with the lab address, my name and account number. One further film found its way to the lab a couple of weeks later so 3 films are still missing, now probably lost for ever. Next time I'm going to put my films inside a sealed plastic bag before putting inside the mailing envelope.

Anybody have any experiences of ruined or lost films by commercial operators?

 

[AgX]

A lot of about 10 Kodachrome films of mine once got lost at Kodak Germany. No refund, nothing.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I had a lab in Buenos Aires damage several frames on one roll of film, of course the one they damaged worst was the one I cared the most about. They tried to suggest to me that the chemical burns on the frame, and the wrinkling of the film where the transport mechanism jammed it, were the fault of my camera. No discount, no refund, no free film, nada.

 

[Dave Starr]

Went to the lab to pick up wedding proofs. As usual, I flipped through them immediately. Opened one envelope & found 36 shots of a chipmunk! Fortunately, the lab called a couple days later & said an irate customer came in & swapped my wedding shots for her chipmunk shots. I never told the wedding customer.

 

[removed account4]

i had a lab in boston cook all my e6.
i had to reshoot the job it was so bad,
and unfortunately clients understand
a lab messing up as much as a teacher
understands " the dog ate my homework"