More problems with Light Impressions

Sirius Glass said:

This was posted in jest. Lighten up. Can't you see the absurdities in the post?

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Yeah, everybody knows better than to take Steve siriusly!

Duuude siriusly? Can't you tell when I am sirius or when I am serious?

Duuude siriusly? Can't you tell when I am sirius or when I am serious?

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Hahaha! We get that you weren't serious! I just didn't want the thread getting derailed and we all know that there are people on this forum that will latch on to something and take it down the rabbit whole! Hasn't happend here yet thank GOD!

Back on track, I am amazed that a well respected, well run company was allowed to run down and hurt so many innocent buyers for so long before the owner woke up. Can the company recover? Maybe, but I will not be one of the people ordering items to find out!

Their check bounced!

I spent the better part of a year trying to get a refund from Light Impressions for items they never shipped, making repeated phone calls, recording the dates of my calls and who I spoke to, filing complaints with the BBB and the Californina AG.
I had truly given up when, to my amazement and delight, a check arrived in the mail last week for the total amount! Perhaps I should have run to the bank that day; I waited a couple of days to make the deposit until I had reason to drive into town. Today I downloaded my bank balances and found out the check had been returned and I had been charged $12 for wasting my bank's time.

And I thought there was going to be a happy ending...

Gary

Incredible Gary....just incredible...and they just sent out a very glitzy and nice catalog. I suppose they will not get very many orders from those on APUG.

Ed

In some juristictions you can small claims court for 5x (for example) the amount of the check that wasn't honored. Probably, though, all you would really get from doing that is 5x the annoyance!

The latest...

In today's mail, I got a letter from the California Attorney General's office, with a copy of the check (that bounced) from our friends at NCD Acquisition. For what it's worth, I quickly informed the AG's office that the check had bounced, and asked about further action.
I really don't understand why NCD bothered to write me a bad check and send a copy to the AG; I guess it got the AG off their back for a few days...

Gary

At least now the AG can add check fraud to the list of whatever they might charge them with. (assuming they actually take action).

Gotta admire NCD's chutzpah though.

My problem with Light Impressions is still on going. They still refuse to refund my money and there is no project end in sight. I call now and cannot speak with anyone but a low level customer service rep, who simply states there is nothing that can be done. I am very disappointed in Light Impressions and I thought, I was dealing with a reputable company, only to discover I was dealing with a band of thieves instead. I am 9 months out from canceling my order and with nothing to show for it, but disappointing phone calls. I am no closer to a real refund than the day I started. B.B.B. did nothing and my bank is powerless, since time is working against me. As far as keeping me a happy customer Light Impressions has failed even in that. I would advise people not to do business with such an uncreditable company who chooses to steal from this 100% disabled Veteran. They have no honor just my money which they will not return! Complaining each month by phone and filing a formal complaint did nothing in way of solving or bringing this matter to closure, that everyone can agree too. I will not use this company ever again, nor will I buy any of their products. I will not purchase from thieves or sham artists. If you buy anything buy it C.O.D so you do not land in the same fix as I am in. No products and out my hard earned money! There is no customer 100% satifaction or customer service at Light Impressions and nothing is in stock! Just one big pawnsy sceme to rob customers of their money. It is one company to stay away from. The parent company is Century Plastic and they will not help bring this matter to closure. I say do not buy anything from Light Impressions or Century Plastic. They are not honest companies to deal with and they will steal your money, not deliver promised products or refund your money!

just got off the phone with Light Impressions told them to send me either the order or a bank certified check, nothing less will do. placed order back on Oct 15, 2010 and been promised a refund now for over 9 months now. Calls do not work B.B.B. didn't work nor did speaking to my bank. Seeing the posts about bad checks. I told them to ship the remaining items, even though I will never use them. Why would I ever want to be caught behind the 8-ball like this again. They took my money and there is no recourse to getting the money back or the products you order. Might just as well flush the money for all the good it did. No I refuse to be held hostage with no means for closure. So If the order does ship I see it as at least something is better than nothing and I can be the experience behind me. I could see that there would be an even longer wait for a refund and more problems trying to collect bank fees on a bad check from them. It just isn't worth all that and life is too short as it is to be worry about this con-game Light Impressions and Century Plastics is running. They think, many of us will return if they promise the items are in stock at the time of placing the order. I said that isn't true because you lied before why not a second or third time. So they want you to come back and believe you have no choice, but to come back. I told the rep Charlie that no way was I going to use their products even if I see it in the local camera shop or Art store. I do not want to ever be treated this way by any vendor ever again and I refuse to take a chance with Light Impressions ever again. One cannot live with a year or more turn around times and still keeping my clients happy. This time, they hit me hard and I had to eat my cost by paying triple the cost to complete my job. I do this because I care about my clients, where Light Impressions doesn't care about their customers. I refuse to give my money away to support thieves. Trust is earned and not to be given away freely. Light Impressions took my trust and flushed it, as they ran to the bank with my stolen money. leaving me with nothing but empty account. I will never buy from them ever again.
They sent me a new catolog, but couldn't send me a simple refund or products, that bought and paid for. All the customer service reps could or would say is there wasn't anything they could do. Why is it that the shipping, accounting and customer service personnel cannot walk arcoss the hall and speak to each other to resolve problems, before they become a huge mess up. It's hard to understand why anyone who run their company with the policies that are in place right now. No products and no refunds Policy! Just doesn't fit in today's down market. To force customers to be treat as victums without any rights is wrong on so many levels. It is time to take a stand that we as customers will not stay customers and be treated in this mannor. We all have deadlines to meet and clients to please. It doesn't help matters when Light Impressions fails to live up to order contracts and then fails to delivery refunds in atimely mannor. They broke the law in charging me for products before they were shipped. Leaving me with no recourse to solve the problem and having to wait over 9 months for a refund that was never going to come. That isn't a company, I can honestly ever support going forward. My clients deserve better service than what Light Impresssions can do. I will not gamble my business successes on crooks and thieves! I cannot afford to take that risk again. The people over at Light Impressions are too stupid to understand that and frankly do not care and why not they have your's and my money to play with. Offering no concessions for the time lost calling every month or the problems filling the order. Just place another order maybe we will get that one right this time. Don't hold your breath and you better hold your wallet even tighter. I know I am going to advise all my photography friends to stay away from Light Impressions and Century Plastic. I hope for their sake they listen. Would hate to have to say I told you so!

Contact the Calif. Attorney General's office. The only way the AG will go after these crooks is if they get enough complaints. If the AG does go after them you could recover your costs-if they don't you never will.

To Big Jim and others. Sorry to hear of your problems. This has been a long story and longer then you think. I built my darkroom in the summer of 1991 and with that in mind I ordered some things from Light Impression the largest of these was a Mat Cutter, Yes the big expensive kind. Delays, phone calls, and plenty of problems. I finally called and they said it still hadn't shipped. It was over a month since the order. So I cancelled the order in frustration and in two days UPS was at my door with the item. I refused it. I bought one locally and then got the call about the "restocking charges". Long story short I ended up with two of these $1000.00 items. I sold one in the "Want Advertiser". For you young folks that was the pre internet eBay weekly selling book. I swore I'd never buy anything from them again but I still got the catalogues for years after. I cancelled that catalogue many times. It finally stoped.
JOHN

Tomorrow I call the authorities

I have had it with their tactics. I call Cal Atty General tomorrow. I will also file with my credit card company but they are cautious since the thing has gone on too long to be easy and normal. I hate to loose this much money (almost $400) but I almost would rather see them close and jailed than to continue this nonsense. Try walking out of Best Buys with $10 worth of stuff. These guys are scoffing at the law and getting away with it. You and I would be in a small room with a cot and a pot.

Very bad news indeed. Although I doubt that you will be successful, please pursue all available options. When you have the time please let us know how you have faired.

Ed

Any person on APUG who reads this thread...please, do NOT purchase anything from Light Impressions. As you can readily see, the company is not reliable, and you will likely lose your funds.

Mahler_one said:

Very bad news indeed. Although I doubt that you will be successful, please pursue all available options. When you have the time please let us know how you have faired.

Ed

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Perseverance my friend. Perseverance.

Just a few minutes of your time to file a complaint with the BBB, California Attorney General and the FTC.

It took me 4 mos. to get a refund. The check I received and deposited didn't bounce as far as I know (bank hasn't notified me of any issues); although one poster stated that the check they received bounced. I'm in California so I'm guessing LI doesn't want run afoul writing checks here otherwise, I'm thinking it would give the AG ammunition to file suit.

Perseverance ...

I received two letters from the CA Attorney General on the matter. Basically they've filed my complaints but can't act further on my behalf since I'm not a resident of CA. If they receive enough complaints, especially from CA residents, they will be obligated to act. Regardless of place of residence, please follow up and file a complaint with the CA Attorney General. It will be ammunition that they can use against LI if that time comes and it serves as a legal record of your individual situation.

Check with your local small claims court to see if you can get at them there. The ground rules for small claims courts (they also have different names)vary widely so you will have to do a little homework. These courts are set up so that you do not need a lawyer and in some places a corporation must be represented by a lawyer, which means that they have to pay for his/her services.
Fortunately, I stopped buying from them some years back, after part of an order showed up more than a year after I ordered it (I actually forgot about it). A shame because they were pretty good when in Rochester.

Light Impressions are Crooks!

I ordered in March and was strung along for months on the back order LIE! Get to your credit card and dispute the charge now! You only have 60 days as I have recently found out! I am out over seventy bucks. I had delt with Light Impressions since the mid 70's and they were Great! However they are now part of a Conglomerate called NCD Brands and good luck on talking to anyone, unless of course you are ordering! Once they have your money - forget it! I am just stuck! My bank won't dispute it as the charge is over 60 days, Light Impressions is a Black Hole of communication. You are on hold forever and never get anyone. So if you have recently charged anything with them My suggestion is to dispute it now while your bank will refund your money otherwise you have been SCAMMED!

I placed an order on August 31st and disputed it a week ago. These guys are just bad news. How do they stay in business? I was warned by Thomas Bertilsson after placing the order so watched it for a while but..big nothing.

To those who have suffered I offer my condolences in case anyone thinks I am being deliberately provocative but presumably the company is able/chooses to satisfy some of its customers otherwise there must be 100s if not 1000s filing complaints and if so how is it able to stay in business?

Is it deliberately taking money with no intention of delivering the goods or is its whole system so bad and the people so incompetent that it leaves many without goods for months or even forever?

There may be companies in the U.K. with an equally bad record but it is quite amazing to an outsider how long this has gone on for without a solution.

I keep expecting to see a post which says "bankruptcy"/ court order/ questions in the government but it seems that a company can continue in this way indefinitely in the U.S.

How long would a utility company, say an electric company, be able to continue that took customers' money via direct debit but failed to deliver the electricity?

I am in "shock and awe" the more I see of this thread

pentaxuser

It's the failure of the system (legal & commerce) to take effective action against Light Impressions. No one who has posted on this thread is making this stuff up. Part of the problem is that those entities responsible for enforcement are most likely having difficulty isolating and identifying who to go after since LI is a subsidiary of a holding company that keeps changing its name and contact information. No one - and I do mean "No One," who has experienced issues with LI ever goes back to them. So, those who have never dealt with LI recently are getting caught up in the snare.

It hasn't always been this way. Light Impressions WAS once a good company. But those days are over.

Sooner or later, either the Legal system or their lack of business integrity will catch up with them -- and it will be all over.

pentaxuser said:

To those who have suffered I offer my condolences in case anyone thinks I am being deliberately provocative but presumably the company is able/chooses to satisfy some of its customers otherwise there must be 100s if not 1000s filing complaints and if so how is it able to stay in business?

Is it deliberately taking money with no intention of delivering the goods or is its whole system so bad and the people so incompetent that it leaves many without goods for months or even forever?

There may be companies in the U.K. with an equally bad record but it is quite amazing to an outsider how long this has gone on for without a solution.

I keep expecting to see a post which says "bankruptcy"/ court order/ questions in the government but it seems that a company can continue in this way indefinitely in the U.S.

How long would a utility company, say an electric company, be able to continue that took customers' money via direct debit but failed to deliver the electricity?

I am in "shock and awe" the more I see of this thread

pentaxuser

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Oh, my word, this is getting terrible with LI!!!

On a different but similar note, who are you guys ordering from now?. I had been using them for years and about to run out of a supply of stuff. If you can post it publicly please let me know or pm if you would prefer. There are so few companies left that carry some of this stuff.

Thanks.