Description

I had a stressful, uncomfortable and disturbing experience with Haus of Portraiture. They are using the algorithm on Instagram and Facebook to target pet owners, posting paid/sponsored/targeted ads on Instagram and Facebook about a "fur baby" portrait contest and asking cat owners to enter to win a free portrait session. I entered, and they contacted me, claiming I had "won" a free portrait session for myself, my husband, and our cat. Once we arrived, it quickly became clear that this was a bait-and-switch scam. After the photography session, they put us in a holding room - Where there were video cameras filming us WITHOUT PERMISSION. Then we were isolated into another room where Stephan, their "art director," pressured us and aggressively tried to sell us packages--starting at $28,000, then dropping to $11,000, and finally attempting to force us into monthly payments of $500 or $200. Despite our ongoing and repeated refusals, Stephan refused to take no for an answer. We told him that we were uncomfortable, that we thought the session was supposed to be free, and that we were never told about pricing or fees. He persisted, trying many different tactics to force money from us over and over. This lasted for over an hour and a half. I was with my husband so I didn't feel unsafe, but if I had been a young woman alone in the room with this strange and angry man, I would have felt extremely uncomfortable. And I know from their Yelp reviews that many women have. They require a $200 deposit hold on your credit card, and I belive that most people do not escape receiving their money back. They are extorting people, playing on their affection for their pets, pressuring clients, and refusing to give refunds on their deposits. Many people on Yelp have reported the exact same experience as I have laid out. https://www.yelp.com/biz/haus-of-portraiture-santa-monica?rr=1 - This is a SCAM and a DISHONEST company violating many best business practices.