mommasaurus
11-27-2005, 02:44 AM
NICHOLAS CULESMITH a wedding photographer operating in the states of Washington and Oregon, has scammed bride after bride by taking wedding photos and leaving town. Each bride paid a deposit at booking and the balance due on or by the wedding day. In some cases he will deliver proofs, collect orders from the family (and payment up front!) and then disappear. In other cases, he takes photos and leaves without taking orders from proofs, but fully paid. At any rate, ]the new couple is left with NO photos of their wedding day.
He operates this scam with his assistant/girlfriend, Mary Rothey and registers his business under fictitious names. Please pass the names of NICHOLAS CULESMITH and MARY ROTHEY on to any family or friends that might hire a photographer in the future.
Since posting a similar warning on another wedding chat site in late October of 2005, I've been contacted by new victims on the average of one every ten days, so there are a lot of couples who have been hurt by this man. Each person I've talked to has been a very intelligent, professional person - meaning, Culesmith is a slick salesman and YOU are not too intelligent to be taken in. He is Brittish, has a noticeable accent, used to drive a blue Miata. By now he may be operating under another name. It will be up to you to figure out whether your photographer is who he says he is.
TIPS:
1) Just because a vendor has a booth at a wedding show in a large city --this does NOT make that vendor honest. (My daughter hired this man from the show in Seattle. Apparently they don't check history or background.
2) Ask to see his driver's license. Record the number and save it.
3) Check with the Better Business Bureau in your state - have them check on the photographer's company AND his/her name. Make sure the name the company registered to actually matches the photographer. Our scammer registered his company under a fictitious name - which tells us he had intent to defraud from the beginning.
4) DO NOT PAY EVERYTHING UP FRONT!!!!! Hold back at least half until the final photos are in your handsIf you give all monies up front, there is no incentive for the photographer to deliver goods.
5) Use photographers that have been recommended by a friend. Don't simply pick a nice name off the Internet or out of the phone book without planning to do a LOT of homework checking references, etc.
6) Be forewarned that a contract is just a piece of paper..... and so is a court judgment requiring the photographer to reimburse for lack of delivery. Nicholas Culesmith has several judgments against him in court, but carefully put assetts in someone else's name. Sueing someone with nothing will award you nothing.
7) If your state or county has a .gov site where you can find judgments or cases, use this to research your vendors under their company name or personal name.
Most of the photographers you are likely to hire are ethical and trustworthy and this posting is not intended to cast a negative view of them. I am taking the time to write this because I don't want one more girl going through the disappointment and hurt as my daughter and all the newly-found victims did. I want you all to have a wonderful and memorable wedding day.
With kind thoughts for each of you --
Mom
He operates this scam with his assistant/girlfriend, Mary Rothey and registers his business under fictitious names. Please pass the names of NICHOLAS CULESMITH and MARY ROTHEY on to any family or friends that might hire a photographer in the future.
Since posting a similar warning on another wedding chat site in late October of 2005, I've been contacted by new victims on the average of one every ten days, so there are a lot of couples who have been hurt by this man. Each person I've talked to has been a very intelligent, professional person - meaning, Culesmith is a slick salesman and YOU are not too intelligent to be taken in. He is Brittish, has a noticeable accent, used to drive a blue Miata. By now he may be operating under another name. It will be up to you to figure out whether your photographer is who he says he is.
TIPS:
1) Just because a vendor has a booth at a wedding show in a large city --this does NOT make that vendor honest. (My daughter hired this man from the show in Seattle. Apparently they don't check history or background.
2) Ask to see his driver's license. Record the number and save it.
3) Check with the Better Business Bureau in your state - have them check on the photographer's company AND his/her name. Make sure the name the company registered to actually matches the photographer. Our scammer registered his company under a fictitious name - which tells us he had intent to defraud from the beginning.
4) DO NOT PAY EVERYTHING UP FRONT!!!!! Hold back at least half until the final photos are in your handsIf you give all monies up front, there is no incentive for the photographer to deliver goods.
5) Use photographers that have been recommended by a friend. Don't simply pick a nice name off the Internet or out of the phone book without planning to do a LOT of homework checking references, etc.
6) Be forewarned that a contract is just a piece of paper..... and so is a court judgment requiring the photographer to reimburse for lack of delivery. Nicholas Culesmith has several judgments against him in court, but carefully put assetts in someone else's name. Sueing someone with nothing will award you nothing.
7) If your state or county has a .gov site where you can find judgments or cases, use this to research your vendors under their company name or personal name.
Most of the photographers you are likely to hire are ethical and trustworthy and this posting is not intended to cast a negative view of them. I am taking the time to write this because I don't want one more girl going through the disappointment and hurt as my daughter and all the newly-found victims did. I want you all to have a wonderful and memorable wedding day.
With kind thoughts for each of you --
Mom