Photo Developing - Missing Film - Advice?!*

Judes

Hi all - need a bit of advice - and want to know if anyone has ever experienced anything similar.

Got back from my hols last week so enthusiastically raced out to get my photos developed - 5 disposable cameras. My colleague at work advised me to go to Flor Griffin - as there's an Agfa Development Counter there. So I did! Went back to collect my 5 packs of photos on the Tuesday, lunchtime and the girl at counter took out the first photo (well, kind of slid part of photo from pack to give you an idea of the shot). I replied yes mine, each time, as the photo's looked familiar. (A trip to UK and France).

So I got back to my desk and took out photos to really look and got a shock to see a man's face in a field of sunflowers and realised, hang on there, this set isn't mine. I assumed they were when I saw the Sunflowers as I'd been to France and there were sunflower fields everywhere - but I hadn't taken any photo's of them due to the fact that the sunflowers were all dead/tilting. These photos showed beautiful new sunflowes. So when I realised that one set belonged to somebody else, I called the Centre and explained the situation. I was told that sometimes that happens. I said "well that's not very consoling and I'm not happy about somebody else having my photographs" so I went back there at lunchtime the next day to return the set of photos I had and assumed mine would be there.

Alas - no - I was then told that there was no way they could have made an error. On the main pack there were 5 stickers with reference codes, each corresponding to a numbered sticker on the set of photographs. I pointed that as these were in numerical order - then maybe my missing set, was next in the numerical line and that somebody has them. I was then told that I must have picked up the wrong camera when in France. This was driving me mad trying to figure out - how/where could I have picked up somebody else's camera, I said there was no way I could have and she kept insisting well you did say you thought they were yours originally because of the picture of sunflowers, so obviously I picked up the camera in France. I pointed out that there were sunflowers ALL OVER THE CONTINENT, it was the SUMMER. Again told no, they couldn't make that mistake. I asked that they call me to keep me updated and a week later nothing. So I called again today to see if any news - had anyone handed in my set of photographs - No - had anybody collected the set I returned - she replied quickly no. And told me that maybe somebody would come back this week - "if" they had mine.

So today I pointed out that having spoken with my bf last week and realising that the missing set of photographs were taken in LONDON and not France, the lady I spoke with seemed to be a bit quieter when listening to me. I told her that I couldn't have picked up somebody else's camera in France, because the camera was used up in London - as we were there several days before France. So that camera was left in the car - as it was used up. So I couldn't have accidentally picked up somebody's French camera.

Sorry this sounds like "War and Peace" but I'm really angry and frustrated. I spent forty euro on getting 5 sets of film developed. I have no comeback and I can't prove a damn thing. Anybody got any advice for me??? (Sensible advice please - not in the mood to be jovial now - as I'm still angry that a lot of great memories have disappeared! ).

Thanks all. JUDES X

rymus

I've worked in several photo labs, including Agfa and the system is that the work envelope and the film itself are tagged with the same number (or in the case of APS film the cartridge is tagged). Some people, lets call them idiots, forget to put the tags on and as a result things get awful mixed up. Flor Griffin have a very high volume mini-lab, takes less than 10 mins to develop a set of negs so that could well be 30 or 40 rolls of film a day. Obviously if some of these arent tagged properly or the tag comes off in one of the chemical tanks things go belly up very fast. Pairing work envelopes with untagged negs is, in a word, bloody impossible. The only thing that can be done is to wait until a customer returns, show them the negs and see if they recognise the shots.

What you could do (but the staff will almost definately tell you to shag off) is to see all uncollected developed negs from the day you handed in your rolls of film. That is assuming that they havent given yours to someone else and they have the work envelopes filled out properly.

A more likely solution is to bitch at management until you get your money back. Given the processing volume in there its unlikely you'll ever see your pictures. Therein lies the beauty of digital. You always have a copy of your pictures. Accept defeat and use the refunded money toward the purchase of a digital camera.

I don't see how you could have picked up the wrong camera.. unless youre blind/stupid. I'm going to assume that you're not so follow the above and ignore this.

While I think of it.. if you do get a digital camera, dont get prints at Flor's. They can't seem to grasp the idea of quality control.. Last set of prints I got had a whopping great line across the middle of them. When I pointed it out they claimed they couldn't see it. Like I said above, they're idiots. They may be cheap for smaller prints but you get what you pay for.That's it.. rant over

Judes

Rymus - you are a darling - thank you so much for that advice. I'll wait until Friday - i.e. 2 weeks - and I will follow through with the developers - don't care how long it takes. (Thanks for appreciating the fact that I'm NOT the idiot). But the reason for avoiding the digi-camera era is that I have this theory that when on holiday - or come to think of it, anywhere, these days - nobody's going to mug me for a throwaway camera - but if there's a nice expensive one hanging around my neck, more temptation! Thanks again, fingers crossed. JUDES

Victor

Did they take the other person's phone number (did they take your phone number)?

Judes

Hi all! I'm sorted - got a call late Friday afternoon, as I was getting ready to leave work to say they had my photos. It would seem a lady (who had been to France) came in to say she had been given the wrong photos! SURPRISE SURPRISE!!! Anyway, I'm just really grateful to have my missing set and appreciate the advice. Well I learnt a valuable lesson - NEVER EVER EVER will I go back to the Agfa Counter at Flor Griffins. Thanks again. J X

rymus

someone needs a lesson in tagging negatives properly then..

Glad to see you finally got your photos although I hope you kicked up a stink and got some free enlargements etc out of them...