Heres a good one...

Complaints Corner
1
I picked up 2 rolls of film that I developed at FotoPro GANZ , Rennweg 26.

They were regular 35mm, black and white snaps. It took one week and I asked for the smallest size (6"*4"). When I asked how much it would cost, the lady who served me said she was not sure but around 19CHF each.

...hmmm, I thought. That is a bit steep but we are in Switzerland etc.

They infact cost me 120CHF. Thats 60CHF EACH....

I miss Jessops + its packed lunches for the rest of the month.

2
yeah that sounds pretty exaggerated ... what did they print out those pics on, fine sheets of gold or something?

3
you got off lightly...

4
Welcome to Switzerland: land of small businesses that manage to keep running for some unknown reason.

5
Didn't think there was anywhere left that still developed film, I guess the ones remaining are bound to charge a premium.

6
2 rolls of 36 film and each picture costing FR 19,- is CHF 1'368 !!

I will tell my photographer friend, he would do it much cheaper!

.

7
So true... there are many businesses in my small town or the sorrounding ones we keep seeing mostly empty and all the time ask ourselves, how do they survive...

8
I would a problem with being told a price and then it being three times the quoted price in the end. Did you complain that they misled you?

9
no because he will then claim is 19chf per photo and you'll lose out

it was probably something like 24chf for processing and 1ch for each print. he probably only asked how much it would cost to process the film and was told the lower number. i've seen this is the way the swiss work in other circumstances...

10
It's time these sort of retailers were told what they can do. You should have said that unless they can produce these around the estimated price of CHF19, the they can keep them and flounce out.

You can fly to London and back for that price...

11
That may be how they work , but thats not what they said . If you ask the price and you are told a figure then thats what you should pay. Maybe plus VAT.

12
Unfortunately, this happens all too often here. Back home we'd call it bait-and-switch, here it's just business as usual.

Experience has taught me that it is best to get a receipt with the price clearly stated when I order something that will be paid upon delivery, or a written quote when I request a service.

Kick up a fuss, speak to the manager. But the reality is: unless you have proof that you were told the price would be X, you may have a hard time arguing an over-charge.

Good luck.

13
Verbal .... if it ain't in writing - prove it.

For some strange reason, I have a vague recollection that processing B&W films, now costs more than colour - but I may be away with the fairies on this.

Mail order (takes less than a week):

http://www.extrafilm.ch/

Click on Kontakt at the top, and get them to send you a return post envelope, which will have prices on. Unfortunately their homepage is dedicated to transforming your digi pics into this or that (their processing business is obviously dropping off; but I guess they still do it).

I haven't used them in a couple of years (gone digital), but was always happy with results, and never unhappy with prices.

14
I would NOT describe Foto Ganz as "small" really. Here their locations

Filialen

FotoPro GANZ, Rennweg, Zürich FotoPro GANZ, Shop-Ville, Zürich FotoPro GANZ, Schaffhauser, Zürich FotoPro GANZ, Am Stauffacher, Zürich FotoPro ecker, Pilatusstrasse 5, Luzern FotoPro ecker, Hertensteinstrasse, Luzern FotoPro ecker, Pilatusstrasse 14, Luzern FotoPro dany, Waisenhausplatz, Bern FotoPro GLATTFELDER, Marktgasse, Winterthur FotoPro Schaich, Am Bahnhofplatz, Baden

I in the opening post can however not see the exact type of film

in question. Foto Ganz btw. is excellent if you need something

special but for having a film developed you ought to go to Migros or MediaMarkt or Interdiscount.

15
> Foto Ganz is NOT empty

> Foto Ganz is THE partner if you have an old camera no longer needed

> Foto Ganz is THE partner if you need a well revised outdated camera

> Foto Ganz sells films at reasonable prices

BUT again, their services like film-development etc are on the pricey side

16
My Compact Flash cards store up to 16GB of data each and I can get that Ilford HP4 look with a few clicks in Photoshop. Amen to digital and no tears from my side for the days of Kodachrome 25, 64 and Fuji Velvia and Sensia.

17
Well, "pricey" is not the word I would use for a situation where a couple of film developed rolls are charged @120 CHF but promised at 19 CHF each!

In any case, OP: good to learn info, for me Foto Ganz is THE partner I will not choose for either service, if they can not keep their word on a price estimate.

18
But you have told us nothing of the quality. Did you get 'Schweizer Qualitat' or was it okay?