Phototainment

We (Universal Studios) have used Phototainment twice for Trade Shows in the Seattle area and the end result could not have worked out better for us. They deliver excellent content coupled with exceptional customer service and interaction. We would not hesitate to utilize their services again.

I consider myself to be a savvy shopper — sometimes to my wife’s chagrin. When making a big-​ticket purchase, it can take me weeks to make a buying decision, combing through back issues of Consumer Reports, online reviews and, of course, Unilocal.So what in the hell was I thinking when I went out and hired the first photobooth company I came across in a Google search?
I am utterly baffled by my behavior — especially since there are numerous companies listed on Unilocal,many with 4 or 5 star averages and several with Unilocal promotions. Ugh. I just want to beat my head against the wall.
I hired Phototainment after coming across their website in a Google search and then swapping a couple of emails with the owner Paul. He quoted me $ 1600 for up to four hours and an all-​inclusive package of booth, operator, TV screen showing best images from the night, unlimited prints and props. Additionally, all the pictures are uploaded onto a web gallery where high resolution versions can be downloaded for no additional charge. Without thinking and without even doing as much as a single Unilocal search, I fired off a $ 500 deposit.
Three weeks later I nearly dropped a baby when I came across a Groupon promotion by Blink FotoBooth for $ 399, a $ 576 savings from their normal rate of $ 975.
$ 399! Even as I write this, I am shell shocked. (A package comparable to Phototainment would have included a $ 150 upgrade, so $ 549.)
I wrote to Paul at Phototainment:
«I’m sure you’ve seen this Groupon for Blink. It’s pretty compelling.
Anything you can do level set the amount I am paying you vs. what your competition is currently offering?»
Paul responded the same day (sic throughout):
«Yes I have seen this groupon many times. To give you a little history, this company has a history of not following thru on the deal. Hard to believe, photobooths like anything else you pay for what you get. I am a high service, high image quality company. I am dependable, care about your event, and will show up.
If you would like to take advantage of this offer, the by all means go for it. You would for go your deposit.
Let me know what you would like to do.»
Now I have no way to truly validate if Blink is a flaky company as Paul contends, but they do have a five star average on Unilocal,albeit, from only three reviews.
I was paralyzed by uncertainty and indecision. I absolutely didn’t want anything to go wrong on the day of our event, but more so, I didn’t want to admit that I had made a dumb mistake by not adequately researching different photo booth companies.
Oh that damn pride!
Ultimately I stayed the course with Phototainment and they were perfectly, well, adequate.
The booth setup was professional. The technician Bryan was there on time and worked all night, not once getting up from his seat and processing over 400 pictures. The photo booth was a big hit. But, I think the props were rather weak — mostly signs you could hold up — and the pictures themselves have a somewhat metallic appearance to them. There were no add-​ons such as cardboard frames, magnets or different background options — all of which Bink offers for an upcharge.
Had I paid a competitive rate for the service, I may have felt better about Phototainment possibly giving them a four star review. But, there’s simply no question that I overpaid — and by a huge amount. I confirmed this by looking at several other companies in addition to Blink.
I feel ripped off and as such I can’t muster up anything more than two stars.