Hiring a wedding photographer? Here’s what you need to know!

So you’re getting married, and you’re in talks with your wedding photographer of your choice: price, how many photos, the various locations…

Chances are you are not going to discuss who will own those images afterwards.

READ MORE: How to get insurance for your looted business with Wendy Knowler

And you really should, according to Lee Swales, consultant attorney with Thomson Wilks Inc of La Lucia, who knows a thing or two about intellectual property rights.

Photographs are regulated by Copyright Act, and when you take a photo, you automatically have the copyright to it. 

Often wedding photographers retain ownership and copyright of their photos and licence the photos to the couple, their clients, with certain, often quite prescriptive, conditions for their use, such as including the photographer’s water mark if the photos are shared anywhere.

READ MORE: Uber and their new cancellation penalty

This after the couple has paid handsomely for the photos.

You can undestand the photographer’s desire to retain ownership of the photos, but married couples should negotiate with him or her to have the photos assigned to them.

A good compromise, Lee says, is for the couple to get ownership of their wedding photos by means of assignment, but the photographer retains moral rights to them, by means of getting their undertaking not to photoshop or crop the images, for example.

Of course, the time to settle this is before you sign the contract with the photographer and pay your deposit.
It’s too late after that.

Take a listen as Wendy Knowler further delves into this topic: 

The best bits of Black Friday advice


Black Friday is the 26th of November this year, but the “spend spend spend” phenomenon has been going on all month.
Why drive sales on one day early when you can do so for an entire month - hence, Black November.

I’ve been bombarded with Black Friday press releases from banks, retailers, regulators, you name it.
So today I’m sharing what I think are the gems…

READ MORE: What if your shop was looted and you thought you had SASRIA cover, but you didn’t?

Don’t get taken in by the hype and don’t fall into the trap of believing that Black Friday itself is the only time to find a good deal. Do your research and compare where necessary to make sure you really are getting the best price. You can use sites such as pricecheck.co.za to do this.

Set up online accounts in advance. Go to the sites of retailers you are likely to buy from and set up your online account in advance. This will include filling in your details, setting up your preferred delivery address and receiving a log-in and password. Doing this ahead of time means you will be able to buy quickly when deals go live.

Compare prices. Look for the item on other online stores that offer similar products and compare prices before committing. You may just find another bargain.

READ MORE: The new normal is… there is no normal

How to  make sure that an online store is legit:

This is very important, very specific advice if you intend straying from the big tried and tested online sites (thanks, Budget Insurance)

Screen the URL – fake website addresses are usually off by a character or two, so make sure it’s the exact URL.

Click on the padlock – in the address box. The drop-down menu will show you the security information of the website. Some fake sites have been able to replicate the padlock icon, so don’t stop here.
Use a website checker – sites like Google Transparency Report are there to check the legitimacy of websites.

Read the reviews – read about other customer experiences to inform your final decision. Google the name of the online store to see what people are saying.
 

Shafeeka Anthony, Marketing Manager of personal finance website JustMoney.co.za, has this sage advice: "Remember to insure expensive purchases once they are delivered to your door,” she says. “If you’ve invested in a designer watch or statement art piece, you need to protect it against theft and damage.”

READ MORE: Edgars account holders frustrated by unfair extra monthly charges, Wendy Knowler explains

FRAUD ALERT: The fraudsters will be shopping too.

They trick you into disclosing your personal and confidential information over the phone by pretending to be from your bank and sharing your personal information, causing you to “let your guard down” and disclose confidential information. 

In a case I received earlier this week, the fraudster posing as someone from Capitec’s fraud department had her victim’s ID number, cellphone number, home address and was able to reel off his debit orders.

So he thought he was in safe, bank hands and lost almost R77 000 as a result.
Banks never ask customers to share their “keys to the safe” (including the online banking PIN, password, card CVV, PIN or one-time password) or to approve activities to prevent fraud. 
So end such calls without divulging a thing, and phone your bank’s fraud hotline, having got the number from the bank’s website.

Contact Wendy

Get in touch with Wendy via her website or her Facebook page. Please note that Wendy is not able to personally respond to every email she receives. If she is able to take up your case, she will contact you directly. Here are other avenues for you to consider.

Listen to more podcasts from Wendy Knowler in the Consumerwatch channel below: 

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