Taking photos in shops

Ok, what is the go on taking photos in shops.

Often when out and about either DH or I will see something that we might like to buy. So we will take a picture and send it. Sometimes there will be a yes buy it, or no. Saves us going back, missing out and also lets us compare items (like when we were bunk shopping).

I got told off today in a major store for taking a photo. I explained it was so I could make a decision with my husband about the purchase and she told me to take a catalogue. It annoyed me so much I walked out and bought nothing. Silly thing is, DH was in there the other and took a photo no problem.

So, if it is ok to view the item and the price in a catalogue, what is the difference to me taking a photo in store? Not everything is in the catalogue, also I just don't want to be taking junk mail stuff home.

** Will clarify, I was not scanning barcodes to compare pricing between stores.

I've been told off for it as well. I don't understand what the problem is, I just put my phone on silent and take it all stealth like ;)

I have been more discreet in the past, just this morning the place was swarming with staff and I was pretty blatant :redface: In other stores, the sales person has stood with me whilst I took the photo, sent it and then called DH to discuss.

Personally i don't see the issue - if you have a picture in catalogue whats wrong with someone taking their own.
A catalogue doesn't always show you how big it looks in perspective to something else.... oh well they loose a sale.

Oh I do this all the time! I'm fine with it!:lol::lol:

I went shopping for single beds & the lady actually told me to take a photo so I could think about. When I was younger I worked in retail and they were strict policies about not allowing customers to take photos... And it was a supermarket. Really what would you want to take photos of some dodgy broccoli!!

Df works for a retail store and says they're fine with it and often comes home with photos to show me. :dunno:

I understand some smaller stores may have issues with it, but really they are just shooting themselves in the foot if they do. I know I have taken photos whilst fridge shopping to keep clear in my mind prices and models at different stores, and some of the stores were fine to use the photos for price match purposes (although I never ended up using the price match as I bought a seconds model instead) - so maybe that is why they have the issue??? They are afraid you will just price match elsewhere??

You can price match anyway. The store you've asked to match it can ring and check.

I'm pretty sure I don't walk past a no photography allowed sign at the door, so tough tits. I often take a photo of the label with the price and the name of the thing as I'm taking it into consideration. It's called shopping around. As far as I'm concerned, retailers should be bloody well glad that I'm even standing in their store because recently they are overcharging more, discounting less, and not getting stock in that they have advertised. If I want to take a photo so I can think about my decision I will do so.

I've taken pics before, also to show DH things before I make a decision on buying it. I think her telling you off is a bit OTT really. Does she want the sale or not?

I am another one who has actually been told by a staff member to take a photo and send it to my DH, when I was umming and ahhing.
I think if you are in a very small boutique of rare or handmade items then sure, but not in a normal store.
Next time ask them where there policy is for the public to view.

i'd understand if it was a dress shop or something, where you could be taking a photo of an item to then go away and have it made/sew it cheaper.... i'm thinking more like bridal shops where they need to protect their products etc
however, just a run of the mill shop ie a camping or major furniture shop, well i just click away! we do it to show each other like you and also to compare prices, check the pic when we get home to see if it suits etc.
I would have challenged the staff member why you couldn't take a pic? and what difference was between the product on display and catalogue. and if they weren't helpful I would have said, Okay, I'll buy online/elsewhere then. I don't think taking a pic is really different that writing down the details on a piece of paper so bah.

:)

I agree that it's probably a copyright issue, although weird to take issue if the item's already in a catalogue! Perhaps they are worried you will advertise the product as your own in some way?
Either way, I think it's not really keeping up with the times. We're a visual society now and photos are an increasingly large part of our language.

If they want a sale then they are going to let me take a damn photo! DH and I often do this if either one of us are shopping and we come across something we are specifically looking to buy or even if we just see a bargain. If I was ever told not to take a pic I'd be saying something to them about it!

The big dept stores don't like it - it's a big business thing, and Myer has had this rule for a while - there used to be signs, but not enough and in small print. It's more about stock loss and people mapping a way to get stock out. Well, it was in my day, before phones had cameras and before everyone had mobiles, so I suspect it's even more about that than ever before.
I don't shop there when I'm not an employee, and I actively avoid shopping centres, so taking photos where I shop now isn't an issue :)

Where I work I encourage people to take photos because of our stupidly strict return policy.
But yes, I have been told off for doing it in other stores :(

Phew good to know I am not the only photo taker. Been many a debate instore about which Barbie to buy after photos have been sent ;)

I also use photos to get the details of dimensions. Much quicker and more accurate than scribbling on a piece of paper, plus I can then go back in and easily grab the same item after I have measured up at home.

Hmm - now I wonder if I should say something on their FB page :think:

I recently did a scavenger hunt and was taking photos off all sorts of stuff cos there was no way I was going to buy it. Had no problems at all whatsoever!

At times I've asked if was OK to take a photo to show my DH or dad to check if the item was the right one and always been told it was fine too. That store owner sounds like a stick in the mud ;)

If retail is as fragile at the moment as they are all bleating on about, they had better start thinking about how to strengthen their position. Creating a positive shopping experience instore is something retailers can do that onliners can't, a lot of that is about the service provided by the staff. I pay $1 more every day to get my coffee at the place with the smilie barista who remembers my order. Retailers - who trained us to be cheapskates in the first instance by whittling their services down and down until the only thing that distingished one shop from another was the item price - would do well to remember that they started all this by making that price the bottom line. Re competition with onliners, I reckon GAME ON! Telling people not to take photos further erodes any relationship the customer wants to have with them.

I worked for a big company and the main reason for not allowing photography was security and loss prevention etc.

I've often taken photos, mostly of toys for DD for b'day/Christmas, to message to OH to get a 'yay' or 'nay'. Never given a second thought as to whether I was allowed to or not! We live an hour from decent shops (by that I only mean big w, Kmart etc so nothing fancy!), so I'm not going to buy only to have to bring it back if it's not suitable or OH doesn't like it. Usually he says yeah whatever..but I still like to ask.
I did get a bit of a nudge from my mum and a 'you probably shouldn't take photos in here' when we were at the Lindt cafe in Sydney a few weeks ago. I just wanted to take a pic to say hey! We were at the Lindt cafe! And it was full of awesome chocolatey goodness!

I remember my Dad taking a photo in a popular retail chain store inside a shopping centre and security coming to tell him off... he was the CEO and part owner of the retail company in question at the time! With that I think they were concerned about 'casing the joint' or some such, my Dad was not impressed.

What really baffles me is how is it security or loss prevention?? Most stores like kmart, big w, myer, target...ect sell the same brands..... and if its for price matching well they do it anyways they usually just ring the store but a photo is pretty clear that another store has it cheaper etc.

Clothes shops i can 100% understand as people do take photos and either make or have the item remade for much cheaper but then again are the monitoring whats going in a change room..?

Seems a bit silly IMO to be so strict about it.

The company I worked for own a number of smaller stores a bras and undies store, candle store, music store etc and apparently having ppl taking photos in the store could be used in theft, scoping out the layout, where the registers are situated, back room etc. There are professional thieves out there!

Yeah I think it is more from a design point of view. You could be scoping out products that a company sell and finding someone to make it cheaper and under cut them. I do take photos in stored but I ALWAYS ask first. I've just recently done it with nursery furniture as my DH works away and I wanted his opinion before purchasing it.

I once got abused by a shop attendant for taking a photo of a fish to show to DS2. Even when I explained why I was doing it, I got a rude reply of "I have asked you not to, so don't." It was a $10 fish!!! Not like a rare specimen or something. Very strange.
We no longer go to that shop.


From my iPhone.

Haha that's so weird Lisa!!!

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The company I worked for own a number of smaller stores a bras and undies store, candle store, music store etc and apparently having ppl taking photos in the store could be used in theft, scoping out the layout, where the registers are situated, back room etc. There are professional thieves out there!

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Yes this. They might just be taking a photo of a dress or mannequin or something but it can be used as part of the master robbery plan. Also you can hold a dress up in a position so you can snap security cams in the background etc.


Excuse my sucky spelling, I'm on my iPhone

I often take pics on my iphone to show DH re idea's for purchases etc

When I was doing my 365 photo project last year, I'd take photo's of DS in stores like IKEA, Woolies, Big W etc with my big DSLR - no one ever told me off :D

WTF are you serious!! I take pics all the time and send to DH my parents or friends for what ever reason, never been told off before. I have eaven taken pics in dressing room when trying to pick a dress and sent to friends to help me decide!

I would think these days with the more people with phones that they always have in their hands, that any thief scoping the shop would be able to do so a lot more subtly than a shopper blatantly taking a pic.

I do understand to a certain extent from a security point of view, but I do think it is very outdated due to the technology these days. If it is such a concern, then completely ban the use of mobiles whilst in store.

Hmmm - maybe they do see me as a threat? :think: I am pretty much in there the same time most Friday mornings.

Who these days carries one & paper? I've asked for product info from a salesperson and they can't be bothered, so I take a photo of the tag.

sent from the Hellmouth.

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I would think these days with the more people with phones that they always have in their hands, that any thief scoping the shop would be able to do so a lot more subtly than a shopper blatantly taking a pic.

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Security is pretty good, in the big stores, at picking up the 'surreptitious'. The professionals are brazen and use the most obvious guises, because people are always weird and the best way to be overlooked in a crowd is to look oblivious. The scams we learned about at Myer were so brazen. It's just something I always had in the back of my mind when working there.
Mind you, when I worked there I had the 'old skool' training and I learned a lot of rapport-building skills - things that just don't get taught or valued in that environment anymore, so when I asked people to put cameras away (back in the day it was only cameras), I did it in a way that explained the security risk and minimised embarrassment - no confrontation. After all, they also taught us that the best loss prevention measure is good customer service. So, no wonder they're getting ripped off by pros! Not talking one or two items from each department, we're talking trolley loads of a particular brand of jeans or jackets, then they are sold BNWT. Black market goods. I also keep this in mind when buying from eBay and looking at the seller sites.
That's one issue from this thread. The other is non-existent customer service these days. A HUGE reason I steer clear of these stores - their customer service is too embarrassing.

I know that when i worked for Coles they were crazy about making sure people didnt take photos...it was a competition thing. apparently layout of of the aisles, deli, fruit and vege is a prized thang, and they dont want other coles stores or the other "competitor" (i use the term loosely) woolworths 'stealing' their layout design OR the advertising design of products. It is a BIG thing that the competition go and take photos of eachothers stores and try to pre-empt sales, layouts etc.

IMHO i reckon it's totally ridiculous and petty.

I own a small indepenant business and I don't really like people just taking pictures. As a previous poster said, it can be used to record the layout of the store in regards to a later robbery. In my small business I don't have the security like a major store.

Also I have had people come in and take photos of the verses in my greeting cards (I own a card and gift store) and then walk out without buying one. I think that is the height of rudeness. If I see that happening I go straight up and tell them that it is a breech of copyright. (don't know if it is or not but too bad).

I have had people ask to take pictures of giftware to show their daughter etc and in that case I am fine with it because I know they are taking the photo.

I think it is a simple matter of courtesy. Just ask first.

The reason why sales people especially at places like Harveys/JB Hifi/**** smith don't write down their quotes is obviously people take them to another place to get a better price and because they get commission and i know at JB you have to hit a certain quota per month or its 3 stars and your out (or so was when DP worked there) so by not writing down its not a guaranteed thing so another store can either price beat/match at their own discretion.

I had a chat with DP and he said that it comes down to every store manager and their feelings, ultimately it isnt permitted. Its private property and it does stop people scoping out the place, taking photos of things drug dealers want.. particularly in my store we have bottles of grange go missed ALL the time as well as scotch.

I'm pretty sure there aren't any laws that allow owners to regulate the taking of photographs on their property. I would think that it's only enforceable if it is a stated condition of entry.
Concerts etc are a different thing because the performers & creators own the intellectual property of their work.

Having worked in retail when I was younger we were always told not to let anyone do it. I worked a big fashion brand and a few times we had competitors take pictures of new styles and also window and shop displays in order to compete.It's all about the competition, they don't know exactly what you're going to do with those photos. I see the reasoning behind it, but it is a bit much.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk so forgive spelling mistakes :)

And of course there is the issue of planning theft.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk so forgive spelling mistakes :)