Photo-machine rip-off
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Discussion

LotusOmega375D

Original Poster:

9,403 posts

183 months

Thursday 23rd February 2012
quotequote all
Just popped out to get a couple of photos done for a Visa application. I need the 50mm x 50mm ones. I was staggered to discover the price for this: 7 quid for 4 identical photos on 1 sheet of paper!

Needless to say they can shove it and I'll take and print them myself for peanuts.

In today's digital age, I can't see those machines being around for much longer at that sort of price level.

LilCat

1,613 posts

240 months

Thursday 23rd February 2012
quotequote all
LotusOmega375D said:
Just popped out to get a couple of photos done for a Visa application. I need the 50mm x 50mm ones. I was staggered to discover the price for this: 7 quid for 4 identical photos on 1 sheet of paper!

Needless to say they can shove it and I'll take and print them myself for peanuts.

In today's digital age, I can't see those machines being around for much longer at that sort of price level.
That is a rip off!
In Hong Kong I paid 10HKD (approx 90p) for a set.



RedWhiteMonkey

9,211 posts

212 months

Thursday 23rd February 2012
quotequote all
LilCat said:
LotusOmega375D said:
Just popped out to get a couple of photos done for a Visa application. I need the 50mm x 50mm ones. I was staggered to discover the price for this: 7 quid for 4 identical photos on 1 sheet of paper!

Needless to say they can shove it and I'll take and print them myself for peanuts.

In today's digital age, I can't see those machines being around for much longer at that sort of price level.
That is a rip off!
In Hong Kong I paid 10HKD (approx 90p) for a set.
Unfortunately I can't find a return flight from the UK to Hong Kong for £6.10. wink

Robatr0n

12,362 posts

246 months

Thursday 23rd February 2012
quotequote all
I think the point was that they can cost and should be bought for peanuts, not that he should fly to HK. wink

Deva Link

26,934 posts

275 months

Thursday 23rd February 2012
quotequote all
RedWhiteMonkey said:
Unfortunately I can't find a return flight from the UK to Hong Kong for £6.10. wink
They'll email them to you if you send a picture of yourself.

RedWhiteMonkey

9,211 posts

212 months

Thursday 23rd February 2012
quotequote all
Robatr0n said:
I think the point was that they can cost and should be bought for peanuts, not that he should fly to HK. wink


Robatr0n

12,362 posts

246 months

Thursday 23rd February 2012
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Yeah.....No.

No.

LuS1fer

43,544 posts

275 months

Friday 24th February 2012
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You can upload pics to a dedicated passport photo site on the net. I did this after 3 goes at trying to get booth photos of a crying 2 year old all of which were uselss and wasted £12 of my hard-earned....

AndyACB

12,698 posts

227 months

Friday 24th February 2012
quotequote all
LilCat said:
That is a rip off!
In Hong Kong I paid 10HKD (approx 90p) for a set.
Are they the ones that fade after a year meaning you need to get a new passport at £90??

90p? How the hell do they make a profit running a machine that does it for 90p.

Robatr0n

12,362 posts

246 months

Friday 24th February 2012
quotequote all
AndyACB said:
LilCat said:
That is a rip off!
In Hong Kong I paid 10HKD (approx 90p) for a set.
Are they the ones that fade after a year meaning you need to get a new passport at £90??

90p? How the hell do they make a profit running a machine that does it for 90p.
hehe

They're basically the same as the ones you get over here. Everything is just much cheaper there, breakfast for 30p was nice! lick

Incidentally LilCat can fly to Hong Kong, buy her Passport photos and then fly home for less than £7.

AndyACB

12,698 posts

227 months

Friday 24th February 2012
quotequote all
Robatr0n said:
hehe

They're basically the same as the ones you get over here. Everything is just much cheaper there, breakfast for 30p was nice! lick

Incidentally LilCat can fly to Hong Kong, buy her Passport photos and then fly home for less than £7.
Was breakfast a bowl of fresh crickets? lick

I'm coming over, quite fancy a new 911 - how much are they? biggrin

Robatr0n

12,362 posts

246 months

Friday 24th February 2012
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Well yeah, except cars. biglaugh

I'm not sure if it's true but I've heard that they basically pay 100% tax on cars. The amount of Phantoms, new Ferraris, Astons, etc.. was mind blowing.

There's obviously quite a few wealthy folk in HK!

Gareth79

9,125 posts

276 months

Saturday 25th February 2012
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All the photo machines I've used in recent years have had a display instead of a mirror, and a face outline that you line up with. You can take as many pictures as you like until you get one that is perfect, then print and send it off.

Interestingly in Sydney it's nearly always done by people in post offices and other places, I eventually looked at Photo-Me's website and found a booth (the digital sort even) in a shopping centre, but there were very very few at the time.

davepoth

29,395 posts

229 months

Saturday 25th February 2012
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I've given up with photo booths. There's a chemist shop in Bath where they take the photos by hand - and they guarantee that the photos will be right for passports and the like. If they get rejected they retake the photos for free.

Deva Link

26,934 posts

275 months

Saturday 25th February 2012
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Gareth79 said:
All the photo machines I've used in recent years have had a display instead of a mirror, and a face outline that you line up with. You can take as many pictures as you like until you get one that is perfect, then print and send it off.
"All" - How many photo machines have you used?

Gareth79 said:
Interestingly in Sydney it's nearly always done by people in post offices and other places, I eventually looked at Photo-Me's website and found a booth (the digital sort even) in a shopping centre, but there were very very few at the time.
Why couldn't you use the post office too? You've got some sort of photo-booth thing going on, haven't you? hehe