Hi this is my first post but I feel I need some of your collective help. I've just received an email which goes as follows:
Hello,
I write to enquire if you are free to handle the job of a videographer on 25th September to 28th September (4 days).
Get back to me if you are free at the requested date and I will feed you with more information about this project, which will take place in your city.
Cheers.
Has anyone else received such an email, it also gives two phone numbers one of which he calls a Cell number rather than a mobile number suggesting to me it's origins are in the USA. Coming from rural Somerset I'm concerned that they want to film in my city. As I've only recently taken my first steps into the professional videographer arena I don't want to turn down work but I also don't want to open myself up to a possible scam.
Anyone have thoughts on this

I had one, looks like spam, undisclosed recipient's, strange English, also requesting a videographer as apposed a cameraperson,

Also as you have one and I have one and we are in different cities then it seems More like spam

I got one of these emails as well. I did reply (don't want to chance turning down work!) but the reply made it look even more of a scam and so I ignored. Has anyone else noticed the ungodly amound of spam you get from putting your email address on your site? it's beyond a joke! I get 2 or three emails a day from banks I have no account with saying that my account will be suspended unless I enter my online access details!

I'm pretty aware of the internet scams going on but feel for the peoiple that aren't!

There's a scam going on at the moment where camera-people are booked for a job abroad. A quote is given and you're supposed to arrange the hotels and flights. Not a problem because the "client" will pay in advance.
You get a cheque (or money transfer) which goes into your account and then an e-mail saying that the client can get a better deal on hotels and flights, so could you send some of the money back to him, which you do.

So, he sends you a cheque for £10k
The bank is obliged to provisionally clear the cheque within a few days, so it releases the funds into you account on the provisor that, if the cheque/transfer doesn't clear, that they get the money back. You, of course, only see that you now have an extra £10k in your account and start organising the job.

Since he's organising the hotels, flight, hire etc. etc. You transfer money back to him for £5k

Then nothing...

Then the bank informs you that his fees were a con and that his cheque/transfer was invalid and takes the full 10k out of your account.

Your £5k to him is long gone and it's up to you to try and get the money back from this non-existant firm.

There are a lot of nasty people out there.

Someone tried a similar scam on me.... I got the first email which read:

Greetings,
My name is Marlene Fitzgerald. I would be celebrating my wedding ceremony. I am emailing you for booking your service about and the wedding which will be held in the middle of 19th/July/2008. So i will want to know if you would be available for that day, and do let me know the exact cost you will charge me if you would render service for 6 hours from 9am - 3pm . I will be responsible for your tranport fee from your location to the main venue where the wedding will take place. So i will want you to give me a total cost for the service and trasport fee so we can arrange on payment.
Looking forward to read from you...
Best Regards.
Marlene


I obviously replied and got the following reply


Hello,

I do appreciate your response regarding my booking. I have told my husband about you and he is pleased.. my husband has agreed to issue out a Cheque of £2,800. So, all you have to do is deduct you money and then wiring the rest of the funds to the event planner through Western Union Money Transfer they are the one who would be planning for the event and handle all other arrangements too. These funds would be used for arranging the event and make necessary arrangements for the programm. Now, provide me the information which the Cheque would be sent to you.
Full Name:
Home Address:
city:
State:
Zipcode:
Country:
Home,cell,work phone numbers:

As soon as all these details have been provided Cheque would be issued out to you as soon as possible.
Hope you mail back soonest...

Best Regards.
Marlene


At which point I gathered someone was trying to rob me! It's a frigging mine field out there!!



So if anyone else gets an approach like this....BEWARE!

£358 for a wedding video??? You're working far too cheap!!!! Really!

__________________
I'm not young enough to know everything!

If it sounds too good to be true . . .

LOL that would be cheap! I gave them this price which is everything minus labour. Camera operator and editor charge go on top of this.

Your website has the price as £395 Shane . . . Not a huge difference! - Have you worked out your hourly rate for covering weddings at this price? You need to value your skills/depreciation/insurance/advertising and how many hours are spent producing the DVD.
If I was charging these prices, the cleaners rates at the local KFC would seem mighty appealing at times.

wow that is a low price, taking the above, on site for up to 10 hours and the edit, Copyright fees for the music, insurance, equipment hire, etc, it cost's me about £200 just to get out the door with the overheads and I work from home, Don't forget it is a stressful one take wonder day and if you get it wrong they could sue the pants of you, so be insured and have T&C

Having said all that and not having see your work it might be very, very basic package with little edition, I normally go out for about £300 / £350 for the day with gear for weddings

Always worth joining an association be it the IOV or APV for support and assistance, also try the DVDoctor forums, they have a lot of wedding videographers on them