Wedding Photographer’s Unexpected Amazon Purchase

A wedding photographer’s online purchase took an unexpected turn, leading her to regret her decision. Katie Hunt, a Greensboro, North Carolina-based photographer, has captured numerous weddings and developed a dependable routine with her team at KD Hunt Photography. Despite her extensive experience, Hunt encountered an unforeseen challenge while preparing for a wedding on September 10.

As is her usual practice, Hunt decided to order additional film rolls as a precaution. Although primarily a digital photographer, she purchased two five-packs of Portra 400 35-millimeter film from an Amazon seller with good reviews. However, upon arriving at the wedding venue, Hunt discovered an unsettling surprise in the film canisters.

“There were one or two gravel type rocks in every canister,” Hunt revealed.

Despite the shock, Hunt managed to photograph the couple’s special day without issue. She contacted Amazon, suspecting foul play. “I’ve been talking to Amazon directly,” Hunt explained. “We think someone purchased the item, removed the film, and replaced it with rocks before resealing it to look untampered.”

Amazon provided a full refund and expressed ongoing commitment to resolving the matter. Hunt also supplied images of the tampered canisters to assist in the investigation. Despite the incident, Hunt praised the helpfulness of Amazon’s customer service representative.

Fortunately, the film rolls were only intended for additional use by her second photographer. Hunt’s digital photography equipment allowed her to fulfill her obligations without issue. This experience has made her hesitant to purchase film through Amazon in the future.

“The film with the rocks was meant for my second photographer, so she didn’t have to use her own,” explained Hunt. “I had enough film to meet my commitments. I’m primarily hired for digital photography, with film as an extra option.”

Hunt has long been an Amazon customer, consistently receiving exactly what she ordered until this incident. She shared her experience in a viral TikTok video, garnering over 2.3 million views and 144,500 likes. The widespread interest prompted questions about the recording of her reaction.

“I have my assistant record behind-the-scenes footage during weddings,” Hunt shared. “This helps potential clients see my approach and personality, which often leads to bookings.”

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