Westfield Santa photo slammed as 'unprofessional' by mum
The family have vowed to not get their Santa photos done at the shopping centre again.
Getting a picture with Santa at the local Westfield shopping centre has become a tradition for many Aussie families, creating Christmas magic for those with young children. But one mum says she had such a negative experience this year she urged others to stay clear, saying it wasn't worth the "time or hassle".
The Brisbane family of five visited their local Westfield at North Lakes last week to get photos but after they positioned themselves and smiled beside Santa, they found the end result disappointing.
"This is their standard of professionalism... cut my husband's head off!" the mum of three wrote online, sharing one of her photos. "Apparently the photographer had their finger over the lens so they had to zoom in to remove it."
The image shows the mum and her children all seated while her partner stands to the side of the chair, with his eyes barely visible.
The mum complained and the family were able to re-sit the photos, but she said she had to go back again when she did not receive all the photos she ordered in the package. She received an apology and a free digital photo. However, when returning home and viewing the file online she recognised no one in the image — claiming the image was of another family.
"How unprofessional and a huge breach of the other person's privacy too," she wrote.
Aussies share mixed reactions to mum's rant
The image attracted plenty of attention with Aussies sharing their opinion, with the majority of people feeling the mum's pain, and admitting they had previously had a "disappointing" experience with Santa photos too.
"Mine are shocking too! So disappointed with the quality," one wrote, while another called the image "pathetic" and strongly advised a refund should be demanded, even though the family were able to re-sit the photos
Aussies warned about little-known 'syndrome' caused by Christmas trees
Telstra’s little-known Christmas surprise for kids stuns parents
However, others were less tolerant of the mum's rant, calling the issue a "first world problem" and believing the image wasn't as bad as being suggested.
"Why isn’t your husband sitting like the rest of you, instead of awkwardly standing at the back, they can only capture so much in such a little space," one wrote.
The cost of getting a picture of your family taken with Santa at Westfield North Lakes starts at $24.95 for two photos and increases depending on what package a customer decides on.
Yahoo News Australia reached out to Westfield who declined to comment on the matter.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
