CVS - stupid employee or stupid store?

[radhak]

My printer crashed and I am waiting to buy a replacement. In the meanwhile I needed some passport photographs. Instead of paying usurious rates at the store, I decided to take pics at home, arrange a couple within the size of 4 x 6 with intention of printing at CVS.

So while rest of the process went okay, when I went to get it printed, I hit a roadblock at the local CVS. I chose the 'instant print' option instead of the 1 hour print. This option needs the store clerk to enter a password. Before doing that, she saw the pics, asked if these were 'passport pictures'. Unaware of the pitfalls, I said yes. Immediately she says - 'we cannot print them. against the law' and points to a printed notice.

Said notice mentions 'passports cannot be copied', nothing about pictures. Of course that small distinction does not matter to the lady. I call for the manager, who only repeats that same position. Somewhere there I overhear one telling the other 'we create these for $7.99, how can we print them out for 20cents?'.

So I could nothing else but stomp out of there with full intention of complaining to CVS. But ya think it'd do any good? Is this just an overzealous employee, or a real policy?

[ragswl4]

Its the same as the Verizon nonsense .002 cents is the same as .002 dollars. Rainforest math and self esteem awareness, that's our education system today. Reading, writing and arithmetic is old fashioned and boring.

I doubt you will get any satisfaction by complaining to CVS.

[LCHIEN]

so they actually set up the photo and take them with their camera equipment for 7.79 and then print them for .20 but that's a fine distinction.

Next time go to a diff store and if they ask, say that "no, these are not from a passport".

You have to learn from your mistakes.

The only way to beat fools is to outwit them.

[Ed62]

Copying a passport is not the same thing as printing a passport photo. It might not do any good, but I'd complain anyhow.

Ed

[ed2kayak]

Customer Servive

I didn't work for CVS, but did manage a large national chain pharmacy. They were customer service orientated. I always heard about customer complaints, reasonable or otherwise. Call phone number below ,ask for district managers office. At the very least, they can clarify the policy. If its no passport photos, and you said it was for a passport, I don't see what your complaining about.
This is the contact #

For issues regarding CVS/pharmacy stores, ExtraCare® or other store programs, call (800) SHOP-CVS (746-7287), Monday through Friday, 8:30am-10:00 pm ET.

[radhak]

yeah, i realize i put my foot in my mouth by acknowledging the pics were for passport. should have said no.

the notice clearly says 'not allowed to print passports' (makes sense for their idea of security), but not 'passport pics' - hence my initial thought they were being stupid. remember, these were my own pics from my camera, not from my existing passport. funnily, the store manager, in a weak attempt to give me 'reasons' tells me that she was "convinced that these pics were from a professional source and hence not printable". i actually laughed at that and asked her if it was okay for me to get my camera and print it directly...

but after searchign the net am no longer sure - this guy has had similar experience and this guy tells its a conspiracy...

but still, thanks for the cvs numbers, i shall definitely give it a go. at the same time i am gonna go to walmart tomorrow - they allow me to put in the order for the pics with no manual intervention except for the payment, which makes it easy for everybody involved.

of course CVS loses me as a customer now on...

[leehljp]

I have done my own photos. I have on hand real "digital photo" paper that my printers use and it is impossible to tell the difference in a Professional versus my own, unless you look for a digital watermark. Of course both printers uses 8 color cartridges, so they print beautifully.

I also copy my passport, passport stamped visa and entry/departure dates from time to time as a required necessity for some governmental requests, and I am not a government worker. There are some legal procedures that require copying some pages in some instances for resident foreigners.

[docrowan]

I've always made a photocopy of the front page of my passport, laminated it, and kept it separate from my original passport. I read somewhere it would be very helpful in case my passport was lost or stolen. I can't remember where I found that, but it seems to me I read it in several different places. Of course, it was clearly a black and white copy that just recorded the information, with no intent to deceive or create a counterfeit passport.

I agree with you, radhak, I believe the policy was misinterpreted by the employees. I also agree with Loring, whenever I run into illogic I just do an end run around the problem. I've got better things to do than work as an unpaid customer service consultant.

[whitecobra]

I am not sure I understand the issue here but I just asked my mom who manages a Walgreen's here in Orlando

She says that if the photo is going to be used FOR a passport it has to be a photo NOT a copy of a photo (meanign taken with a camera not copied from a photo taken with a camera)

Now maybe I misunderstood the issue here but I THINK the store was trying to prevent you from getting a passport rejection for having a photo rejected due to it being a copy

She says passport photos need to be taken with a special background and actually exposed not copied from another photo that could be "manipulated"
I suspect this comes from the old days before digital cameras etc...

I agree though contact CVS and atleast get clarification
Dr D

[prlundberg]

When I got my passport a few years back, I recall having to get an official picture taken somewhere that was authorized to do so.

But I don't remember the entire process that well.

Phil

[Kristofor]

When I obtained my passport last year for a trip to the Caribean I took the picture myself and printed it on a color printer with no problems.

From the state department passport photo FAQ: http://travel.state.gov/passport/guide/faq/faq_881.html

Are photos that are copied from recent driver licenses or other official documents acceptable?
No, only original photographs are acceptable. Copied or digitally scanned photos of photos will not be accepted. In addition, photos must not be retouched to alter the customer''s appearance in any way.

I think this is what was confusing the 3-ring-binder worshipers at the CVS. The government doesn't want 4th generation blurry copies of your drivers license picture.

May photos be taken with a digital camera?
If the digital camera has sufficient resolution — capable of capturing and storing images with 1 million pixels (megapixels) or more — it can be used to take the photos. However, printing of digital images is best done by professional photography processing labs because many off-the-shelf digital printers cannot achieve the image-quality required for passport and visa photographs. In any case, the image-quality criteria, described on this website, must be met in the submitted conventional film photo and/or the digital image printed photo.


Here, and at other places on their website they say to knock yourself out making your own pictures as long as you meet the criteria (light background, full frontal face pic, 2"x2" square, no hats, no sunglasses, etc.)

http://travel.state.gov/passport/gui...gital_880.html

[whitecobra]

I think the part that says "only original photographs are acceptable. Copied or digitally scanned photos of photos will not be accepted" is the key

As I read it what was trying to be done was what they don't want to do

If you had an original photo taken at the store they can make 12 dozen copies of it but they can't make a copy of what you have already

Not sure I guess it is an issue they just don't want to add to the difficulties with the already mounting hassles of obtaining a passport today

I have friends who have waited for 6 weeks already and no passport in sight

Could you imagine waiting 6+ weeks only to find out that the photo was rejected???

Then the thread would read "CVS idiots ruined my vacation"

Dr D

[LarryG]

I think the part that says "only original photographs are acceptable. Copied or digitally scanned photos of photos will not be accepted" is the key

The way I read it, he had a digital picture file (or files) that he wanted to print, either on a CD or on a memory card/stick. They weren't copies, they weren't scans ... they were digital "originals" of which he wanted to make first-generation prints.

If that was indeed the case, and if the pictures were taken with a one megapixel-or-better camera, the store employee was over-reacting. But, as has been mentioned, it would've been like trying to fight city hall.

[docrowan]

The comptroller for a company I used to work for had moved from Texas and hadn't bothered to get his driver's license changed. It eventually expired and he still didn't bother, but still used it as a form of ID.

He had to run the deposit for our company and he took it to the same bank and same teller almost every week. After the license expired, the teller noticed it and refused to take the deposit without alternate ID. Don managed to fish something up that satisfied her, but ran into the same problem the next week. Finally he told her "Look, think about why you're asking for ID. I'm making a deposit and you want to be sure I'm authorized to do so. The driver's license proves I'm really who I say I am, why do you care whether I'm legal to drive or not?" The teller looked at him in surprise.

Many folks don't really think about the purpose for the rule, much less have it explained to them by their employer.

[JR]

Many folks don't really think about the purpose for the rule, much less have it explained to them by their employer.

At one time I had a passport, but no driver's license. The teller at my bank had to check with her supervisor whether a passport was sufficient ID to cash my payroll check!

JR