Choice issued a limited apology on the AIPP facebook page:
Quote:
CHOICE Thank you for your post, CHOICE recognises that comments made on the Morning Show on 23 September have upset some wedding photographers, and we would like to apologise.
We accept that not mentioning that your event is a wedding to your photographer is not appropriate advice. Better options are to shop around and also to look for recommended providers through friends.
Thank you for drawing our attending to the photographic industry ethical code. We are not taking issue with photographers who put in more time and effort getting paid more for the service they provide. However, we believe consumers shouldn't be charged a premium for a like-for-like service simply because they mention the word "wedding”. We have serious concerns over the “wedding” mark-up being applied across a range of industries.
I believe they are just trying to appease those who complained the most, they have not redressed the issue with the consumers who saw it on The Morning Show, in any way. Tell the photographers they are sorry, but let the consumers who watch The Morning Show and the original segment, continue on believing it is OK to lie to photographers when conducting a business negotiation. I doubt many who saw the original segment are members of the AIPP facebook page, and thus they have no reason to believe the original advice by Choice spokesperson, Tom Godfrey, is anything other than good advice.