My photo order was delayed amid the pandemic. These steps helped track it down

Corrections & clarifications: This article has been updated to include relevant timing. The photos Troy Nicholas was seeking were taken in February 2020 and sent to him in July 2020.

Troy Nicholas wrote to me last year amid the coronavirus pandemic to express his dismay and ask for help in tracking down JCPenney Portrait studio photos that had been missing for four months. They were taken at the end of February, just before pandemic lockdowns began.

I helped him track down the photos using tactics any consumer can use in situations where a product hasn't been delivered, regardless of the reason it's been delayed.

Question: My family had pictures taken of our toddler granddaughter at a JCPenney Portraits studio (in February 2020). We paid for our photos, and an associate told us that they would be ready in two weeks.

That was four months ago. Since then, we have not received our photos or any information regarding our service.

I understand that the pandemic would cause some problems. But the lack of service we have received is unsatisfactory. We have attempted to call the store and JCPenney 800 numbers numerous times throughout the past four months without success.

Our JCPenney store has been opened up for a while now, and we still have not received the pictures. My wife and I have stopped inside the store several times and have found the studio still closed, and more importantly, no one in the JCPenney store can provide answers.

It is time to make things right. Undoubtedly, the pictures are probably sitting around at this property. Can you help us get our photos?

– Troy Nicholas, Knoxville, Tennessee

Answer:

These are important memories, and the lengthy delay – even amid the pandemic – was unacceptable.

How long should it typically take to get photos from JCPenney? According to its website, the typical wait time is two to three weeks. Some specialty products may take longer.

I saw that you had gone through all the proper steps to resolving this problem.

First, you contacted JCPenney at the local level. You also visited the store.

Maybe an appeal would do the trick? I supplied you with the names, numbers and email addresses of JCPenney customer service executives. They didn't respond, unfortunately.

You had two options at that point. Call it a loss, ask for a full refund and then visit another photographer with your granddaughter. Or you could wait.

But you really wanted your photos, and I don't blame you. Some photos you can't retake. So I contacted JCPenney on your behalf.

Five months after your session, in July of last year, the company reprinted your photos and sent them to you.

What can I do? Home Depot canceled my refrigerator order and wants an extra $700

Can I get a refund? Sam's Club Groupon if the terms aren't what I thought

Christopher Elliott is the chief advocacy officer for Elliott Advocacy. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help with any consumer problem by contacting him at http://www.elliott.org/help.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: JCPenney photos were delayed amid pandemic: How to resolve the issue