A Los Angeles camera repair shop is facing criticism similar to that directed at a New York business after a woman alleged that her family heirloom was damaged and its parts were switched.
Kai George, a photographer, brought her grandmother’s vintage 1960s Rolleiflex to Walter’s Camera Video and Digital Repair in Los Angeles for restoration.
But George claimed the store swapped some of her camera’s parts for damaged ones and did more than just replace the mirror and lubricate its parts, in now-viral TikToks.
“I was excited to learn it and to have a piece of her,” George told ABC 7.
She agreed to pay $450 for the mirror to be replaced, along with a CLA service—short for clean, lubricate and adjust.
When the professional photographer returned to collect the camera, she became involved in a heated exchange with a worker and recorded the confrontation for TikTok.
“I am literally so pissed off… I genuinely feel like he swapped out my parts,” George said in the video.
George pointed to fresh dents, unfamiliar components and other changes. The worker said the camera required more work than he had initially expected, but George maintained that they had only discussed replacing the mirror.
Photographer Kai George alleged that Walter’s Camera Video and Digital Repair in Los Angeles replaced parts of her vintage Rolleiflex after she brought it in for restoration
The Rolleiflex was returned with a different serial number, dents and scratches. Pictured is the camera before it was taken to the shop
George said the 1960s camera belonged to her grandmother and made her feel connected to her
She also noticed that the camera’s serial number no longer matched the original.
“You’re not going to sit here and tell me it’s the same camera and try to gaslight me when you literally can see that there are different parts on that camera,” she told the worker in the video. “I’m just so upset because it was an heirloom.”
George left the store without taking the camera and did not pay for the work.
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The photographer returned to the shop on Tuesday to retrieve the heirloom. During that visit, she said it appeared the original components had been put back in place.
Although she was not charged, George told the outlet that she does not consider the issue fully resolved.
She has since taken the valuable camera to another repair shop for an independent evaluation, she told ABC 7.
When ABC 7 sought comment, the shop directed the outlet to a now-deleted Instagram post from the employee. “My inspection indicated that some plates and components had been mixed up… I have worked to restore the camera and its components,” the post said.
“I should have listened more carefully when she first raised her concerns. I am sorry that my initial response made her feel dismissed,” the employee added.
The dispute echoes an incident involving Kelly Clarkson, who was trying to buy a singing bird in Brooklyn, New York
Clarkson said employees treated her as though she could not afford the $15,000 bird. After she complained online, her fans targeted the store
George’s videos have raked in millions of views, and some of her followers have begun leaving bad reviews toward the shop online.
The debacle comes after singer Kelly Clarkson got into a row with a Brooklyn shop over a $15,000 singing bird.
The Daily Mail has reached out to George and the repair shop for comment.
Clarkson claimed a member of staff at the high-end shop treated her as though she was unable to afford their products in a moment she said was reminiscent of a famous scene from Pretty Woman.
The star had originally shared online that she ‘drove all the way to Brooklyn’ to visit the store and ‘had a few things in mind to buy.’
Similarly to George, fans turned out in droves to reply with supportive comments, while targeting the shop in the comments section of its social media accounts.