Korean wedding studio’s S’pore outlet in limbo after staff say salaries unpaid, CASE seeking clarification on customers’ prepaid services
A Korean wedding photoshoot studio appears to have ceased operations after a notice pasted on its front door alleged that employees’ salaries had gone unpaid.
Its Taipei outlet reportedly went bankrupt and shuttered on Aug 10, just over a week before the notice appeared at its Singapore outlet.
A netizen shared a photo of the notice on the SingaporeRaw subreddit on Aug 18, which was pasted outside Artiz Studio Singapore, a photoshoot studio located along Bras Basah Road.
The notice alleged that the studio, a luxury Korean-style wedding photography brand founded in Busan, South Korea, had experienced internal operational issues.
“All employees have currently not received their outstanding salaries. At the same time, we have been unable to obtain any clear or formal response, update, or further arrangements from the company’s management,” the notice read.
The notice also informed customers that the company is “unable to confirm or guarantee” that scheduled services could proceed as planned, advising them to avoid visiting the studio.
It also extended an apology to customers for the inconvenience caused.
“As the company’s management has not yet provided us with any formal or clear response, until we receive further confirmation from the company, we are unable to provide customers with any unverified information, answers, or commitments.”
The Redditor who snapped a photo of the sign added: “There’s another notice on the door that their photo album supplier has some of the albums with them and is offering to give them back to the couples!”
The brand’s Instagram page and website remain accessible.
Based on Stomp’s checks, Korea Artiz Studio Pte Ltd can be found on Bizfile — Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA)’s digital service portal for businesses — indicating the business status as “live”.
More than $271,000 in prepayment losses: CASE
In response to Stomp’s queries, Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) confirmed it has received 66 complaints against Korea Artiz Studio Pte Ltd from Aug 14 to 18.
CASE president, Melvin Yong, said consumers reported that they had reached out to the business for fulfilment of contracted services or refund of their prepayments, but did not receive a response.
The complaints involved more than $271,000 in prepayment losses.
Yong said CASE has reached out to Artiz Studio to understand whether scheduled photography sessions and services will proceed as planned, and sought clarifications on the remedies that will be offered to affected consumers if the services cannot be fulfilled.
The association advises consumers to carefully review bridal and wedding photography packages before committing to a purchase, obtain written confirmation of key terms and deliverables, and retain all relevant documentation, including contracts and proof of payment.
Where appropriate, consumers are also advised to negotiate to split the contractual amount into smaller progressive payments to be paid at various stages of service delivery.
Affected consumers can approach CASE for assistance via its website or hotline: 6277 5100.
Taiwan outlet shutters in August
Artiz Studio’s Taipei outlet has reportedly gone bankrupt and shuttered on Aug 10, according to Taiwanese news outlet FTV. One bride-to-be told the media that she spent NTD140,000 (S$5,600), but the closure hit before she could receive her pre-wedding photos.
The news outlet also cited a “major restructuring” as a factor that contributed to the closure.
On Lifestyle app Lemon8, another netizen said on Aug 16 that they had paid a “full amount” to the studio’s Singapore outlet, but was shocked to realise that the Taipei outlet had been shuttered.
Despite attempts to contact the studio, the customer said they did not receive a response, and noticed that the sign had been put up when they visited the studio.
Stomp has reached out to Artiz Studio and Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for more information.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include a statement from CASE.
See something interesting? Contribute your story to us.
