Dear Getty Images,

I received a letter dated 21 January 2016 from your offices in Ireland regarding the use of Rights Managed (RM) imagery represented by Getty Images being displayed on my website.

To confirm I have removed the image but retained a copy of the blog post in its original version to which you refer in your letter for reference purposes.

The image in question appears to be the background imagery to a banner advert displayed on the Travelscope website which my blog post is about. I obtained the banner advert simply by ‘screengrabbing’ the online Travelscope banner advert.

However, I would like to confirm that my blog site stuart-hall.com is a non-profit undertaking, and any imagery used on the site is not intended for commercial use.

To reiterate the use of the imagery was accidental, and was not intended for, nor never has been used for any commercial purposes.

While not central to the purpose of this response may I ask in a professional and supportive fashion if Travelscope has paid the photographer for the use of the RM imagery in their banner advert?

I look forward to your considered response.

Regards,

Stuart G. Hall

Letter writing note: if you get a ‘Getty letter’, here’s some thought  out advice on what to include in your letter. Plus a full letter template here.

Dear John,

I today received a prompt and well-written reply to my earlier letters from your Marketing Director, Peter Duffy who addressed all my concerns. A copy thereof is enclosed.

Thank you for interceding on my behalf. Minnow asserts that ‘Customer Services’ is no longer an important part of business but I beg to differ ! Lufthansa, for example, run an excellent department – I do hope you can ‘up the game’ of your own team and wish you well in your years to come at easyJet.

Yours ever,

Jamie Summers

Reply from easyJet Marketing Director Peter Duffy, 16 July 2013:

Dear Mr Barton,

I wrote to the ‘Customer Services’ department of your airline almost three weeks ago and have not received a response to my serious questions let alone the courtesy of any sort of reply.  This I find contemptible.

Back in April / May 2010 I had a most unsatisfactory experience with the same department in trying to claim a refund, that time by email, for overcharging me for baggage. Indeed I never received the eventual cursory £8 refund offered. Matters appear not to have improved a jot.

Admittedly, you were not in charge at that time. However, I would ask you now to investigate why I have had no answer to my letter of 4th inst.  Should they claim never to have received this, I will be happy to furnish you with a copy thereof.

I gather that you are a member of Sunningdale and the R&A – we share a mutual friend in Minnow Powell. A few days ago you purchased over £89,000 worth of shares in your company. I trust your confidence in the performance of the airline is not misplaced because to be honest, your customer services are a disgrace.

Yours faithfully,

A.J.P.( Jamie )Summers

Reply from John Barton, 22 July 2013:

Dear Mr Barton,

Forgive me writing to you at your home address but I appear to be getting nowhere by writing to Hangar 89 at Luton Airport. My first effort was sent to ‘Customer Services’ on the 4th June, my second ( on rather fetching orange notepaper ) was addressed to you direct on the 24th June – they are both attached. These were serious issues that I was addressing  –  to have them completely ignored is just outrageous, and very poor manners indeed.

Please give these letters your attention. I would prefer a written response but I suppose you could send me an email.

I gave up my membership at Sunningdale when they doubled the subscription to £60 a year and put Brut deodorant in the changing rooms. Swinley is now where I play most of my rubbish golf but I have been a member down at Sandwich for 41 years.

Awaiting your response to the terrorist peril at Luton and to easyJet’s data protection policy,

Yours sincerely,

Jamie Summers

Dear Sirs,

I recently travelled to Tel Aviv with your airline and must say that the facilities provided, or not provided really, at Luton Airport fell short of any other UK airport to my knowledge. Signage was very poor, the flight was ‘called’ much too early and there was no seating, shopping opportunities or even toilets at the departure gate causing discomfort for the many passengers.

One understands Luton is a hot-bed of Islamic fundamentalism and yet security at your airport appeared woeful – nobody was required to remove their footwear for inspection, for example. Those ‘bleeping’ portals proved too narrow for wheelchairs to pass through and three users were then brusquely frisked after hand-held gizmos indicated they might have concealed weaponry about their persons. Honestly, they were three white British middle-aged ladies – terrorists ? The whole security / passport checking area was under-staffed and outdated.

On my return six days later the plane landed at about 11.30p.m. and we waited on the tarmac for 20 minutes ( I do not exaggerate ) for two sets of tired old steps to be pushed up to the aircraft doors. Were Luton not expecting any traffic at this time of night ? Does the Tel Aviv flight rarely make its final destination ?

To add insult to incompetence, our baggage then took a further thirty minutes to arrive – gosh, it must have been so busy mustn’t it ; buzzing with planes at this time of night ! Once again there was nowhere to sit – not a single chair in the baggage collection carousel area.

My main gripe with your airline, however, is your cavalier attitude to the use of personal information. I have recently been receiving nuisance calls and texts on my mobile phone and I suspect you are the reason. Stupidly, I gave you my number on the on-line form when booking my ticket ( reference : ELBQ5C6 ) – I am pretty certain there was no box to tick to avoid this number being passed to other companies. You may be in breach of data protection law.

Please remove my details at once from your database or I shall be taking further action.

I very much doubt that I will be flying from Luton Airport ever again, unless it improves its performance significantly,

Yours sincerely,

Mr A.J.P.Summers