Toronto photographer faces backlash after clients allege deposit ghosting over months

A Toronto photographer is facing backlash after multiple clients alleged they paid deposits for photoshoots that never happened and were unable to reach the business.

Toronto business owner Zorrina Govia shared her experience on TikTok after booking a July photoshoot two months in advance. Communication was rocky from the start: the promo offer she requested didn't initially appear, forcing her to rebook and request it in notes; when rescheduling was needed, she received no response until the morning of the shoot, when it was suddenly approved.

Govia said the address provided appeared to be a townhouse complex but came without a unit number. On the day of the shoot, she waited 30 minutes without response while the photographer remained active on Instagram. "I was just completely ghosted," Govia said. "I was scammed. My deposit."

She received no apology or accountability that day. Instead, she adapted — finding a self-portrait studio and using photographer friends — and didn't let the experience stop her from getting her photoshoot done. But she decided to post a warning video, giving the photographer courtesy notice beforehand. The photographer didn't reply to that either.

Only after her viral video and similar posts from other clients spread online did the business finally respond. Two days later, Govia received an email with an apology and her deposit refund. "I was like, 'Whoa! It took all that for you to finally respond and finally do an apology,'" she told us. The photographer has since issued a public statement but did not respond to requests for comment, and blocked the reporter's Instagram account.