February 2010. I find an undeveloped roll of 127 vest pocket film in a Kodak Brownie Super 27 camera, in an antique store in Manchester, New Hampshire. I buy the camera, and am curious as to what’s on the roll of film.
After searching the Internet for a company that claims they can develop the vintage product, I discover that Rocky Mountain Film Lab in Aurora, Co. claims to be able to do it. I send them the roll and a money order for processing.
Three months later, someone alerts me that there are dozens – maybe hundreds – of customers who are waiting years for film that has not been developed. This concerns me. After further investigation, I discover that Rocky Mountain Film Lab is running through some serious “issues” involving the Internal Revenue Service.
Monday morning, June 21, 2010. I give Steven Dock a call. He says he can help me, but he has to go to the office, and to call back in half an hour.
I call back in half an hour. Dock answers, and says he has to go through the inventory, and if he finds my film, he’ll call me back and let me know what has happened to the film, whether it’s been developed or not, and what procedures I would need to take after that.
That was June 21, 2010. By this time I have found another orphaned roll of Kodacolor-X and have sent it to Film Rescue International. They’ve already alerted me that they’ve received it, and that it will be processed with the next batch of Kodacolor-X film on August 13.
Wow… customer service… amazing.
I tell this story to follow up with this one.
Another person who sent rolls to Rocky Mountain Film Lab is a man named Joseph Kidd. I got in touch with him. He told me his story.
“Yes, I sent a couple of rolls of 16mm film to RMFL in July 2008. According to the website, the services would be performed in 10 to 12 weeks. I called a couple of times at the 10 week mark through the end of the year. I could tell that I was getting the runaround. In circumstances such as these where you believe the business is not being truthful, you need to create a record of contacts you’ve had with employees. Proving the content of phone calls can be problematic, and sensing the need to document my contacts with RMFL, I began sending letters by FedEx and email. The correspondences started out simply requesting a status, but after RMFL failed to respond even to that simple request, I genuinely became worried that I would never see my film or my money again. So, I ratcheted up the urgency of my demands. I filed a complaint with the BBB. Of course, RMFL ignored that, too. In my last correspondence, I enclosed a copy of a lawsuit I intended to file if RMFL did not respond. RMFL did not respond and I followed through on my threat. By this point, I was in no mood to play games. I wrote letters for two years without a single response, not even as a courtesy. I became intent on making it clear to RMFL and Steven Dock that perhaps they would get away ignoring other customers, but I would make it a point to be un-ignorable.”
And to his credit, attorney Joseph Kidd has kept the pressure on Steven Dock.
“In preparation of my lawsuit, I began researching RMFL and stumbled upon a thread of RMFL customer complaints on Photo.net. There I shared my experiences and read and listened to the complaints of others. As a law school graduate who practiced law for most of my career, I could file lawsuits on my own and work the system, but I could see through the stories and venting of others that most other customers would have no choice but to be victims of RMFL’s bad business practices. It became important to me to stand up for those customers in my own way by keeping them informed. They deserved to know the truth about Dock and RMFL. Dock wasn’t going to tell them. So, I did.”
And it’s not like Joseph Kidd sent his film to Rocky Mountain Film Lab without doing due diligence. He did the same thing I did when I sent my roll of Kodacolor-X to Rocky Mountain Film Lab – Kidd did an internet search and found plenty of companies that referred RMFL to people who wanted to have their old film developed. A Google search will actually show Rocky Mountain Film Lab as a sponsored search destination for developing vintage film.
“In the course of my research into the RMFL business, I found that he gets a lot of referrals from other businesses,” said Kidd. “He has been in the business a long time and seems to have built a loyal network of referring businesses. I certainly hope that this network doesn’t send customers to Dock with knowledge of his bad business practices; that may constitute negligence on the part of the referring businesses. If I were one of those in Dock’s network, I would think twice about continuing to refer customers to RMFL. I would advise those businesses to scrub their websites of any link to RMFL. Otherwise, they run the risk of being sued themselves.”
Now here’s the kicker. Steven Dock, the owner of Rocky Mountain Film Lab, is trying to reorganize under bankruptcy, to the point where he can continue to operate his business. That can’t happen.
Joseph Kidd gave me the address and contact information of the bankruptcy trustee, with the specific goal that this information be published and publicized. There are people out there who have waited YEARS for their film to be developed and returned. Let this be the first step for them in hopefully getting their stuff back.
Anyone who has film that has been held hostage by Rocky Mountain Film Lab can contact the following bankruptcy trustee:
Sally Zeman
P.O. Box 1169
Denver, CO 80201
Ph: 303-830-1971
Now it’s up to you. Write a letter to Ms. Zeman and explain to her that you have film that has been, for all intents and purposes, held hostage with Rocky Mountain Film Lab. You want the film returned immediately. Be polite in your letter. Now you may be required to pay for shipping costs, but let the trustee know that you’re willing to pay reasonable shipping if it means getting your film returned in a safe and expeditious manner.
Don’t want to write? Then call Ms. Zeman at the phone number listed. You will be transferred to a person named Margaret, who is handling all the claims regarding Rocky Mountain Film Lab. Again, be polite. Explain who you are, what films you have, feel free to elaborate on what those film rolls might contain (the last photos of your grandparents, family reunions, etc.).
You may also want to contact the attorney handling Steven Dock’s bankruptcy.
Stuart J. Carr
2851 S. Parker Road, Suite 720
Aurora, CO 80014
(303) 369-1915
Fax: (303) 750-5544
stuartjcarr@hotmail.com
Send Mr. Carr a letter as well. Hey, feel free to carbon Mr. Carr with Ms. Zeman.
Don’t bother talking with Steven Dock any more. You’d have a more substantial conversation with a Brillo pad. You need to keep your communications open with Mr. Carr and Ms. Zeman.
My thanks to Joseph Kidd for providing this information.
Let me know if this works for you.
Chuck The Writer 
Did it work for you?
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Still in the process. It’s the step I’ve taken to try to get my film back without having to deal with Steven Dock.
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Steve Dock has moved from the previous address in aurora to 11801 E. 33rd Ave. Suite A , Aurora, CO 80010. He is telling people that the previous building was sold out from under him and he had to move.
He is also working with a previous employee of the RMFL who has move to New Jersey as he is running from paying off his loans with the banks, several, and credit union, GE financial, Robert Ralph Snyder of. Fair Lawn NJ. Colorado wants Mr. Bob Snyder for writing bad checks (insufficient funds in the hundreds of dollars) to creditors. He is an employee of CVS drug stores in the NJ. Working as an assistant manager and film tech.
I know of him personally and he is as smooth as the come but a con artist with an arrogant and indignant streak just like Steve Dock. Both Bob and Steve are fast friends and have screwed everyone they meet. Use caution. Slippery slimy cusses they are.
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Hi everyone who reads this. Steve Dock bankruptcy hearing for creditors is Aug 31, 2010 at Custom House, 19th/California street, Denver Colorado @ 2pm. The Trustee cannot guatrantee you’ll have time to question Dock but she wants all to come who want to be seen and heard. Lets send him a message that ‘we the people’ won’t tolerate being swindled. Put him and his kind out of business permanently!!
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Reference Steve Dock’s partner Robert Snyder – here is another slippery individual. He has been “working on” some 8mm film transfer to video for me since Nov. 2009 – doesn’t return calls, in box is full, phone now disconnected. Much of the equipment Steve Dock owned is now in NJ with Snyder. Snyder has a house in Denver but now lives with his mother in Fairlawn, NJ.
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I was told by “Margaret” at Sally Zeman’s office TODAY(12/6/2010) that Mr. Dock is still functioning and trying to reorganize. More importantly…she said that she could not help me get my film back. She said that I should contact Mr. Dock’s attorney, Stuart Carr, to see what he can do.
I sent RMFL two rolls of film in October 2009.
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I just sent Mr. Carr an e-mail regarding my experience with RMFL. We’ll see how this works out and I’ll re-post with any results (good, bad, or indifferent)
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I got the phone run around for 5 years now only to find out this has been going on. Didn’t bother calling during the last year or so because I was atold that they are waiting on a gear to be made to fix the machine. They would not send me back my film even though I prepaid return shipping! I will notify those who are dealing with this scum when I have time. Thanks to those who are keeping pressure on this dirtbag.
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I had had film processed by RMFL prior to sending 8 discs on July 5, 2007. I thought all was lost two years after the ‘allow six months’ for processing had expired. I received my prints today, with most of them on also on an included CD. I honestly don’t know how to feel…
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Does anyone have other news on this story? I sent one roll of film in August, 2009. I have contacted RMFL, and as others have said, have not received a reply. I sent out another contact today. Seem a bit hopeless though.
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I sent this company out a super 8 roll of old 160 stock to dev. for me back in 2008. I called them in 2009 and they said that the still had my film and things were backed up. Got the same in 2010 when I called and its now 2011 and come to find out they are running into serious “issues” involving the Internal Revenue Service. I wonder now if I will ever see my film dev. or undev. back. Shame you just cant trust anyone now a days. Stay clear ANYONE whos is reading this from sending in your film to Rocky Mountain Film Lab in Aurora, Co. They will scam you!!!
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Any word on how to contact this operation. I sent them my film over 5 years ago. Now find out most were burned but sed says they got theres??? How do I call them?
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This is a sad story. I had dropped off film with them years ago and got it back after about a month. So my experience was good. However that was around 2004 or 2005, all these complaints seem more recent. I guess it’s not worth speculating about what happened, but it is pretty sad either way.
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