SCAM ALERT™ EXTRA!!!
THE
TRUTH ABOUT ONLINE MODELING & TALENT AGENCIES, AND THEIR AFFILIATE PROGRAMS
More on online modeling and talent agencies, and their "affiliate" programs.
Q:
I sent my resume
around the internet via Monster and got a hook from a company in Florida.
Not unlike a hungry fish, I took the bait and, after paying them $500.00, I
am now an Affiliate, meaning I am a sales person who signs pre-qualified
leads up for a $50 fee and $20 per month. There's no yearly contract, so, I
was thinking I'm not putting anyone out of much money if it doesn't work for
them; and the company has been very nice, diligent with their training, and
straightforward as far as I can tell.
AFTER THE FACT I read on your website - MusicBizAdvice.com - the following:
"FACT: People at casting agencies, modeling agencies, and talent agencies
see enough potential models in person and receive enough photos through
other means that searching online for "new faces" is unnecessary."
"FACT: Good casting directors, modeling agents, and talent agents are too
busy to spend hours online trolling for photos of 'new faces'."
Ya reckon I've allowed myself to screw myself?
I was under the impression that as new faces are always "needed" and as the
internet does allow for potential "talent" to be looked at by potential
employers, it's a good thing, and not exploitive.
Do you know anything about this company? And are you POSITIVE that on-line
talent search agencies are unnecessary and thus all just a great deal of
hype?
Thanks,
L.
A. In the past month we've been bombarded by questions about this company.
The simple answer to your question can be found at the modeling scam
website. If you read the aliases for questions about companies similar to
[this Florida-based company], you'll notice a familiar company name and
story:
http://www.easybackgroundcheck.com.
According to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation
Board of Talent Agencies
http://www.filminflorida.com/ela/tma.asp this company is acting
illegally. As posted on the Department of Business and Professional
Regulation Board of Talent Agencies website, in Florida, "By law, Talent
agencies are NOT allowed to charge a registration fee! No talent agency
shall, as a condition to obtaining employment for any artist, require the
artist to subscribe to, purchase, or attend any publication, postcard
service, advertisement, resume service, photography service, school, acting
school, workshop, acting workshop, or video or audiotapes!" This company is
breaking the law by charging upfront for their services, and depending on
Florida state law, if you work for them as an affiliate, you could be
charged as an accessory to the crime.
Unfortunately, I'm sorry to tell you that I'm absolutely positive legitimate
talent agencies don't work this way. I know this because I used to work for
one of the biggest legitimate agencies and have worked for smaller firms as
well. (See my bio if you like, in About Us and Press
Room.) Neither large, nor small agencies work this way. No
legitimate producer in L.A. is going to spend airfare and hotel to fly in an
unknown, inexperienced, non-union talent for an audition. There's plenty of
talent to audition that's already where the producers are.
Agents are far too busy phoning managers, casting directors, producers, and
others in their personal contact lists to look for "talent" on the Internet.
While it's true that agents are always looking for new faces, they don't use
Internet casting agencies. I've never known anyone who's looked for--much
less found--new talent this way. Agents get plenty of headshots, resumes,
and referrals through their own contacts (and even by meeting hopefuls
around town at parties, through friends of friends, etc.). (Note: There are
legitimate casting directors who may have privately-accessible listings of
actors, but that's a completely different type of company from what
we're discussing here...and only a select few, well-respected casting
agencies are utilized throughout the industry.)
If you read the Backstage Spotlight interview we did with Scott Pang, a
talent agent for one of the largest legitimate agencies, International
Creative Management (ICM), you'll find that nothing in that interview even
remotely resembles how the fake so-called "agencies" work.
Finally, you'll notice that many of these so-called "agencies" are based in
Florida. That's because laws in entertainment centers like California, New
York, and Nashville are more stringently enforced and because low business
and personal taxes in Florida make operating costs low there and make that
state more attractive to fly-by-night companies, who may find it easier to
fly under the radar there. (By the way, in California, New York, Nashville,
and many other cities and states, a licensed talent agenct is the only one
who can legally negotiate an employment contract for an artist, actor,
musician, or model.)
As to your own employment: 1. Never pay someone to be your employer. This
isn't how agents or "talent scouts" get hired in the entertainment industry.
2. An agency's client roster is worth millions upon millions of dollars. No
legitimate agency is going to trust just anyone with that.
As for clients...that $50 fee and $20 per month would be much better spent
in other ways. The Ford modeling agency accepts photos from prospective
models at no charge to the potential model--as do most other legitimate
modeling agencies. While perhaps not to you, $20 per month is a lot for an
artist, because they have so many extra expenses in addition to the normal
living expenses other people have...The yearly cost of this company would be
approximately equivalent to either: one printing of headshots (not including
photography, developing, and proofs), one printing of business cards, half
the tuition for an acting workshop, a portion of the subscription cost to
Billboard magazine, or the basic monthly cell phone fee for six months. From
many cities, it's also the equivalent of one round trip plane ticket to L.A.
I know this place looks good, and that it's hard to believe it's a scam. If
it didn't look legitimate, no one would fall for it and it wouldn't be a
successful scam. It's up to you, but even if it weren't illegal, I'd have a
serious problem recruiting people to sign up for something that I knew would
never get them work.
Thanks again for your letter, and for allowing us to print your story...It
will help a lot of people.
Kind regards,
Randi Reed
Editor-in-Chief /
Founder
MusicBizAdvice.com
Follow up for our readers: You'll be happy to know this person felt
uncomfortable giving potential recruits the sales pitch, did not recruit
anyone, and is in the process of working to get his money back from this
company.
Q. I signed up to be an affiliate with [company in Florida], then saw the
ScamAlert about online modeling and talent agencies. How do I get my $500.00
back?
A. Contact the company, by mail and e-mail to ask for your money
back. Send the hard copy of your communication as a registered letter,
return receipt requested. Tell them you learned that under Florida state
law, it is illegal to charge up front fees for their services, and that you
do not want to be a part of it. Tell them if they do not refund your money
in US funds via cashier's check within 10 business days, you will contact
the Florida State Attorney General and Attorney general in the state where
you reside. If they do not send it within the specified period,
contact all the following people: the Florida State Attorney General,
the Attorney General in the state where you live, the Better Business Bureau
in both states, Monster.com, and
Easybackgroundcheck.com.
(Just FYI, I'd contact them anyway if I were you to try to kill the scam.
Many law enforcement agencies already have investigations open, so your
letter may provide helpful evidence.)
A few important
points:
Do not give them your bank account number or credit card number if
the request it in order to refund your money. Insist on a cashier's check in
US funds instead. (They may say that the only way you can receive your money
is for them to wire it into your bank account or Visa. Don't fall for this
scam). Keep copies of all your correspondence--email and hard copies, as
well as the post office receipts. If they phone you, get the person's name
and take detailed notes of the conversation...or tell them you're recording
the phone conversation for your records, and do it. Then send a registered
letter reiterating the conversation, return receipt requested. ("Per my
telephone conversation with ________ on [Date], I understand that within the
next ten business days, you will refund my affiliate fee in the form of a
cashier's check payable to me at [address] in the amount of
$________US.")
Good luck!
For more on online modeling & talent agencies, checkout:
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question about the music business? Send it to
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subject line. Questions of a general nature will be answered as space allows.
Answers in the MBADC Q&A are to be taken as general advice only and are not intended
as a substitute for legal advice from a competent entertainment or intellectual property
rights attorney.
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