RE: Complaint against Industry Modeling & Talent Studios
We were at Six Flags, using our season passes, as we were leaving for the day near the exit. My daughter and a friend (both girls, 11 years old) were approached by a young woman approximately 20-25, she was telling them that “they had a great look and could be models or actors” and she said “she scouted for Six Flags and other big companies”.
She would not give up until the girls gave her their cell numbers and then she gave them a business card. They called a day later on my cell, I did not answer. These people made too many phone calls that I ignored because, I didn’t know the number, I can not count the numbers of calls that they made; I just continued to ignore them until one day my daughter answered the phone she said, “ Mommy please talk to these people it is my future I really, really want to go. I talked to them they told me that the only day I could see them with an appointment was on next day otherwise I have to wait for long time because they had too many people. I said its ok I will give you a call, I hung up and I didn’t call, they call later that night again, but my husband answered my cell phone. He answered, “There’s some company asking to speak to my daughter said they scouted her for Six Flags and wanted to make an appointment to discuss modeling”. They set an appointment for the next Saturday.
When we went to that place we filled out a simple application, then we were call to a room with a women who ignored my husband and I the whole time she was talking to my daughter all the time how beautiful she was and how easy it was going to be in Disney and how people who have been trying out too twenty years never became famous because we work with over 200 casting directors, personal acting and modeling agents that represent and make people famous. Working with us will make it easy to get famous. But only for a few dollars for photos, marketing and exposure we make it that easy. You first need a Head Shot Photo, with a Bio, and Composite Cards that our marketing team will send out to agents. She even asked my daughter, ” who was her favorite artist and she said, don’t tell me it is Justin Bieber”? My daughter said, ”how did you know it was him?”, the women answered “we know you will have the opportunity to meet him and to spend time with him”. Then she explained to my husband and I what was that we have to do. It is very simple she shows us various photo books still talking the fee is the cost of the Photo Shoot and the best thing is that the marketing team and showing the cards are free. The pictures packages and how much they cost ranged between $800.00 up to $5000.00 based on how many shots. She was showing us picture and we decided one 4 different poses for pictures for $1175. Then the big secret is that, “we will do everything else; you guys don’t have to pay another penny”, “Industry will do everything “ she asked, “Now lets put Industry behind her you know it’s all for her”. My daughter said, ”Please mommy it’s for photos and everything”. She then asked me which credit card then held her hand out for my credit card and run it then after she run my credit card she said, “ I will give you a give for two hundred dollars more we are going to give you 48 more photos totaling 96 shots ”. She had the credit card and she ran it again. Then she told me initial here and here for permission for the photo shots but she was covering the paper with so many other papers and then I signed for the permission to market and present her pictures to all their affiliates casting, modeling agents. Then the women said, “Your in luck we have an appointment for next Saturday to take the pictures”. Then we said, “we have to look at our schedule and she said everything is set for you we can’t change the appointments we have to pay the photographers too much money there is no second chances over here you have to do it this way, I told you that”. When we came home we started to do some research about these people and when we found a lot about the ugly things that approximately 200 people had to say about them we got to the copy of the contract, that she “conveniently” stapled shut before we left her office. These copies and reverse sided copies of yellow paper showed that the women had misled, misrepresented, coercion, and used every type of exploitation just for the money. We found out that we didn’t own any thing not pictures, no negatives. Industry says we don’t even have the right to cancel the contract.
We didn’t have any rights not even to have our daughter pictures, I got so scared, I had a strange feeling that these people are doing some kind of child exploitation or even worst. So I wrote them a letter that I fax with in the three business days that the law permits. One copy of the cancellation notice to shoot the photos mailed via regular mail and one mailed certified copy, return receipt requested. I did that on Tuesday 20 July 2010 and then on the 21 Wednesday 2010 when day all this happened on Saturday July 17, 2010. I also faxed a copy on July 21, 2010 (Wednesday).
All these actions were accomplished within (3) three business days. When they call me on the phone today I missed the call but I call back to see if they have already received the correspondence (Notice of Cancellation) or transferred the money back to my account I found out they were calling just to tell me that my appointment was set for Saturday, July 24, 2010. I told them, “Do you think I am stupid, you received my fax of the Notice of Cancellation, yesterday. And, today you received the letter in the mail. So what is your problem, you think because you tried scammed me the way you scammed everybody that goes to your place, you are going to get anything else from me. So, next time only call me; when you have a refund check. No services were rendered, no photos shot, and no photographer scheduled you people should be investigated for child exploitation, misrepresentation and fraud.
I am respectfully requesting a full and cursory investigation on this company. They do not give negatives of any photos of children to the parents, how are they using these photos. A copy of this letter will be forwarded to the Child Exploitation Unit, FBI Center at Quantico, VA. No telling where these digital photos are used?
It hurts me that New Jersey allows people like these predators to operate. This is a direct violation of human and children’s rights for exploitation. There are more than 225 BBB complaints on the New Jersey BBB Website, with a rating of “F”. How are they allowed to approach children at Six Flags Great Adventure?

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First of all they approach you in a mall! How legit could that be. If someone is scouting your child then it should be a modeling agency and they tell you up front they are not an agency. You should never have to pay for your child if a legit agency is scouting - not even for pictures. Anyway, we went there today and my husband and I did not fall for the totally fake directors pitch. She was extremely rude and kept saying so are you going to do this or not, I am only concerned about your childs best ineterest, and a bunch of other BS. We said we would think about it and get back to her and as soon as she heard that she got up opened her door and basically kicked us out! Can you believe that - it's nuts! If they were a legit place they would have said "okay we will follow up with you, etc." and she was so rude about the whole thing. I was in shock. Not to mention the office looks like a complete dump and their sign is held onto their reception desk with push pins!!! Now if that doesnt say it all! This is a major scam and if you are serious about modeling or acting please call a reputable agency and not one that approached you in the mall.