"The Alpha Model" Group Aka "On Track Modeling". ripoff Charlotte North Carolina
Thanks to ripoffreport.com, and other sources, I was able to get out of a contract with them before I even went on to work with them. I don't know how everybody else found out about them; Yet, I found out about Alpha, when I saw a newspaper ad looking for 20 promotional models to do a weekend event to promote a product; it then said to come to a hotel location to find out more information because the promotional assignment could lead to more work....
I did just that, and was prepared that this could be just like other modeling agencies; where they run an ad, and then there's some catch, so I prepared myself. They did need 20 promotional models, but you had to be 21 to do the assignment...which there wasn't but like a couple of people who were that age...so I could imagine how dissapointed everybody felt knowing that they could have stayed home if they had known that.
Anyway, they introduced their agency very presentable, but then toward the end, they told us all to line up in two lines. (I knew exactly where it was going, but I did not let up)Basically, they asked you this and that, and you filled out the stat sheet....
To make a long story short, you had to call back the next morning to see if you were chosen, and there....they basically wanted to sign people to their agency, when people thought all they wanted were 20 promotional models. So if you were picked, which I was, I was asked in that same day, could I bring a deposit down at $169.00; which was ridiculous because people just don't have money like that to pay in the same day. I told the scout I did not have that amount, so she asked if I could do $100, which was still pushing it....Dumb as I was, taking a risk in life just so I could see what could happen, I took the $100 by because you know...some agencies want their WHOLE FULL AMOUNT, and they don't care if you have money or not. Since I didn't see that in Alpha, I thought, HMMM, this is going to be okay, but I was still iffy...Reading certain stories on here, I notice that some of the package prices have varied over the years which also makes me believe, they keep doing that because these models are not getting any work!
Yes, I declared myself naive and ignorant to the modeling industry because after sending my money in, I found out on the net that if agencies ask you for any up front fees, no matter what, that means that the models within their agency are not getting enough work, which means the agency isn't getting paid; so what the agency go out and do is; go out to a public place, or run an ad looking for 'new talent', which is also another warning sign from www.modelingadvice.com. If a modeling agency runs an ad, once again, their talent is not getting any work for them to get paid, so....they have to do that.
Anyway, a photo shoot was coming up for them in August, which that package was $319.00+$295.00 to put the pictures on the website. You also have to update your pictures every month. For the photo shoot you had to bring a total of up to 9-12 outfits in the categories of casual, sporty and professional, in which that would have been more money to purchase those clothes if you did not have them already. I thought I could just go ahead and get another photographer, but you had to go through SO much if you wanted to do so with copyrights and all that. Thank goodness that I called one photographer just to get info anyway, and this is what put the icing on the already messed up cake....
I had spoken to a photographer in my area, when I asked did he do TFP's (Time for Prints); I then asked some questions about comp cards and portfolios and things like that. He told me that he only does TFP's with rebutable agencies, so he ask me which one I belong to...and I told him, "The Alpha Model Group". The man then let out what I called a sobby moan, like a bad news type of thing. And I asked, "What? are they a bad agency?"...well the man went on to tell me that two years prior,he had did a shoot for 90 of their models, and he didn't even get paid by the agency for his work! they wanted him to give them ALL of his negatives and the copyrights turned over to them, which is completely BS, but anyway....he was told by the agency not to even show the models how their pics came out UNTIL the agency got a hold of them...
I have to be honest and say I forgot why they did not pay him(it wasn't a legitimate excuse though)....the man also said that they did not want to do 'On location'..they wanted all 90 models to be photographed in the studio which is even more ridiculous because some modeling agencies want modeling pictures to be versatile...something that looks like an ad right out a magazine. Not just one boring location inside a studio with one basic color for a background. So when he told me that, that to me was saying that, the agency was looking out for themselves more than the models, because they know better about how to do portfolios than just being in a studio. Anyhow, the photographer still never got paid, nothing was never resolved, and the agency sold his photos to the models. So basically, he said they were selling photo packages. BAD BUSINESS. HA!
The man told me that in his opinion, OTM had a bad rep and said even if they are under a new name now, that does not mean anything. I had heard enough from the man, here at ripoff.com and other sites, that it just made me want to cancel the contract. The man had told me not to give up on modeling, but to cancel the contract ASAP. I knew that I would not get my $100 back; but that did not matter because I just wanted to protect myself in the future. I wrote them a letter, just like the contract said to cancel the contract. I certified it on July 21, 2004; through the UPS website, the info provided that my letter was forwarded to ANOTHER address on July 24th, which I do not understand, AND....I am still waiting to see if there is any furthering processing that I will have to go through to make it official.
Basically to wrap this whole thing up, www.modelingadvice.com provided me all of the warning signs to look out for when signing for an agency; And Alpha had like 80% of those warning signs. It tells me that, their talent is definitely not getting any work right now, so they are going out and getting all this new talent, when their work could be just as slow. I'm not saying these models will never get work, but it takes time and knowledge to sign with an agency who knows what they are doing. No agency should EVER EVER EVER, ask you for any type of money regardless of what it is, because no rebutable agency has to run an ad to get work. All an agency have to do, is find you work, and from there, they get a 10-20 percentage, while the model keeps the other half, that is IT. The model may get a test shoot done, or a photo shoot, but no other fees SHOULD be required, because that means that agency's models are getting work, and their agency has enough money already. So pretty faces of the world, PLEASEEEEE know all you can know, before making a desperate decision like I did, or from hearing other stories off of the net. I just hope all the people I saw at the hotel, don't go on with that shoot! Take care everybody!
Keedi
In a parallel universe, Virginia
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
K.
23234,Virginia,
U.S.A.
The Alpha Model Group, Charlotte, North Carolina. Now it's address issues....
#4Author of original report
Mon, August 23, 2004
August 20, 2004-1:26 PM-Monday
Saturday, August 18th, 2004, I received a post card from my local post office saying to come by and pick up a piece of certified mail; Today, which is Monday, I just came from the post office some 20 minutes ago, to find out that my certified letter to cancel my Alpha Model group contract, has returned back to me, okay...
I put my letter through to the post office on July 21, 2004 certified mail of $4.42, and was told the first notice of my letter was returned July 29, 2004, which was on the UPS website of my tracking order. I thought it was strange, but the site indicated that it would be forwarded to another address. Okay, reading straight off of this envelope as I type, the second notice of return was indicated on August 4, 2004, which I did not know of; and finally today, I only found out because of the postcard being sent to my mail; that my certified letter had been returned ONCE AGAIN for the THIRD TIME on August 13, 2004...
I asked the lady at the post office what could have went wrong, and evidently she said there was no address of 5500 Executive Drive, suite 126, Charlotte, NC; then to make matters worse, on my letter and explained by the post lady, after that address failed, my letter was forwarded to this address:
On Track Modeling INC
PO BOX 3249
Fort Mill, SC 29708-3249.....
That address ALSO failed. I'm thinking like what the He double hockey sticks are they running or doing? I told the post lady that I was canceling a modeling contract, and she was like thank goodness, because both addresses failed. The original address in Charlotte is on On Track's site as well as on my contract page, now what is the problem? I think this modeling agency is a hot mess. They don't even have a legit address, and I KNOW I did not spell anything wrong on my envelope or they would have told me that. They are not even based in South Carolina, so to me, I can call this a scam. Another employee can write a rebuttal to they are blue in the hands, but this is bogus. I don't want to hear nothing about no BBB, so there are still scams, and WHAT? I paid freakin' $4.42 for some mess that never got delivered because of this wrong address mess...
Also, a week later after waiting to see if anybody would get in contact with me from the agency, someone under the name Model.com called me from a 704 number, which is North Carolina...As I know it, the only different name they are under based in North Carolina is On Track. AND, I did not register to become of any other modeling agency, so who is Model.com? they didn't even leave a message. Unfortunately, I cannot call long distance from my home number because it's blocked. Somebody could of least left a message! Anyway, nobody better not send me any bills owing them nothing because for one, they do not/yall do not have a legit address to even cancel anything. Y'all (Alpha) better get it together before y'all run across the wrong people.
Kaye
Charlotte,North Carolina,
U.S.A.
Customer service... we are members of the BBB!!!
#4UPDATE Employee
Sat, August 14, 2004
In response to your letter, I know the photographer your referring to. Did he forget to tell you when he shot for the agency he tried to steal our models? Did he tell you after seeing our presentation he tried to copy it and start his own agency? This can be verified by calling Tearsheet magazine, they can probably send you a copy of the ad he ran with them proclaiming to be a national agency. He also failed terribly, out of business as fast as he opened. Did he also tell you in direct violation of his contract he shot the entire shoot in his studio?
Probably not.
You decided to cancel your agreement with the agency. That's fine with the company. You openly stated you're new to the industry. The reason for my response is that maybe some of the things you've read on the Internet are not exactly true. There are several sites on the web that are no more truthful than the tabloid magazines and they operate the same way. They twist and turn everything they can just to get traffic to their site. I personally like this site because it lets both parties tell their side.
You do need to understand however Alpha Model group is NOT an agency! It is a scouting company. Most scouting companies use conventions to promote models. Conventions are expensive, usually costing $2,000.00 & up once you count the expense of attending. They are all about the glitz & glitter of the NY type models. Less than 2% of the attendees actually work in NY. Alpha Model Group promotes their models through the website. The website won an award in 2003 from the International Webmasters Association as the best site in it's category. The website is $229.95. Last year, models over 18 that signed, 80% worked jobs! Most of the jobs posted are for promotional work and castings. Local work! Clients needing promotional models often require them to be at least 18. There are currently over 20 pages of assignments available, more than any other site I've seen. Alpha Model Group also sells a photo shoot for $340. That's a 3-look shoot, inside and location shooting (weather permitting) a make up artist and NO copyrights held. The photo shoot is optional. Let me ask you this, who cares more about your photo shoot, a photographer who you probably won't see again or a company who has to use the images to market you? We make money on the shoot yes, but @ $340.00 it's obviously not much. We sell the shoot because we know the photographer and we know the quality will be there to market you. Where do you get better shampoo? At K-mart or a beauty saloon? If you're new to the industry, what are the chances of making a good decision on a photographer? I've seen more models get ripped on shoots than anything else.
Although our scouting efforts have placed models with over 30 agencies in the US and abroad, On Track Modeling Inc., the parent company is a booking agency. Currently celebrating it's 10th year, with 2004 assignments over 8,000! We have rosters in 100 markets and are members in good standing and belong to the BBB care program. I really think these are more important facts than the advice you've received from the sources you have mentioned. From what you've written you were skeptical from the start. We did nothing wrong and you are exploiting us. You cancelled, and didn't give the company a chance. You have no experience in the industry but you are such an authority on Alpha Model Group that you write this article. Modeling is YOUR BUSINESS; you'll get out of it what you put into it. It's like any other business; you will have to invest in promoting your business. It's NOT for people that are skeptical and can't trust anyone. We have complaints, all companies do, the bigger the company the more complaints, it's how they are handled that's important. That's why I've responded and why we are members of the BBB.
K.
23234,Virginia,
U.S.A.
Wrong title "rip off".
#4Author of original report
Thu, July 29, 2004
In my title, it says 'rip off'..when typing my report, I wanted it titled something along the lines of the company perhaps being confused with what they are doing, not being a ripoff. I did mention somewhere in my story that they were doing bad business as far as selling photo packages, but I didn't want to take it that far as to calling them a ripoff because I didn't allow myself a chance for that to happen, thank goodness. Now also what I missed out of the story was...
When the talent scout asked me that day could I bring $169.00 for the signing of the talent agreement, I asked her if I HAD to do it today, or by a certain time, and she did tell me that "Yes, we will need it by so and so of day"(which was one more day before they left)....Like I said, the only ones who could pay for the WHOLE thing are people who probably have money saved to do that kind of stuff, or perhaps lent it from someone. Should you have to pay to get paid? NO. So if someone is telling me that they need money that fast, what does that tell you? they did say in the workshop that no work will be guaranteed because things do not happen overnight, I understand that, but...
Its all the warning signs that were enlisted as far as up front fees and what that photographer told me, that made me realize that your chances for serious work like commercial/print are slim to none. I was also told by the photographer I had spoken to, that Alpha might as well call themselves a promotional division because that is the majority of work that is handed to the models that they sign. Some people in states, like Virginia, have to realize that races and events for promotional may not happen that often here because it's very slow-paced. To top if off, I checked out local sites that you can have on their site for free, and there, they will provide your stats of what type of work you are looking for, like promotional. I mean come on, you can become a demonstrator through a company that is hiring, and that IS promoting. There are various ways to do promotional modeling and market yourself.
I am still making this another long story, but these are things that I still missed. They asked you that you bring 9-12 outfits for the photo shoot like I had stated before. You could not wear white due to the fact they said it would not photograph well, which again, I do not understand, due to the fact that I have visited many photographers websites with models looking beautiful in white, and it photographed well...There were to be no closed in toe shoes because supposedly clients want to see your feet(I guess which can be okay)but then again, many models are wearing pumps and other closed in shoes. No bold stripes, no glitter/logos/sparkles, dresses must be above knee, only post earrings....Come on, a model can be marketable without all these rules. I understand it is good to show your best assets as much as possible, but once again, it's bad enough you had to pay money to begin with, money just don't grow on trees to be too selective about things. When I told her that I might as well wear what I have in my closet, she said, "Yeah girl, you better"...lol....You just can't wear what you think might look nice already. It takes time to get all of this stuff prepared, not just a month or three weeks. Clients, as yall may know already, are VERY VERY picky when selecting models for certain assignments; which can determine why some models haven't received work already...(clothes, hair shoes, very crucial things-that you can learn on the net what clients are really looking for)
Also, it dawned on me that when I asked who the photographer was, I did get a name, but I forgot(which is VERY important)We were told that this man was from Greece and he did magazine covers for Vibe and other popular named magazines. Another thing to look out for...after gaining so much knowledge, it wouldn't make sense to go on a photo shoot not having any knowledge of who is photographing you, would it? No it would'nt. The scout could just be saying that to boost it up. You should always be able to check out a photographer's references and work before going to get photographed whether there are going to be other people there for security reason or not. The agency's opinion on the photographer they picked may not be good to other agencies.
It was told that after the shoot, your pics would IMMEDIATELY be emailed to a slew of national/international agents/agencies...so perhaps everyone may not like who they chose as a photographer;
they put the models through to be viewed. Agency's are looking for multiple things when selecting models. So it is always good to get who YOU want to get by your OWN judgement.
We could use who we wanted to, but the scout tried to make it sound super difficult that we go out and get a high fashion photographer, copyrights printed, negatives given...so much stuff that I can't even remember. When I told the photographer that gave me out the helpful information, he said that the
agency does all that, so that you can use THEIR photographer. They think since half or most all of the models, have no knowledge on how the industry works anyway, then they will give in to what they want; which is why people like me and others were there, because we didn't know any better. A experienced model would have know that they would not have gone after a agency that runs an ad. Anyway, I have always been a cautious person, but just desperate for life to take a different direction. I know better now. I am not bitter about this or mad or anything, I just like to help out folks before they put their time, energy, and hard earned money into something that can be saved in other ways.
Hope you all learned so much from my story! Good luck to all of you!