Complaint Review: John Casablancas Modeling School

STAY AWAY....STAY FAR AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY!!! THEY WILL WASTE YOUR MONEY, AND NO LEGITIMATE AGENCY WILL TAKE YOU/YOUR CHILD SERIOUSLY WITH THIS COMPANY ON YOUR/YOUR CHILD'S RESUME!!!

I signed up my young daughter for classes (as they would take anyone at any age) because she really wanted to get into singing/acting/modeling and there are very few places that take kids younger than 4 or 5....(and for good reason)! At $2550 for the classes, that is a BIG commitment! Now I grew up in the business, and have been in and around it for all my life, but I was a new "mother" and did not know how to go about it (at that point) as I had been away from the industry for years...and with the advent of the internet, LA Casting, Actors Access....everything has now gone online (which was basically unheard of when I was in the business, where I was working at one of the BIG 5 Talent Agencies...Name Talent only)!


Shortly thereafter, I started working in the industry again, this time a small boutique SAG Franchised Talent Agency that took on both established and developmental clients, kids AND adults!! My time was so busy as was my husbands (his sister was murdered in another state and he was flying back and forth awaiting the trial), that we had to take a leave of absence and put her classes on hold and of course all this was "with the permission" of the center director at the time Lilly Molina! However when she heard that I was now at a legitimate SAG Franchised Agency, she made arrangements with me to come and scout talent from their pool of "Students" in exchange and/or in lieu of the remainder of the classes as of course my daughter was no longer in need of finding an agent, her being one of my clients (that was regularly auditioning and booking too)! I however was unable to give her a schedule as we were awaiting the trial date. She said that she understood and would wait. When I finally got an (estimated) trial date I tried to contact them and I never got a return call.

Shortly thereafter I got a collection letter from them and I tried to contact them again and they were very rude and informed me that Ms. Molina was no longer there and they would not give me anyone else's information. I never got a return call, so I faxed a letter and then went down there in person, showed my business card, and the people were at first nice, (as there was "potential clients" in the lobby) and then when they realized I was an "unhappy customer", they scooted me out of there as fast as they could and I finally got a call back, they had no idea where Ms. Molina was, and they said that the owner was the only one that could ok such a deal! The collection agency (even though they had a note on my paperwork from Ms. Molina also were very rude, condescending and were no assistance in the matter at all, but that's another story as they violated many laws of consumer protection act!)...I had since move to ANOTHER SAG Franchised Agency which started in and/or specialized in kids...and they were still very rude and did not honor their arrangement. I would think that they would want legitimate talent agents and agencies scouting their clients! THIS IS NOT THE CASE, THEY JUST WANT YOUR MONEY. In industry circles, of all the companies similar to John Casablancas, they have THE WORST REPUTATION! Their competition John Robert Powers has many legitimate agents scouting their talent, and we have many successful clients from and IMTA and the newer IPOP, however we have NONE from John Casablancas, nor will we ever! They did everything possible to keep me, and my associates far far away. This is a SMALL business...and people talk, we all know each other! We do NOT like companies that (A). will sign anybody for the money and tell them "they have it"...and believe me, they will take ANYBODIES money and (B). That rob actors (or child actors parents) blind for something that they can get elsewhere for less, or at least if they have a track record for getting their clients in front of legitimate talent agents. They do not look for (or have) legitimate agents to scout their talent, you just pay your money and take their classes, they are NOT a legit talent agency!


SAVE YOUR MONEY!!!! Sign up online for an LACASTING.com, NOWCASTING.COM, and and ACTORSACCESS.com account with pictures and those have a talent scout services...you have a better (and less expensive) chance of getting in front of a legitimate talent agent than you do with this "unethical" company!!!

Anonymous
Burbank, California
U.S.A.