Complaint Review: John Robert Powers

My encounter with this outfit is very recent and the story is not a new one.
Daughter filled out a form at the Mall for a chance to win tickets,
actually noted on the ticket that she is not interested in acting/modeling...
She was called a couple of days ago and they told her that they actually fished the ticked out of the basket and contacted her anyway, because they thought she "had what it takes".
I don't need to tell you that any 14 year old would jump at such words.
I humored her and we went to the "audition". Got their early, found the place
still locked up.

About 5 minutes after appointment time and now among lots of parents and kids waiting in front of door... they showed up and the "show" began.
Office looks "unfinished" and unused... basically just a couple of rooms
partitioned off... (1426 East Roseville Parkway, Roseville, Ca 95661)
We get to watch their "infomercial" for about 20 minutes before Hank
Writter shows up to enlighten us about how JRP has signed up all these
famous actors from Lucille Ball to Brenda Song. Sofar no mentioning that this is a school and not an agency. The pitch goes on for a while and then the kids
are called individually to "perform" in front of camera. Oh yeah... he also took
the pictures we brought. (nothing special, just two recent prints from her computer files sent to the printer on normal paper).
We are then told to call at a certain hour the next day to find out whether
she was "chosen".


I love my child... but at the same time I am a realist.
So my first action was to fire up my laptop and check this outfit out.
What I found was this site with no less than 96 entries ranging from Canada
to Texas and most of them not favorable. Checked out the Better Business
Bureau and found an average rating of D and F with a few exceptions of BBB.
Couldn't even find an entry for JRP Sacramento in the Better Business Bureau.
Did read up on the whole history from John Robert Powers beginnings to the
part of the Franchises run as LLC's by individuals.

Daughter ran her search too... and trust me she can find even more dirt..
She is better at it... anyway we came to the conclusion that this is not
what it seems and Mother had a little fun the next day when I called at the appointed time. Of course my daughter was a "chosen one" but when I started asking too many questions in regards to who is the Franchisee, their Business License and the names and credentials of their teachers, guess what...


This is what I got out of the guy (Steve) I talked to:

Hank Writter is the Franchisee of this particular JRP. Their school is located
on K street in Sacto. but is in the process of being split up. (2929 K St., Sacto.)
He wouldn't go into teachers names, etc. and got pushy wanting to know if I was interested or not and make an appointment to sign up for classes.
When I told him "not really" he hung up.

Warning to everybody... before you sign a contract and hand over
money that you can never retrieve... run a SEARCH on the Internet.
If nothing else you learned a lesson before it was too late.

My encounter with this outfit is very recent and the story is not a new one.
Daughter filled out a form at the Mall for a chance to win tickets,
actually noted on the ticket that she is not interested in acting/modeling...
She was called a couple of days ago and they told her that they actually fished the ticked out of the basket and contacted her anyway, because they thought she "had what it takes".
I don't need to tell you that any 14 year old would jump at such words.
I humored her and we went to the "audition". Got their early, found the place
still locked up.

About 5 minutes after appointment time and now among lots of parents and kids waiting in front of door... they showed up and the "show" began.
Office looks "unfinished" and unused... basically just a couple of rooms
partitioned off... (1426 East Roseville Parkway, Roseville, Ca 95661)
We get to watch their "infomercial" for about 20 minutes before Hank
Writter shows up to enlighten us about how JRP has signed up all these
famous actors from Lucille Ball to Brenda Song. Sofar no mentioning that this is a school and not an agency. The pitch goes on for a while and then the kids
are called individually to "perform" in front of camera. Oh yeah... he also took
the pictures we brought. (nothing special, just two recent prints from her computer files sent to the printer on normal paper).
We are then told to call at a certain hour the next day to find out whether
she was "chosen".


I love my child... but at the same time I am a realist.
So my first action was to fire up my laptop and check this outfit out.
What I found was this site with no less than 96 entries ranging from Canada
to Texas and most of them not favorable. Checked out the Better Business
Bureau and found an average rating of D and F with a few exceptions of BBB.
Couldn't even find an entry for JRP Sacramento in the Better Business Bureau.
Did read up on the whole history from John Robert Powers beginnings to the
part of the Franchises run as LLC's by individuals.

Daughter ran her search too... and trust me she can find even more dirt..
She is better at it... anyway we came to the conclusion that this is not
what it seems and Mother had a little fun the next day when I called at the appointed time. Of course my daughter was a "chosen one" but when I started asking too many questions in regards to who is the Franchisee, their Business License and the names and credentials of their teachers, guess what...


This is what I got out of the guy (Steve) I talked to:

Hank Writter is the Franchisee of this particular JRP. Their school is located
on K street in Sacto. but is in the process of being split up. (2929 K St., Sacto.)
He wouldn't go into teachers names, etc. and got pushy wanting to know if I was interested or not and make an appointment to sign up for classes.
When I told him "not really" he hung up.

Warning to everybody... before you sign a contract and hand over
money that you can never retrieve... run a SEARCH on the Internet.
If nothing else you learned a lesson before it was too late.

I saw someone say he is an outside agent that is false info. He has a desk their. He works their and his check comes from JRP. He is just as kniving as everyone else their.

Scott, whether school or agency, JRP has been indicted and investigated by the California attorney general for fraudulent misrepresentation and ripping people off. They WERE and apparently still ARE an extremely unscrupulous agency. The previous JRP chain in the San Joaquin valley (Sacramento-Stockton-Fresno-Bakersfield) was owned by a married couple whose name I forget back in the early nineties. Darlene ran the Stockton JRP and her husband ran the Sacramento one. Typically they would pocket $1000 for a six week modeling course and offer or procure NO opportunities for auditions whatsoever. That's what JRP purported to do: procure opportunities for auditions for both acting and modeling.

I took JRP classes in 1990 after completing the course found out the whole operation was a scam. Darlene and her husband were taken to small claims court numerous times by ex students who had been ripped off. Eventually the attorney general took notice and filed suit against the couple for fraudulent misrepresentation and for operating a school without a license. At the time they were going through a messy divorce and each blamed the other for the fraud. Instead of jail time which they deserved, they agreed to sign an injunction to "cease and desist" however they signed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy protection and the Stockton JRP closed down. However, the gentleman retained an interest in the Sacramento JRP. Darlene reopened as "Powers" (keeping the name and her clients) and reopened for a brief time in a different location in Stockton. I had sued Darlene individually and dba as both companies and won, but of course I never collected a cent.

The problem is the couple sold their interest, yet JRP continues to defraud unsuspecting people. If I were you (Scott) I would write a letter to the attorney general. I would ask them if the injunction still applies.

You people have got it all so backwards its ridiculous! If a casting directer comes to jrp and says they signed someone, (in this case it was Josh Duhammel) that has nothing to do with jrp. Josh may have attended a JRP, and at an audition, he got a job. JRP does not sign anyone up for work. Agents and C.D.'s use JRP as a medium for finding talent. If that agent signed Josh, that doesn't mean JRP signed him. Does this make sense???? Same goes for A.J. Trauth. Yes, you looked these people up. If you looked up every actor, you're not going to find all the training schools they attended are you? Get real people.

JRP is a school to learn the craft of acting, and the business of acting. And while you're in the program, you get the opportunities to be seen by professional agents. How is this so hard for you to understand? I have taken acting classes all over the place, and whats online about me is what jobs I've done. During some interviews, I told the reporter where I went to college. I didnt spout off all the workshops, and actor training schools I've attended in my life.

It would be different in JRP claimed to be an agency. But they don't. They are a SCHOOL!

Found your rebuttal Mery. My husband and I deal with H.R. issues all the time. Just an FYI...it is actually illegal for a current or former employer to disclose ANYTHING other than whether you actually worked for them or not and whether you gave proper notice or not. If these people are running off at the mouth, they should be charged. Contact an attorney!

San Rafael John Robert Powers hired a contracted manager, which is what they do.

I am a hard worker, booker was my title, more like telemarker; was promised advancement, but never seemed to get there, even with all the over-time I put in 11 months working for them. I had my boss follow me through out the building, insult me with cuss words, for missing spot-times which means missing calls, from radio, in which I missed being that I had to use rest room. Written up for being 3 min's late, when other co-worker who came to work half naked, would be late almost everyday, along with comming back from lunch, no write up there.

Long story short, wrote letter to main manager regarding, managers harassment, believing it will be resolved. Two days later manager who had insulted me called me into office, main lame excuse about my work ethics, and suspended me for a week, coinscendence I think not, I just got punished for complaining about him, and other past employee who have complained in the past, have been terminated, it's not allowed.

So in the end gave two weeks notice, had enough humiliation, when did so new boss was put in charge, was my boss only for 1 month, I gave job reference of this job, knowing in my mind I would get good reference. Just to find out in the long-run I was not getting hired any where else being that the new boss, was telling all potential new employee, that I am always late, bad worker, and that he will never hire me again, when he never hired me in the first place.

Oh it get better, I thought it would be better at a different office, worse part is that the partner owner of San Ramons office, is the main Harasse, and no one can say to her other wise, over 20 employees have gotten up and, quit for this reason.