Complaint Review: Kids.com Ntakids.com National Talent Associates

One of the things I was always reminded of when I worked here was....I must always remind parents that only 3% of children got any sort of success in the industry.

The interesting twist, psycologically, was that the more you explained that, the more intruigued and lured in some people became. They would say things like: "OK, I understand that.....but WHAT IF little _________ got into that 3%...wouldn't that be great?!?!" The representative can then show them some porfolios of the kids that DID make it, and the deal is practically closed right then and there.

The other way that the company protects itself (smartly, I may add) is that in addition to disclosing thier success rate by law, they also offer a "no fee" program which puts a majority of the work in the hands of the parents. Many parents fail to realize that getting a child in the modeling or entertainment industy requires photos, and if one is to be competetive, they seek out professional photographers. The parents DO pay for it....they just dont pay NTA. But NTA will manage thier childrens appearances and contracts (the lesser known function of the company) if they become successful through the 'no fee' program.. if the child is marketed by the parent and selected for work.

I understand many parents frustration with the company. Anytime a person has aspirations for something and they do not come to be, it is tempting to blame someone else...especially if there was money invested.

In one decision by a federal judge, she likened this company and its environment of chance and "hitting it big" to a state lottery. (i.e. A person pays money-- knowing that the odds are slim of success), and the lottery company does, on occassion, advertize and show what it "could be like" to be a winner. But lottery winners cannot sue or claim they have been scammed once they discard thier losing ticket.

If NTA or kids.com is VERY diligent and by the book and discloses that the odds in actually getting some paid work in the modeling/entertainment/film industry are only 3%, the parents must try to understand that in spite of thier dreams of stardom. It's difficult to do when thier children are involved. We all want the best for them.

The one twist that makes this unlike a lottery, is that NTA is the one who intitially contacts the parents in the vast majority of cases. The solicitation letter (despite being vauge and unprofessional in my opinion) is sent to thousands of parents each week. They get thier name from a list.

I have always suspected it was a list of parents who had thier newborn's photo taken while still in the hospital.


I left the company after a year, and I wish I had left earlier. I was constantly defending it to curious friends, and found myself asking if I was trying to convince them or myself of its legitimacy.

When I started to realize that the company makes a majority of its money from the fees associated with setting up a child for modeling, instead of the actual bookings, that didn't sit right with me.

The straw that broke the camels back was when I viewed the report on Dateline NBC, and really got to see my employer from a different perspective.

I also saw that there were instances where representatives could have mislead parents or given them false hopes; even though they gracefully danced through thier scripted presentation. It may be legal to conduct this kind of business, but it still is controversial and not something I wanted to be associated with.

Feel free to contact me to elaborate more on my experience with this company. Hope this helps.