- Report: #639343
Complaint Review: Advance LA West Hollywood CA - Los Angeles California
Reported By:
Jillian -
Los Angeles, California, United States of America
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
Advance LA West Hollywood CA
7904 Santa Monica Boulevard Suite 200 Los Angeles, 90046 California, United States of America
Phone:
(323) 650-5022
Web:
www.advancela.com
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good?
Advance LA West Hollywood, CA Advance LA Talent Agency, West Hollywood, CA Los Angeles, California
ADVANCE L.A. is a big scam agency run by CEO Vance Peyton Miller, who is known for not paying his actors - on a large scale. We're talking volumes of actors who never got paid -- this is in fact how he pays his rent. I recently did a couple commercials for Vance and company, who did not even file the invoices to the production companies to get my money (and theirs). When I prodded them to do so, they withheld my payment - as much as $3500 in some cases - a violation of the labor code. I since filed a petition at the Labor Commissioner's office, called, "Petition to Determine Controversy," which is a specific area in the CA labor code, pertaining to talent agency and talent conflicts. I won the petition to get my money, and now have to appear in court to get a public hearing, to finalize the results. This involved hiring a lawyer. While I am fighting for justice, this process has been lengthy, and not worth getting involved with Advance L.A. in the first place. I don't know why the State of California does not do anything about shutting them down, but my next step is to get a court order to further collect my money which is now really not worth it financially for me but I'm doing it to get justice. Advance L.A. is not registered with the Labor Commissioner, but yet is allowed to continue to do business. I urge anyone else who has had a similar experience to write to the Labor Commissioner in San Fran, and urge her, and the Governor, to ban such illicit talent agents. Right now, the only way to fight these injustices is through individual court cases. But if there are enough actors to come forward, the state will have no choice but to take action on the behalf of the many hard working actors, union or non-union, who continue to be taken advantage of. Watch your back!
Jillian
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Ronny g
North hollywood,California,
USA
Upon further investigation...
#2Consumer Comment
Sat, September 11, 2010
..I found more info, I am pretty persistent and try to meticulously back up what I post.
My mistake was I searched "advanced L.A." instead of "advance L.A.". However, I did type the web address you left correctly, and no such website exists. When I search "advance LA" I do get some results..but not encouraging. All scams and fraud and complaint reports. No link to ANY talent or model agency. So you still have a problem seeking recourse or justice, unless you can charge Vance and/or his associates personally.
Ronny g
North hollywood,California,
USA
Yeah you have a slight problem..
#3Consumer Comment
Fri, September 10, 2010
If you go the the web address you posted in this report, nothing comes up..it just times out. If you internet search "advanced L.A."...absolutely NOTHING comes up regarding any such known or existing model or talent agency.
However, if you internet search the name "Vance Peyton Miller", then you get all the complaints of fraud and scam.
So if you wish to seek any justice, you will need to go after Vance personally, since the "company" you paid..does not even exist anymore, if it ever did.
The lesson is to research before submitting payment. Surely if you had researched this scammers name before submitting any payment..you would have thought twice?
I live in L.A. and i know there are so many struggling and vulnerable people wanting to break into the entertainment industry....that it really opens the door for these scammers. But sometimes if someone can "take the money and run"...it does not leave much recourse for the victim. The thing is to be realistic..it used to be the saying "it is not what you know, but who you know. That actually still holds true..except now it would be more appropriate to state..."it is not who you PAY..but who you know".
In other words..you can not pay your way into the industry. You have to know the right people..and of course have what it takes for someone else to put their career on the line for you.
