Complaint Review: Atlanta John Roberts Powers & Owner Dale Howell - Atlanta Georgia

"Angry Parents in Texas" (Report #323734) is a/k/a Mai (Mabel) Larsen a/k/a Creating with Details - just so you know who we're dealing with.  To disparage people in a public forum because she has no legitimate argument seems to be her method of operation.   We see we're not the first to experience her Mai Larsen scam of taking goods/services and not wanting to pay for them. 

321 Shine has acted professionally in its dealings with Mai Larsen in spite of her failure to contact us directly about her signed contract with us.  She complained on Facebook, filed with BBB, and tried to hide under pseudonyms here on Ripoff Report. 

Her complaint to the Better Business Bureau was resolved in favor of 321 Shine.  Even now she is trying to steal our money after having taken advantage of our mutually contracted services.  This appears to be a pattern with Mai (Mabel) Larsen as evidenced in the Ripoff Reports of her and her own company.  

She apparently knows Ripoff Report well as these are the Ripoff Reports on Mai Larsen, which we shall use to rest our case: 

Posted June 23, 2015 - Report #1237517

http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Creating-With-Details/internet/Creating-With-Details-Mable-Larsen-Mai-Larsen-scam-scam-artist-lies-frauding-fraud-1237517#comment_1

Posted April 13, 2015-Report #1222302

http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Creating-With-Details-Owner-Mai-Larsen/internet/Creating-With-Details-Owner-Mai-Larsen-Mai-Larsen-Mable-Larsen-Consumer-Beware-at-a-cost-1222302

Posted Aug 6, 2014 - Report #1167995

http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Treasured-Times-Rubber-Stamps/Bonney-Lake-Washington-98391/Treasured-Times-Rubber-Stamps-Jody-Stacy-Rubber-Stamps-Company-Takes-your-Images-Give-t-1167995

Thank you for this opportunity to publicly correct the record.

I had wished I had seen this, because this man is now under the name of Owen Howell of 321 Shine and he just pulled the rug under our feet.  He has all this entire empire of scammers ready to scam young children and their parents.

We recently heard the radio ad, went to the so called Disney audition and we got the call back, and it was there that they told us about the fees.  Wanting the best for our child we paid, well then they have a photographer to come do the photo shoot its so rushed that the pictures are not worth $300, and the coaches are rushed with the massive kids that comes in that they don't truly give the kids what they paid for.

Its a sweat shop and a money scam that they run and they are using our kids.  After doing this and attending the showcase, we noticed that the Ipop Director is not really a director from Ipop but one that was been assigned by 321 shine.  Its ashame how they can swindle money like this from hard working families.  When I noticed at the showcase that they were doing odd things, I started researching and saw how he is linked to John Robert Powers and how he is linked to Dale Howell.  I went to his facebook page, asked if he could tell me if he was associated to either John Robert Powers and/or Dale Howell, and I have been blocked from the page.  I also emailed them and called them and no returned calls. This company and all that works for him are shady and scammers.

Do not waste your money on these bogus scammers.  They first said that Ipop included one  parent, hotel, and child and not you have to pay $4900 for just to go to Ipop not to mention hotel and not to mention that they have to pay an additional $1900 for the parent to attend as well.  I should have seen the warning lights when they had some questionable people accepted into their so called very strict audition and according to them only the best was accepted...only the ones that could afford to pay were accepted.

Beware lf radio ads and anything this man does.  I demand a refund in full or I will pursue to expose him, and his cast.

I know there are some JRP haters out there, but let me set some things straight.  I went through JRP myself and it changed my life.  It is a franchise and not all franchises are created equal.  I will admit that.  One thing is for sure though, JRP brings opportunities to people who want to be in the entertainment business, but just don't know where to go and who to talk to to make it happen. 

I have been in 5 commercials and paid for my college because of JRP. 

I've heard some people say that it is over priced.  I disagree with that as well.  It is very costly to fly agents out to different cities and hire on the quality of coaches that JRP does.  People pay thousands of dollars for traveling soccer and dance and 99% of those people are never going to do that professionally.  Yet you don't see complaints from those parents.  Why is it that people think it should be FREE to get into this business?  What business in the world is it free to get into?  Parents drag their kids into auditions and expect their kids to get chosen and to be a cash cow for them.  Seriously?  How is that working out for you parents?  Oh wait...it's not!  Please also note that any complaints you see about JRP are from people WHO NEVER ATTENDED!  They just go to the audition, can't afford to do it, then decided because they don't have the money to do it that it must be a scam.  Most of the people who have actually gone through JRP LOVE IT!  So how can people who have never gone through JRP and really have no idea what they are complaining about, COMPLAIN?  Beats me.

You need to realize that these JRP school's are franchisees and most run by corrupt people. If you're having a great experience, I say Great! Break a leg, but there are lots of dishonest people out there. The biggest issue is the fact that most JRP owners try to glaze over the fact that they are a school and not an agency. I know they are a school now, but it took a phone call and two hours for them to finally admit it. A legit school would just be up front about what they do instead of calling people and getting their hopes up by telling them they've been chosen to audition for a commercial. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know the difference between honest people and liars. If they're only auditioing you for their school, they should tell you that UP FRONT instead of hiding behind that lie. I asked one of the employees if that was a real audition for a commercial and she told me, "No, that's just our little thing that we do." LIARS!

This school is NOT a sram my daughter has had several auditions in one mths time. She has grown as a person. We love it! They did not push us into any thing. If you go into something with a bad opinion you will have a bad experince. So Please stop the bashing of JOHN ROBERT POWERS

John Robert Powers makes no false claims. We bring out every agent and casting director that we claim to. We also bring out kid celebrities to meet and work with the kids. We have been in business here in Atlanta since 1999. If we were ripping people off we would have many more complaints about us. For every complaint we have, we have many very satisfied students. We are a school so we do charge money. Even the agents who give acting classes charge money for them. We are not, nor do we claim to be an agency. Brandy Wix (aka "Angry parent") has been issued a full refund of her classes. I have also left her phone messages to try and rectify her situation and see what we can do to make her happy. John Robert Powers has been in business since 1923. We are the worlds oldest acting and modeling company. We are also one of the largest acting and modeling companies in the world. I would love to say that we make every person happy that comes through our doors, but that is not true. Some people complain because we don't pick thier kids, some people complain because thier kids never get a job after going through our programs. This is just like a college or any other school that you go to. Just because you go to school for something, doesn't mean that you are going to get a job in that field. We have a 10-15% success rate. In our business that is great. We look for parents that are putting thier kids into this for the experience and the exposure that we provide. Many parents have expectations that are unreachable by anyone coming into this business. This is supposed to be fun for the kids and that is what we try to accomplish in our programs and at our facility.

I was in the business many years ago, and now my child is. You never pay up front for classes or pictures. An agent will make money when they get you work, via commission. My child just signed an exclusive contract with an agent and they did not ask for money or anything, just headshots to be put on file to submit for auditions. This is the way it is supposed to work. The only money I ever gave my agents were from work that they sent me to.

I was in the business many years ago, and now my child is. You never pay up front for classes or pictures. An agent will make money when they get you work, via commission. My child just signed an exclusive contract with an agent and they did not ask for money or anything, just headshots to be put on file to submit for auditions. This is the way it is supposed to work. The only money I ever gave my agents were from work that they sent me to.

I was in the business many years ago, and now my child is. You never pay up front for classes or pictures. An agent will make money when they get you work, via commission. My child just signed an exclusive contract with an agent and they did not ask for money or anything, just headshots to be put on file to submit for auditions. This is the way it is supposed to work. The only money I ever gave my agents were from work that they sent me to.

I was in the business many years ago, and now my child is. You never pay up front for classes or pictures. An agent will make money when they get you work, via commission. My child just signed an exclusive contract with an agent and they did not ask for money or anything, just headshots to be put on file to submit for auditions. This is the way it is supposed to work. The only money I ever gave my agents were from work that they sent me to.