- Report: #328184
Complaint Review: John Casablancas Modeling School - Beverly Hills, CA 90211 California
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Author Confirmed
Why?
John Casablancas Modeling School
8383 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 104 Beverly Hills, CA 90211, 90211 California, U.S.A.
Phone:
323-966-2900
Web:
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John Casablancas Modeling School They will TAKE YOUR MONEY and not honor their word, they don't care about their clients being seen by legitimate SAG Franchised Agnents, the whole reason people pay all that money to go! Beverly Hills California
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.
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.
4 Updates & Rebuttals
JC Client Services
United States of AmericaWe want to help
#2UPDATE Employee
Tue, August 17, 2010
We are sorry to hear this terrible story you have written concerning your experience with our company and the murder of your of your sister in law. We would like to assist you in resolving your concerns and verify the information you have written, however, you have not signed your name or given any indication of who you are. As we are sure you are aware, we have no way of following up on an anonymous complaint.
Our company has been in business for three decades and prides itself on offering quality services to our customers. Please contact [email protected] with your name and contact information so that we may follow up in an effort to resolve your concerns.
amay
Los Angeles,California,
United States of America
Casablancas: Actually very legitimate, in my experience!
#3Consumer Comment
Sun, August 15, 2010
Hi,
I brought my daughter to Casablancas in Beverly Hills last year. I have been involved with the industry many years but wasn't terribly familiar with this company or what they do. Always a skeptic, I had my guard up. But my daughter wanted this (she was 12 at the time) so I figured we'd go in and at least give it a shot. The facility is opretty nice, the staff seemed nice enough and Elena got some feedback from her audition that I actually thought was pretty useful, especially surprising me because the 'talent coach or whoever it was that I saw was so young, but well-informed. Elena drove me crazy wanting to do one of the programs, so I reluctantly accepted and decided to do a payment plan. I preferred for her to do this on her own rather than have me connect her to agents without effort). The scheduling became a little confusing as there is some 3 year limit to complete the program, but the paperwork apparently promised her to see agents after a coupe of classes or something. Well, that promise actually pulled through. I checked them out with the better business bureau, too, and their rating was an A (John robert powers,one of the oldest versions of this program-to respond tot he first comment-I just checked with the BBB, and it is an F all around). Check the BBB ratings when in doubt. My daughter saw her first agent after a month and signed on her second audition! I agree that the place can be a little hectic but I have never encountered any rudeness and I have never heard of someone with the last name molina. Must be under new mgt. Anyway, just check the facts from BBB. Most reliable.
francesca
downey,California,
United States of America
you are RIGHT!
#4Consumer Comment
Tue, February 02, 2010
THIS IS A LIE LIE LIE SCAM SCAM SCAM I WAS A STUDENT IN THIS PEACE OF S**T !!!
John Casablancas
Beverly Hills, CA,California,
U.S.A.
The truth about John Casablancas in Beverly Hills
#5UPDATE Employee
Fri, April 24, 2009
John Casablancas Modeling and Carrier Center in Beverly Hills is not an introductory service, or an agency. We are one of the best acting and modeling schools in the Los Angeles area. As part of our curriculum, our students are learning such things as auditioning skills, photo posing, on and off camera commercial, cold reading, and runway modeling, just to name a few, and have an opportunity to be seen on a monthly basis by the best legitimate SAG franchised talent agencies in Los Angeles, just to name a few: Coast to Coast, Maverick Artists Agency, A.E.F., Abrams, LA Models, etc. Our contract specifically states that we are not promising any jobs. The monthly review, and auditions in front of different agents is always free of charge to all students, and a part of the educational process. We want to make sure when our students graduate, they have the experience and training needed to go on audtions on their own, and be successful of landing a contract with agency of their choice. We truly care about the success of our students because it benefits all parties when our clients sign with agencies, and agency connection is something we genuinely pride ourselves on, therefore it is very important to us that we are training our clients to the best of our ability so they can get signed and become working models and actors. To get an accurate account of how our students feel about the services we offer, please visit www.johncasablancasacting.com/ More information is available upon request.
