- Report: #688227
Complaint Review: John Robert Powers Chicago - Chicago Illinois
Reported By:
Kam -
Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
John Robert Powers Chicago
8430 W Bryn Mawr Ave # 100 Chicago, 60631 Illinois, United States of America
Phone:
(773) 413-6400
Web:
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good?
John Robert Powers Chicago Preying on Dreams Chicago, Illinois
Somehow when I was 17, about 4 years ago now, my parents got a phone call from John Robert Powers saying they thought I could be a model and to come in for an audition. I am very tall and finally my parents convinced me to go. We went. Sat down and listened and listened to all these success stories of people we had never heard of then... the "auditon" began. Watching every child, some as little as 3 with most of the parents in clothing that signified that they were there because this might be their childs claim to fame. After I did a walk that I thought a model would do, they coated on the compliments and told me to sit and wait in another room. They then told all of us that we were chosen.
When my parents heard they cried. They sat my parents and I in a room and started pointing out all the things I would need to work on... and told my parents they could do it for me. Being Polish immigrants, we were raised on this "American Dream" and the lady who was selling was just digging into my parents. They told us we had to decide then and there what program we wanted. They chose the middle one which would cost around 10,000 which my parents did not have. They found every way to get my parents to pay. Installments.
Dutifully, I went to my classes twice a week and started realizing what they were doing. A woman who claimed to have worked in the fashion world with many models was not showing us anything. Just kind of letting us do whatever we wanted. Teach each other. When we worked on make up application, My make up ended up being like a clowns. On top of that we had to bring our own cameras for "practice" photoshoots which were the kind you do at home in front of your mirror.
I finally had it and started researching the place that had cost more than my college education thus far (at 21). I showed my dad what I found. Although we made many attempts to get out money back, we could not. Even contacting a lawyer. Something needs to be done. There are so many children who's dreams are being crushed because of this company all across the United States. It breaks my heart to see it. My father is still paying off the debt incurred by that purchase of classes that did nothing but waste time. They even have posters in their office of actors and actresses and models that never went to JRP. I would do anything to go back to that day to tell my dad no.
HELP!
3 Updates & Rebuttals
kam
Chicago,Illinois,
USA
Response to Colleen
#2Author of original report
Mon, August 01, 2011
Colleen, you were the one who made me feel as though I could achieve something by having my parents spit out all the money within a very short period of time. If what you were doing was legit, you would not have rushed us into signing a contract.The fact that we had less than two days to decide was not nearly enough time. You hyped everything up to me and then to my parents, who did not have that money and are STILL paying off the credit card. The amount they paid would have paid for all of my college! I do not know how you can go to sleep at night, satisfied with what you do. I just hope that one day, you and everyone in this company will be on a report on national television informing the country of your scam.
Salvador
Reno,Nevada,
U.S.A.
TO MS. COLLINS
#3General Comment
Wed, April 13, 2011
The fact that you have something coming from the BBB with an "A+" doesn't really mean anything. Because when business owners get these "ratings" all you have to do is do the right things and at the right time! And you usually know when you have the BBB checking you out!
Believe me, I know! Because I used to work for a John Robert Powers as the Assistant for the Promotional Director!
I quit at that location because of all the wrongdoing and scamming there was going on! Not just to the customers, but they were ripping off our whole department as well!
Eventually, after I quit, the sheriffs were sent in to remove every single individual from that building because of all the reports that were made against them.
The Director of Operations there knew that the place was going down, especially after all the threats the owner from Las Vegas made to cut them all off! Yet, that Director of Operations kept making sales and made dozens of people lose all the money that had recently been made in to the roster as "sales"!
That Director of Operations stole all of the information of the company and now she has a new company, but with a different name! I know that information was stolen, because another local competition told me that those employees of JRP in my location would sell the information to her!
Ironically, they too had an "A+" rating from the better business bureau for years up until they were shut down! So the BBB won't mention any wrongdoing up until that business has gone all the way down and it's been obvious to the public!
So get over your "A+" rating, because we don't truly know everything you're doing in there! And besides, why are you hiring unprofessional instructors?! Shouldn't you have professional cameras to have your students learn posing and photography? Then why do you have the students take their own cameras?!
What about the make up tutorials this young lady mentioned?! Can you show to all the parents proof and credentials that this modeling coach is trained and fully licensed in make up, has true experience in modeling, or how about your coaches- can they mention all of the professional terms in the industry and not just tell them to walk and pose!
Ms. Collins, you really should get over that "A+" rating, because I know you too hire unprofessional coaches that don't know the professional industry terms! Just like the other John Robert Powers I know of, they've all hired unprofessional lowlives that only know little of the industry to a simple walk on the runway that talk as if they know it all!
I was around JRP for over five years, so I know the kind of coaches that are hired!
Colleen collins
Chicago,Illinois,
U.S.A.
JOHN ROBERT POWERS CHICAGO MEETS THE HIGHEST STANDARDS WITH THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU
#4REBUTTAL Owner of company
Thu, February 03, 2011
John Robert Powers Chicago has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.Our employees are professional and we are recognized as a leader in the performing arts academy industry.Below is the content of a letter we received from the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois.The letter will be available for public viewing on the BBB website at www.bbb.org/chicago.
Dear Ms. Collins:
As you may know the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois is introducing a new Ratings System (a letter grade from A+ to F) for all Accredited Businesses and non-accredited companies that are in the BBB database. This new ratings system replaces the previous "satisfactory" or "unsatisfactory" rating. The changeover was mandated by the Council of Better Business Bureaus (the parent BBB organization). The new ratings will be used by all BBBs across the United States and Canada.
The letter grade for your business is "A+". This new letter grade will be available for the public June 1st to view on your BBB Reliability Report at the BBB Web site (www.bbb.org/chicago).
The letter grades are calculated by computer using a proprietary ratings formula that takes into account 17 weighted factors. The largest single factor in determining a letter grade is a company's overall complaint history with the BBB.
If you feel your business grade is incorrect, we invite you to double check the accuracy of information about your company in our computer records. You may do this by going to your company's Reliability Report on the BBB Web site. On the right side of the Report page you will see an icon that says: "Update Your Business Information. Click Here." That will open a page where you can insert data about your company.
Or, you may send the BBB the following statistics for us to double check our recorded information. All information will be kept confidential.
Number of employees.
Number of locations.
Number of years in business.
Number of annual customers.
Gross annual sales/business volume.
Additional information about the new Rating System will be available on the BBB Web site. Information also was in the Alert Newsletter and the Special edition of the Alert. If you need specific information immediately, please contact Tom Joyce or Steve Bernas.
I hope this information is helpful to you and your business. Thank you for your support of the Better Business Bureau.
Sincerely,
Steve J. Bernas
