- Report: #52538
Complaint Review: Options Talent And Whilemina Scouting Agency - Quincy Massachusetts
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Author Not Confirmed
Why?
Options Talent And Whilemina Scouting Agency
1495 Hancock Street Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Phone:
888-model40
Web:
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Options Talent And Whilemina Scouting Agency ripoff, lies, deception, & false promises Quincy Massachusetts
I am somewhat a victim of Options Talent and Whilemina Scouting Networks fraud. About a year ago I was scouted at a bar in Boston by a man who said I was the definition of Model. I have always wanted to be a model so this of course was comforting news. He offered me his card and told me that he would like to see me the following week at 6:30 so he could evaluate me and get my career started.
Extremely excited I went out and purchased a new outfit, I told all of my friends and family, and I arrived early for my evalutaion.
When I got there I was surrounded by people who were potential models. They looked like average poeple off of the street and did not show any sign of being model material.
Once inside they showed us many movies and explained there services. They took pictures, did measurement, and explained one on one what type of model category each of us fit into.
Everything seemed to check out becasue they were extremely convincing. They explained to us that paper comp cards were out and the new way was by way of the internet. They told us that they could find us many jobs and we would make back all of the money that we spent on putting our pictures on the internet.
When it was my turn to have my one on one consultation I was told that I was most qualified for the postion and I would definately make it as a runway model and also have a chance in doing commercial print. They told me that someone from their headquarters would be calling me sometime around 7:00pm the next day to get me started.
The next day as planned I got the phone call. They interviewed me for a half hour and at the end asked me to make a payment of $500 plus an additonal $19.95 a month "to keep the website updated". I started feeling unsure because my parents had always told me that no modeling agency will ask you for money. SO I put my father on the phone with the interviewer. After about a half hour of false promises from the gentleman my father hung up the phone in disgust. It was all a scam and he knew it. The next week we saw that very same "Talent Agency" on the news for fraud.
Thankfully I had smart parents and i didn't get scammed by those scam artists. IT made me feel awful that I got my hopes up and shot down so quickly. Then I thought about all of the other innocent people that are getting scammed. Something needs to be done to stop this.
A couple of weeks ago my mother called me with a number to call 1-888-Model40. She said it was the Whilemina agency and they were having an open call. Once again I made the call, set up an appointment, and went into Quincy once again for an evalutaion at 6:30.
Much to my supprise it was not the Modeling agency it was the scouting network, in the exact same building and exact same room. They made it more believable this time. They send home half of the people in the room that they didn't think had potential and they made us do a runway walk.
I was in the top 3 pick for modeling. I walked into the room for my one one one consultaion and they were two boys sitting in a chair together in front of a computer. I say boys because they looked no more than 19 years of age and I highly doubted their professionalism. While I was in the room I realized it was the exact same crap I have been through before only this time they wanted $995 plus an extra $19.95/month for updates!!!
I wasn't interested in being scammed so naturally I picked up my things and walked out. Only to have my hopes crushed again.
I wanted to tell this story so no one else out there gets scammed. If you want to be a model send your pictures straight to the agency and dont give anyone money for anything!!!! It's all a big horrible scam!!!!
Aja
Bridgewater, Massachusetts
U.S.A.
Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Options Talent Emodel.com
Extremely excited I went out and purchased a new outfit, I told all of my friends and family, and I arrived early for my evalutaion.
When I got there I was surrounded by people who were potential models. They looked like average poeple off of the street and did not show any sign of being model material.
Once inside they showed us many movies and explained there services. They took pictures, did measurement, and explained one on one what type of model category each of us fit into.
Everything seemed to check out becasue they were extremely convincing. They explained to us that paper comp cards were out and the new way was by way of the internet. They told us that they could find us many jobs and we would make back all of the money that we spent on putting our pictures on the internet.
When it was my turn to have my one on one consultation I was told that I was most qualified for the postion and I would definately make it as a runway model and also have a chance in doing commercial print. They told me that someone from their headquarters would be calling me sometime around 7:00pm the next day to get me started.
The next day as planned I got the phone call. They interviewed me for a half hour and at the end asked me to make a payment of $500 plus an additonal $19.95 a month "to keep the website updated". I started feeling unsure because my parents had always told me that no modeling agency will ask you for money. SO I put my father on the phone with the interviewer. After about a half hour of false promises from the gentleman my father hung up the phone in disgust. It was all a scam and he knew it. The next week we saw that very same "Talent Agency" on the news for fraud.
Thankfully I had smart parents and i didn't get scammed by those scam artists. IT made me feel awful that I got my hopes up and shot down so quickly. Then I thought about all of the other innocent people that are getting scammed. Something needs to be done to stop this.
A couple of weeks ago my mother called me with a number to call 1-888-Model40. She said it was the Whilemina agency and they were having an open call. Once again I made the call, set up an appointment, and went into Quincy once again for an evalutaion at 6:30.
Much to my supprise it was not the Modeling agency it was the scouting network, in the exact same building and exact same room. They made it more believable this time. They send home half of the people in the room that they didn't think had potential and they made us do a runway walk.
I was in the top 3 pick for modeling. I walked into the room for my one one one consultaion and they were two boys sitting in a chair together in front of a computer. I say boys because they looked no more than 19 years of age and I highly doubted their professionalism. While I was in the room I realized it was the exact same crap I have been through before only this time they wanted $995 plus an extra $19.95/month for updates!!!
I wasn't interested in being scammed so naturally I picked up my things and walked out. Only to have my hopes crushed again.
I wanted to tell this story so no one else out there gets scammed. If you want to be a model send your pictures straight to the agency and dont give anyone money for anything!!!! It's all a big horrible scam!!!!
Aja
Bridgewater, Massachusetts
U.S.A.
Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Options Talent Emodel.com
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Kathy
Plano,Texas,
U.S.A.
modeling/talent agents schools ..This is a big market-because they play on a weakness-the desire to be a model/famous.
#2Consumer Suggestion
Sat, April 12, 2003
The agents that demand money upfront DO NOT have the contacts to get you job(s). They do get a percentage only after you book the job. If they ask for money upfront, that means they do not have the clients to get jobs. Money can be requested in the form of classes and/or photos or other purchases. I always ask, is there any up front fees or required purchases when scheduling auditions. If there is a fee, I do not schedule the interview/audition-etc... Sometimes-however-a dance audition will request a ten dollar fee to cover the expenses-such as the rental of a building. I would not pay more than that. That is not the same as asking for a 60.00 fee. Lots of these scams are members of the Better Business Bureau. Some of them will ask you to send photos. Be cautious of the ones who discourage the US Postal service. It is a federal offense if they are running a scam through the post office. Anyone who has a digital camera can email the photos to the agents them selves-for free. You do not need an agent to market your self as a model. Modeling schools get most of the students no where. You should leave at the first sign of the drop of famous names or pictures on the wall-claiming they are the reason all of these famous people made it.
M
New York,New York,
U.S.A.
Aja you are totally right. .. unless you have THE look (height, teeth, etc.) you will not get legitimate work with this company
#3UPDATE EX-employee responds
Sat, April 12, 2003
I used to work there and unless you have THE look (height, teeth, etc.) you will not get legitimate work with this company. The only way you should spend money on this is getting pictures done. If you go to an agency and they ask for money walk away. After the FOURTH time they changed their name in TWO YEARS I began to get suspicious and decided that I should pursue this talent management career in a different way. I don't want to be affiliated with these people when they go down. Bad news spreads fast...and I have met a lot more people with negative things to say than positive. In matter of fact, the only people with any thing positive to say about were the people that worked there and those were only the senior scouts. This company won't be around in 2 years, probably sooner than that, (if they don't change their name 50 times). The people that work there and leave eventually learn the real deal about the company. It's not saying anything bad about people in specific offices such as New York. Everybody there was cool with me and I like everyone there. But it's the people such as Alec (who came into our office and fed the scouts a line of bull) who runs the company and comes up with these assinine ideas.
