Complaint Review: The Young Agency - Phoenix Arizona

This letter is in response to the false and libelous accusations made in the post on 8/10/12 on your website that was just recently brought to our attention. To set the record straight, below are our responses to some of these false claims made by this 'unknown' person.

1. Accusation: First, they had "cattle calls", which is where everyone is seated & rounded up into one room. INSTEAD of an actual, INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEW, like most professionals would.

Response: Each and every person that auditions does in fact have a one-on-one personal interview with the Director or Agent. Those interviewing are seated in one room together where the background of the agency and the industry are given, but afterwards every person/family are interviewed separate and individually. This is very typical in the industry, so their claim is completely false and inaccurate.

2. Accusation: They wanted us ALL to get ONLY the YOUNG AGENCY photographers, SO THAT THEY CAN PROFIT FROM IT!!! And the packet they gave us for the photography packages", were over a $1,000 each.

Response: Those that audition that our agency may be interested in representing will receive ONLY UPON THEIR REQUEST a list of preferred photographers and industry professionals throughout the southwestern United States that may be of help to them (none of these referrals are over $1,000). These referred professionals are not employees of the agency and all of them work and are contracted by many agencies throughout the southwest, so to infer that they are 'The Young Agency's photographers' is completely false. Again, agency's handing out referral lists is not only common, but is a practice that happens in almost in every agency across the country, even at agencies that this person in their post supported and claimed are professional. Our agency does not mandate that anyone work with any of the referred professionals, rather, the list is simply industry recognized referrals which some may choose to use and others may not, it makes no difference to our agency.

3. Accusation: I have heard from several people that they DON'T EVEN HELP YOU GET WORK. that their work is minute, mediocre & miniscule..like something small gigs, that you can find on Craig'slist on your own...And I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE YOUNG AGENCY HAS INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE& REPRESENTATION in HIGH FASHION INDUSTRIES.

Response: This claim could not be more false. Our agency has been licensed and bonded through the state of Arizona all 19+ years we have been in business and our client list and success stories are numerous and spectacular. What this person '"have heard" and "believes" is not reality as our agency has/have actors and models working in Los Angeles, New York, and all over the United States including major television programs and projects internationally. We have evidence of this and of our work and our clients however this person making their claim has no evidence whatsoever to the contrary.

4. Accusation: Do NOT GO WITH THE YOUNG AGENCY, YOU WILL ONLY GET SCAMMED NOT EVEN GAURUNTEED WORK THEY MAKE YOU FIND YOUR OWN WORK WITH OUT REALLY TRYING TO HELP YOU.

Response: Not only is this completely untrue and false (see above response), but it is also libelous and slanderous and our agency will not hesitate to hold this person, or any person making similar claims, personally and financially responsible for their reckless statements.

5. Accusation: If you are a model or talent of any sort, do NOT EVER-give away your money, WITHOUT a signed contract, where BOTH you & the director/owner, etc, BOTH SIGN SAME CONTRACT. this is for legal necessities as well as official confirmation that you are now working & part of the agency.

Response: All talent that is signed with our agency receives an agency contract that is signed by both the talent (or their parent/legal guardian) and by the agency owner or director. This has and always will be the policy of the agency so this person's claim once more is not only completely false it is baseless.

The rest of this person's letter continues on with more of the same untruths, lies, and mischaracterizations.

In closing, The Young Agency has been an upstanding legitimate and licensed agency in Arizona for nearly 20 years with major successes as well as letters of recognition from public leaders like United States Senator John McCain and former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano among others who congratulated and thanked our agency and talent for the great work they accomplished.

Therefore, we are demanding that this person's post be immediately removed from your website and we will be monitoring similar sites to verify they have not posted elsewhere or, as stated above, we will have no choice but to demand their contact information and proceed with legal remedies to hold them, or any other person making similar accusations, personally and financially responsible for their reckless and libelous statements.

Additionally, if this is post is wrtiten in fact by a real person and not a competitor or someone wishing us harm, then you have an open invitation to meet with us to provide evidence of your ridiculous claim, otherwise we demand this post be removed immediately.