Warning Signs

• Unsatisfactory record at the Better Business Bureau

• Pattern of complaints at the BBB

• Unanswered complaints at the BBB

• Claim Al Capone started the BBB

• Conflict of interest

• Upfront fees

• High prices

• High sales pressure

• Guaranteed work

• No website

• No tear sheets

• No client list

• Pricing not on website

• Hidden fees

• Extra expenses (total cost) not communicated

• Not up front about basic important issue(s)

• Website FAQ does not answer basic important question(s)

• Training not free

• Online portfolio not free

• Specific photographer required

• Manipulation to use specific photographer

• Agency makes profit from photography

• Website address of "professional photographer" not provided

• Company has its own photographer or own photo studio

• Pictures taken by photographer do not look professional

• High fees for web portfolio

• High fees for infant photos

• Professional photos for infants

• Professional photos for kids under four years old

• Most models make less money than they pay for photos

• Late payments for completed work

• Leaders have history of fraud

• Leaders previously prosecuted by the Federal Trade Commission

• No agency license

• Published news reports allege fraud, greed, corruption

• The words "scam" or "fraud" are often used in online discussions of the company

• Local media issued warnings and consumer alerts

• State consumer protection agency issued warnings and consumer alerts

• False/misleading/unsubstantiated advertising

• Claim famous agencies use the company to seek models

• Claim top agencies use the internet to seek models

• Claimed/implied affiliation with celebrities

• Claim they started the career(s) of supermodel(s)

• Claim supermodels use the service

• Claim supermodel started the company

• Company promotes lucrative modeling but its models only get "minimum-wage" "modeling"

• Company talks like an agency, or says it is an agency, but it is not an agency, and has no license

• Pictures of models on the office wall also available at K-Mart

• Company name includes "International" but it has no offices in other countries and no model placement in other countries

• Slams other types of modeling businesses (convention slamming schools; schools slamming conventions)

• New company

• Payment only accepted in cash or money order

• No receipt given unless asked

• Imbalance in financial risk (one-sided for consumer)

• No money-back guarantee

• No refunds

• Company makes profit even if models get no work

• Company's models do not look like models/have not received work

• Company seeks long-term exclusive model contract with new/untested model

• Firm does not mention and BBB record does not include its success rate (placement record)

• Model scouts are not model bookers

• Model scouts are paid by the number of people they recruit, not the amount of work the models get

• Company recruits models in state(s) where it has no office(s)

• Company seeks quota (x number of new models)

• Company pretends to be highly selective ("only 2% are selected" and 98% fail, when in reality it is more like 98% who are selected and 2% fail)

• Use of important-sounding positions like "Talent Executive" which require no training and no skill

• Claims someone else (who is important) has to make the selection decision to make them appear to be selective

• Very high new model selection rate

• Very high ratio of models to staff

• Company runs a national photo directory (online/print)

• Overall impression the company is really most interested in making/taking money

• Business plan designed for fast, easy money (requires low effort, low experience, low skill, low performance)

• The "free open call" or "free audition" is nothing more than a contrived meeting for a sales pitch (to sell classes, convention, online portfolio hosting, etc.)

• It would be difficult to hold the company accountable if the model signed a contract because the agency is in another state

• Address is only a PO Box number, not a street address

• Business partnerships which create conflict of interest (e.g. schools with agency; schools with convention; agency with photographer; photographer with convention)

• Convention contestants not screened by agents with photos prior to convention

• Oral representations different from written representations

• Nothing in writing

• Emphasis of marketing to aspiring models is the (models') future potential not the (company's) past; fame ("you could be a star"), money ("you could make millions"), the dream, etc.

• Emphasis of marketing is call backs (low standard), not placement rate (high standard)

• Little if any time given to background check company and review contract

• Minimal or minimum cooling-off period allowed to change mind

• Representation to aspiring/untested/new model that work will be offered immediately, be easy to get, and pay extremely well

• Most work the agency gets is for events ("promotional"), not print, not editorial, not commercial, not fashion

• Calls itself a modeling school when it is more accurately called a finishing school or a charm school

• Represents training at a finishing school is required to become a model

• Claims a model must be trained to be signed

• New models are not signed until they have paid for training

• "The last place is still open"