emodel.com, Options Talent Group
To Whom It May Concern:
I was recently scouted, and I was given an appointment
by a Talent Search by the name of Options Talent.
I went through the evaluations, and I had a phone interview,
and I was asked to pay a fee of $595.00 to have a profile
and headshot on their website.
They claim that they do not make any profit off what
I make. I was told that the fee was non-refundable, that
they did not guarantee work, and I have 30 days to drop
out.
Their procedure is to create a profile for their models
so that well-known agencies that they work with will
be able to check my profile, and see if I'm qualified
to work with them.
I did end up paying, thinking it would be legitimate,
and I was told that I would have to pay an extra fee
of $20/month to keep and upgrade my profile on the web
site.
I was told to send my pictures to them so they can add
it to my profile. After I paid the fee, I checked to
see if my profile was up in the website, which it was,
except for my pictures, which I have not sent yet; I
was told to send my pictures within a week.
So far it seems to be legitimate, but I was wondering, why
do they charge so much money to put my pictures up
on their web site?
In their website they state that the agencies they work
with were very well known such as Ford, Karins, and Wilhelmina.
I called these agencies and found out that they
never heard of this company.
I am very curious about this company, because I don't
want to see $600 go down the drain. I am a 20-year-old
college student, and I really have no money to lose.
I felt that I had the opportunity to pursue my modeling
career. I am very serious about becoming a model. If
it so happens that it turns out to be a scam, how can
I take action and get my money back?
If you know anything about them, or if you have been
alerted by another consumer of anything negative about
this company, please let me know as soon as possible.
It would really be a big help for me if you can give
me any information about this company, and how I can
take action.
Thank you,
Potential Model
Modeling Scams received a complaint about Options
Talent/emodel.com yesterday from a woman who
wanted to be part of a class-action lawsuit against Options
Talent/emodel.com. She said she was going
to speak to an attorney.
Modeling Scams has indeed received more complaints about Options
Talent/emodel.com than any other modeling/scouting
business.
You can read the letters here:
Options Talent used to be called emodel.com. emodel.com
has been investigated. The report is
long and detailed:
There were newspapers and TV stations which investigated
emodel.com. The links to the reports are here.
A summary of the complaints which people make about
Options Talent/emodel.com are here.
The recent change in their name from emodel.com to Options
Talent and more information about their background is here.
Your experience is similar to what others have reported.
You did the right thing to call and ask the big agencies
if they are affiliated with Options Talent.
You asked about getting your money back. It might not
be possible. You said something about 30 days: "I
have 30 days to drop out." Does that mean you get
your money back if you drop out within 30 days?
If you are serious about a modeling career, you need
to be aggressive. Putting a picture in an album is not
aggressive, it's passive.
Try a local modeling agency. It is much more affordable
for students. Often there is no cost. You just go to
an open call or send a polaroid. Call and ask for information.
You could even call back the big agencies to which you
already spoke, and ask them how they would like you to
send pictures to them.
Don't use an expensive middleman that offers no money-back
guarantee!
Why do they ask for so much money? Maybe because they
want to make as much money as possible. The cost
of putting a few pictures on a website and hosting them
for a year is nowhere near $595. Why do they charge $20
a month even if you get no work and don't change or update
your picture album?
Ask them for a full list of every model they have got
a modeling career. Not a modeling job, but a modeling
career. Ask them for proof of every model they scouted
who has already earned more through modeling than they
paid for putting a picture in the Options Talent "Family
Photo Album."
"What they're doing isn't right. They're telling
people who have no chance of being models to put their
pictures up. I guarantee you, the money those people
are paying is more than most of them will ever make in
their lifetime modeling." —Bill Ford, Ford
Models, est. 1946
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