Face National Models and Talent
To Whom It May Concern:
I came across your site and I was drastically in tears
when I saw Face Models in your list
of scams.
How can this be? I think they are professional.
My parents spent $500 for a photoshoot for my composite
card.
I checked on the Better
Business Bureau and there are no complaints.
But I came here and there were some complaints.
I went to the workshop and the guy Carrie made it clear
what the complaints were about.
There were many photos and catologs that facemodels represented.
So they seem like a legitimate modeling agency.
How can I tell if it's a scam? Is there a possible law
suit? What should I look for?
Their website address is www.facemodels.com.
Should I pay for the composite card? I don't know what
to do.
Please help.
There are Face Models complaints in the Better Business
Bureau file. If you search using the full business name, Face
National Models and Talent, or even just Face
National Models, instead of just Face Models or facemodels,
it brings up a file for only one company and its business
address:
Face National Models & Talent
1230 W. Morehead St. Suite 110
Charlotte, NC 28208
The same physical address is posted on the website address
you provided (facemodels.com).
Then it said: "Number of complaints processed by
the BBB since the firm's BBB file was opened in April
of 1999: 49"; and "Number of complaints processed
by the BBB in last 12 months: 30."
Those appear to be unusually high numbers for a "modeling
agency" in only two years.
But it gets more specific, giving the type of complaints:
Refund or Exchange Issues, Contract Issues, Customer
Service Issues, Credit or Billing Issues.
Many but not all of the complaints are listed as "resolved."
In fact, the conclusion of the BBB was this:
- Based on BBB files, this company has an unsatisfactory
record with the Bureau due to a pattern of complaints.
The pattern of complaints concerns customer service
and contractual issues. Additionally, this company
has an unsatisfactory record with the Bureau due to
not resolving complaints within the Bureau's time frame.
Obviously Face Models would be dismissive of the BBB's
record and conclusion. They have a vested financial interest
in doing so, don't they?
You said in your experience they seemed professional.
Do the photos look professional? One complaint was they
did not. The photoshoot was rushed and the image quality
poor.
You mentioned they have many photos on their website.
The issue is not the volume of photos, or even the volume
of contracts between Face National Models and Talent
and aspiring models, but the number of modeling jobs
the people they represent have received.
Look at it this way: anyone can set up a business or
a website that has many photos of many people and say
they are representing them. So?
The bottom line is did they get work? Did it pay for
the photos? What percentage received work? What percentage
made more money than they paid for photos? And how much
more?
The Consumer Protection Board of the state of New York
issued a warning
about Face National Models and Talent.
- Face has an "unsatisfactory rating" from
the Better Business Bureau based on 59 consumer
complaints filed in the last three years.
The CPB received one complaint and several inquiries
about Face after a recent audition in Albany. Face
is not among the 2,400 talent search and modeling agencies
listed in the Model and Talent Directory published
by Peter Glenn Publications. Modeling agencies say
the Glenn directory is the authoritative source on
reputable search and modeling agencies.
Add that New York state warning to the BBB complaints
and conclusions, plus the complaints sent to modelingscams.com,
then your own experience, and decide if you think Face
National Models and Talent (facemodels) is a modeling
scam.
If you find a section of the facemodels.com website
that says which fashion magazines, advertising companies,
and reputable businesses have selected models represented
by Face National Models and Talent, please forward the
link. It is currently not obvious, and not in the place
you would expect to see it: About Face.
Where are the *tear sheets*? I don't see them. Do you?
Tear sheets can be seen as some of the strongest evidence
of success for both a model and a modeling agency.
The first page of their faq said: "We can now verify
that you are a working model with professional references." You
may want to ask for their references,
so you can verify if they have worked with, and are respected
by, major companies.
Since your parents paid, you should discuss the next
decision with them. It sounds as if you are half way
through the regular Face Models photography. You can
either stop now after paying $500, or proceed to pay
for the composite cards?
If you decide to stop now, you will probably want to
keep all the photos taken and look into representation
at a modeling agency with a good reputation at the Better
Business Bureau.
If the company called Face National Models and Talent
(facemodels) is indeed a modeling scam, it would probably
be classified as a modeling photography scam.
There are different modeling photography scams, but
one common thread is payment for photos whose quality
is too low, or whose quantity is unnecessarily high,
or the total price is too high.
There are photographers and photography companies that
pose as modeling agencies. Signing with them looks like
you are signing with an agency when you are really just
signing up for photos.
Don't put your career or your money in the hands of
those you do not trust and cannot trust.
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