Face National Models and Talent
To Whom It May Concern:
I was wondering if Face National Models was a scam.
I've been to many open calls from modeling agencies such
as New York Modeling Contract and Model Search America
and I have been selected as a "call back."
Recently I went to an open call by Face National Models
and Talent. I was selected as a call back and was scheduled
to return later on that night. During this time a representative
from Face National Models and Talent explained their
contract and how they got work for their models.
The representative stressed that any model who was in
contract with them could break their contract at any
time and could work for other modeling agencies via sending
composites to them.
The representative stated that she couldn't promise
when I would get a modeling job and things like that.
After hearing all this, I felt assured that it wasn't
a modeling scam, because all I was paying for was composites
that I could send to other modeling agencies.
I signed the contract and paid $170. The total is $600
for the pictures but it is broken down into three payments.
I became cautious when I viewed your website and heard
the various complaints against Face Models and Talent.
I also noticed that a lot of the complaints were about
not getting jobs and things of that nature. I keep saying
to myself, FACE never promised them a job. They just
said that they would do their best to find clients who
were looking for their model's features.
FACE said that it was hard work and that it was not
a "sit-at-home-and-wait-for-my-agent-to-call" type
of thing. The models themselves were to actively participate
in the process as FACE did their thing.
As long as FACE is "actively looking" for
a client who wants my "face" then that's acceptable.
I was just wondering if you think, with the aforementioned
information, FACE is a legit company.
Is there anybody who is a FACE model that I can talk
to about how FACE treats their models? What do professional
photographers and other people in the modeling business
say about the company?
I also just wanted to make it known to a lot of complainers
that FACE never said that they would "get" you
a modeling job. I think the potential models should understand
that modeling is not guaranteed and is risky business.
You said, "I've been to many open calls from modeling
agencies such as New York Modeling Contract and Model
Search America."
Model Search America is not a modeling agency. I doubt
New York Modeling Contract is a modeling agency, either.
They both appear to be scouting companies.
New York Modeling Contract is classified by the Better
Business Bureau under "Modeling/Talent Agencies," but
under the Nature of Business it says "the company
offers Model Management/Scouting/Events." Model
Search America has a BBB classification as "Model
and Talent Consultants," not Modeling
Agency, but we know they search or scout for models and
talent across America and Canada.
Regarding the guarantees...
There are modeling scams which include a guarantee models
will get work. There are modeling scams which do not
include a guarantee models will get work. A guarantee
of work is almost always a sign of a scam. But the lack
of a guarantee does not mean a company is not a scam.
Guarantees are not the final proof of whether a company
is a scam. It is not that simple.
There are modeling companies that use a guarantee of
work to scam aspiring models. There are others that appear
to use "no guarantee" of work to scam aspiring
models. It gives a false sense of security. They seem
to think it is the ultimate disclaimer, that it will
get them off the hook, that it is proof they have not
scammed, will not scam, and in fact cannot scam.
Guaranteed work is an obvious scam, perhaps the most
obvious scam, but there are many more types of modeling
scams, many of which are less obvious, and some are subtle
to the point they almost trick the trained eye.
You don't need to know anything about the modeling industry
to see guaranteed work is a scam. For other types of
scams, industry knowledge or awareness of scam history
is critical. If you don't have both of those you may
not see it. Those who don't learn from history after
all are doomed to repeat it.
You seemed to suggest there are a lot of whiners when
you said there were "a lot of complainers." There
are complaints and then there is whining. I never got
the impression anyone who wrote about their experience
with Face National Models and Talent was whining.
When a business rolls into town, works up emotions,
gets people to pay $1,000, leaves town, and then changes
its business phone number without notice, while it is
off in another state, thousands of miles away, and does
not get their clients work, that is grounds for a legitimate
complaint.
No agency should get paid until the model gets work.
This is the law in different states. It exists to protect
the models. But the news reports, BBB files, BBB leadership
comments, state warnings, and online complaints all indicate
Face National Models and Talent gets paid before models
get work —and indeed even if models don't work.
The greatest criticism of all the different sources
mentioned together is that it is a modeling photography
scam. If it is, it is not a very complicated scam; in
fact, it would be one of the simplest modeling scams;
it is also common, so common there is a slang phrase
to describe it: photo mill.
You seem to be a very trusting person. You sound as
if you are giving Face National Models and Talent the
benefit of the doubt: "As long as FACE is "actively
looking" for a client who wants my "face" then
that's acceptable."
How do you know if they will be actively looking?
Is it possible to read all the public complaints, news
reports, state warnings, BBB files, and BBB leadership
comments, and still give Face National the benefit of
the doubt? It seems more like a leap of faith, don't
you think?
Now, regarding all freedom the models have to sign with
other companies or send out their composite cards, this
is very easy for them to say, if their intention all
along was just to get your money from modeling photos,
and they are not going to find models work.
Do you see what I am saying? The mindset of the modeling
photo mill is:
"Sure, go ahead, find work on your own, hook up
with other agencies, don't worry about it, that's fine,
because we are not expecting to get you work and in fact
we won't bother trying, either. We only wanted your money
for your photos. We have your money now, you have your
photos; you're not getting your money back, we are keeping
it; so anything from here on in is just fine with us.
You may not hear from us again."
Maybe Face does not think like this. The point is they
could so don't read too much into what they said and
take it as proof they are not a scam.
While guaranteed work is a red flag, in the modeling
industry, and elsewhere, conflict of interest is a yellow
flag. It is not as bad but you have to pay close attention
to research carefully. It seems as if almost everywhere
there is a conflict of interest in the modeling industry,
people are getting exploited.
Is there a conflict of interest with Face National Models
and Talent and modeling photos? There should be a clear
separation between agency and photography, but the reports,
warnings, and complaints all say there is no separation.
A modeling agency in Florida, Boom Talent and Modeling
Agency, owned by Di Paulson, was in the news a
few years ago, receiving the same type of criticism as
Face National:
- Critics also say Paulson is circumventing a state
law that forbids modeling agencies from charging upfront
fees. Modeling agencies are not supposed
to charge models for anything, including photos, seminars
or consultation. An agent's income is supposed to come
solely from commissions it gets by finding work for
its models.
It would be interesting to know two things, if:
- 1. Face National Models and Talent makes more money
from modeling photos than it does from modeling jobs.
-
- 2. Face National Models and Talent models make less
money from modeling jobs than they spent on modeling
photos.
A few years ago, the Federal Trade Commission prosecuted
a modeling agency which falsely claimed it made more
money from modeling/acting jobs than it did through modeling/acting
classes. The agency lost and went under.
Stop and look at the numbers. If an agency charges 1,000
people $1,000, in this case for photos, what is the revenue?
$1,000,000! That kind of money can obviously tempt people
to start and continue modeling photography scams.
If Face National were to visit 72 cities across America
each year and recruit on average 150 people in each city,
that is 10,800 recruits.
If each recruit pays $1,000 for photos, total revenue
in one year alone from the photos alone is $10,800,000.
"Modeling scams are big business." —Carl
Messineo, attorney with the Partnership for Civil Justice,
co-chair of the Consumer Affairs Committee of the Washington,
D.C., Bar Section on Antitrust, Trade Regulation and
Consumer Affairs
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