Prestige Modeling and Talent
Agency
To Whom It May Concern:
About two months ago, I, too, went to the Prestige modeling
agency.
"Prestige" told me I had what they were looking
for, and that I should make an appointment to have some
pictures taken. They said all I would have to bring were
the clothes that I wanted to wear.
I ended up paying them the $200 up front for the contract
and then another $400 for the photo shoot.
They told me that with my looks I would have a modeling
job in no time, and that they wished that I had come
a few months earlier, because they had just done a bikini
shoot in the Bahamas.
Another thing that kind of made me question them was
that they told me it would be a couple of weeks before
my portfolio was ready.
Yet the very next day I received a call saying my portfolio
was completed and I could come down and pick it up.
When I got there I realized that the whole photo shoot
had been done on digital camera and my portfolio was
on a disc.
Isn't it more likely that photos like these would be
on film for better quality?
It has been quite some time now and I have heard nothing
from them about any jobs or that they were still looking.
I do believe after reading this site's letters that
this is a scam and I just want to warn others to stay
away.
If there is any type of action that myself and others
could take, please let us know.
I must say in closing that I feel very foolish for having
fell into this trap, but I could not stand by in silence
to let it happen to someone else.
Thanks for your time,
U.O.
U.,
The problem is New Hampshire apparently has relatively
little modeling work, no modeling agency regulations,
and not even any employment agency regulations.
All that makes NH a high-risk state; and the risk is
compounded with upfront fees, which are always high risk.
They would not be able to get away with these upfront
fees in other states, neither the registration fee, nor
the photography fee.
Contact the office of your Attorney General. Share your
experience, say it is the same as others, and the state
does not have regulations to protect consumers; then
find out what they are going to do about it.
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