Child modelling - Should I ask for refund?

[greenbean789]

Yesterday I did something irrational and impulsive, which is not like me at all. I paid £710 to a child modelling agency on the spot, and I never even had any aspirations for my children to be models. I don't know what happened to me.
I saw this ad on Facebook last week about child modelling and sent some pictures of my 2 DSs.
The next day I received emails from the agency saying that they are interested, and I should book an assessment session urgently, and that I have a priority (stupid me, thinking that it was due to my DC being super-cute).
I duly booked, excited, and yesterday had the photo-shoot. After the photo-session I was congratulated, saying my DC have great potential and the agency wants to sign them up. It all sounded like it was a big success for all of us, being chosen out of many people, bla- bla, etc.
All I needed to do was to buy one-off copyright.
I was then given a list of options, and I offered my card on the spot to pay. I had some warning bells ringing, but wilfully silenced them.
My husband is very upset that I had fallen for a scam. It the contract I signed there is a clause saying there is no refund.
I don't know what to do, to fight them and try to get the money back ( will have to read up on trading regulations for that) or wait that some offers will materialise and I can earn the money back. (They gave me a list of 14 other agencies to contact and some pictures). Do you have any experience of working with modelling agencies? Can you share your stories?
I know I was beyond stupid and vain, and maybe deserve it, but I did not even have all the money needed and used some from my overdraft .

Here is the other thread I mentioned before http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/parenting/2515152-www-m0del-co-uk

What's the name of the company? Just name and shame!

It's definitely worth contacting the credit card company as there are some circumstances where they have to refund you as they've accepted the client.

I think you should call them urgently as perhaps they can recover the money/not pass the payment on/take the hit themselves.

But you need to act quickly - speak to Citizens Advice too, as you were clearly misled.

I know people will say you should take the hit but I disagree. The credit card company have authorised these scammers in the first place and can afford to take the hit far more than you can.

Call them OP and refuse to be fobbed off. Ask them exactly what you can do. Speak to a manager. If you get no help, ask Citizens Advice what their obligations are.

I know if you buy a service on credit they're also liable for certain issues that subsequently arise.

She has named them Zippey.

Thanks everyone for support. It seems like I could do with it right now. It' s not only the lost money, but the fact your naivity and vulnerability can be exploited in such a callous way. I feel like shit, for having let my family down. I should be the strong one, holding everything together in the family, yet I go out and blow the money we need like that. My poor husband was recovering after cancer operation, but ever since that fateful day is unwell again, sure it is all to do with stress and anger at my stupidity, and I feel double guilty. But it is hard to hold it together, especially when you are constantly anxious about DH's cancer treatment, tired due to constantly crying refluxy baby, and sleep deprived due to baby feeding and attending to a child who bed wets three times a night.
It isn't a self-pity, and I am not inviting anyone to feel sorry for me, I am luckier than many other people, but I have been trying to understand my rush actions that day.

I tried to talk to the agency and wrote an email about my circumstances, DH illness, him being on sick leave for long time, me not working due recently having a baby, being short of income.
It did not get me anywhere, and I am sitting here thinking that they must be laughing at me now.

I offered to compensate for their time, and agreed to a partial refund after they retain for the services already provided, but no luck with that either.

Thanks I wantmymum, I will send it it when I get home.

Greenbean, I'm truly sorry for what you're going through and I'm so annoyed that people like this exist but asking them for a refund probably won't work.

Your best bet really is the credit card company.

Please agree to call them? And also to speak to Citizens Advice? I'd love to see you get this money back.

Please don't feel bad - it happened because you're a decent person and they're evil. Just try to be glad of that.

Also you should speak to trading standards to ensure they don't get anything else out of unsuspecting people.

Look don't kid yourself OP you signed up because you wanted to make money out of your children and were flattered that the so called agency wanted to use them.

You're pissed off now because you've put yourself in debt and rushed ahead of yourself dreaming of fame and riches from your kids work and in your haste you stupidly didn't read small print or question anything.

Most parents who are serious about child modelling etc research this quite thoroughly and the ones who don't I'm sorry deserve all they get. This company have provided a service it isn't your fault you didn't read T&C. Adding the bit on about your DH's illness though sad is an extra Daily Mail sad face plus point.

I do feel a teeny bit sorry for you being taken advantage of but its not like there isn't sufficient publicity about these scams on the net which should have alerted you.

My dad used to be a child photographer (as well as photographic printer) on the whole he used kids he knew (eg me and my brother) for test shots though we were in small ads as very young children. Anyone else he got through an agency. His BIL (my uncle) also owned an advertising agency and his wife (my aunt) was a model herself (before she had children) so they had their child modelling agency contacts through them too. I don't know much about child modelling when we were older as my mum wouldn't let us do it... But I knew several stage school kids who got either modelling and acting jobs on the side, some hated it, others loved it, depends how competitive you are, lots of kids are quite precocious though!

Oh and to whoever said about journos not having degrees, well have dated 3 with degrees (financial and economic, world and medical/banking editor) but the woman I know (school friend) I think she has GCSE in English and that's that! Now works as a Journo for Woman but also does freelance, got the job through a relative or family friend. The other woman I know (also school friend) not sure if she went to Uni, she may have done, (probably did) is Polly Graham - well known 3am Journo, and she worked at Murdochs stable (was one of those investigated and cleared over phone hacking). But a degree certainly isn't necessary!

Anyway OP, I hope you'll try my suggestions :)

I'd love to see the people who preyed on your weak point (most people's weak point - our children) get that payment taken away from them and for you to get it back.

Iwantmymum, thank you for offering to look into the contract!
Weatherwaxorogg, I will follow your suggestions!
Savoy cabbage, the thread you linked makes for a very interesting reading, spent the whole evening enlightening myself.
And SuperHighFly, judging by your insensitive post, you must be one of them, on the other side of the picket line. Hope you will never get scammed.

Hello OP, I'm sorry you've had some crap responses.

I've heard of Blackberry Models before, they are extremely devious people. I am amazed that people are allowed to get away such practices.

OP I work for a law firm and even if i didn't I wouldn't happily pay that sort of money without reading small print.

Sorry you have been scammed but caveat emptor.

I am a bit staggered that with your precarious financial situation and sick DH that you even considered this...

After all you wouldn't be complaining if you now had modelling work for your kids would you?! no thought not

Op that contract is shocking! Did you not read it??

You really won't see a penny back. That contract has those terms as they know people will go home and realise what they have done, but as you have signed they have you over a barrel.

I'm sorry this happened to you, but your husbands situation is really not relevant. You cannot be that broke it you can lay your hands on £700 just like that for some photos. You need to move on from this now and learn the lesson.

Were the photos good? Did you sign the contract before or after the shoot?

Super, of course she wouldn't, because they would be doing what they promised.

Op signed thinking it was an agency, probably in an optimistic hoping to make life a bit better mood.

Why do people enjoy being shitty to others who are having a crap time.

Because it's an incredibly naive and silly thing to do to be honest noeuf. People have been sympathetic (and I am) but that sympathy only goes so far when you see all the warning signs were there for op not to get herself in this situation. The contract even said 'they were not an agency and are not linked to any UK agencies.'

I'm not a lawyer but I listen to every consumer show going and I thought that just because you sign a contract it doesn't necessarily mean the contract is legal especially if it's presented as being something it's not. I thought The OP was being told that she needed the photos as part of her child's future modeling career and that she was being 'pressurized, Doesn't that imply she was being misled to some extent.

If I were the OP I would still report it to Actuon Fraud. It sounds like the company has covered themselves but I don't see what harm it would do.

The OP freely admits she was very foolish but she is not the only one to get caught out by this type of scam.

IWantMyMumSheWouldBeProud. I guess it wasn't really a contract that she signed as she was just 'purchasing' some photographs but was there anything else that was missing from it? Such as company details or whatever. Was there a VAT number? Does it need a vat number.

I'd also contact your card provider.

Just a reminder but I don't think the OP needs reminding by every other poster that she's been stupid, she acknowledges that in her OP She is obviously feeling awful and has paid the price (literally) already. It's a bit mean for posters to be quite so condescending towards her. Here's a cut and paste from her OP.

I know I was beyond stupid and vain.

OP, . If you want to make yourself feel a little better try listening to some Radio 4 MoneyBox shows on fraud. There was one a while back on a highly ranked POLICE officer who was taken in by telephone fraudsters. Otherwise intelligent people get taken in all the time and regardless of whether your experience was legal or not your were still 'taken in' by the company.

Exactly, pointless. It seems awfully obvious when you have the time to sit and read a thread like this, in real life these shysters are extremely persuasive and make things happen very fast. They are, unfortunately, very good at what they do.

Sorry that doesn't wash as justification, juxt op has clearly started off saying she's been silly and is there a resolution.

Hundred of posts saying she's silly and vain aren't really helpful.

And I don't believe people generally read contracts (i do because my job revolves around certain legislation) as the incredulity I'm faced with when j actually read something before signing is funny. Mobile providers, mortgages - they all explain it and then hand over some paper and say 'sign here and here'.