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 .

There are some absolute scumbags in this world. Sorry op. Fucking awful

Poor OP. Scammers are clever and work hard to get their scam right. Lots of the smug comments on here just have no understanding of how devious these guys are.

Yes, Quook, I was gullible and naive, and thanks for sticking up, I do appreciate it! Yes, I have been had.
But the point I want to make is that had it happened to anyone, not just me, they should be able to go home, think about it and if not happy about their decision, then be in the position to unwind the contract and get the money back. Like Lougle did, in the post above. Imagine if it turned out that the contract her DH had signed was binding and irreversible, and area of law to cover it were a grey area because the energy supplier used a loophole in the law.
There is a cooling off period in any contract, and there was a change in the law regarding photography in 2010, I think, to allow 30 days cooling off period in case you change your mind. The scam has evolved since then; now the scam is in inventing third parties for the sole purpose of fleecing customers and getting away with it. This people use lies, coercion, persuasion and other pressure selling techniques, it is difficult to process them for what they are at the time.
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/1277/regulation/7/made
Even if you are sharp most of the times, there are times when you could be vulnerable, for various reasons.

Bless you OP.

If I had a £5 for every time I read the word "gullible" on this thread.

I think the term most fitting is vulnerable. OP has clearly had some stress , distress and sleep deprivation going on.

Given her situation I think a bit of compassion is needed.

Well done op for having courage and the spirit to follow this through - and for sharing your story.

I could cancel because it was covered by doorstep selling regulations. Your contract was converted by distance selling regulations until you turned up and asked them to take the photos, then agreed to pay for them. You made the agreement on their premises so don't get the cover of distance selling regulations.

This article talks about the 30 day cooling off period though and says where to turn for help.

I have been thinking about this thread and had a look around. I really don't understand them - the website, Facebook and Twitter all look more than legit. They even talk about models that have been booked for work through them. But then ops experience (and many others) are that they are just rip off merchants. A very weird business - are they genuine for some and then just rip others off?

www.aspokesmansaid.com/complaint/571dfe5676f7c01344ad172e/ripped-off

16 complaints about Model agency only on this site.

Twitter link

mobile.twitter.com/m0del_scam

Hi, just want to share my experience which happened yesterday. My husband & I went to a studio in shortditch London for the test shoot.

The shortditch studio
Address: 208 Brick Lane, London, E1 6SA
www.theshoreditchstudio.co.uk/

At the end of the shoot we were asked to pay £2000 for the photos, of course we refused. Then we were offered a discounted price at £1500, we still said no. Then was last offered a "best deal" at £1000. He/she(gay) tried every possible way to brain wash us into buying the photos. He was sooooo hard sell & told us that once we walk out of the office all the photos will be deleted and laughed at us said thats what credit cards are for.

When we told him we will leave it, he got extremely rude & bitchy, shouted at us said that we wasted his time & that he can't believe we would walk in the studio without spending on our own Pofolio. He also shouted at me saying if I am not willing to spend that means I am not serious about the modeling industry etc.

Honestly his photos were nice but not anywhere close to professional standard. My husband is not a photographer but he love photography & he takes better photos than those guys did. The studio used lights & edited the photos to black & white to make it "look professional", but really anyone enjoy a bit of photography could do the same if not better. So we didn't fall into the scam but felt insulted & time wasted.

Anyway i read lots of post mentioned NYC studio & though of sharing my story with you guys, it seems like the shortditch studio are within the same group of shit

He/she(gay)

What?

Assuming dh is the child's father do you make big decisions like this without discussing it with the other parent.

Just for others who might read this thread, DS1 is a very keen actor and has done commercials, small parts on tv and some photographic work. Anyone promising you that your children will earn thousands on a photographic jobs isn't telling the truth. A typical photographic job for a child might pay around £40-£50 an hour (and might only take an hour). Work as an extra might pay around £40-£75 for the day. DS1 has booked a tv commercial today which pays £400 for a day but his last one paid £200 plus expenses. He doesn't do it for the money, he does it because he loves acting and generally the more work you get the more work you are likely to get because clients can see your cv. We paid £200 for his initial photos for his headshots and portfolio. Refresh photos each year are free. The agency earns its money from the work the actors/models carry out (20 percent).

He/she(gay)

Well, that is weirdly and offensively worded.

Scam modelling
I did something very similar, I got scammed too by a model agency, they were so impressed with my sons pics that they wanted him to be seen really soon, I guess this is a warning to others not to get involved with these companies, I came away spending £850.00 and came out with just one cd, I even told them I didn’t have the money , but due to high pressured sells and a lot of fabrication, I too lost money, I am talking to trading standards and even looking for legal advice , and have contacted my bank.. yes I maybe of been foolish , and made a mistake, but put it down to human error, I will look at every avenue to get my money back. If I fail then at least I tried,
But just a warning to other parents if you have to pay anything up front, then it’s not for real ..and I you do go to their studios no matter how strong you feel that you won’t part with any money. They try every trick in the book to get even the last penny out of you, they are indeed professional salesman..be warned !!

ZOMBIE THREAD

Im so sorry to hear this but I'm afraid it's probably a scam. My ds in a modelling agency and has been since a baby and you only pay a annual fee to the agency and it's around £100 we don't pay anything for the photos. They happen every year. To get updated pictures. Take it as a lesson learned and if you want to get your kids into modelling/acting then contact reputable companies, they will never appear on fb ads etc good luck

ZOMBIE THREAD

ZOMBIE THREAD

ZOMBIE THREAD

Scams like this work because, deep down, most parents believe their children are prettier, cleverer and more interesting than other people’s - even when they’re pretty average. It’s not just with small children either. My former boss - a high/level finance professional - had professional shots taken for her daughter’s graduation and proudly told us all how the photographer had said she could be a model. This bright, switched-on woman looked at us all starry-eyed and said, ‘I know they probably always say that, but I really believe she could be’. The daughter is perfectly pleasant-looking, but utterly ordinary; she wouldn’t get modelling work in a month of Sundays. Yet I have no doubt her mother would have happily stumped up the cash for ‘test shots’ if she thought that’s what her little girl wanted.

Hi.
Did you get your money back

It was 3.5 years ago!