Help am I been scammed !?

[vxox]

So , I went and put my son through some modelling agency's .

I got a email & phone call saying he's been accepted and they want to see him in person to do a test shoot ! Free of charge .

I spoke to my MIL to see if she can look after my youngest while we go , it would take me 3hrs in total to get there . On the phone my MIL said something about people been scammed on fb . So it got me thinking so I decided to have a look on google , surprise surprise I see forums of people been scammed .

They take your photos , say you've been accepted . Then ask for £300+ for a portfolio .... now I don't no if it's the actual company that have contacted me who is a scam or what . Please has anyone / or anyone you know been to this studio and have been scammed ?! I'll attach the email they sent me
My son is 3 ! Surly not !?

They're email is [email protected]

It's not a scam as such but it's a hard sell
They will take photos and pressure you to buy expensive prints and you'll never see any work from it

Yes you are being scammed - they're just going to take photos to sell to you. Enjoy your child

uk.trustpilot.com/review/modelbookings.co.uk

You’ll be paying them for the photos. Do you understand that? They won’t be paying you.

These companies prey on parental ambition - it's gross. If you want you child to model please research it extensively as I work with children who work as actors, models and athletes and it is not at all what you first imagine. If you wish to proceed take some nice photos of your child and register with a reputable agent, do not pay ANYONE for photos.

@HelenWick

These companies prey on parental ambition - it's gross. If you want you child to model please research it extensively as I work with children who work as actors, models and athletes and it is not at all what you first imagine. If you wish to proceed take some nice photos of your child and register with a reputable agent, do not pay ANYONE for photos.

I thought I did , I went on proper websites / company ! So god knows how they got my email ! Ridiculous 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️ x

@SundayTeatime

You’ll be paying them for the photos. Do you understand that? They won’t be paying you.

They said it was a free shoot , to see his potential x

I'm sure the shoot is free. But if you want any photos out of it or the fabled 'portfolio' then they'll ask you to pay for them so it's a waste of time. These scams have been going on for donkeys years.

The shoot is free. But they will put you under enormous pressure to buy photos at a high price at the end. So if you want the photos you will need to pay. This business model has been operating since I was a child in the 80s.

It’s a scam: they’ll hard sell you photos for a portfolio you don’t need for chip modelling then share your details with other scammers. Join ‘Parents of child models UK’ on FB, they’ll tell you how to apply & which agencies are legit.

Sorry but it won't be worth a three hour trip. Do they have an agency with well known clients? Long Eaton does not seem to be a place where much paid work is generated.

Well it isn't a 'scam' as such, but their business model is to take photos and sell them.

When they're older, watch out for 'auditions' for theatre shows - which everyone passes. Then you have to buy tickets for the show.

If you're being very generous to these companies, you could call it 'marketing'.

The grammar in the messages they have sent you isn't great, I think they'll do a hard sell for photos too!

uk.trustpilot.com/review/modelbookings.co.uk

Have you seen the reviews on this?

This is a US website but the scams are probably very similar both sides of the pond. Would recommend having a read of this: consumer.ftc.gov/articles/modeling-scams

I have just found the website of the company you've posted about (through another forum where OP is concerned it's a scam) and they do sound dodgy, sorry.

Judging by the grammar on the email, at best they'll just try and hard sell and at worst it'll be a scam.

Nothing about this is free. Read the reviews posted further up. They have no connections, and will just end up saying you've been accepted and you need the portfolio and you'll have to pay £300-£1000 in some cases. There's nothing free about it. Cancel it x

Does your 3 year old want to be a model? Has he expressed an interest?

Trust me on this - just don't. Concentrate on enjoying him as opposed to trying to get him on a Tesco advert. Chances are ... you won't

😔
The date of the photoshoot has passed, did you go?
They won't charge you for the photoshoot, but will charge you if you want any of the photos.
They will tell you that your son will be very successful, which spurs you on to want to buy the photos (at high prices)

I have been out the modelling game a while but a few genuine agencies:
Grace and galore
Kids London
Elisabeth Smith
Kiddiwinks
MOT

I actually received the same email after applying to storm models, the whole thing was very weird and in the end me and my daughter ended up going to the address given, it ended up being a run down old building without an entrance other than a small recanguler cut through the wall. It's behind a prison and the environment is very unsettling. We didn't end up going in because of the noises we hesrd from inside the building. The wowoman s very unprofessional and rude when we also couldn't find our way there. Its 100% a scam.