Quick List Warning Signs:

• Unsatisfactory record at the Better Business Bureau
• Pattern of complaints at the BBB
• Unanswered complaints at the BBB
• Claim Al Capone started the BBB
• Conflict of interest
• Upfront fees
• High prices
• High sales pressure
• Guaranteed work
• No website
• No tear sheets
• No client list
• Pricing not on website
• Hidden fees
• Extra expenses (total cost) not communicated
• Not up front about basic important issue(s)
• Website FAQ does not answer basic important question(s)
• Training not free
• Online portfolio not free
• Specific photographer required
• Manipulation to use specific photographer
• Agency makes profit from photography
• Website address of "professional photographer" not provided
• Company has its own photographer or own photo studio
• Pictures taken by photographer do not look professional
• High fees for web portfolio
• High fees for infant photos
• Professional photos for infants
• Professional photos for kids under four years old
• Most models make less money than they pay for photos
• Late payments for completed work
• Leaders have history of fraud
• Leaders previously prosecuted by the Federal Trade Commission
• No agency license
• Published news reports allege fraud, greed, corruption
• The words "scam" or "fraud" are often used in online discussions of the company
• Local media issued warnings and consumer alerts
• State consumer protection agency issued warnings and consumer alerts
• False/misleading/unsubstantiated advertising
• Claim famous agencies use the company to seek models
• Claim top agencies use the internet to seek models
• Claimed/implied affiliation with celebrities
• Claim they started the career(s) of supermodel(s)
• Claim supermodels use the service
• Claim supermodel started the company
• Company promotes lucrative modeling but its models only get "minimum-wage" "modeling"
• Company talks like an agency, or says it is an agency, but it is not an agency, and has no license
• Pictures of models on the office wall also available at K-Mart
• Company name includes "International" but it has no offices in other countries and no model placement in other countries
• Slams other types of modeling businesses (convention slamming schools; schools slamming conventions)
• New company
• Payment only accepted in cash or money order
• No receipt given unless asked
• Imbalance in financial risk (one-sided for consumer)
• No money-back guarantee
• No refunds
• Company makes profit even if models get no work
• Company's models do not look like models/have not received work
• Company seeks long-term exclusive model contract with new/untested model
• Firm does not mention and BBB record does not include its success rate (placement record)
• Model scouts are not model bookers
• Model scouts are paid by the number of people they recruit, not the amount of work the models get
• Company recruits models in state(s) where it has no office(s)
• Company seeks quota (x number of new models)
• Company pretends to be highly selective ("only 2% are selected" and 98% fail, when in reality it is more like 98% who are selected and 2% fail)
• Use of important-sounding positions like "Talent Executive" which require no training and no skill
• Claims someone else (who is important) has to make the selection decision to make them appear to be selective
• Very high new model selection rate
• Very high ratio of models to staff
• Company runs a national photo directory (online/print)
• Overall impression the company is really most interested in making/taking money
• Business plan designed for fast, easy money (requires low effort, low experience, low skill, low performance)
• The "free open call" or "free audition" is nothing more than a contrived meeting for a sales pitch (to sell classes, convention, online portfolio hosting, etc.)
• It would be difficult to hold the company accountable if the model signed a contract because the agency is in another state
• Address is only a PO Box number, not a street address
• Business partnerships which create conflict of interest (e.g. schools with agency; schools with convention; agency with photographer; photographer with convention)
• Convention contestants not screened by agents with photos prior to convention
• Oral representations different from written representations
• Nothing in writing
• Emphasis of marketing to aspiring models is the (models') future potential not the (company's) past; fame ("you could be a star"), money ("you could make millions"), the dream, etc.
• Emphasis of marketing is call backs (low standard), not placement rate (high standard)
• Little if any time given to background check company and review contract
• Minimal or minimum cooling-off period allowed to change mind
• Representation to aspiring/untested/new model that work will be offered immediately, be easy to get, and pay extremely well
• Most work the agency gets is for events ("promotional"), not print, not editorial, not commercial, not fashion
• Calls itself a modeling school when it is more accurately called a finishing school or a charm school
• Represents training at a finishing school is required to become a model
• Claims a model must be trained to be signed
• New models are not signed until they have paid for training

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