Spencer K wrote:
scam

MisterC wrote:

Vote.

Alice Nguyen wrote:

Vote.

Yes!

I don't have enough info to make an informed decision, but if they're asking for money from you... they're preying by flatter. You're an aspiring model, you fell fairly handsome, and along comes an agency to represent you. It's usually not how it works. : (

Spencer K wrote:
Hello,

Sorry for posting if this seems like nonsense or a no brainer but I have a few questions. I have an "agency" that has scouted me out. I feel flattered, but I am a little uneasy about who they are for a few reasons. The first being they expect a payment of $144 ($12 / 12 months) to become a part of their agency. (Basically post a few images on their website) Second, they are located somewhere that is a little remote. And lastly, their webpage, looks a bit shaky and they only have about 12 models and consider themselves to be very big in the market, claiming pay rates from $400 - $4500.

Could someone please advise as to whether this is a scam (as it feels like it is) or whether this is a common practice. Out of fairness, I am leaving their name out of the post for now.

Fail.

1. Agencies make their income from getting commission from their model's jobs,
NOT from changing a 'joining fee'.

2. Consider the 'remote' market the agency is located in, just how much work could they really offer you?

3. They have.... 12 models? Nope. Warning bells are ringing here.

Spencer K wrote:
Hello,

Sorry for posting if this seems like nonsense or a no brainer but I have a few questions. I have an "agency" that has scouted me out. I feel flattered, but I am a little uneasy about who they are for a few reasons. The first being they expect a payment of $144 ($12 / 12 months) to become a part of their agency. (Basically post a few images on their website) Second, they are located somewhere that is a little remote. And lastly, their webpage, looks a bit shaky and they only have about 12 models and consider themselves to be very big in the market, claiming pay rates from $400 - $4500.

Could someone please advise as to whether this is a scam (as it feels like it is) or whether this is a common practice. Out of fairness, I am leaving their name out of the post for now.

Yes, its a scam, and here's what leads me to feel that way:

1. You were "scouted".  REAL agencies have more than enough potentials walking in their door, where they wouldn't need to search for talent.
2. Without critiquing... I'm not seeing the typical agency level male model.. no offense.
3. Stockton, California.  Agencies?????
4. The money... HUGE red flag

No offense, JMO

Lucas Chapman wrote:
1. You were "scouted".  REAL agencies have more than enough potentials walking in their door, where they wouldn't need to search for talent.

That's not actually true.  Agencies like Ford have entire scouting departments, with a Director of Scouting, and regularly send their scouts on trips to other markets to hunt up new talent.  Others use commission-based scouts in various markets, while I've heard of agencies in smaller markets commissioning photographers who refer promising talent their way.  I can think of times where I've lost access to my bookers at Wilhelmina for a few days because they were all off on a scouting trip to Myrtle Beach or Phoenix or Galveston.

This isn't something that immediately declares an agency to be a scam.

4. The money... HUGE red flag

All agencies have fees, including for things like website placement...it's just generally charged on a one-time or annual basis.  Larger traditional agencies will charge these fees against the model's future revenues, but boutique agencies are hurting these days...I've been watching them close up shop left and right.  It wouldn't shock me to see more agencies unwilling to run a debit on a model's behalf and start saying, "we think there's work for you in Berlin this season, but you're going to have to pay your own way there."

That said, $12/month is a red flag - agency representation isn't a subscription service.  It's a pretty insignificant amount, but that income trickle just tells me that the agency will nickle-and-dime everywhere else as well.

Spencer K wrote:
Hello,

Sorry for posting if this seems like nonsense or a no brainer but I have a few questions. I have an "agency" that has scouted me out. I feel flattered, but I am a little uneasy about who they are for a few reasons. The first being they expect a payment of $144 ($12 / 12 months) to become a part of their agency. (Basically post a few images on their website) Second, they are located somewhere that is a little remote. And lastly, their webpage, looks a bit shaky and they only have about 12 models and consider themselves to be very big in the market, claiming pay rates from $400 - $4500.

Could someone please advise as to whether this is a scam (as it feels like it is) or whether this is a common practice. Out of fairness, I am leaving their name out of the post for now.

Any agency that wants you to pay them is a scam.. no legit agency works this way... they take you on and make money from the jobs they book for you. They take a percentage.

Simon Gerzina wrote:
That's not actually true.  Agencies like Ford have entire scouting departments, with a Director of Scouting, and regularly send their scouts on trips to other markets to hunt up new talent.  Others use commission-based scouts in various markets, while I've heard of agencies in smaller markets commissioning photographers who refer promising talent their way.  I can think of times where I've lost access to my bookers at Wilhelmina for a few days because they were all off on a scouting trip to Myrtle Beach or Phoenix or Galveston.

This isn't something that immediately declares an agency to be a scam.


All agencies have fees, including for things like website placement...it's just generally charged on a one-time or annual basis.  Larger traditional agencies will charge these fees against the model's future revenues, but boutique agencies are hurting these days...I've been watching them close up shop left and right.  It wouldn't shock me to see more agencies unwilling to run a debit on a model's behalf and start saying, "we think there's work for you in Berlin this season, but you're going to have to pay your own way there."

That said, $12/month is a red flag - agency representation isn't a subscription service.  It's a pretty insignificant amount, but that income trickle just tells me that the agency will nickle-and-dime everywhere else as well.

I agree!  I know 1st hand of many note-worthy agencies that charge their models any where between $250-$375 yearly for website placement. Including "Wilhelmina, Ford and Elite" just to name a few...

FYI, "qualified" model(s) hire "qualified" agencies to work for them... not the other way around!  And said agencies require professional marketing tool such as visual website placement and visual office placement aka "comp cards" and this cost money via said model(s)!  Not to mention the "real world" fees related to portfolio updates... with "qualified" photographers, make up artists, stylist.  Sure you may get lucky (TFP) via this MM playground but often not!

There are countless scams in this industry regarding such issues... my advice is just do your homework before "hiring" anyone to represent you!

Scott Johnson Studios wrote:
Any agency that wants you to pay them is a scam.. no legit agency works this way... they take you on and make money from the jobs they book for you. They take a percentage.

I'm not sure where you get your misinformation from!

Yes, scams are out there... but every "legit" agency I know, work with and or scout for charges their client(s) aka model(s) fees! Either up front, monthly or via gig recoup!  But maybe "Ford, Wilhelmina, Elite, Race, Marilyn Agency and or Next just to name a few are all bogus agencies according to your point of view...

George Ruge wrote:
I've heard that real agencies pay models as opposed to models paying agencies. This sounds like that Mall Talent Search kind of BS agency!!

You've heard wrong.  Agencies aren't in the business of covering a model's expenses...they may or may not be in the business of fronting those expenses, but they're deducted back out of any revenue that model brings in, often including a markup on expenses.  If the agency puts a model up in an apartment, they charge the model for that apartment.  If the agency buys a model comp cards, they charge the model for comp cards.  If the agency sends the model's book to a client via messenger, the model pays for that messenger.

No offense, but you may want to give advice based on what you know, not what you've heard.