How do i check if a modelling agency is legit?

Question

my daughter has been accepted as a baby model for models direct. has any one ever heard of this company before. am just a bit worried as they want an administraton fee of £128. they do not take any commission from what she earns and they are offering her a 3 year contract. just want to make sure its all safe and above board. we are not a well of family so being conned out of £128 would be devastating to us. would be gratefull if some one can give me some advice on this please. kind genuine answers only please. thanks xx

Answer 1

dont do it i fell for the same routine few years back and never heard from them as soon as they got the money. before i had payed they were never of the phone.

Answer 2

Its a con without a doubt, although it may well be a legit agency which is hard to tell,  the con maybe more in what you think you are paying for. The up-front fee is probably for the agency to promote your daughter and look for work for her, put her on the books with thousands of others. Similar fees have been advertised by these sort of companies before, the money paid goes to them doing some leg work, promoting your daughter or with some just for registration. The work they do could be achieved free by yourself, take some good pictures with a digital camera to make a portfolio and send or take them round the well known model agencies.  If your daughter has the look they will contact you for further information, pictures and a visit with no up-front fees and they all take a commission on earnings. My friends sister was a catalogue model when she was a child and did quiet well out of it, she was spotted at by an agent for a large agency and no up-front fees changed hands.

   If you look at  Models direct website it seems all geared to making money with things like premium number competitions etc. The layout makes it look like anyone can be a model and at one point it says"no, we are an employment agency."It does look like they make a lot of money from people who want to be a model.  The website link is below.

     Hope this helps

          Andy

Answer 3

if they ask for money upfront they not legit

Answer 4

No legitimate agency will ask for a fee; they will take a commission from work that they get for you.