emodel.com, Options Talent Group

Dear Modeling Scams,

I was living in Jacksonville, Florida, searching for work on monster.com, when I came across a model scout position opening up in the Tampa Bay area.

I had done some modeling when I was younger and I’ve always been interested in the industry, so I was thrilled when I received an email for an interview.

They gave me two days notice to be in Orlando, Florida, (a three-hour drive) for this interview. The email indicated that if you were offered the position, you would start work the next day in Tampa.

My husband was very supportive and knew how much I would love this job, so we tried to pack as much stuff as we could in my little car before taking off for Orlando. I tried to get all the things I might need if I was offered the job, knowing I would have to move to Tampa.

So I arrive at the corporate office in Orlando, and I was shocked to see 25 other people sitting there. I thought there was no way they would select me to be a scout over all these other people.

Then they called our names one by one and had us all sitting in one room, where at this point they did a small presentation of emodel.

I thought it was a great idea and to see all the affiliations with such large names in the industry: Look, Ford, Elite, etc... I thought, “This is so wonderful — I hope I get this job.”

Then we were broken up into groups of around four people each. They then gave us several comp cards of various models. They gave us a scenario of looking through the composites for a specific model. The groups then had to scan and select the one model that fit the description of what they were looking for.

Amazing how every group got it right.

Then they had us each stand up and tell a little bit about ourselves.

They then went over the pay and benefits. The first week would have a different pay scale since you were just starting out. If offered the position, you would get $100 per model that you scouted and enrolled as long as you had 10 or more sign up. Then it was based on how many enrollments. If only 1 or 2, you got $25 per enrollment, etc...

Underneath this, it stated that you would get a $600 base pay after your 30-day probationary period. That’s all it said. Nothing about having to have any amount of enrollments.

So I thought, “Ok, I can try to work really hard and get tons of enrollments the first 30 days so I could get a paycheck, until the base pay kicked in. Then I will be ok financially.”

So then it was time to go in for your one-on-one interview. I was so nervous watching each person get called and wondering, “Did they get the job? Or will I?"

I was then called in.

They asked me, “Why do you I think you would make a good model scout?"

I told them: “Because I have a good eye for talent, and I’ve had previous modeling experience in my younger years.” (I’m 35 years old.)

Imagine how excited I was when she shook my hand, and said, “You got the job.”

I was so excited until I walked out of the office and found out that every person in the room got the job.

So I thought, “This is kind of odd.”

Well, I brushed it off as Tampa is a new location, so, of course, they are going to need extra scouts.

Then once I got to Tampa with every penny to my name, I rented out a small place for $75 a week.

The first week we were sent to the office for meetings and training. But there was no training.

On our first day, they made us go out on our own and scout people. I was scared to death — I didn’t know what to say or what to do. But I got two people to come to the first open call which was held on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday every week.

I found in the first week that they were taking every person that showed up for open call. The exit interview was all for show.

I was told that this is like AOL, that’s how they make their money. They get that nice chunk of money upfront ($395) and then $29 a month. I was appalled!

I spent all of our savings on rent, gas, clubs, etc. scouting people for free.

I was heartbroken.

Not only was this job not a job, but all these innocent people were coming in, spending hundreds of dollars on something that wasn’t even real. They weren’t going to get work, not from emodel. It was all about the money. That is it.

And as far as the $600 base pay? I kept asking, “When am I going to get my pay?”

I was told to call this person or that person, never getting an answer. Until finally I was told, ‘Oh you need to have 10 enrollments in a week to receive that base pay,’ even though nowhere on the initial forms did it say that.

So when I had my 10 enrollments and still didn’t get paid my base pay, I was told, ‘Oh, you have to get 10 enrollments two weeks in a row.’

I then knew I would never get the base pay. It was all lies. And within the first week of working for emodel, everyone quit except for four of us. There were so many scouts that moved from different cities and states for this job.

Well, to our amazement, every week they brought in around 20 more new scouts. The same process, week after week...

What a great idea. Get all these people to bring in models to sign up and make money off of, and not have to pay the scouts. What a way to make a buck: free employees.

I stayed with emodel as long as I did, just to see this process. It was sickening.

But after about 3 months, my savings were gone, and I had to get a real job.

After I left, I filed a complaint with the BBB in Orlando. They said that all disgruntled employees acted this way.

Well, I think we have a right to when we were lied to and moved hundreds of miles away from our homes and families for a job that was a scam, for a company that was a scam. We weren’t going to get paid any more than the models were going to get jobs.

So now, my focus is on stopping emodel from scamming other people. I won’t stop until they stop.

They are still using the same model success stories that they used when I was hired in May 2001. No new ones, just the same ones. I don’t even know if they are real models or just some stories made up by emodel.

So anyone that gets scouted is being scammed and anyone who gets offered a job for emodel is being scammed.

There are no winners with this company. Except of course for the corporation itself.

So I suggest anyone and everyone to stay as far away from emodel as possible. You’ll end up broke and broken-hearted.

Sincerely,

T.N.