| My son was scouted at Franklin Mills Mall. He was interested so I signed him up. We went to the appointment with no knowledge of what to expect. The first red flag for me was the location. Something didn't seem right about it. My instincts were very correct. While waiting in the lobby, I noticed a video playing repeatedly showing models and IMTA. Who is IMTA? This place is called Nijah. Is IMTA a parent company? Not so much a red flag. Lots of companies have parents. Anyway, the second red flag came when we were called in and met with a woman and her assistant ( I forgot her name and her assistant's name - they weren't worth remembering). The director started talkin a mile a minute. I said wait a minute. Can you please tell me what this company is about? She said she will get to that in a minute. She started telling me about how they are serious and don't work with just anybody (honey, you guys will work with whoever will give you the money, I was just waiting for the punchline, I smelled it all over this place). After she stopped with her speech about herself and then the company, she started telling me about all the people who have gone on to success with them and showed me a book of models and their accomplishments. I was getting tired of her BS. I wanted her to just get to it. So, I stopped her and just said what is the cost here. She told me well we haven't decided if we want to work with your son. She asked if I brought any pictures. I said yes. She took them and said we will step out for a little while and make our decision. She and her assistant left. While they were out of the room, I told my 14 year old. This is a scam, they want money. They returned to the room about 5 -7 minutes later and said my son was selected. Yeah right (This is the BS to make you think your child was special and was selected while others were rejected). She again told me we don't work with just anybody and we reject a lot of children because we don't see the potential in them. She said we want to get your son into the studio and have him take his photos right away. She started to explain to me packages and the costs (and here it is, the SCAM). She told me packages could run from a few hundred to thousands. I said okay, what is the lowest. She said $750 which included the composite for one outfit. Then, told me there would be a 5.50 one time charge to market him on the internet or mailing (my choice). 5.50? Really? ("I dunt tink so Lucy") She also told me there would be a $45 optional charge for rights. After she explained all of this, I said okay thank you I will get back to you. Well, let me tell you, the attitude changed again. All of a sudden I am being asked, "Don't you want your child to have this opportunity, look at him, he wants it, why would you deny your child this". She went on to say, "don't you have the money"? I said I do, but not today. She said "you can't call anybody or go to the bank". I said I am not calling anyone, and the bank closes at 12 on Saturday. I said, why does this need to be done today. I said I will get back to you. She said, "do you understand the entertainment business, it doesn't wait for anybody, it's now or never". I said, it's going to be never. Again, the attitude changes. She looks at her assistant and says, "we should give her an extension right", her assistant said "yes". So she tells me I can come back on Monday with the cash or call with the credit card to pay and then come back on Thursday to do the pictures. I said okay and she wrote down her name on a card which I discarded when I reached home. I should have thrown it out as soon as I walked out of that place. While I was walking out, I looked out the corner of my eye and noticed the director giving the assistant a look, like "Damn we didn't get this sucker, oh well on to the next"!!! Don't walk away from here, RUN, RUN, RUN!!!!! |
