Mr. Spatz,
Nice try, no cigar!
I was also approached like 'Angry Mom' while shopping with my granddaughter. And we were almost scammed by you and your company as well.
Let me tell YOU a little something about me. I have been a Prosecutor here is Los Angeles County for over 14 years (now retired) Due to my background and now my interest in you, I have been looking into this obvious rip-off and will continue to see this through.in the mean time, here are a few things everyone should know.
Let's start with your business partner Eric Rottman. There is a great deal of public information available on him. It appears his previous acting and modeling scams were shut down or he skipped town in the middle of the night to avoid being shut down. Your way of operating is identical. Did you think his past would not catch up with you? Please don't try and deny this fact as he has been video taped on more than one occasion by more than one person working in your office. Please find enclosed below a little of his long history.
Now, let's get to your recruitment of children. It is illegal to do business in another businesses place of business. (i.E. Having your employees hang out at the malls and department stores handing out cards and hustling parents.) If your customers are so happy with you and your services than why would you need to procure potential customers illegally? Reputable workshops and acting classes depend on word of mouth and simply advertise. Key word here is "reputable."
In addition to the above and if that were not enough, your prices are unbelievable. Talk about excessive. Although there is nothing illegal about over charging, it does say a lot about your character. And don't give me "you get what you pay for." People should know there are many great classes taught by well respected companies and experienced coaches for a few hundred dollars. Unfortunately, your staff employs such high pressure sales tactics on consumers that most feel they must make decisions on the spot.
You say you have satisfied customers and that may be true. However, I have successfully prosecuted many scams that have also had satisfied customers. It means little and is not going to save your bacon.
Gary, if your wife is so "livid" maybe you should have thought about that before getting involved in a scam. Your reputation is no longer "unblemished." How long do you think Disney will continue to work with you once they get a whiff of all this? And they will, I guarantee it! Are a few fast dollars really worth loosing what you say you have worked so hard for?
I will also be submitting complaints to the appropriate consumer and regulatory agencies. Since you are an Advance Fee Talent Company, I will be forwarding a complaint to the California State Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement in addition to the aforementioned agencies by "Angry Mom."
Your ethics and business practices are deplorable!
O'Brien/Rottman Talent Consultants, Inc.
Aka O'Brien/Rottman Studios
aka O'Brien/Rottman Talent Placement
Pat O'Brien (Patrick O'Brien) and Eric P. Rottman
BBB Record
O'Brien Rottman Talent Consultants, Inc. This Report was developed from various sources, including the business, governmental agencies, and the experience of the company's customers.
O'Brien Rottman Talent Consultants, Inc.
1223 Wilshire Blvd. PMB # 813
Santa Monica CA 90403-5400
Business Started: 01/01/89
File Open Date: 04/13/94
Last Report Date: 12/12/02
Principal Contact: Pat O'Brien
Phone: (310) 777-5478
Fax: (310) 777-5479
Email: Not Available
Web Address: Not Available
Bureau ID: 85001965
Nature of Business
This company's business is talent and modeling management services,
workshops and photographs.
Bureau File Experience
Our files show disconnected phone numbers, returned mail or both. The company appears to be out of business. The Bureau cannot trace addresses of companies or principals. General information is available upon
request which may assist you.
We rate this company as having an unsatisfactory business performance record.
Complaints allege misrepresentation of services. Clients did not find work in the industry as promised. The company responded to most complaints by offering explanations, or pointing out specific contract
clauses which state the company does not guarantee or provide employment. A few complaints remain unanswered.
According to talent agents, portfolios are developed over the course of a persons career. Therefore, novices do not need expensive portfolios. We routinely suggest you read and understand all contract
provisions, including cancellation and refund policies before making a buying decision. Keep in mind there are probably no guarantees of employment provided in your contract. Your success in the industry will depend on your own talent, perseverance, and ability to utilize your resources.
The Better Business Bureau does not endorse, recommend or disapprove of any company, product or service.
Additional Phone Numbers
(800) 266 - 9300 (800) 487 - 9688 (310) 777 - 2605
(213) 456 - 2783 (310) 777 - 2683
Additional Trade names
There are no additional trade names for this company on file.
Additional Addresses
9255 Sunset Blvd. Suite 1000
West Hollywood, CA 90069
9255 Sunset Blvd. Suite 614
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Source: http://search. BBB.org/search.html
Consumer Complaint
Complaint of the Day Archive (Past Days)
Complaints of the Day e-Message # 3 for May 7
Next Complaint of the Day
Topic: acting lessons www.ortpnw.com
Conf: Entertainment, General
From: XXXX [email protected]
Date: Sunday, May 06 07:48 PM
Dear Business: a consumer posted the following e-message at Complaints.com.
Please respond directly to the consumer, using the consumer's name and e-mail address (as per the From: field above).
You may also wish to respond publicly on the Complaints.com site. Just locate this e-message posted in your business's conference and click on the
"Reply to" link. (Note: a user registration is required before posting e-messages to the Complaints.com site.)
The O'Brien/Rottman Studios have locations in San Francisco, West Hollywood, Dallas, and Phoenix. My son signed a contract at the San Francisco location
for lessons, head shot photo shoot, showcases. These were completed, but there was to be an ongoing relationship of helping him and consultation with
a talent scout who chose to work with him. A few months ago, I went to the location in Union Square in the Tiffany Building. O'Brien/Rottman left the building without warning.
There is no longer a web site and the phones are dead. An employee of Tiffanys spoke with me and said he noticed there were no more showcases or people lining up for these or any activity at all. So why leave without
warning? They seemed to be very busy with plenty of business during our many visits and I know we aren't alone in wondering what the heck happened. I do realize we maybe one of the fortunate ones who at least got most of what we paid for.
But there was supposed to be an ongoing relationship of consultation, and any earnings were to be sent to the talent scout who would keep 10% and forward the rest to my son. Fortuneately this hadn't happened thus far. Is
this a federal income tax issue? What? I have tried to phone the better business bureau and other agencies, but I can never get through. I am not making long distance phone calls to the other locations. Anyone else know
anything?
Source: http://www.complaints.com/maycomplaintoftheday. May7.3.htm
Excerpt from Backstage Magazine
Elliott spoke with BSW during SAG's commercial contract strike in defending his practice of sending non-union actors on auditions during the strike. He explained that he had recently chosen to become an agent, having "left some very corrupt companies behind, " and mentioned that he had previously worked for the controversial talent "placement" company O'Brien Rottman.
Source: http://www.backstage.com/backstage/news/article_display. Jsp? Vnu_content_id=1454693
Excerpt from Blog
6/07/01: Yesterday, I flip-flopped out to my old broiling oversized teflon and titanium reinforced Master Thespian mailbox that is swivel-fastened atop a two inch diameter heavy wall pipe pounded four feet into the caliche clay of the Sonoran Desert and finally firmly secured with ten kilos of quick setting concrete, and removed a medium well-done mailer from Phoenix based
YoungArtists Talent Consultants addressed to "The Parents of..." I felt a moment of deja vu before I realized that, months ago, the phone number I dialed that was listed as the now defunct O'Brien/Rottman Talent Placement was "no longer in service" and requested callers to dial a 602-241-9282 number. Said number, that upon dialing, was cheerfully answered with a
"Young Artists Talent Consultants." My gut feeling is to advise parents and children not to schedule an appointment for the upcoming YoungArtists 'cattle-call' auditions this Sunday, June 10th. I say this because 1) Their current phone number was referenced from the former O'Brien/Rottman phone number, 2) Their mailing was received only four days before the audition forcing quick action by ignorant 'hopefuls', 3) They carefully and clearly label themselves as a "Talent Consultant" rather than an "Agency", which would fall under SAG franchise rules, or "Talent Management", which
would come under Arizona state law, 4) They are apparently using the old mailing list of O'Brien/Rottman because even my son's name is misspelled the same way and 5) Unlike a legitimate "Talent Agency" I can damn-guarantee you that they will be asking for thousands of dollars from the lucky - and I quote: "... 8 to 12% of the auditioning talent" they select!
Source: http://www.angelfire.com/az/nativebob/dramaindexarchive0608_0601_2001.html
Consumer Question
I want to be an actress. Every time I see a movie I almost cry because I wish that I had been the one playing that part. I will walk to hollywood to be an acctess i would do anything! When I saw Jurassic Park, and movies like it, I told my brother, "I could do that." So, he said, "Well, do it. I have been looking for infromation on the Harry Potter movie. I want to know if O'Brien Rottman Agency is a legetimate talent agency they want $2000 to join them.
Source: HOLLYWOOD SCREENWRITERS NETWORK - Your Hollywood Career
O'Brien/Rottman Scammed & Scrammed
O'Brien/Rottman Talent Vanishes!
The other day as your Master Thespian was cruising Central Avenue north of Thomas, I noticed the offices of O'Brien/Rottman Talent Placement were empty. (For those of you who've been in Phoenix awhile, they were in
the original home of the Phoenix Suns about 200 yards north of Thomas on the west side of Central Avenue.)
This business, which to the innocent parents whose wallets were harvested appeared to be a way for fresh-faced child actors to get into the commercial/television/movie market.in order to bypass our state laws regarding talent agencies, O'Brien/Rottman billed itself as a 'Talent Placement' company. O'Brien/Rottman would then for $2,700, yes two thousand seven hundred dollars! Schedule head shots, acting training and arrange for the child actor to obtain an agent. I know these facts, because my child was
approached, video taped and offered a contract, which I then wisely
declined.
Today I phoned the O'Brien/Rottman Phoenix phone number "602-240-5478" and a Qwest recording suggested dialing "602-241-9282." I dialed said number and was greeted by a female voice announcing "Young Artists." She claimed to posses no knowledge of O'Brien/Rottman! I also checked the web address of O'Brien/Rottman www.ortp.com and it had vanished.
If you believe you've been fooled by these individuals, swallow your pride, gather your records together and phone the Arizona Attorney General's
Criminal Division at 602-542-3881.
(posted 12/19/00)
Source: http://www.angelfire.com/az/nativebob/dramarottman.html
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