Stone Model & Talent Agency or may be called Ohio Model & Talent Agency (might have changed their name) stole $6,490 from me. I paid $1,500 for my daughter to take 'modeling classes' which were a waste of money to say the least. Then she was encouraged to 'audition' for IMTA which of course she was chosen to go (this is a very expensive trip where there are suppose to be 'big name modeling agents' there and you could be 'discovered'. We talked to Susan Scott, VP of Stone, and she built up my daughter and IMTA to a point where any teenage girl would be so excited to grasp this 'opportunity' so I went in debt to give her what I thought would be a once in a life time opportunity. Several months later personal issues forced me to back out of the trip as I could no longer afford it and desperately needed my money back. Of course Stone kept $1,500 if you cancelled after three days of signing the contract, but that still left them owing me $6,490.
Per the contract, you had to send a certified letter to Stone by a certain date in order to get your money refunded to you, which I did. I received the proof they received the letter and waited for my refund check. After a few weeks and hearing nothing, I began sending emails to both Susan Scott and Diane, the office manager, and calling to inquire as to when I could expect my refund.
Diane would tell me she 'will send the check out that day', 'I mailed the check to you a couple days ago' and on and on the lies went. Finally, she told me 'we just don't have the money'. I said 'but you told me you mailed me the check so you lied to me' and she would just continue to tell me that they don't have the money but she could make payments to me, which of course never happened either. I continued to call and send emails for almost two years, knowing they had no intention of ever giving me back my money. I found this so hard to believe and accept that a company could actually get away with something like this, even with a signed contract.
So what did they do with all the money I paid them? Who knows... Pay their utility bills, ensure they received a paycheck? I have never been so devestated, disappointed and angry over anything in my life. I struggle to pay my bills and provide for my family while such a dishonest business can continue. What kind of a country do we live in that a business could get away with something like this and STILL stay in business and betray others in the same way.
It's sad that they could so easily lie to your child to get them excited about a total farce just to get money for which you get nothing in return but a stress, frustration, disbelief and a totally disappointed and broken hearted child because they destoyed her dreams of getting a chance to model because after all this, she never received one phone call for a modeling job... Not one.
I wasted the $1,500 on so called 'training', I had to spend approximately $350 for my daughter's 'photo shoot' and to get the proofs, they gave me her 'composite cards' (wouldn't a real modeling agency keep these to send out to get 'jobs' for their models), and of course the $7,990 for a trip my daughter and I never took. Stone Model and Talent got almost $10,000.00 just from me alone; how many others have they literally stolen money from; I know I am not the only one. $10,000 for which my daugher got nothing in return, not one modeling job!!! I have been financially devestated over the last two years because they would not refund my money.
Stone Model and Talent are liars, thieves and deceivers! If you don't want to watch your child get disappointed and heart broken, don't give this 'company' one cent of your money!
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