I responded to a add on Craisglist for part time work as an extra in movies and television commericals being shot locally in the Phoenix area. When I called them the receptionist asked "For What Company?" which should have been my first clue. Anyway, I decided to go check it out and see what it was all about. When I got down to the office on Tatum/Cactus, I looked around and thought they must have just moved in to this space, it appeard they had not fully unpacked things. So I met with "Barbara" a very well preserved 78 yr old woman, or so she told me she was. She went into a tangent spewing all this policitcal stuff about Obama being the Anti-Christ, etc, that shoudl have been my 2nd clue. Ugh. So anyway she went on for about 30 minutes on political stuff, I endulged her. Then she started with her spcheel... They supplied extras for the flop movie "the Kingdom" repeating about 5 times it was a 70 Million dollar production. As if I cared. Anyway, then she says to me that I have everythign they are looking for NOW, attrative, great bone structure, nice skin tone, intelligent, speak well, blah blah blah. But... I need to sign up NOW because they are casting NOW! She throws down a piece of paper with 3 "packages" on it, $150, $250 and $350 and of course she reccommends I go with the $350 package. Dumb Dumb over here signs it without reading it, and "Basrbara" coveniently did not point out that this $350 is NON-REFUNDABLE!!! Why would she? It's a scam! She did not ask me ONE question about if I had ever done any type of public speaking, acting, modeling, print work, anything relating to WHY I was actually there! So then she shuffles me off to see "Nicole" in another room where she takes 2 pictures of me, hands me a papger on how to "log in" to get the current casting calls, and schedule a time for a "video shoot". I start asking this "Nicole" some questions about if she has done this and why and how did she do. She tells me that she has and she was in a movie called "Saving Santa" which is coming out in December... We shall see! Anyway, I leave, I knew I should not have done it. I got back to work and googled them on usacomplaints.com! Yup! I was scammed! I read how other people were scammed to and tried to get their money back by CALLING. I knew I had to actually go back down there to get my money back. I had called my bank and spoke to my Branch Manager, who is a close personal friend, there was nothing she could do (I used my Debit Card. Another bone head thing I did!). Anyway, so I left and went back down to the office. I walked in all in a huff told the front desk I wanted to see "Barbara" she told me she was 'busy' so I said "That's ok I know where her office is" I really didn't but I was determined to find it, that office is HUGE and hte office all have frosted glass so you cannot see in. Anyway, the receptionsit says "You can't go back there. I'm calling Security!" so I said "Ok, call them" and keep walking. I walking around looking for "Barbara" finally I find her office, the door is closed and I knock. She comes out and I say I want my money back, I make up some story about some emergency, she says to me "Well, this is a Corporation I have to check with the others" then I say "I don't have time" she says "I cannot do it-it will take days and I have to have approval from others". Then I said "LISTEN LADY, I KNOW THIS IS A SCAM I CHECKED consumer complaints AND I WANT MY MONEY BACK!" she got mad, really mad. There was a women in her office about to sign the same paper as I did, I leaned in and told her to check out complaint before you sign anything. This infuraiated "Barbara"! The woman from her office quietly tip-toed out behind us as we spoke in the hallway and mouthed the words "Thank You" to me as she passed by. "Barbara" took me into her office where she hesitantly refunded my money!!! YAY ME for standing up for myself! Then when she handed me my credit card back and as I was walking toward the door she told me she was going to sue me, ha! For what? I said. Calling her out on her scam? Then she verbally threatened me! She said "I should hit you for what you just did to me " and I looked at her and calmly said "Oh I wish you would!" then I started walking toward the exit and she walked right beside me, but as I left I mouthed to others in the waiting area "IT'S A SCAM" and they followed me out! DO NOT BE AFRAID TO FIGHT BACK. This place is a scam and you can win!!
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