After receiving a letter from Kids.com and Ad kids we contacted both companies for a so called interview. Our first child had been in a couple of model and talent shows in the past so we figured that is how our child had been brought to there attention. They informed us both parents must be present.
On Saturday March 4 we packed up the kids and headed to Chicago (no easy task with small children). The ouside and inside of the building were run down. Being close to the big city I reasoned with myself that rent was more than likely very expensive, even for such a place as this. The neighborhood seemed a good location.
Even though we were on hour early we were taken right back to an interview room. Ginny Alberts-Jonhson was the lady that interivewed us and the children. She told us how great our kids were and even though there were no guarntees she was already talking like our kids had jobs and were on there way.
When we told her we had another appointment with Ad kids she told us how the people that worked there had been fired from Kids.com and how she had trained most of them. She went on to tell us that they advertised that they were part of the New York Ad kids company (which was on the bottom of the letter we got from them). She said the New York company was owned by her personal friend and that they were not afflliated with the Chicago company.
I asked if we could think some more about the situation and not sign the contract that day. She retorted that if we were serious about doing this for our children we should sign now and not waste time. When I ask about details of cancelling the contract she said, "I'd rather not sign your kids at all than lose them after we sign them. Plus, I don't want my employees to have to do all the extra paperwork."
My husband and I didn't want to miss out on such an opportunity for our children so we agreed to the opportunity. She said we could make three payments of $265, but she needed all three checks that day. The only paperwork we received was a folder with some rules for their photo shoots and assignments if they were ever called upon. They also stated that we couldn't be in the same room with our child on some or all of the assignments.
After leaving I couldn't shake the feeling of if we did the right thing for our children. It nagged at me for the next day and a half before my husband told me to check there website again. I began to investigating both companies on the internet. Only to find what I feared. When the companies names are put into a search engine there advertisements come up and then a list of items revealing that there scams and fraudulant. Your children get there attention by being born. They get your information from a company that collects birth records. I found this out from a background check company I found.
I've done a lot of foot work these past two days to stop us from losing a lot of money and cancelling there so called contract. We all love our children and know they are star worthy, but this is not the route to take. Protect yourself and your children! I just hope this nightmare is behind us. We have chalked it up to a good lesson of if it sounds to good to be true it is especially if you have to pay a big price for the dream to begin.
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