I am a single full time parent trying to do the best that I can for myself and my daughter so that we can have the good life that any family deserves. I have since my daughter was born been told by family, friends, and even strangers (people you see in grocery store etc.) that I should have my daughter in some sort of modeling if I don't already. As she has aged her personality has made even more people suggest to me that she should be in commercials, catalogues, etc. She is a natural born Starlet apparently.
Finally this past month I decided to check into the child talent field looking to take my daughter into some type of audition or agency to see if she had a true shot at getting into the "business" I knew she would have a great time doing anything like modeling etc. And I was hoping if she ended up actually making some money from modeling etc. That I would be able to put it all if any into a college fund for her, GOD knows I need all the financial help I can get considering I am on my own with her.
I saw an ad in the paper for Starbizz and called and got the info for thier upcoming open audition deal and we showed up on scheduled day and brought what I was told to (recent picture etc.) and when the owner Bruce called us into his photo/interview area he told me right away that she was a sure-win for this kind of work, he asked if this was my first attempt to try my daughter out in this field (Which was a YES) he very quickly gave me a little packet of paper with a time to call him back written on it and some info about purchasing a $685.00 photo package that Starbizz offers that is some sort of necessary portfolio that would help launch a child into model world etc. And that was that.
The next day when I was scheduled to call back Starbizz I did not call, every part of me told me that unless you want to pay the money to get the headshots done etc. Than Starbizz wasn't going to work with you, I personally cannot throw large amounts of money around like that with no total guarantee involved so I let it go.
The next day I recieved a message on my phone from Bruce that despite my not calling back Starbizz the prior day he told me he would definitley have a job for my daughter and in fact he said there was a store that wanted my daughter for a modeling job already and to Please call back ASAP if I was still interested in letting my daughter do this.
I called back very excited, thinking wow my daughter has such potential in this line of work that they don't even care about the $685. Oo photo deal they claim is most important to have etc. And that we might really have something good going on for my daughter here. Bruce asks me to come in the next morning so that my daughter can be measured and fitted etc. So that he can get her stats to the clothing line store that wants to work with her. We need to sign some paperwork and go over some things etc.
So I go, there was no fitting he immediatly after telling me of this "clothing line out of Colorado" that wants my daughter to model for them that 1st we need to get this photo package done not only for current store but for future companies etc. That are seeking child models etc. He stated that if I didn't have the money for the photo deal he would help if he could but also that if I did have it and decide to purchase photo deal that I will on my next appt be reimbursed for the 685 dollars personally by Bruce with my choice of a variety of things coyotes tickets, day spa gift certificates and so on this was a good faith sign he claimed to Welcome us to Starbizz.
He named off over 7 modeling/talent agencies valleywide that his "kids" and company work with, he also stated that he would give me 8 different web sites that I can check when I want as much as I want that constantly have auditions here and there for children that I can on my own choose to take her to or not.
We set up a appt for the photo shoot a few days later and paid him that day 685 dollars for a 45 minute photo session and again he stated that at that appt my daughter would be fitted etc. For clothing store that wanted her to model for them, he said he would for sure be at photo appt.in the office so that he could show me what reimbursement gifts he had, and he said at that appt he would give me the 8 web sites also.
On our appt. Bruce was never in the office when I got there nor when we left, the photo shoot was 20 minutes long and honestly were shotty and crappy pictures that the walmart photo center could have put to shame with the pictures they take in the store.
Obviously no reimbursements, no web site info, no 45 minute quality photo shoot worth 685.00 and again no fitting or measuring for upcoming job. The night after our photo shoot we watched a report on Channel 15 about Starbizz Entertainment with two undercover families that went in for his open audition deal like we went to and all he said to these families he said word for word to me.
Other people told thier stories of what went down when they took thier children to Starbizz and got the photo package etc. And all that these people described fit to a tee as to what we experienced at Starbizz.
The next day I called Starbizz with just the intentions of trying to give Bruce an oppurtunity to I was hoping give me some straight answers to some questions I had for him that I had from all I could tell been misinformed about on our prior appointments with one another and I got no answer so I left messages and got no call back and this has taken place now for over two weeks no photos have been sent as promised (not that they are worth a dime anyway), no website info, NO JOB that was a week away from taking place after my second visit to Starbizz, NO NOTHING!
I knew Bruce and Starbizz were not promising or guaranteeing that my daughter would be some superstar or earn huge or even any amount of money etc. They told me bottom line that they were just a stepping stool that was a way of entry into the modeling world and into getting my child experience and exposure so that if all goes well in 2 years plus or minus she would have what agencies want when looking to hire models (experience, exposure etc.) Starbizz would send us to paying jobs that wanted to hire my child via Starbizz kids as much as they could just as long as we accept that to make money we must invest money and time into this whole deal, meaning thier photo package deal.
ALL I HAVE heard is BS all I have seen of Starbizz so far is BS and I have no problem in investing inorder to gain financially speaking or otherwise but to pay close to 700.00 for twenty minutes of shotty photos is Ridiculous and very troubling to someone like myself. Every dime I have extra or not is important to my child and I and I am so hurt and totally troubled by the idea that I have been conned which in my opinion is exactly what has happenned via Starbizz kids.
So, CAUTION to anyone who for whatever reason may come into contact with Starbizz Entertainment and Bruce Romberg TURN AROUND AND GET AS FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE from this place before you get conned the way myself and so many other families have valleywide by trusting in Starbizz Kids and Bruce Romberg.
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