I am writing to tell you about my experience directly, but also to thank you since had i not read the reports here i would've been taken for almost $1,000.00. Now first of all, i am not out simply to slander this company or the people who work for it, i read a lot of things that could easily be interperated as aimless insults voiced by disgruntled people with nothing specific to say. I would like to just honestly report my experience, though.
Recently someone i know started working for tctalent as a scout and she told me that she thought i would fit the criteria perfectly for being a model. I was of course flattered and excited for the oppurtunity for exposure. I am a tall thin very attractive woman and so figured this was just the chance i needed to break into the industry. I showed up to the open call with hopes for a trained and proffessional environment with high standards and real offers.
What i found was something more like a cattle call, (as it has been reffered to previously on this site.) a hundred people shoved into a cramped room with inadequate seating availability. Everyone was sitting and watching grease waiting for their turn. I was beginning to get suspicious as i noticed that 99% of the people there were, shall we say, not exactly model material, but i stayed anyway. I filled out my paperwork and then went back and had 3 photos taken.
Then waited another hour or so for my evaluation. When it was finally my turn, i went in and the girls fed me a load of tripe and i ate it up. They said i was gorgeous and perfect for the modeling industry and prepare to have my pictures taken in the next week and that they hoped i had acting skills since i needed to keep everything low key when i walked back out there as most of the other people would not get the same oppurtunity as i had. I followed orders and nonchalantly walked out, but was giddy with excitement once in the privacy of my car.
They had handed me a magazine with fashion and agency articles that had no mention of tctalent and on the very back page, some info about the company which turned out to be their disclosures and policies which they did not mention. The next day i got the call from them and the girl i spoke with said it would be $795.00. I told her i didn't have that sort of money just lying around and asked if there was an arrangement that could be made or a payment plan. She assured me no such plans were available and said "it sounds like maybe you aren't ready for this career, maybe it isn't right for you, " and i asked if i could think about it or try and collect the $ and call her back later in the day, she regretted to say that the very instant she hung the phone up with me, the computer would automatically enter me into the database and i wouldn't be eligible to work with them for another year and that there was nothing she could do to stop it.
The reverse psychology worked and i put her on hold as i searched frantically through my car for my checkbook. Not finding it, i told her i couldn't do it since i only had a debit card and if she tried to run it through, it would bounce since i didn't have the funds. Then she says ok hang on, i wait and then a man picks up, tells me he's a supervisor and that the previous representative said i needed to go on their payment plan. (i thought there wasn't one) he said he could take $195 now and $100 over the next 6 months. I was very grateful and then my head started swimming as i thought of all the things the woman before had said, "we're very excited for you, there are 5 agencies you'll be working with, and you qualify for fashion, print, hair and promotional."
Then the supervisor wrapped up all the details and i was set... But then i started thinking, what were these incredible oppurtunities i would have that no one else would? What did being part of the tc talent elite include? I went onto the website with my talent id and found out the 5 agencies "so interested in working with me" were only selections made by the person who signed me up from a long list. They tell you to chose 5 agencies that you would most like to work with for your profile. They give you no advice on choosing them, so you just read the blurb about the company and chose 5 at random if you want, since they make you read a disclaimer that says "choosing an ageny for your preferred list does not guarantee representation with them."
I don't know what good it actually does and sounds about as feasable as typing in the top 5 bands you wish you were a member of. Then i get a second call from another rep the next day to confirm the info i'd given them. I asked him about the pictures the 2 people who gave me an evaluation mentioned, asked when i could take them and he explained whenever i wanted to pay about $600.00. WHAT? So on top of the $800 initial fee and $140 in monthly maintainance fees per year it's another $600 for pictures? Yep. Turns out the 800 covers your chance to have 5 unproffessional pictures of yourself sitting and collecting dust on their website for a year. I asked the rep if any agencies had seen my photos or were interested in me since i'd been in the system, he said that neither he nor i would have a way to determine that information as there wasn't a way to track it but if something came up they would email me. Email? That hardly seems vey professional to me.
Then i got a little wary as i overheard several more phone calls the person who scouted me was taking. I swear she must have "scouted" everyone she came into contact with.."bring your kids, tell so and so to come, i'll give you my card..." and there were probably over a dozen people at the open call that she had scouted alone. I realized i wasn't so special at all, just a number on the list of people she needed commision from. Now i know that she is not a bad person and she seems to believe in what she is doing and i don't think she would knowingly scam people, i mean she had some close friends and maybe even relatives there, but i'm not sure if she understands the way the company truly works or maybe she does and thinks it's worth a shot—i did too until i entered "tctalent scam" into the search engine out of curiosity and about 10 websites popped up.
My stomach sank as i read all of the horrible stories from the people who's dreams had been shattered by this agency who'd changed it's name numerous times. One of the agents described the company as a "middle man" between the talent and the agent, and from what i've seen, they'll be the middle man for anyone willing to throw down about a grand, no matter how asymettrical, overweight, bad complexioned crooked toothed or just plain average or ugly they are. ("the industry looks for all types of people!) after the doubts i'd had and reading everyone else's experience,
I looked at the back of my magazine and realized i still had time to back out. I was on my 3rd business day and so sent the letter per their instructions and just to make sure there would be no problem, i called and verified that i could get a refund. I entered in the option for customer service and billing and the phone rang and rang for about 5 minutes, then when i entered the option for "i am a model and have questions about my pictures" someone picked up right away... And the girl i spoke with said "our policy has changed, that no longer applies."
I told her it wasn't my problem that they were handing out out dated information to people and they should have thought about that or mentioned it before giving the magazine to everyone who walked out. She said i would have to send the page stating the policy with my letter (which the page does NOT mention) i told her i'd already sent my letter and it was too late, she said a fax would suffice, i asked her for her 1st and last name to validate the info she'd given me, she said they did not give out last names-understandable, so i asked for some type of an operator id or some way to identify her, she said they did not have id's. I wanted something a little more valid than "so and so said so" and i asked for a supervisor. She says "i am a supervisor." whatever.
I asked for a supervisor other than her. She said no supervisor would give me an id or last name. I asked to please speak with someone other than her, she said "you can talk to anyone you want; you can just call back!" i begged her not to hang up, was put on hold and a real supervisor (i hope) complied and gave me his 1st and last name and assured me that if the letter was post dated by the 3rd business day and the fax sent in the refund would be given to me. I don't know how long it will take, probably months judging from other people's experiences here. I am not saying this company has never helped anyone to achieve success, but i have no way to prove or disprove anything they say and it seems like a shady operation if you ask me, so if you want o get involved, just be sure you know exactly what you will be dealing with.
My personal experience was not very proffessional. (note to the editor: i DO NOT want my email address to be made public to other people here or to tc talent or any of it's agents so if it is necessary to include it then just delete this since i don't want it to be published. Thank you.)
Anais
denver, Colorado
U.S.A.
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