It all started about two years ago. I recieved a letter saying that my daughter was referred to Kids.com by a friend. My close friend had just told me that she signed her daughter up for it. So I though hey this is great. I later came to realize that it was all a big scam.
I called and spoke with a man who told me that I had to past the phone interview before they could set up and interview to come into the office. He asked me questions like: Does you child have any birth defects? Is your child cross eyed? Any marks on her face? I answered no to all of them, so he set me up for an interview at the office. He stated over and over that only a few kids a selected to come in for an interview, that I was a lucky one.
The big day comes and we go into the office and the man comes in and shows us the covers of magazines and shows us ads from Gerber, etc., that their kids are in, says that they have kids working on Sesame Street, etc. Then say that the child must past another test, she must be able to walk with him and not cry for us. She past, unfortuntly.
Then says that we have to pay $595, one time nonrefundable fee to Kids.com. That would cover the photograher and everything for a 5 year period and if we had any other children they would be free. Then after her pictures were taking they would be out on the website, www.justourkids.com. She was on a 5-year contract and they got 20% of whatever she made,
My kid will get a code number and if an agent or casting director whatever sees her and thinks she has talent, they will contact Kids.com and use her 'secret code number' because they don't post full names on their websites, etc.
We didn't have $595 to give, so I told him we would think about it for awhile but no he kept pressuring us, saying we had to make a decision and sign right then and there.
So we say then we will not be able to do this deal because we just don't have the $595. He offers us an a payment plan and we would have to about $100 and then they take down our credit card information and take the money straight out of our credit card on certain dates. Our daughter gets professional photos taken, and we have to take these professional photos every 6 months and pay a $10 or $20 sitting fee to the photographer in order to get her photos taken and sent to the agency.
I go onto the web site to check out how the picture went and my daughter looks great (not to brag) but the kids around her had a few promblems, some were cross eyed, some had marks on there face and it made me think about the first phone conversation that I had with them. I called them, I was very angry. I know something was wrong. I ask to speck with seth that is suppose to be are agent, they informed me he was no longer there. I was flipping I asked to speak to a supervior and got the run around.
I just did not know what to do until a co-worker showed me this site and now I am fuming. I am contacting Channel 10 Consumer Report and I called the Attorney Generals office in New York.
I hope everyone gets involved I want my money back and I want this man to be placed in jail.
Renee
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
U.S.A.
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