Wow! I expected to see some complaints about kids.com in this forum, but not this many! Our experience was similar to everyone else's. Overall, though, I'm surprised at how many people feel as though they were "ripped off." Basically, here's our experience:
Ever since our son was born (December '03), we've repeatedly received the infamous letters from kids.com. Yes, my wife and I are unashamedly biased... Our baby is the best looking kid in the world. Not to mention, we frequently (several times per day) get overwhelming compliments about him, sometimes by people who don't even speak English. Many mothers have chased us down just to get a better look at him. I'm not kidding. Anyway, we eventually decided to call kids.com, just out of curiosity. We weren't interested in pushing things too far (he's just a baby), but we were just curious.
The interview (June '04) started as expected. They clearly explained their service, and answered our questions as they arose.in their literature, it's VERY clear that they are not actually responsible for finding work for your child. It's written in CAPITAL LETTERS. Twice. They merely provide exposure for your child via their website to interested agencies. That's why I'm surprised about the "ripoff" claims.
Do they prey on proud parents? Yes. Do they use high-pressure tactics to get you to commit to their expensive service? Yes. Are such tactics illegal? No. Do they fail to provide what is promised in the contract? No. They do not force you at gun-point to sign anything. If you can read, and if you have any commonsense at all, your gut will tell you it's a bad idea. The high-pressure tactic they pull at the end when they realize you may not be interested seals the case. No reputable organization operates like that.
Needless to say, we walked out of there very quickly. As soon as we made it clear we weren't interested, they pulled all the typical high-pressure sales tricks on us. This merely convinced us further that we were making the right decision. My advice: BUYER BEWARE. If you're really interested in pursuing modeling, contact several different agencies and find one that you're comfortable with.
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