Candi Models
Complaint 127405 Details

Basically after getting an e-mail from an 'Elizabeth Cole' who said she was a third party scout on behalf of a modelling agency and international phonecard company, who wanted to use my image in a billboard and phonecard campaign. 'Cole' then forwarded my details to candimodels, who sent me the following dodgy and nonsensical e-mail :

" Hello ,

I am happy to inform you that the photo shoot for the billboard/calling card advert is due on the 16TH and 17TH Of June 2012. The amount payable for this advert job is $30,000 (or its equivalent),because you are not registered with us you are entitled to 35%($10,500) of the total contract amount. You will receive your payment in two separate instalments.First payment that will be made out to you by the financier would be for $5,000.You are to take out $1,000(being 20% of the first payment, as your part payment)the balance is meant for Studio fees and Legal Documentation. and "Sign up fee" with us,in case of future jobs.

A contract will be sent out to you via e-mail,the hard copy would be signed on the final day of shoot,the second installment payment of ($9,500 being your balance take home) would be paid to you in cash or be transferred to your bank on the shooting date immediately after the shoot. Candimodel members benefits include; being scouted by most of the top agencies in the world, from one place, at one time. Its just that simple. Candimodels, Scouts, backs up this claim by giving the potential model the opportunity to see which agencies/companies express an interest in them.

* Your portfolio is added to our agency database for 1 year.

* Agencies routinely search the database to find new faces.

* Agencies have access to your portfolio at anytime and can email it to clients.

* Agencies can find you by location, age, height, eye color, bust & more.

* Agencies can add your portfolio to their personal call back list.

* Agencies can add your portfolio to a global callback list (used by all the agencies).

Portfolio membership

Pls, do let us know if you are okay with this payment plan,so that we can move with other shoot arrangements. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Regards,

Candi Models Managements." I replied back to them that I am a semi-professional model, that I do not pay photographers to shoot me, even for a complete amateur you are meant to build up a portfolio by working in return for copies of your photo, tfp/cd. (time for print or cd) No money is involved, so neither photographer or model is cheated and you gain work experience, eventually this leads to paid jobs, NEVER pay for a portfolio, these are just a bunch of nice pictures which an agency will pity/laugh at. I emailed them that the payment method made no sense, that I did not want to join their agency, and ONLY if they were GENUINELY offering a semi-professional, paid model work, should they bother to email me back. That was May, now it's June so I FIGURED IT WAS A SCAM.