I have wanted to be an extra for a while and I was presented with the opportunity to attend an 'informal interview' for a company called Models Management. Although they seemed to mainly focus on catalogue and catwalk modelling, they did have opportunities to do TV and film extras work.
After I was "selected" they told me I had to pay an up front fee of £249 with a guarantee that if I dont receive any work from them in 6 months I would be refunded. I paid this and they took some photographs, but after reading some articles online I have now begun to worry.
I have since found out from reading articles online, that there are agencies out there who take up front fees and disappear. I was told it would take up to 6 weeks for them to send me the photographs and begin to be contacted, so this is looking more and more like a scam to be by the minute.
After checking their website, www.modelsmanagement.co.uk, I noticed that the company name is something different - west 1 casting. The forms I was given also said 'Model' not 'Models' management which also seemed a bit odd, and the name its self is fairly ambiguous as whenever I type this in to google I just get a list of model management agencies.
Does anyone have any experience with this and can set my mind at rest, or break the unfortunate news to me that I have been a mug? If I have been conned, what action can I take to try and reclaim my £250?
I wanted to be a model as well as you. That company misleads lots of people every year. I dont think you gonna get your money back. I lost £350, because i was stupid.