Alpha Model Group (AMG) aka Alpha Modeling Group
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Can I sell you a bridge in Brooklyn? No? How about $1,000 of photography, comp cards, and internet exposure? | From the horse's mouth: "OTM now owns a printing company." — R.D. Ecksmith | Download Ecksmith Confession |
Robert David Ecksmith,
President
David Ecksmith, VP
Michael Pascarella (Alpha Model Group, Philadelphia)
Jim Ruggiero, PA
North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Florida, Texas
What Alpha Model Group Tells You | What Alpha Model Group Doesn't Tell You |
We book thousands of jobs every year. | It represents thousands of models. That means you might get one job a year, maybe less. |
You could earn $75.00/hour at a modeling job if we book you. | Most all their modeling jobs are promotional modeling jobs which only pay $15.00/hour ($12.00/hour after deducting the 20% commission). Assignments may last only four hours. |
You could get print modeling jobs with Alpha Model Group. | Most of their modeling jobs are low-level promotional assignments; it is a very rare exception when anyone at Alpha Model Group gets a print modeling job. |
Promotional modeling is fun. | Handing out flyers, passing out samples, signing up people. Not a trip to Disneyland. |
You need a comp card to get work as a model. | You don't need a comp card to get work as a promotional model. Models at their agency have got jobs without comp cards. Other promotional staffing agencies use snapshots, not comp cards. |
You need a high fashion photographer to do the photography for your comp card. | You don't need a high fashion photographer to do the photography for your comp card. |
We can set you up with a professional photographer. | The name and background of their socalled photographer. On the rare occasions when you find out who their photographer is, nobody has ever heard of him. Except a makeup artist, who said he's a fraud and a thief. |
You can pay us $650.00 for the photography. | Alpha Model Group will pay the photographer $100/model and keep the rest for themselves. |
Our photography rate is a discount. | You can get quality test shoot photography by qualified pro photographers for $100/model. Or even TFP at no cost. |
You probably won't be able to find a qualified photographer in your town. | There is a thing called a phone book. Who said their photographer is qualified. |
We offer you a pro photo shoot at a good location. | The photo shoot can happen in a hotel and outside a hotel in a parking lot. |
You have to pay us all the money for the photo shoot before the shoot. | The name of the photographer. His credentials. His portfolio website address. His rates. |
Our comp cards are industry standard. | Other agencies have said they are bad cards, below industry standards. |
We'll include a hairstylist and makeup artist for your "high fashion" photoshoot. | The name and credentials of the socalled hairstylist and makeup artist. They get the makeup artist from the mall (pay her $10/model). |
We are members of the Better Business Bureau. | They have more complaints against them at the BBB than any other modeling agency in America. They do what the BBB says is unethical. "Legitimate agents work on a commission. They don't get any money until you get paid for doing the work they have obtained for you . . . . An agent's time should be spent finding work for his or her client, not selling products and services." |
We can get you work as a model even if you are four years old or older. | Most all their jobs are for 17 years old and older. Look at their assignment ads on the Alpha Model Group website. The age restrictions are typically 18+ or 21+. If you are younger than 17, it is highly unlikely you will get any work through Alpha Model Group. They recruit underage girls so they will buy the photo packages. |
If you are selected by an Alpha Model Group scout at the open call, you will be offered a model contract. | Alpha Model Group "scouts" are actually salesmen and women who are paid a cut of the photography/comp card sale (e.g., $25.00 - $40.00 per Exposure and Placement Program sale). |
We can make your comp cards for $350.00. |
Alpha Model Group owned a comp card printing company and now owns a desktop printer. They pay a few pennies per printout on cheap, flimsy stock and pocket the rest of your $350.00. |
We can put your pictures on our website for $229.00. | It costs very little to put the pictures online. They keep most all the $229.00 fee and divide it amongst themselves. |
We will charge you a $20.00/month website maintenance fee. | Even if there is no maintenance (usually there isn't), they still charge you for nothing. |
Our website won an award. | The award is bogus. It means absolutely nothing. The "organization" that gives the "awards" is a bogus website which gives them to almost everyone, even beginners. They do this to get free advertising and free clicks to their website. |
A modeling agency has a right to sell photography and comp cards and make a profit off it. | It is a conflict of interest. Several modeling agencies started by former employees of Alpha Model Group which sold photography and comp cards were shut down by the Attorneys General of their states. |
Other modeling agencies sell photography. | Which ones. It is illegal for a modeling agency to collect fees for photography in California. |
There's nothing wrong with a modeling agency selling services to models. | Most agencies which do are running photo mill scams. |
You should go to the International Talent Management event. It's $300; that's a deal, specially for our models. | The owner of Alpha Model Group owns International Talent Management. |
If you join Alpha Model Group, you could save a lot of money, because you don't pay for conventions or schools. | If you join Alpha Model Group, you could lose over $1,200 on photography, comp cards, portfolios, and website fees. |
You could get work very easily and quickly with Alpha Model Group. | You could get absolutely nothing after a year or longer. |
We book thousands of jobs and sell photography. | How many models they represent. How many models they represent who paid for photography and comp cards earned more from Alpha modeling jobs than they paid for photography and comp cards. |
Kerry Killowitz scouts for us and sells photography and comp cards. | Kerry Killowitz is the man who led the worst national photo mill scam in American history, Face National Models and Talent, which was recently shut down by the North Carolina Attorney General. |
You've been selected. | The credentials of the socalled model scouts. Several of the agency's scouts had no credentials and they were scam artists, not only Kerry Killowitz, but also Chad Johnson, Rick Hronik, Shontal Shockey, Mike Curlee, and Alison Howell. The last five are all liars, thieves, and schemers whose agencies were shut down by state authorities (NC, GA, IA, TX). Don't trust any of them further than you can throw them. But do take their pictures in case they lie to you, too. |
We don't guarantee any modeling jobs. | You could get exactly what you were guaranteed. |
We will contact you after you sign up and buy photo packages. | You may never hear from them again after they get your money. |
We will refund your money (photo deposit) if you cancel within three days. | They have to be dragged kicking and screaming to the BBB to fulfill their promise and contractual obligations. That could explain why 22 of 31 BBB complaints were about a Refund Promise!!! Once they get your money, they are very, very, very reluctant to let go. Their knuckles go white before they do. |
See also: Consumer Complaints against On Track Modeling aka Alpha Model Group
Models have complained they did not get paid by this agency. To get your money, do what others have done to get their money: File a wage claim complaint with the North Carolina Dept of Labor.
Dale Yarborough, Investigator
Wage & Hour Bureau
North Carolina Dept of Labor
(919) 807-2805
dyarborough@Mail.DOL.State.NC.US
The agency cannot ignore the DOL. If they do, they could lose their agency license.
1. Stop Payment (c. $20)
2. There is a three-day right to cancel, as the contract states. Follow the guidelines provided. If it says use certified mail, use certified mail. If you do follow the guideline, but the agency does not return your money, file a complaint with the NC DOL. The agency cannot ignore the DOL. If they do, they could lose their agency license.
3. If you find out information about this agency they should have provided before the sale after three days, or the three-day deadline has passed, email for more info. You can still get your money back. Example:
See also:
Xtreme Talent LLC of Fort Mill, SC by Allison Goebel (listed owner)