Seeking Info on AdKids Agency

Hi J., I looked into that agency for my son- and had my dad do some heavy research- there are a number of scams and lawsuits and negative articles and complaints against that company- stay away----
I have been told that any agency that asks for ANY money upfront is a scam-

It is a huge scam. They ask you for over $600 and no promise or guarante of work.

Hi J.
This company is a THE BIGGEST SCAM in our area. I had a terrible experience by phone with them last summer. I checked them out after they set us up with a "sit down" interview with us and our child at an office on the north side of the city. For your own protection, please check out their reviews online with the Better Business Bureau. This is from memory:If I remember correctly, you pay them up front for nothing, basically. After reviewing them at the Better Business Bureau website online, I found they used to operate under another company name and had several complaints against them for non-payment to their so-called "child models". Many children never even get a job after paying them upfront--a major blow to their confidence--especially older kids. They were soliciting us pretty heavily for our 1yr old son(at the time) I thought it was legit until I checked them out at the BBB. I'm glad I did. It would have been a huge waste of time & money for me and my family! I first class mailed several pages of complaints from the BBB along with a very strong letter to never bother us again or they'd hear from our attorney. I'm glad for you that you inquired here first. I doubt they changed their practices but I always check out companies at the BBB before doing any business with any company that involves my family and our finances. Just a helpful hint to be careful out there because it's easy to be conned when our kids are sooooo cute!!! Good Luck! Judy

Nothing personal at all but just curious...Why would you want to advertise your young children without giving them that choice? And, why would you want to model off your child in the first place? I don't think this gives off a good message or proper values to our children. Just my opinion. You don't have to agree.

Yes I have and I'm actually very upset and I want Justice I don't think it is right what they are doing this to so many people, I'm also a victim of their lies, I spoke with a attorney and I found out their is so many law suits.

I want to know what I can do?

Hi J.,

I went to AdKids in 2003 not long after my oldest son was born. I am in advertising and had never heard of AdKids so I decided to check them out.

The idea of paying $595 upfront just didn't sit right with me. Talent reps aren't ever supposed to require any upfront money from potential clients. They make their money ONLY if the models get a gig. Then (and only then) do the agents collect their fee.

If you Google the agency, you will find numerous Better Business Bureau complaints and class action suits against them. I would seriously advise you to walk away and save yourself the money (and headache) of this scam of a business.

A.

Please stay away from them, they tried making me pay like $800 for my son and when I went to view the pics on the website they had thousands of kids, seems like thats how they make there money, I put half down but when I did research i found out they are scams and to get that money back took months and my credit card associates where the ones helping me get the money back, my son is now with an agency that I dont have to pay anything for.

As the others have said, this is a scam for sure. My mother-in-law used to be a talent agent and when I mentioned to her that we had gotten a letter from them, she said it's a scam. If you're really interested in getting your child involved in modeling or acting, seek out a reputable talent agency--the top agency in the city is Stewart (or Stuart, not sure how it's spelled).

My cousin registered her kids with AdKids last year. She paid $630 for her two kids to be "represented" for their entire lives. She has to take them to one of several AdKids approved photographers every 6 months to have their headshots updated. (She has the option of purchasing photos from the photographer, if she wants. But the photographer will send ALL the photos he/she takes to AdKids and AdKids decides which one will be used as their updated headshot. FYI: My cousin said she thinks that they always pick the WORST photo of her kids.)
AdKids is not an agency - they work with agencies. So, for example, an agency would contact AdKids and say "Get me headshots of all of your red-haired kids between ages 2 and 5." AdKids would provide the headshots and the agency would then decide which of those kids they want to come in for an "audition".
In the year that my cousin has had her kids represented by AdKids, she has received only one call for her son. The "audutions" are usually during the week so you have to either be a stay at home mom, or have a job where you can take off at the last minute to take your child to an "audition" he/she may or may not end up getting.
As far as modeling goes, it's probably one of the best deals out there. Other places require you to pay much more PER CHILD, and there can be annual fees involved as well. AdKids charges one rate for ALL of your children, and there is nothing more to pay, ever. But you may not get many calls, and if you do, you have to be available at the drop of a hat to take your child to the call.