Thanks to your web site I cancelled the interview appt. I had with Marvel Models office in Elmhurst,IL. The same woman named Estelle must be the one mentioned in the scam posted on your site from Needham MA. If more people would report Marvel Models maybe the Federal Trade Commision could put them out of business.
I too found them by posting a resume on hotjobs.com These people definitely operate on the pretense that all girls like the idea of a glamorous job and are excited when someone calls and seems to be so interested in inteviewing them. The first thing they do is railroad you in to an appt. as quickly as possible so you don't have time to check them out or think about it. They tell you to dress professionally and their e-mails are signed by Estelle Summer/Human Resourses (Probably a fake name who knows.)
They also tell you to plan on being there for 3-4 hours because you will be meeting with many people and they are looking to fill the position immediately making you feel like you need to drop everything for this short notice interview appt. that you are flattered to have gotten so quickly. Everything they tell you is staged and well thought out by con-artist to sound like Marvel Models is this big successful company when in fact it is not. Just look at their website.
It shows flashing pictures of models on magazines like Cosmo, Glamour, Seventeen etc. They make it appear as though the models on these magazines were discovered by them or dealt with their company. I DON'T THINK SO! Of course they don't say these models were discovered by them, but you know that is the feeling they want you to have as you see all those images flashing by on their website as the sound of success music plays.
Everyone needs to report these people to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission.) The FTC will definitely look in to their practices of misleading people with their pretend professional tactics. They should themselves be in the acting business. They send you out as a talent scout along with everyone else they hired as talent scouts to do their dirty work which is too lure new people in to their company with their hopes up of becoming discovered. (PF course when they call you for the interview they make you feel like you are applying for the only talent scout postition.)
Once they get these people in there that their scouts go out and find they are charging them money for additional things and people are stupid enough to pay these big fees thinking they are really being discovered. Bascially the talent scouts they are hiring are sales people who hope they can get these so called discovered people in to the Marvel Models office and let the Marvel Models staff talk them right in to giving up money to continue on toward a successful career. They should say they are hiring "head hunters" instead of talent scouts!
Thank you so much for having this rip off site. I don't consider myself to be naive, but I have to tell you I was excited about the interview until I decided it was too good to be true. Thank God I decided to do a little research before my appointment. That is why they rush you in for the interview or discovery appts. so quickly so you don't have time to find out they are a big scam. They probably just operate within the law to stay in business.
I know the FTC can make them change cetain things that are shown to mislead people though. Such as the images of famous models both in their offices and on their website. I hope others that have been scammed by this company will tkae the time to post their story on here and also file a report with the FTC.
Anne
Ottawa, Illinois
U.S.A.