Mode Elle Model Management - Audra Anderson - Owner/Agent Fraudulent modeling agency took advantage of me and my money Belleville, Ontario

Dear sexyseniorita001,
 
Interesting that this negative post is anonymous. Perhaps this is because what is being written is completely false and full of lies. Mode Elle can and will prove that everything being said is a lie and anyone who reads this posting that is with Mode Elle can testify that it is full of lies and slanderous misinformation. Therefore keeping your name anonymous is very smart of you as it could be pursued as slander in a lawsuit against you.
 
Obviously you are setting out to slander and ruin the good name and reputation of Mode Elle. You may hide your name but truth will always prevail so go ahead and hide OR if you stand by what you are saying as being truth, post your name by replying to this rebuttal and be brave enough to deal with the consequences of writing such slanderous lies.  
 
Anyone who reads this post can also search top agencies such as Ford Model Management and Elite Model Management on this same site. You will see many accusations and complaints also all posted by anonymous complainers that do not have the guts to complain using their name or real name (i.e. Mode Elles one complaint in 20 years, the above complaint posted by sexyseniorita001). In addition if you type in Disney or McDonalds you will also see a lot of posters calling these businesses a scam. Anyone can post anything on this site and remain anonymous so really, should you believe what is being written anonymously or should you be a smart consumer and do the research for yourself seeking opinions from people who will give their real name and will inform you of their true, factual and actual experiences with Mode Elle. We do post testimonials on our site for everyone to see: http://www.mode-elle.ca/testimonials.html
 
Mode Elle is not a fraudulent model and talent management company nor are we a scam. Our models and talent do work for top clients and evidence of this is our models and talent work for prestigious clients every day. We can not post every booking our models and talent land but we do proudly post a lot of the bookings to show how prestigious and successful our agency, models and talent are. You can check out the Client section of the website, the Blog and Success Stories at www.mode-elle.ca  
 
We do not put anyone on our walls or on our website that did not get their start or are not represented by Mode Elle. That is just a ridiculous statement and yet another lie.
 
Yes we do represent Liisa Winkler one of the biggest Supermodels to come out of Canada http://www.mode-elle.ca/liisawinkler.html   There are only a handful of agencies in Canada that can say that they have launched the career and represent a Supermodel. Proudly, Mode Elle is one of them. Not only was Liisa scouted by myself, she took the course, went to CMTC, made it to Supermodel status worldwide and I also promote and represent Liisa in Canada for all booking she does in Canada (including 5 FASHION magazine covers and just this past week yet another 6 page editorial spread for Fashion Magazine). I also negotiate all of Liisas international agency placements and contracts and have done so now for over 15 years. If Mode Elle was a scam or fraudulent then why would Liisa remain represented and loyal to myself, Mode Elle, and trust us with managing her career for over a 15 year period?  
 
We do not advertise on the radio or in newspapers. This is also a lie. Both our agency and our school have great reputations not just locally but worldwide for developing, training, promoting, placing and representing top Canadian models and actors. The majority of our enrolment comes from referrals and after operating for almost 20 years, models and talent from the past are bringing their children to us for training and representation so we must be doing something right.
 
We do not sell confidence courses although it is true that taking the course does build confidence within the skills and career course training we provide. The school division of Mode Elle is certified as a Private Educational Institution with Human Resources Canada. We train and represent both models and actors in our school and agency. Students can take the course because they are interested in a career in modelling or acting, because they are interested in a career in fashion i.e. Make-up Artistry, Photography, Fashion Design etc. or yes for building confidence, for fun or just for the experience. Yes fashion models have to meet specific requirements but talent, actors, commercial print models &/or lifestyle models do not. They can be any height, any age and range from beautiful and petite to full figure to character types. Physical potential is not a requirement for actors, commercial print or lifestyle models. Our high fashion models do meet industry requirements and again our talent/actors, commercial print and lifestyle models do not have to meet these requirements and can be of any size, height, age or look. Since this is the case, there will be students in each course that are there for modelling, acting, commercial print, lifestyle or for personal reasons, imaging and building self confidence.
 
Furthermore, your research is incorrect regarding having to be licensed. There is no such thing in Ontario , Canada as a license to own or operate a modelling or talent agency. If there was, we would go through the process to be licensed but again, there is no such thing. You are wrong, false and lying yet again. There is no license on our wall because there is no such thing as having to obtain a license or no way to obtain a license because this does not exist in Ontario , Canada .  
 
Regarding photoshoots, at Mode Elle we most definitely can supply models/talent/parents with a list of industry recognized testing photography teams in both Toronto and Montreal . In fact, many of our models and talent that live in or near Toronto or Montreal arrange their own tests or do photoshoots right in Toronto or Montreal . Arranging photoshoots at Mode Elle is a service that we provide to our models/talent and parents to save them time and travelling to Toronto/Montreal, gas, parking, taking time off of work and also money because photoshoots taking place at Mode Elle also cost less. It is a fact that we negotiate a lower rate than what our models would pay in Toronto to be photographed by the same teams. Photoshoots at Mode Elle cost $100.00 to $200.00 less than what you would pay when booking the shoot on your own in Toronto and Montreal . Photoshoots at Mode Elle do not cost $500.00. The price is $250.00 to $295.00 (never more than $295.00) and this includes the photographer, 2 looks, a make-up artist and wardrobe stylist. We negotiate a lower price for our models and talent SAVING them money and driving to Toronto or Montreal to develop their portfolio and/or talent headshots. Parents, models and talent appreciate this service that we offer so they do not have to travel 2 to 3 hours to Toronto and 2 to 3 hours back to do one photoshoot. The photographers that come to Mode Elle are not on Mode Elles staff nor are they in house photographers. They are independent and are considered to be the best in the industry. Top agencies in Toronto and Montreal also refer their models/talent to these same photography teams to develop their portfolio and again, at a higher price. See the Photoshoot section of Mode Elles website for more information     http://www.mode-elle.ca/photoshoots.html
 
As far as our operating hours, as agent and owner of Mode Elle I do work in the mornings starting at around 9:00 a.m. each day. It is our office that is staffed and open from 12:00 noon to 9:00 p.m. so our staff can be available to assist our students, models and talent in the evenings, after work and after school when they are available. If we were only open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. then models/talent/students and parents would have to take time off of work and school to meet with us or take classes and workshops. We are open later than most agencies so we can accommodate our clients, students, models and talent.
 
Unbelievable that you had to do research to find out that agencies charge models/talent 20% and the client 20%. You could have read this in your daughters course book in the business section or in the FAQ section of Mode Elles website. Charging commission is industry standard. There is not one agency in the world that does not charge commission. All agencies do.
 
Regarding CMTC, the Canadian Model & Talent Convention www.cmtc.ca   the agents and Casting Directors that attend CMTC are the top from all over the world, not just Canada and not just Toronto . The agencies that attend CMTC do not buy leads for $5.00 each I have no idea what you are even talking about in this statement, yet another absolute lie. The agents are there to scout and sign new models and talent. CMTC does not cost $2000.00 to attend. The registration fee starts at $595.00; you can find registration forms on CMTCs website listing all of the prices. CMTC is the only convention that I know of that even lists prices directly on the website and you can find the registration forms right on CMTCs website also. A comparable convention in the U.S. would cost $3500.00 to attend. Furthermore you do not have to stay at the hotel. In fact, majority of models and talent do not stay in the hotel. They do stay at other hotels, with relatives and many live in or near Toronto and do not have to book hotel accommodations. CMTC does not make a kick back from the Hilton Toronto Airport Hotel. You can phone and talk to anyone in management or sales at the Hilton and they will tell you that CMTC does not get a kick back for each hotel room booked and in fact their regular hotel rate starts at $130.00 and can go up to as much as $190.00 per night in their peak season. The Hilton Toronto Airport gives CMTC a special rate of $110.00 for our group which is less than what someone else would pay if they just called to book a room at their hotel or booked a room directly from their website.
 
In addition to assist our models and talent with the CMTC convention fees not only do we give them information on how to seek sponsors we also organize a raffle fundraiser for our models and talent. Many of our models and talent end up getting their entire convention fees paid for by sponsors and participating in the fundraiser raffle.  
 
CMTC does not have 800 models and talent registered. The maximum is 350 models & talent of all ages including models, actors, commercial print & lifestyle models, singers and dancers. Yet another exaggeration and lie you are telling.
 
As far as providing a list of agencies that attend CMTC conventions, we do list agencies that attend CMTC every year on our posters and in our information packages. In 2009 and previous CMTC conventions there were over 65 agencies and casting directors in attendance. All top agencies. In fact the list of attending agents was also published in the CMTC Program Book and given to each attending parent, model and talent. You can find many of the agencies that attend CMTC writing testimonials right on CMTCs website so there you have it, the names of top agents and casting directors that attend CMTC every year to scout and present educational seminars and workshops to attendees.
 
Yes Mode Elle does have a training facility and we also have 2 offices that are used for agency work and an additional 3 rd office for appointments and client meetings. Again, the school division is a Private Educational Institution certified by the government and we would not being doing our students a service to not have proper training facilities which in the case of Mode Elle is a large fully equipped training room with a large stage.
 
We are very proud of our website and of course we promote our agency and school on our website by giving as much information about Mode Elle as possible to benefit the consumer. We do not post personal information of our models and talent for their protection and because we screen the agents worldwide and clients that our models and talent work with. Simply said, if a client or another agent wants more information on a model or talent they contact us and at that time, if they are legitimate, we will give them all of the information they require.
 
We are also one of the only agencies out there that does not charge an annual administration or registration or expense fee to cover agency expenses to belong to our agency. We also are one of the only agencies that do not charge an annual fee to appear on our website. We charge a one time fee of $150.00 to appear on our website, we do not charge for updates or adding additional photos and again, it is not an annual fee, it is a one time fee. Big name agencies in all cities and markets ALL charge annual website fees of approximately $200.00 or more each and every year to appear on their website and to cover the website expenses, the cost of updates to model/talent online portfolios and for updates to talent headshots and resumes. The webmaster or web host charges the agency monthly and annual fees to host and update the website so of course agencies are going to charge fees to cover this cost. In the case of Mode Elle, as always, we wish to make it as affordable as possible to be promoted on the website and we chose to only charge a one time fee again, unlike the majority of other agencies.  
 
At Mode Elle we do not print 500 comp cards at a time so this is a lie also. We print 25, 50 to 100 at the most. The cost for 100 comp cards is $135.00. We would never print 500 comp cards on a new model so yet again, this is a lie and false.
 
You are nothing but a liar and a bitter, anonymous coward that is slandering my company Mode Elle by telling lies and stating false accusations. Obviously you are disgruntled, perhaps because we released your daughter from Mode Elle for a valid reason that you can not handle or maybe we released your daughter because of YOU! It is a privilege to be represented by Mode Elle, not a right because you have just taken the course. If we get to know you and feel that we are unable to have a professional working relationship with you then of course we are going to release you or your child. If you have a bad attitude with us undoubtedly you will have a bad attitude with our clients and again, we value our reputation and are very proud of the models and talent that we represent.
 
All this being said, the # 1 reason why we release a model or talent from Mode Elle is because they do not have what it takes professionally or personality wise to be successful in the industry. They expect everything to be handed to them and to become a success overnight which is not a reality in this industry. As with all agencies, Mode Elle does not hire the models and talent, the clients do. So if you want to vent as to your daughter not getting work how about you vent to the clients and not blame the agency. We can not make a client hire or book a model or actor, no agency can. If you have what it takes to make it as a model or actor, Mode Elle will prepare you and give you the opportunity to be successful in this industry. Fortunately for Mode Elle, we have a roster of models and talent that have been with us for years and years and would testify to Mode Elles credibility along with the prestigious clients, fellow agents and casting directors that sign and book our models and talent on a daily basis.    
 
In closing, with this website anyone can say anything, whether it is true or not without any fear of retribution or consequences. That is, as long as they remain anonymous.
Instead of taking responsibility for yourself and your daughter, you chose to attempt to ruin the reputation of Mode Elle by writing lies and making false statements. We are always honest and open at Mode Elle and anyone can contact me or my staff directly to discuss or even question any concerns.
 
Sincerely,
 
Audra Anderson
President
Mode Elle
613 967 0470