Santa Barbara Location Services Ronnie Haran Mellen Refusal and Underpayment for Services - Santa Barbara, California

Ronnie Haran Mellen of Santa Barbara Location Services (SBLS) is a con-artist. After providing an invoice for services at $505 - she claimed that she would not pay because the invoice exceeded what she had budgeted for the project (at $300) and that if I did not take the money than I would get nothing. Furthermore, she claimed in the interview and in her advertisement that was posted on Craigslist.com that she had stated that the project was budgeted at $300. Both of which were false.

Below is the ad which Ronnie Haran Mellen claimed states a cap at $300 =>

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Web/ computer tech (Santa Barbara)
Date: 2010-01-04, 4:03PM PST
Reply to: job-kxak6-1537521475@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

We are looking for a skilled computer tech ASAP to help oversee our computers and related office equipment. Must be familiar with PC's, small office/home LAN's, MS Office, Photoshop, and Filemaker Pro. Must be able to diagnose and fix problems that arise from office equipment such as printers, faxes, computers, and scanners. web design and implementation (knowledge of HTML, FLASH, PHP, remote servers, web hosting) is a MUST in order to make changes and add files to our existing websites.

We are a location, production coordination company that is a one-stop shop covering the Tri-county area for filming and events. We deal with almost all logistics needed for clients who are coming here to film. Applicant must be a non-smoker with reliable transportation and must currently live in this area. You do not need to be involved in this business but if you have any interest in or curiosity for what we do - it surely helps because it's demanding and unforgiving.

If interested, please email your resume to careers@sblsonline.com. Please include a phone number and your bottom line salary as opposed to your "dream salary". This, so we don't waste your time or ours if we can't afford you. This could be part-time, as needed or on-call.

Some interest and curiosity about the pre-production film making process is a plus, but not a requirement. Programs we actually use - Filemaker Pro, Photoshop, Microsoft Office, web hosting, TCP/IP and HTTP protocols.

    * Location: Santa Barbara
    * Compensation: TBD
    * Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
    * Please, no phone calls about this job!
    * Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

PostingID: 1537521475
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In addition, the quote at $505 was already under-priced wages, because she told me in the interview that her company had not generated any income in 2 years and asked if I could perform the work on the website at $15 hr (which I agreed) - even though her company is involved with location services for magazines like Oprah, Vanity Fair, Vogue, etc - her company is supposedly "funded by her savings because she believes in the company". She pretends to be a frail old woman who is going broke. After the interview I did not even call her back because the situation felt like a scam - and for a month she called all my emergency numbers that I had placed on the application - begging them to have me contact her - because she really needed my help and we could negotiate a higher price if $15 hourly was not enough.

About a week after the invoice deadline (and after heavy debate about her claims) she still had not paid even a part of the funds and refused to pay unless I agreed that $300 would be the payment in full. I took $300 under terms of blackmail. SBLS sent me a check and mailed it to the wrong location, it was returned to SBLS, and then it was sent to the correct address and I received payment.

If she offers you a job - just say no (and don't fill out her application).
Also be aware of her other postings -

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Internships with Film Production Company
Date: 2010-01-04, 4:43PM PST
Reply to: gigs-qstvp-1537581177@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

We are a 25 year old local location/production/coordination company that takes care of people who come to this area to do filming and production.

We are always in search of interested, committed, enthusiastic, and curious (about the industry) people, who would benefit from exposure to the real world of film making and production.

You must be available no less than 5 hours at a time, and as we understand it, you need to put in at least 10 hours per week for school credit. If you can commit to more time the more you put in, the more you will take away with you. There is always a possibility for full time summer and/or graduate positions once you become available full time, if you have dazzled us with your efforts.

If you are sincerely interested, please email us your resume to careers@sblsonline.com. Let us know how you plan to benefit from exposure to this work experience. What kind of time can you devote to the work and for how long? Our office hours are 9-5 plus, five days a week. There may also be opportunities for PA work, paid by professional production companies depending on your availability and once trained.

    * it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
    * Compensation: no pay

PostingID: 1537581177
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