KIDS.COM, Just Our Kids Misleading, giving fradulant info in attempt to solicit parents and their money for management services not actually provided Lincolnwood Illinois

We feel that we were mislead and misinformed by KIDS.com about their business, opportunities for our son, and the amount of jobs we would receive if we signed on with them and paid their large up front fee.

We received a letter (addressed to me in my maiden name) indicating that our child was brought to their attention and they felt he'd be a good candidate for modeling. We thought somehow, they had scouted our child and we agreed, feeling he'd be good for modeling. We asked questions over the phone but they insisted they could only be answered in person. We made an appointment and drove to their Illinois office from our home in Milwaukee, WI. At our interview with Ginny Alberts, a business staff member at the Illinois office, we were finally told the price of their program $595.00 and were told that it was "now or never" that we sign a contract if we were interested. She also told us we had a good chance of getting work (especially if we went with their full service program and not the standard program) and that it was a good investment. She also hinted that when our son started to get work, we could deduct the $595.00 as a business expense for him. There was no opportunity to do any fact finding prior to signing once we were presented with the program they offered. We signed on September 2, 2004, hoping to get our then 10 month son involved in modeling.

After we signed on, we actually got another letter a few months later, in the same format "your child was recently brought to our attention" and we were already signed on. Irritated, realizing that the first letter we received was a form letter and not individualized based on our child being brought to the attention of Kids.com, I threw that letter out.

In May 2005, we found and signed on with a local modeling agency, one not requiring any money from us at all, and our son immediately began to get work, several times with companies whom Kids.com claimed to find talent for such as Carson's and Kohl's (both located in Milwaukee). I spoke to people at both of those agencies who said they do not do business with Kids.com to find talent. Another example of our being mislead and deceived by Kids.com.

Even though we were getting local work, we had committed to Kids.com so we continued to do the 6 month photo shoots, 2 in Chicago and 1 in Kenosha costing us $20.00 each time, in addition to the initial cost. We also drove about 475 miles to get these photos done, as they could only be done at certain studios that Kids.com works with, more specifically, the one we were assigned to. Kids.com was not up front with us and did not tell us until we received our welcome letter that the nearest photo studio Triangle Camera was 95 miles away from us. They had initially suggested that there would be studios closer to us in location. In September 2005 we were notified of a new, closer location in Kenosha at World of Images, to take our son to for photos. We were also told that we would be able (if not responsible) to pick the photo that was placed on the website but neither studio that we were directed by Kids.com to go to, allowed us to do that. The photos placed on the website were not the photos we would have picked to best represent our son.

I called several times in between each of the 6 month photo shoots to ask if there was anything else we could do to help our son get work through Kids.com (like add to his "resume"), especially since he had gotten several jobs now in our home town without their help. The woman who answered each time said all we could do was get the photos taken every 6 months and wait. I also asked about canceling our contract because of the lack of work we were getting from them while getting work from a local modeling and talent agency, and if we could get our money back. I was given a definite NO.

The final irritation, came in April of 2006, when we received again, an almost identical form letter several months after our daughter was born stating "your child was recently brought to our attention." They didn't even recognize in the form letter that we were already associated with their program and had a child listed on their website. They had no idea.

Kids.com, at our initial meeting and in reminder letters to pay the $20.00 to have photos updated, mentioned phrases like 'the parents of our very special children" and "mutually rewarding relationship" and "we pride ourselves in using a personal touch." However, in now over 2 years, there was never any contact from Kids.com, other than letters reminding us to have new photos taken of our son. The letters are always generic, not dated, not addressed to us, and never mention our son by name except for the first letter we received, dated the same day we signed the contract. This particular letter says Kids.com provides "personal management and other services." We have not received any personal management OR other services for the $595.00 we paid, other than a picture posted on a website updated every 6 months when we get new photos taken.

Any attempt I have made to contact Kids.com with hopes to improve chances for my son, or find out if there was any work available, was met with some stranger on the other end of the line, who had not exhibited any "personal touch" and made me feel like an unknown "number." She (most often a female) didn't care to know who I was, who my son was, or seem to want to listen to my concerns. A legitimate company (such as the one we work with locally), makes an effort to know who their talent is and contact the parents with any opportunities or possibilities for the children to work, as well as offer "face time" opportunities for businesses booking talent to actually meet with the children.

My husband and I feel that we were very miss-lead from the beginning and that Kids.com and their business practices were misrepresented to us, starting when Kids.com made us feel like they had "noticed" our child. To get an additional letter from them months after we had signed on and again after our daughter was born, suggests that this is a form letter that is sent our based on an obtained list. For Ginny Alberts, to tell us in our initial meeting, that our son had the potential to get work for stores such as Target, Carson's (Boston Store), and Kohl's and then find out that at least two of those stores do not associate with Kids.com was also incorrect information given to us, in an attempt to encourage us sign a contract with them.

We feel that the high pressure approach and false recruitment letter used by Kids.com caused us to be blind sided as eager new parents and commit money to Kids.com, which to this date, has not produced any work for our son. We have spent upwards of $845.00. This includes the $595.00 fee we paid for a 5 year contract, $60.00 for the 3 photo sessions we paid for to update the Kids.com website, and $190.00 for mileage to and from the locations of the photo studios Kids.com indicated that we HAD to use in order for our son's photos to be updated on their website (95 miles x IRS mileage rate of 48.5 cents for 10/17/05 to equal $46.00, and 384 miles x IRS mileage rate of 37.5 cents for 9/22/04 and 4/14/05 to equal $144.00).

Becca
Glendale, Wisconsin
U.S.A.