Stone Model And Talent, Barbizon Modeling Agency Of Cleveland Barbizon is a scam Cleveland Ohio

One day while driving in my car I heard a commercial from a company called Stone Model and Talent holding casting calls for that Saturday. On February 2nd I took my daughter there. I was told that she was very marketable and that in order to get her started she would need pictures, classes to get her ready ect. I paid $50 to enroll her, and was told that I would need to bring in $245 to complete the enrollment. After pondering over it, I decided not to take my daughter, since I had not explored other ways of breaking her into the modeling world. So Monday I sent an email saying that I would like to withdraw my daughter from the agency. I received a phone call from a lady named Victoria who I feel pretty much bullied me into coming back.

So the following Saturday I went back with my daughter, paid the $245 and decided to stick with it. Well, my daughter hated it, and said she never wanted to go back. I have to listen to her concerns of course as a parent. I think ti was mostly all the kids there running around the hallways and screaming that upset her. I mean, some parents brought their 2, 3 and 4 year olds there and just left them there, with no supervision. The front door is less than 10 feet away from the class, and kids were going in and out the door without any adult supervision. I myself did not feel comfortable with that.

So that same day after we got home and my daughter told me how she felt I called and told Victoria that we would not be returning and that we would like our money back. I was told that oh no, you can't have your money back, once a child sits in a class that money becomes nonrefundable. I was appalled, because on the receipt it specifically states that yes indeed you can receive your money back. It says that $125 of it is nonrefundable because that is the enrollment fee, but depending on how many classes had been taken, you were entitled to your money back minus the $125. I called back stating this and was told that , no I could not get my money back.

2 weeks ago a woman by the name of Diane called me and asked me why I was not bringing my daughter back, that she was exactly what they were looking for and that I was making a mistake by not letting them represent her. I told her my concerns and how I was upset that I could not get my money back after only attending one 2 hour class. She told me that well, they have been doing it that way for over 30 years so they must know what they are doing. I also told her what I read in my receipt. She had the audacity to tell me I was reading it wrong, everyone reads it wrong and does not understand what it says (well heck, I have been reading since I was 3 (seriously), you would think I know how to read by now.) Its not like its written in old Sanskrit!

So I am filing this report because since this has happened I have found other means that are 100% free to get my daughter into modeling, in settings that she is comfortable in. I will continue to try and get at least some of my money back from this company because what they are doing is not fair. If I have to take them to civil court I will. Do not back down in Barbizon Modeling Agency owes you money.

Zaidat
Cleveland, Ohio
U.S.A.