ExploreTalent.com Charges you but doesn't offer a service at all, "free" photo shoot turns into $800+ print order Hollywood California

First off, there is no difference between the paid site and the non-paid site - if you pay the fees ($29 a month) you can SUPPOSEDLY apply to unlimited casting calls online. However, I NEVER received any calls back, or any proof whatsoever that they were actually submitting a damn thing... even area-specific castings (i.e. "Casting for 18-24 Males in Long Beach area") get no response.

Then, I signed up for a "free" photo shoot that was part of the paid service. After being at this photo shoot for around 5 hours just for 4 shots (you have to wait in lines with about 100+ other "customers" aka VICTIMS) you are tired and weary... then they start pushing $1,000+ photo packages on you!! I negotiated them down to the BASIC $200 headshots-ONLY package, which they charged my debit card on the spot. This was March 3rd, 2004.

Weeks go by without any notice of where my headshots are, then OUT OF NOWHERE on March 22nd, 2004, I am charged $368.31!!! I was NOT notified of this charge, nor did I authorize it, so obviously I did not know about it until I tried to use my debit card again. By this time the damage had already been done: numerous credit card payments (which I set up to automatically deduct from my bank account) were rejected due to insufficient funds, and I was forced to pay late fees and overlimit fees on these accounts.

After contacting them, they said that I had authorized the full package, and that "they don't have any packages available for only $200"... even after speaking with the person that I met and negotiated with on the 3rd, she denied and said that she never remembered offering me that deal. I demanded that ALL my money be returned, and that I would not deal with a dishonest and immoral company such as Explore Talent... they kept saying that they could not refund my money because the print order was already finished.

After MONTHS of arguing and threatening lawsuits, they finally refunded ONLY $368.31... and still refused to refund the original $200 charge, saying that my headshots were "already printed" and they were ready to pick up. I refuse to pick them up, and I still want my $200 back... yet they keep emailing me and asking me to drive 35 miles to Hollywood to pick up headshots that I don't want anymore.

Ryan
Long Beach, California
U.S.A.