Agencies demanding money to get on their books

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	Topic: Agencies demanding money to get on their books
Posted : 21/06/10 / Views : 2014 / Replies : 21 /
Nikola.Faye 3 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	Hi! I need some advice. I have been in contact with an Actors and Extras Agency in Manchester and they want to meet me. However, they want to take a picture of me, for their books and they are charging me a deposit of £30 for that photo and the rest of the money will come out of my wages when I start working for them. What do you all think? Is this something that is normal for an agency, bearing in mind that I have just had some really nice headshots taken, therefore don't need anymore photos from this agency.

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	Reply #1
Posted : 17/06/10
MarkJoseph 537 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	Never pay up front. If the company are legit, they should know this. M.

	Reply #2
Posted : 17/06/10
BlakeJ 1437 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	Listen to Herr Joseph. hes right.

	Reply #3
Posted : 17/06/10
ForbesKB 1039 posts last on: 3 hours send private reply	The respectable extras agencies take their own photo's for consistency and take a book fee from your first job! If they are asking you to pay a "deposit" then they are not only breaking the law but also asking the clients to cover their startup costs with is ethically & morally questionable at best. The "books" that they try to claim are expensive to produce are often little more than an inhouse produced poorly photocopied book of mugshots and hardly incur the £335,000 costs that one London based extras agency charges as a book fee!! Book fees are another income stream, nothing more, nothing less! GGggrrrr!!!!

Reply #3

Posted : 17/06/10

ForbesKB
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The respectable extras agencies take their own photo's for consistency and take a book fee from your first job!

If they are asking you to pay a "deposit" then they are not only breaking the law but also asking the clients to cover their startup costs with is ethically & morally questionable at best.

The "books" that they try to claim are expensive to produce are often little more than an inhouse produced poorly photocopied book of mugshots and hardly incur the £335,000 costs that one London based extras agency charges as a book fee!!

Book fees are another income stream, nothing more, nothing less! GGggrrrr!!!!

	Reply #4
Posted : 17/06/10
CliveHurst 1001 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	Hi Nikola, Perhaps you might P.M. the details of the agency to me... **:^))

	Reply #5
Posted : 17/06/10
leeravitz 1543 posts last on: 4 hours send private reply	I think you have your answer - and, it's worth remembering that a 'deposit' that is worthy of the name is intended to be paid back to you at a later stage. That's why it's a 'deposit' in the first place. I don't think this company is suggesting that they will give you the £30 back if you're not satisfied with the service after three months, are they? It is certainly true that there are some differences between agencies that represent actors and walk-on/extras agencies. But, in essence, none of these agencies should ever levy an 'up front' fee if they are legitimate. There are undoubtedly distinctions in what sorts of cuts/percentages etc. they take from you after you have undertaken work for them, what sort of fees they negotiate for you in the first place, and what sort of relationship you, as the client, are expected to have with the agency (most actor agencies should, in an ideal world, always be working closely with their client personally, whilst most walk on agencies work more like temping agencies, who enquire of your availability as and when you are needed for a specific job). But none of them should be charging you fees to maintain their own overheads! They frequently try and disguise these charges by stating that they are intended to cover the costs for 'book photos', 'being featured on the website', 'as a goodwill deposit' etc. etc. All of these are poor excuses for covering up the fact that they wish to take money off you, rather than make it for you. Not only is giving them that money a fine way of impoverishing yourself without any promise of return, but these greedy demands are clear indications that the agency concerned can't make decent cash from actually getting people jobs, and are simply in the business to fleece the unsuspecting. Avoid!!

Reply #5

Posted : 17/06/10

leeravitz
1543 posts
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I think you have your answer - and, it's worth remembering that a 'deposit' that is worthy of the name is intended to be paid back to you at a later stage. That's why it's a 'deposit' in the first place. I don't think this company is suggesting that they will give you the £30 back if you're not satisfied with the service after three months, are they?

It is certainly true that there are some differences between agencies that represent actors and walk-on/extras agencies. But, in essence, *none* of these agencies should ever levy an 'up front' fee if they are legitimate. There are undoubtedly distinctions in what sorts of cuts/percentages etc. they take from you *after* you have undertaken work for them, what sort of fees they negotiate for you in the first place, and what sort of relationship you, as the client, are expected to have with the agency (most actor agencies should, in an ideal world, always be working closely with their client personally, whilst most walk on agencies work more like temping agencies, who enquire of your availability as and when you are needed for a specific job). But none of them should be charging you fees to maintain their own overheads!

They frequently try and disguise these charges by stating that they are intended to cover the costs for 'book photos', 'being featured on the website', 'as a goodwill deposit' etc. etc. All of these are poor excuses for covering up the fact that they wish to take money off you, rather than make it for you. Not only is giving them that money a fine way of impoverishing yourself without any promise of return, but these greedy demands are clear indications that the agency concerned can't make decent cash from actually getting people jobs, and are simply in the business to fleece the unsuspecting. Avoid!!

	Reply #6
Posted : 17/06/10
CliveHurst 1001 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	This is what I got from another performer about a different agency, which I think say's it all: They said I need to pay £80 for a photo shoot, £30 in advance and the balance to come out from future wages. Once I have a job, I will also need to pay £35 + VAT as an annual fee. On top of this, £45 + VAT more to have my details on their website. Their commission varies from 17% to 25%, depending on the kind of job and I would also be required to pay £80 for new photo shoots every 2 years. They seemed very professional, but so do many scam companies. I understand they would want money for the photo shoot and also the commissions, but I do not understand the annual fee (whether I get more jobs or not) and the website fee. **:^))

Reply #6

Posted : 17/06/10

CliveHurst
1001 posts
last on: 07/02/12
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This is what I got from another performer about a different agency, which I think say's it all:

They said I need to pay £80 for a photo shoot, £30 in advance and the balance to come out from future wages.
Once I have a job, I will also need to pay £35 + VAT as an annual fee. On top of this, £45 + VAT more to have my details on their website.
Their commission varies from 17% to 25%, depending on the kind of job and I would also be required to pay £80 for new photo shoots every 2 years. They seemed very professional, but so do many scam companies. I understand they would want money for the photo shoot and also the commissions, but I do not understand the annual fee (whether I get more jobs or not) and the website fee.

**:^))

	Reply #7
Posted : 17/06/10
anonymous	Good grief Clive, that's a disgrace! And people fell for it???!! Nikola - most extras agencies all seem to be following the path of charging a fee to register with them (which they never ysed to do, but now see it as a chance to make a bit more money), even the large reputable ones. But the fee will come out of your first payment, and never be upfront. You can never be guaranteed work, so once they have your cash they can just keep it! An good agent will NEVER ask for a fee, or for photos or anything else. Avoid like the plague. xxx

Reply #7

Posted : 17/06/10

anonymous

Good grief Clive, that's a disgrace! And people fell for it???!!

Nikola - most extras agencies all seem to be following the path of charging a fee to register with them (which they never ysed to do, but now see it as a chance to make a bit more money), even the large reputable ones. But the fee will come out of your first payment, and never be upfront. You can never be guaranteed work, so once they have your cash they can just keep it! An good agent will NEVER ask for a fee, or for photos or anything else. Avoid like the plague. xxx

	Reply #8
Posted : 18/06/10
Nikola.Faye 3 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	Thanks for all your advice. I think it's safe to say its unanimous! : )

	Reply #9
Posted : 18/06/10
CliveHurst 1001 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	Some might say this an aptly named 'agency', called 'Shark'... Website set up in May 2010: Click: www.theinfoshark.com **:^))

	Reply #10
Posted : 18/06/10
markkempner 1113 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	Forbes....is that a miss-print £335,000 to go on their books?!!!! In answer to the question...I don't know about Extras agencies but I think you have the answer. Any Co in proper business will not need to charge any up front fees ...and anyway it's not legal to do so nowadays. If you have your own 10x8 professional picture/s let the agency in question give you one good reason why they cannot use one of them? Steer clear!

Reply #10

Posted : 18/06/10

markkempner
1113 posts
last on: 07/02/12
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Forbes....is that a miss-print £335,000 to go on their books?!!!!

In answer to the question...I don't know about Extras agencies but I think you have the answer. Any Co in proper business will not need to charge any up front fees ...and anyway it's not legal to do so nowadays.

If you have your own 10x8 professional picture/s let the agency in question give you one good reason why they cannot use one of them? Steer clear!

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