Quote:
Originally Posted by AmeliaG
I have never booked a girl (or guy) via an agency ever.
Has anyone here actually had some random dude use a plane ticket they thought they were buying for talent? I find it very hard to believe this is a regular issue and one which can only be combated via yakking on the telephone.
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In the Internet age I have not had a guy use a ticket purchased for a model. After 9/11 and security changes thats hard to do.
But, before the Internet age - when I went to a normal travel agency and purchased the ticket and mailed it to a model I have had the girl, or her and boyfriend, turn the ticket in for cash. Later I insisted that the travel agent (late 80s / early 90s) add "Refund to Purchaser Only" to the bookings.
I have also had a model book a trip for a shoot she never intended to do. Her boyfriend was going to the University of Colorado and she lives in Portland. Booked the shoot, flew to Denver late one evening, we got her checked into the hotel and next morning when we try to call room there was no answer. Eventually got hotel to open the room and she was gone - never slept in the bed. Just a planned ripoff.
Another issue, slightly off topic, is fake photos. These days I insist on up to date photos. In 2009 I twice had girls send older photos and show up weighing much more than expected. So much more that the outfits that had been pre-selected based on her sizes (lies) couldn't be used. In 2010 I had a girl show up that didn't look at all near the photos - she had sent her cousin's and tried to convince me that "everybody says we look like twins". No way did they look related, much less like twins.
In hard economic times, or in drug induced thinking, some girls can be devious as hell and it is a challenge to weed out the real deal (profitable, fun to work with) girls from the money wasting losers.
All the stories of a crazy business that often attracts crazy people.