Aaa-Usa Models

SCAM, I went October 16 @ 1pm for an interview for a ""computer commercial"" and when I showed up it was a tiny office with a lot of pictures all around the walls. I thought it was a bit strange but didn't put much attention but as soon as I saw how she dressed and how unorganized her desk was I was suspicious. She started telling me she didn't take people from ""one source talent"" because they're a scam as well and said to have sued them plenty of times. She recorded me saying my name, height, weight and interest and told me to come back the next day. I then asked her if she charged and said she didn't charge anything that it was all free. That all we were gonna do later on was a photoshoot with 5 different outfits and hairstyles. I agreed to come back the next day but I never went back. She just called me yesterday asking if I was still interested and I said it was weird that I had went and there was NO computer commercial and she said to me it was only for the employees and said I wasn't an employee yet. So I said to her why would I be set up an appointment for a casting for a computer commercial and she then right away said I was mistaken and started giving me an attitude and finally said ""i have to go"" and just hung up on me. more

i do not know if this is a scam or not,she said i needed basic head shots because i do not have any,and i paid her half the money and she is supposedly going to do my pictures for me...the first time i went which was about 2 weeks ago she was running alittle late had me help her with her things and i was carrying everything for her and i knocked something out of her purse by accident(she didnt know) and they were pills...i do not know what kind but they were some kind of medication pills..the same day everyone was waiting outside her door or whatever and she told everyone to leave because she needed 20 minutes. if this is legit than kudos,if not then i wasted my time!!!! good luck to everyone!!!!!!!!! more

DO NOT GO!!! I could write a book after only 20 minutes in her office...after driving 3 hrs each way! There's a day I will never get back! It's a cruddy place, the woman is the total opposite of what any professional company would represent. When we walked in the first door, looking at the ""models"" pictures on the foyer wall, I said to my 11 yr old ""we should turn around now""> But we didn't. Figured we have come all this way, maybe I'm wrong. We went in, she never shook hands, never stood up, never made any introduction. She turned thru pages in sarah's portfolio, and went on about how ""she"" (our daughter), needs to have a lot of makeup put on and lipstick, and her dress is fine....I thought she was joking! She said for $159 (the lowest fee), she would take some pic, and it would go up to $400 something. SHe goes off on really weird tangents too, explaining different kids and bad pictures are taken and professional photographers rip you off....so she pulls out 10 pics 4x6. And was going thru them. I thought these were her examples of poor/bad shots-NO, they were the ones she charges $159 for!!! OMG, poor lighting-if any other than a flash, heavy makeup on young kids, big hair...seriously it looked from back in the 80's! When I said ""no thank you"" to her question of getting the pictures done, she said, ""ok, go"". It was a good lesson to our daughter of what is out there. Please don't get sucked in and even if it's 10 minutes from your house, it's not worth a drive around the block. Don't fall for it. There are other, honest, classy agencies that aren't out there scamming your money! more

Kristina m. You must be working for her. Anyone who says its legit is also scamming. She has people working for her. She is under police investigation. She is crazy. Give her $25, then she wants $60 to make copies of pictures. Ask her for info she will tell you she will call police. She uses different numbers and different names. She is clueless about life I'm general. She will talk about you when you leave. She is like 70 and wears tutus and has lipstick all over her teeth. FUNNY HOW ALL the positive comments on here are in caps and when Debby herself emailed me all her emails were in CAPS. That's how dumb she is. It's ok, she'll get hers!! SCAM. Do not pay her a dime. She is stealing. more

I have to say I had a bad experience as well, she is really not all there. Her makeup looks like a clown put it on lines all over the place her demeanor is unprofessional and her photos were horrible. I have to question why does she want everything in cash or moneyorders. She writes receipts on paper she can find and tear off, has no calendar, doesnt remember what she says or when she last spoke to you. I went there and was very skeptical and I figured I would at least do the photos since i needed those but they were absolutely horrible. The makeup and hair techniques she tried telling my daughter were outdated and way to dark for her age. She likes to build kids up making them think that she has alot to offer and the truth is she has nothing just takes your money. When I was there she went thru 3 assistants in less then 2 weeks probably because they saw right thru her like did some of the parents there and did not want to be associated with her and her company. She is not AAA rated and she is not part of the Better Business. Parents beware she talks about you when you turn and leave. more

My experience with Debby Hocking, with USA models 8/25/12.\r Don't you dare question her experience or ask about talent she has helped....believe what people are saying, save your time and energy and go elsewhere. \r \r My daughter has her profile on one model place.\r There was a message from Jennifer for parents to contact her about a commercial and zombie movie.\r I called, scheduled appt for 1p to show up at Debby's office in Southfield, MI on Northwestern Hwy, 66 miles from my home.\r I read a few reviews on the internet before going and was shocked by some of the comments, then there where some good ones. I thought, well maybe a few upset people for not getting a role, I drove to Southfield.\r \r We arrive at the office, exactly as described in a few reviews, not so nice, kind of shabby, but hey, let's see what she has to offer. She greats us, and wow, surprise by her 'dress' knowing children are coming in her to interview and her make-up...she looked like a clown. We wait in the 'waiting room' while she talks with another lady with her children and friend. I am shocked by the comments of other models and her negative attitude about those who did not work with her, instead of leaving right there I continue to wait.\r \r OK..It is our turn, she rudely calls us in, I hand her the paper for my children, I see all the 'modeling' pictures on the wall. I ask her what her experience is, and defensively she tells me she has done some national TV and modeling work and movies, and ask why I am questioning. I mention I have a few celebrity friends and they recommended I ask. Debby tells me 'I could have done movies, and lived in Hollywood, but I chose to be a mom, single and besides ALL stars are drug addicts"". I laugh and refute her statement. I then ask what talent she has helped make it in the industry, she gives me a nasty look and wants to know where my friend lives, I tell her Hollywood/LA. I then said I have a few more questions and she says 'GET OUT"", no you don't and goes nuts on me screaming infront of my children to get out, that how dare I question her and her agency. Says to me 'I don't even know how you can have a job.""\r \r We exchange words on the way out and she is screaming she is going to call the police.\r \r WOW!!...I stated obviously those reviews on line have some truth and left.\r I looked her up on BBB, she is not accredited.\r more

Just curious as to why u people say its a scam? Its 25 bucks....If it were a scam they could get you for a lot more! So is there any real reason why you say its a scam??? Or did you just not get the part you wanted or were not what they were looking for, so you decided to bash on the company??? more

thank you for all the reviews they really helped. i was just about to leave this Friday with my niece to go to a so called interview. she did ask me for a $25.00 MONEY ORDER. I didn't send it because i had a gut feeling something was wrong. So again i say thank you all for your reviews. more

Well..... My Story Now, Thank You To ALLLLLLLLLLLLL The ""HONEST"" People Who Talked About This ""AGENCY"" heeheee...... I Was On Craigslist Looking For A Gig, And This Showed Up...... I Live iN Ohio And Im From Michigan..(Theres A Reason Why That Info Is Important) So Anyway, I Had Called The Agency And This Long Voice Message Came On. So Then I Looked up Gigs In Michigan And I Saw The Same Audition W/ Different Pay Rates And Opportunities And Same Number..... I Felt Like That Was Very Weird AND Suspicious.. So I Tried To Look For The Official Website And THERE WAS NOTHING ON THIS PLACE....... In The Ad, Their Agency Wasn't Even Listed So I Had To Look Hard To Even Find This Place....... But DONT PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE OTHER PEOPLE GIVING THIS AGENCY 5 STARS.... U KNOW ITS SOMEBODY WORKING THERE BECAUSE IF U READ IT CLOSELY THEY ARE SAYING THE SAME THING BUT IN DIFF. CONTEXT!!!!!!!! more

i joined usa models in feb. 2012. i have found it to be a very good experience. the owner helped me a lot with my hair, and make up. i have gotten jobs in commercials, and trade shows. the pay has been very good, and the work is fun. i got some photos at usa models. they came out great. i'm still working as a model, and making good money. the owner also referred me to some other companies, which i'm getting work at also. more

Too bad you can't give a NO STAR rating Having previous experience in this industry, I am all too familiar with this organization. The agency I worked with years back got hit up by these guys too! My old office Mgr. couldn't believe these creeps were running THEM for models, and then had the NERVE to insinuate THEY (USA) were the better ""agency"", questioning my agents' pay scale! Several reviewers have already asked WHY these clowns stay in business; continuously scamming people. Because they CAN. Just like John Robert Powers and Barbizon Modeling Schools remain in business. There are either very desperate or just uninformed people out there who see USA's ""modeling"" ads and fall for it. DON'T fall for their flashy postcards, radio ads, TV spots (which is a rarity anyway), or the fancy newspaper print ads. Legit Agencies DO NOT ADVERTISE. They usually have their own websites - AND models/talent come to THEM. Legit agencies also do not charge ""sign on"" fees! That screams ""SCAM"" The ONLY fees a model (or Talent) will EVER PAY is a Photographer (for professional photos), AFTER an agency accepts you and then signs you. Modeling and Acting are JOBS, just like any other business out there. You don't pay an employer to hire you - they pay YOU for the work. more

I am SO glad that my husband read the reviews before he decided to drive over 3 hours with my daughter to her ""interview"". I responded to an ad and got a very general and impersonal e-mail back. I was told to call the number listed in the e-mail and when I did, it was a long-winded message that basically said that if you pay the $25.00 they will talk to you and that was it. We e-mailed back and forth a few more times and we concluded that this place is a total scam! I am SO glad that they did not make the trip out there because we would have ended up in the same situation as many others who have posted reviews on here. I did receive another e-mail yesterday and it was a duplicate of an e-mail that I received several weeks ago! I can't imagine that they are that busy that they can't even type a new e-mail and NOT in caps which seems lazy and unprofessional to me. Please take the time to read these reviews, they are honest and forthright, unlike the scammers from USA MODELS IN MICHIGAN! Don't waste your time or money! There are plenty of honest and professional agencies out there that don't ask for money up front if they really want you to represent them. They will get their cut when you get your work, simple as that! I hope that we can band together as a group and shut these people down and save others from the same experience! I am in if you are and just know Debby, you can't sue someone if they are telling the truth! We have enough people on here to bury you, NOT US and we will only spend $25.00 to do it! LOL more

Phew, glad i found this out before i showed up but the date i was given for my son was for the entire week starting 10-8.and the address is different than the telegraph and the 12 mile it is on n.western hwy. i was given a phone number of 1-248-935-1735. so shanna and rayan work for aaa? i see people reporting this as scam dating back from 07--how has this place been able to get away w this? more

Yep that's right....she has a new address and phone number but it's the same old Debby Hocking at it again! There's an upcoming ""interview"" on 10/9 at 30700 telegraph STE 2650 Bingham Farms, MI 48025 new phone number is 248-935-1736. It will only cost you a $25.00 processing fee and if you are ""the chosen one"" you will shoot 2 commercials the same day! REALLY!! She's a moron cause NOBODY pays a ""fee"" to model if you like me you pay me and take a small percentage when I get paid. ROFLMAO right now. Joke will be on you Debby! I'm so glad I did my homework first!!!! I hope others do the same. Best of luck to USA Models and their scamming affiliates----Shauna and Rayanne!LOL LOL LOL more

Okay....so now Debby says she is suing me for defamation of character. If any of you will let me use your name/story, please contact me at beth_cooper621@hotmail. more

MY DAUGHTER, AND I WERE MODELS AT USA MODELS FOR 8 YEARS ON, AND OFF. WE HAD MOVED OUT OF STATE, AND, THEN, CAME BACK. WE HAD OUR PHOTOS DONE AT USA MODELS. THEY WERE NICE. THE OWNER HELPED ME GET WORK FOR US AT MANY MI. MODELS COMPANIES. WE DID LOTS OF COMMERCIALS FOR USA MODELS, AND MY DAUGHTER DID LOTS OF PRINT ADS. THEY WERE VERY NICE TO WORK FOR, AND GAVE US BONUSES AS WELL AS GOOD PAY. WE ARE STILL WORKING AS MODELS NOW. more

I WAS A MODEL FOR USA MODELS FOR 5 YEARS. I RECIEVED CALLS CONSTANTLY FOR JOBS, AND I WAS IN MANY COMMERCIALS, AND TRADE SHOWS. THE WORK WAS REALLY FUN, PAID A LOT, AND THE OWNER WAS VERY NICE TO ME. SHE OBTAINED A CONTRACT FOR ME TO WORK FULL TIME IN THE INT'L AUTO SHOWS. I'M NOW MAKING $600 A DAY. more

After reading the reviews I decided to question the owner further before driving to Michigan for our ""interview"". She had been emailing back and forth with me and all was fine but when I started asking her how much the fee was for the interview and what the product was for the photo shoot we were supposed to do that day the emails stopped coming. When I told her that I had read some bad reviews and wanted some questions answered she responded by telling me not to email her anymore. What legitimate business gets upset when you ask questions and then treats you in such an unprofessional manner? Not only was she unprofessional but she reinforced the image that the company is a scam. If you have nothing to hide why can't you answer a few legitimate questions especially when you are in a business that has a lot of scammers? Why would you not answer my questions up front to show you are not a scam? All I can say is thank you to everyone who took the time to post a review. I am sure you saved my daugher and I a lot of heartache. more

This place only wants money- she collects more and more each time you go with no work produced. You do not have to pay anyone to be an agent for your child!!!! Do not use this so-called agency-don't be fooled by pictures on the wall-!!! ASK TO SEE RECENT WORK FROM MODELS SHE IS AN AGENT OF! THERE IS NONE!!!!!!! more

I have gone to USA models for 3 appointments, each time there is another catch to get you to come to another orientation or pay more money. I should have know this place was a SCAM the minute I walked in. I was told during my second orientation to come for a third time to find out when my commericial shoot appt would be. During my orientation I heard previous models calling leaving messages saying they could not come to their up coming photo shoot because they didn't have the money yet. I was then informed that I would need to spend $500 on pictures before I could do my first commerical. The commerical would be a commerical for USA models. Thanks to the other reviewers I'm assured this is a scam and will not return to be made a fool out of. more