Model Services Agency

Review: MSA Models has sent a bill to collections for over $1461 regarding a contract from over three years ago which I was told verbally that there were no charges due and subsequently never contacted. I was shocked to be contacted for the first time regarding an outstanding debt dating from almost three years ago from an agency that never provided me with adequate services. I had previously understood from MSA that the work which I provided through

MSA fully covered any and all expenses. In addition to bills for services provided during the time I was in New York, MSA continued to bill me annually for services in which I realized no benefit. Since I was never contacted by MSA again, I did not realize they would continue to bill me for services.

MSA has their models sign a blanket representation contract that allows MSA to contract on behalf of its models and take out 20% of monies earned plus any fees. Through MSA I performed one photo shoot and assumed that the money earned in that shoot covered everything since MSA never contacted me again.

Now they are claiming that I signed a lease for 3 months when I had a lease signed for only 6 weeks (the cost of which I previously understood was already covered).

Now I believe that the agency makes its money off of the side billing of its models and not

through adequate agent representation.

Sending bills out after three years and issuing bills for services with no received benefit is a scam.

I have tried to resolve this issue directly with MSA but they are insisting that I pay the full amount.Desired Settlement: I wish MSA to release all claim on bills not ever sent for over three years and for services not received. No money owed.

Business

Response:

[redacted] is a model that hired our company to provide management and publicity services for him in the New York market. The contract he signed was for a period of 3 years. In that contract, which he signed, [redacted] acknowledges that a modeling career involves expenses, those expenses are his responsibility, and that if MSA Models has advanced hose sums it would seek to be reimbursed. Further, the nature and estimated amounts of those expenses are clearly disclosed in the contract.

During the course of the contract our company made cash advances on behalf of [redacted] to further his modeling career. That's what he hired us to do. These cash advances included checks written on his behalf to a property company to pay his rent while he was in New York, payments to a printing company to print his marketing materials (composite cards) and fees paid to messenger services to distribute his card to casting directors around New York City to market him ahead of New York Fashion Week - all standard practice among management companies.

Upon expiration of the contract we began reaching out to [redacted] to get reimbursed for these advances. He did not respond so we assigned the account to a collection agency to help us collect the amount due.

On June **, 2014, in an email to STA collection agency, [redacted] offered to settle the amount for $400, which we have rejected. Since that time he has claimed that he was allegedly verbally informed by someone at our company that he does not have to pay this amount or any amount. This is a complete fabrication.

[redacted] also claims that he was not contacted for repayment during the years his contract was in effect. That is our normal course of business - we continued to market [redacted] as was our contractual obligation. He somehow thinks that relieves him of his contractual obligation to reimburse our company for those expenses.

MSA has since offered to settle the amount due at a 10% discount, but [redacted] has ceased responding to our communications.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

When I arrived in New York, MSA had me sign a coverage contract that gave them the authority to contract in my name and make financial obligations on my behalf. The amounts were not clear in the contract. After the contract was signed, everything was conducted verbally - all engagements were told to me verbally and I was told that all of the costs MSA had made on my behalf were covered by the commissions they made from the modeling jobs that I worked while in New York. After working with MSA for less than 6 weeks, I didn't feel they were actively working on my behalf and began working with other agencies. I was told that no money was due to MSA and had been covered by the work I had completed.

I never heard from MSA again until after 3 years I was contacted by a credit agency seeking money on behalf of MSA for their "modeling assistance" over the past three years. This included fees for years for including me in their modeling book- something I never perceived any benefit from. This is a scam to seek money after all this time and moreover I had been told that no money was due. Part of the scam is to get models to sign these blanket contracts and then deal only verbally so that after several years they can seek money.

In a good faith effort to satisfy MSA, I offered them $400. MSA has offered a 10% discount which is unreasonable and I have rejected the offer. Given that MSA will not work to resolve this issue, I have contacted the Revdex.com to hopefully resolve the issue and let the public know about MSA's poor business dealings.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Consumer

Response:

At this time, I have not been contacted by Model Services Agency regarding complaint ID [redacted]. I was contacted by the debt collector acting on behalf of Model Services Agency saying that $400 was not an acceptable offer to resolve the amount claimed by them.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

I am writing to you regarding Complaint # [redacted] and wanted to let you know that [redacted] has been able to resolve his complaint filed with you and no longer requires Revdex.com's assistance in resolving the matter.

Thank you for your assistance

MSA is an extremely personal and attentive agency to work with. They treat all of their models as if they were family, and are quick to resolve any issues the models may experience while on castings/bookings. They do as much as they can to work around a model's schedule, and find them work. I couldn't recommend this agency more if I tried.