Dreams dashed: Parents claim company looking for child stars a scam

Alex Kenney stands with his dad outside the Executive Hotel in Burnaby on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2015. Alex was looking for a chance to become a Disney star, but instead, his parents were asked for thousands of dollars in order to help him get his big break. (CTV)

Some Metro Vancouver parents who brought their kids to an audition promising a chance at fame found only disappointment this weekend, in what some are calling a heartless cash grab.

After Mike Kenney heard a radio ad appealing for kids who want to be Disney stars, his wife brought son Alex to the Executive Hotel in Burnaby to audition for a company called ModelandTalent.tv

He wasn’t the only one, as hundreds of parents and kids packed the chaotic hotel hallways Sunday, waiting for their shot at fame.

The problem? The company isn’t an agency. Instead, it offers marketing services for young actors, like posting headshots on a personalized website. Inside the hotel, parents were told that to utilize the service – they’d have to pay thousands of dollars.

“They charge you an exorbitant fee to do so,” Kenney said. “It ranged from $2,000 to $8,000…to stick your child’s name and profile and their resume on there, for a four-year-old.”

Disney says as a general rule, it “has not authorized talent searches, open auditions or casting through any advance fee event organizers.”

“I hope nobody’s buying their sell, because it’s got scam written all over it, to be honest,” Kenney said.

Kenney and his son weren’t the only ones upset.

One father told CTV News that when he finally made it into the audition room with his son after hours of waiting, he was asked for cash up front. Ron Riveira said when he asked to talk it over with his wife outside, company representatives told him “If you leave this room, the deal’s done.”

“They treated [my kids] like gold before I said ‘no,’ and when I said ‘no,’ they treated them like nothing. They didn’t want to touch them, hug them…so this place is the biggest scam," he said.

Tyman Stewart, Senior Vice-President for renowned Vancouver talent agency Characters, said as a general rule of thumb, any agency claiming to need payment up front should not be considered legitimate.

“If they (casting or agent) ever ask for any money up front in any way for any reason, it’s a scam,” Stewart said.

Those holding the auditions at the Executive Hotel refused to speak with CTV News on Sunday.

The company ModelandTalent.tv provided no address or traceable phone number in their literature, and could not be reached for comment. An online search for ModelandTalent.tv brings up a number of complaints from people alleging they were also asked for money up front when dealing with the company.

If you have dealt with ModelandTalent.tv and want to share your experience, email us at [e-mail].

With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Tom Popyk