I’ve noticed that a lot of people are finding this blog through searching “zebra collection”, so I thought I might as well tell you what happened with me.
Got scouted in Manchester last month, nice confidence boost, a bit bizarre, didn’t really think they’d get in touch.
Got a phone call a week or two later from a South African-sounding lady asking if I was interested, a few details like height and stuff, they still only had my mobile number, first name and photograph. Said they’d call back in a couple of days for an interview.
Got the second phone call from another South African-sounding lady, terrible signal in my house, they asked me some stuff about prior experience, what my take on the current fashion is (!), what music I like, etc. Told her I’ve no clue about fashion: “Would you say you had your own style then?” “Yes, definitely, yes!” “That’s exactly what we’re looking for!” WHAT?! They may be slightly desperate.
She said she liked my bone structure and thought I had good skin (I must have moisturised like crazy that day) and said I sounded like just the type of person they were looking for (I came across as an “indiviual”, but really I just had no idea what I was supposed to be talking about).
She mentioned some jobs with Virgin and MTV Europe (dancing!! Haha!!) and asked if I was interested, so I thought why not. She said I was the most confident of the girls she’d spoken to that day and they’d definitely offer me some jobs. It’s freelance and you get to pick which ones you do, plus they make their money off the clients and not their employees.
She asked me some more details then, email address and home address, which I gave coz it sounded legit. Dad went crazy coz he’d told me not too, bad times. She said she’d email me a login to the Zebra Collection website and post me some info for my parents. I’d need to email nine professional shots in three different outfits to her so the clients could see what I look like. Then she put me on hold to have an interview with the director or someone and then I waited and my signal went!!!
I’ve not heard back since! I didn’t call back because my dad was a bit angry about me giving them my contact details (they still don’t have my last name though :S) and I thought I’d best think about it.
It would have been a lark and some good money, but I don’t think it’s for me, I’m really not confident enough in my body and I can’t dance to save my life!
Winner
i hope you get scouted for modelling zebra things!
plus this is proof that i do read this site
Woooooooooooo, thanks Greg!
I’d be an ace zebra.
Hiya,
I got scouted by the zebra collection about 3 weeks ago. I got called by a south african lady last week too; she said that they ‘liked my look’, then she went off to ‘talk to the manager’ to see if she could get some money off the ridiculously priced shoot she wanted me to go to. She then came back and said that we could come to some kind of agreement whereby I pay £100 (to cover copyright costs) and I pay off through work I get through the agency.
Smelling a rat, I said I need more time to think about it.
I got this email:
Thanks for our chat today, you sound really confident and seem like you would be a great break with our company.
We use The Light Rooms as we are very familiar with their work and have never had a problem with their photos going on the site as they are brilliant, I just hate it when someone gets a shoot done and spends their money and then in the end we are unable to use the images because they are not up to the very high standards we require.
If you do get them done somewhere else then you will need to make sure the photographer has at least 6-7 yrs of fashion photography experience (makeover studios and universities etc are not suitable because they’re basically a bit amateur), they need to be done in a studio and they have to be of extreme high quality, and you do need to own the copyright to these images as well (that is the only thing that we could not pay for).
You need nine images on your profile, so that you have at least one headshot, a couple of full body shots and something else that’s a bit different (just so the clients can get a better indication of your look and basically your castability). If you just get the 9 they would stay at around £30 per image, that is the cost of the copyright. What you can do though is what I did and they have a variety of different packages for the copyright (20 images, 40 images etc) where you can put down a deposit on the day of £100 and then you can pay off the rest over 1-4 months so you can be working while you do this which is great!
We would be covering the photographer, the hair stylist, the make up artist, the studio time and your z cards for you (z cards have your name and headshot on the front and a couple of your best shorts on the inside with your statistics and your contact details, they are fantastic for leaving with clients at castings). So all up we are going to be paying a little under £300 but unfortunately we cannot legally pay for your copyright for you as you must own the copyright to your own images.
The reason why we require very high standards of having just the most superior quality fashion images on the site is that we do have many high profile clients and we do have to upkeep out reputation in this industry.
I hope that gives you a little more information anyway, let me know what you would like to do either way.
Look forward to speaking to you soon.
————————————————————————
I still smell a rat tbh; I don’t think that any legit agency would require you to pay. Plus a hell of a lot of people seem to have been ‘scouted’ by zebra.
I know, it sucks- but companies know that people are so desperate for fame these days!
So I wouldn’t worry too much!
All the best! x
Oof, you’re right, that does sound a bit suspect. She suggested to me that I get my own done, and the first women I spoke to told me I could ask my mate (an aspiring fashion photographer, but still only 18) to do it when she asked if I knew anyone who might be able to.
I did a bit of Googling and read some feedback from girls who work for them and are pretty positive, but it’s not come across to me as 100% professional and they seemed to promise a lot on the basis of one photo and a short over-the-phone interview.
Cheers for the comment! It did seem all a bit mad to me in the first place.
You might find this useful:
http://www.modelmayhem.com/po.php?thread_id=339151
Sorry I must look weird posting twice- but I’ve been meaning to research them for a few days, so I might as well share what I find out
Nice link! That’s dead interesting, thanks. It makes a bit more sense now, ha ha.
They are defs shady – I had the exact same phonecall, was sent to lightrooms where the cheapest package possible is around £500 (for 20 photos on a disc). I should have left but I felt pressured into it, and at that point still thought maybe I’d be able to make the 500 back through work from Zebra.
So… I haven’t heard from them since, they don’t answer calls or emails, and I’m 500 quid worse off. I’m starting drama school soon so you can imagine the state my finances are in anyway!
I’m trying not to feel too bad about it – what’s done is done – but I’m commenting on every blog/board mentioning them about it incase I can help stop other girls from being scammed out of 500 – or 700, as that’s what the studio want you to pay.
Your phone cutting out was a lucky escape!
Aww no, that’s awful! Have you checked out the studio? Sounds like there’s some sort of deal going on between them. It’s getting more suspicious by the minute.
Wow, I totally just sounded like I was in a terrible novel.
Just to warn you all ‘THE ZEBRA COLLECTION’ are actually not registered with companies house, and are in fact in partnership with ‘THE LIGHT ROOMS’.
The Light Rooms has multiple accounts set up with companies house, starting every two years. Majority of the accounts have not been listed, although they are clearly making money.
When i went for my photoshoot, ALL of the girls in the studio were from Zebra. Surely they have other clients?
I am now £700 less off. Zebra tell you that they’ll pay for studio, make up and camera fees, yet it could be said that with their little deal at the Light Rooms you actually pay for EVERYTHING.
They initially rang /emailed me everyday, yet as soon as I attended my apppointment I have heard nothing back from them at all.
Zebra Collection say pretty much the same thing on every phone call, yet surely they would want an interview with you first?
From a photograph taken on the streets they wouldn’t really know whether this was their ideal employee.
My advice is don’t get involved with them. Whatever they are doing definitely isn’t legal, definitely is misleading, yet they are getting away with it somehow.
Only question is, how on earth did they get Sir Richard Branson onto their website?
If you’ve read as many articles about the Zebra Collection you’ll definitely not go with them, everything just seems very negative.
Shifty! I’d love to see Watchdog investigate this.
And how on Earth they can justify £700 for photographs is beyond me.
I went yesterday to the Light Rooms and walked out! they made me feel really bad about going there and wasting their time and “wasting the Zebra Collection’s money”, as they had apparently paid for the shoot etc. But I don’t believe it for a second. If it was true then they might have done something to get their money back from me, which they haven’t. The whole thing was just so staged and dodgy.What a joke. There is no way that those awful and tacky photos they showed me would be worth £700. There were three or four poor other girls in the waiting room and I wish there was something someone could do to stop these people. Maybe the Zebra Collection would get people work, I don’t know, but there’s definitely some sort of deal between them and the Light Rooms. They sent me an invoice for fees they had supposedly paid (for the photographer, make-up etc) and I reckon this is fraud.
Good on you for walking out! I reckon they need to be properly investigated if they’re conning people out of money.
Read your message about replay, will you join me in stopping them before they change their name again. I want a refund but I want them stopped
Beware of Zebra Collection & Light Rooms, they trick you into paying £100, which they then claim is only a deposit. Then they hard sell you into paying £600.
You stand little chance of work. If you have paid them money, then contact me or see my website for further information.
They have set up 5 bogus chatrooms, where they are the only agency – which is discussed. All give glowing reports; yet were set up by the same company!
Cheers for that, looked at your site, nice research.
the same happen to me , they are a thiefs.
I got scouted about 3 weeks ago, got the first phone call and then the second phone call yesterday.
Up until reading all these I was completely sucked in, even though I thought it was abit…. Dodgy. But I was sucked in. I have to admit I’m abit gutted now but I’m glad that I read all these before being ripped off!!!
Actually, a thought. I told them I could get my own photos done as I new someone, and they haven’t forwarded me the email they said they would…. Everythings making sense! Uhoh!
Good on you for looking into it.
They’re doing quite a good job of looking “professional”, I wonder how many people they’ve managed to rip off.
Another agency scamming the public is Go Models, The Daily Mirror did an article today, outing them, click/copy and paste:
http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/investigations/2009/07/headline-false-promises-by-wan.html
Never go to these casting and never pay for portfolios…
Beware!
Hi,
I had an appointment today with Light Rooms via Zebra of course. I feel really lucky and relieved now. After 5 min of talking to the lady (Diane I believe) it was completely clear for me its dishonest, so I made my point and left. The lady was pretty upset
. I got a bit worried that I might be liable for money to pay, but NO! I walked out and thats it. Was a good lesson for sure, to experience how these ppl try to manipulate!
Girls!!! its never too late to say NO! Dont sign anything, be careful what details you give away and never be desparate or want it too bad. Keep your head clear, step back for a sec and SEE/HEAR whats going on! Please dont be naive!!!!!!
Best of luck! xxxx
hi i got scouted in manchester cuple weeks back, i have already had sum pictures so i e-mailed them after the interview and since then they havent got in touch i have called alot of times and left messages but they haven’t, pretty funny listening to what theyve said to the girl above as they said the exact same to me and i spoke to someone called TINA and she hasn’t called back at all.. BEAWARE THEY ARE FRAUDSTERS>
The exact same thing has happend to me.
i havent been on a shoot for a “portfolio” yet as i have read this website first. “tina” has contacted me ona number of times, constantly contacting me as she is so intrestested in me. To be honest i am not as such ugly but i dont photograph well and apparently to them i am the best talent out of the previous six they have rang. i hope this is actually a fraud and i am not missing out on an opportunity. genuines please write back.
She said the exact same thing to me about being the most likely out of the six girls she had rang that day. I’d say we had a lucky escape!
These people are very clever, but, you are more likely to be struck by lightning than you are to get proper modelling work, the nearest you will get, according to those contacting me, is being a member of a studio audience, unpaid…
See my blog: http://thezebracollection.blogspot.com
It tells you everything you wanted to know…
But were afraid to ask!
Don’t knock being in a studio audience! I saw The IT Crowd being recorded and had a fab evening.
But cheers again.
My name is Beth Brodie and I am the Senior Casting Co-Ordinator at The Zebra Collection. My attention has been brought to this thread by several of our members, so I wanted to take some time to address the issues raised.
First and foremostly, I would like to reassure any members or aspiring members that we are a legitimate, professional and ethical company, with years of industry repute and success. Any claims to the contrary are simply untrue. All legitimate agencies in this country are regularly evaluated by governmental bodies, including ourselves, and we strictly adhere to their guidelines.
There is nothing fraudulent or untoward about anything we do. Again, any counter claims are completely false. We provide a very successful and user-friendly gateway to the entertainments’ industry for a wide variety of talented individuals, and we also provide a wide variety of work. For information, we have recently provided the cover girl for the latest Guess Jeans UK campaign, four models for the nationwide Breast Cancer awareness campaign, ‘Million Model Catwalk’, 30 models for an online designer catalogue, as well as regular (paid) extras for all sorts of television shows and award ceremonies.
Please note that we charge no upfront fees of any description for these services. There is no joining or subscription fee, nor any administration charges. We base admission to our books on qualifying criteria based around having the right look and attitude – we interview every single person who wishes to become involved with us, up to three times, to ascertain they demonstrate the right credentials. We have, as is common to every employer in the country, developed a strategic interview technique which elicits the information we require, so naturally the conversations we hold with aspiring members have similarities. It would be unprofessional and unfair for it to be any other way.
We are a large agency representing a very large and dynamic array of talent, and in order to promote everyone to the best possible effect, we require the provision of high quality promotional articles, such as professional pictures and brochures (“Z-Cards”). These are mandatory for securing employment at every level of the entertainments industry. Anyone who tells you differently is not adequately informed or experienced. Actors need head-shots, models need body shots, and so on – a career in entertainments is to a very large extent dependent on the way you look, so that must be clearly and professionally denoted in every application.
However, we are an agency and not a photographic studio, so we do not provide these articles ourselves. It is the responsibility of our members to arrange them. However they choose to do this is up to them, and many of our new talent have existing portfolios from which we can take examples to use on our website and so on. We have in fact organised our system so as to *avoid* exploitation of young models and actors, as the way we do things means we cannot take a hefty ‘commission’ from every job our members do.
Everybody on our books is considered a freelance artist, which means they work for themselves – not us – so every penny they earn, they keep. This is possible because they own the legal rights to their own photographs, we do not.
In regards to The Light Rooms, they are a large and well-respected photographic studio in Central London, who cater to both the fashion and corporate worlds alike (this is why they have a picture of Richard Branson on their website). We have worked with them on a variety of successful campaigns, so when our members require the production of photographs, we will sometimes organize a ‘referral’ – this is necessary since the Light Rooms are a private studio, meaning they are not available to the general public; only pre-approved clients with referrals from agencies can apply. This is to maintain the standards and exclusivity of photography.
In regards to company house, they list every single registered business in the country, which means there is often duplication of company names. The other ‘Light Rooms’ company referred to in this thread is a lighting shop in Cornwall. The Light Rooms photographic studio is registered as The Light Rooms London (Ltd) to as to avoid this type of confusion
I do hope this has cleared up any concerns, but if not, please feel free to contact me at beth@thezebracollection.co.uk with any further queries.
Thanks for taking the time to comment this thread and providing another view.
However, you’ve not explained why many of the people who’ve responded to my blog haven’t heard back from your company once the transaction with the Light Rooms has been completed. Also, it is interesting that all the people here have very similar stories and not one person here has received work from you, and that none of your models have responded.
Lastly, I’m still unclear as how you can make a decision on whether or not to recruit someone based on a single photograph taken in the street and three over-the-phone interviews.
Where r u now then??
I have just been contacted by yet another person – who has paid money to Zebra…
This time Zebra rang her up and told her that the agency has provided applicants for ‘The Bill’ & ‘Eastenders’. Now, I know which agencies these productions use. It certainly is not this ‘agency’. They work from a list of agencies on their recommended list, those who have been vetted.
And… What about the five bogus forums?
Your right there is nothing wrong with being part of an audience, but when you pay £740, you expect more than this…
Thank you for approving our comment for your blog. In answer to your queries, I am surprised and concerned to hear that people have not heard back from us once they have acquired their promotional articles – we endeavour to maintain very high customer service standards, so I would like to invite anybody who has not been able to make contact with their booker to email me at beth@thezebracollection.co.uk and I will personally investigate their situation and liaise with the casting booker concerned. All of the casting bookers are directly accountable to me, and I judge their performance on the quality of service they provide to customers, so I assure you I will take this matter very seriously.
It does seem however, that many people on this thread have declined to become involved with us based on suspicions that we may not be legitimate. This is most unfortunate. As I hope I have made clear, we have a great deal of exciting and worthwhile experiences available, from ‘worthy’ causes such as modelling for Breakthrough Breast Cancer and promotions for the NHS, to rather more showbiz assignments such as modelling for Guess Jeans, promo work for The Rich Boys Club and presenting for a variety of TV and music shows. We are always looking for fresh new talent, as the entertainments industry is a fast-paced and ever-adapting one, meaning our members are constantly moving on to new things, or our clients are demanding new looks. To keep up with this, it is essential we keep our database as fresh and active as possible – or we lose out to the competition!
In regards to your comments about our members charting their good experiences, this is a good point – it is something they often do, and something we encourage them to do, however, the old adage stands true, that if you have a bad experience you tell 10 people and if it’s a good one you tell one – or none at all! Members who are happy with our service (the large majority, I assure you!) tend to simply get on with what they’re doing, they do not come and defend us on-line unless specifically asked. However, as we are aware these testimonies hold weight, we did ask several of them to do so to counteract the erroneous claims made by ‘Clive Hurst’ (above) about us on his blog. Four of our members came forward immediately and commented on what an enjoyable and professional service they had received from us, however, within 48 hours Mr. Hurst had removed these comments from his site. If you visit his site now you will see they have been removed. Should you wish to see the screen shots of these comments – with names, times and dates – I will gladly email them to you, however this blogging software does not support us posting them here.
Therefore, while we do not wish to unnecessarily discredit Mr. Hurst, we cannot help that feel that if he was genuinely interested in a balanced discussion or discovering “the truth” as he claims, he would not have seen fit to remove them.
Additionally, I would like to demonstrate to you what an excellent and beneficial service we believe we offer to members, so – if you are still interested in becoming involved with us – I would like to offer to personally manage your case. Please send me two recent photographs – a head and body shot – along with your age, height, dress size and contact details – and I will come back to you as soon as possible to discuss the options for work that may be available to you. Please feel free to chart the details of any contact or experience with us on your blog. We believe passionately in the strength of our product and hope, once you have had the chance to experience it fully for yourself, that you will agree with us.
I would further like to reiterate my invitation to anyone else who has further queries to get in touch with me at beth@thezebracollection.co.uk as soon as possible, so that we may attempt to resolve these issues.
Thanks for replying again. I personally have decided that legit or not, it’s not really for me, though I appreciate the oppurtunity. Plus I’m moving to Birmingham for uni in September, which is even further away from Manchester than I am now.
Obviously, I would encourage any of the other respondants to this blog who are still interested to email you and to see their situations followed up, especially the ones who feel they’ve been ripped off by Light Rooms. I feel their suspicions are extremelly valid where money is involved and that several have stated they felt “pressured” into participating.
I remain open minded at the moment.
Beth,
Since you are replying on this maybe I might get better joy getting an answer from you on here. I have emailed a few times and called. I am a member of The Zebra Collection and like most girls the whole total of the photos was around £500. I was assured By Justin who has now left that I would get offered plenty of jobs. I joined in April, to this date I have not received any such offers, I have applied for a few jobs and got one on The Richard and Judy show.
This job is not paid I don’t know what happened with the ‘girls’ that claim that they have been paid for it but I know for sure it is not a paid job! As I have said in my emails to you where I get no response I have a son to think of. I would like to think that for the money that I have paid I would at least get some offers of jobs. I am considering very seriously going to The Citizens Advice Bureau on this matter so it would be nice to get a response from you.
Hi Yvette,
i’m a investigative journalist currently investigating scamming modelling agencies such as these.
i want to expose these people.
so do you think you could contact me on my e-mail sonidaa.goraj@yahoo.com
i want to do some interviews of people who have been in this situation in this scam. So that i can get a clearer picture of what they are doing.
if you could e-mail me. it would be great.
Thank you
Sonida
Please contact me and join my campaign to stop Replay Model scam – They continue to operate and it needs to be stopped before they change their name again and make more money unethically
Zebra still cannot give me an answer as to why they have set up a total of five bogus forums, in which everyone states how weionderful they are at getting work.
Why would anyone set up 5 bogus forums, if not to trick people into thinking they get you work. When ckleaerly they do not, according to all those who have contacted me…
Click: http://thezebracollection.blogspot.com/
Mr. Hurst,
There is nothing “bogus” about the forums you refer to in the slightest – they are used by a wide variety of people making a wide variety of comments, similar to Yahoo answers and other such forums. We may be a successful company with a degree of autonomy in the industry, but we cannot control the whole internet.
In regards to your other comments about our members not getting work – as you are aware, several of our members commented on your blog stating their positive experiences with us. However, you removed these comments immediately. We have screen shots affirming this with all the names, dates and times of the persons whom commented. They are available to anybody who would like to see them, but this software does not support us posting them here.
This removal of factual evidence is highly defamatory, fraudulent and unethical, as it constitutes the manipulation of data and the perpetuation of untruths. Please be advised that all the evidence of this conduct has been passed on to our solicitors, and all the relevant governing bodies.
Also, as previously stated, we would like to offer any persons on this thread – who have been scouted by our company but have not gone ahead due to suspicions about our legitimacy – to contact me at beth@thezebracollection.co.uk so that we may demonstrate the benefit of our services. Provided all joining criteria are met, we will ensure you are fully up and running with our company, at no cost to yourself, and then you will be able to fully experience our services for yourself.
We are extremely confident in and proud of our company and the opportunities it can offer and hope that, once you have had a chance to experience it for yourselves, you will agree with us.
Yvette, please also contact me at the above address and e will organise assigning you a new agent so you can make the most of our services.
Regards,
Beth
I also just got a call form the Zebra collective in the same vein.
Normally I probably would have gone for it, but sadly I’ve had bad experiences with an agency before (ZEN) who stole £80 off of me and an original disc of professional photos that cost me £200 which they were supposed to give back and didn’t/ the professional photos were also a bit of a scam in the first place – I was approached in a high street with a photo deal. It was for my 18th birthday me and my mum and to be fair we wanted something like this so we went there but the prices were much higher than they were supposed to be of course.
Now – with these two past disappointments I’ve learnt from experience and my question is, with so many ppl seeing how illegal and victimising this kind of leeching on poor people hoping to make some cash is – WHY ISN’T ANYONE STOPPING THESE PEOPLE! It’s so shameful they can do this to people and no one can stop them.
This needs to be investigated and these people need to be reported. it is so disgusting. The first time this happened with Zen agency I felt so stupid it felt like I was the idiot for falling for it. But these con artists are so professional its so hard to know what to do – even Zebra has filled the internet with positive comments so the general person would not b particularly stupid to think it was real.
THEY MUST BE STOPPED. WHO CAN THEY BE REPORTED TO AND EXPOSED AND PUT IN JAIL FOR THIS KIND OF DEVIOUS LEECHING!
I just hate people being like this!
Actually, thinking about it, the studios I was approached by in the first place all those years ago (6 years to be precise) sounds very like it might have been the light rooms. It was in the same area and very similar set up. I was approached in essex and offered a day out with lots of freebies, which when we turned up in London ended up being a £400 photo package…. And the pressure to buy was horrible and the service average to be honest.
Well Beth of the Zebra Collection, you claim the ‘bogus’ forums are not… bogus?
When only your agency, is the only one discussed on all five forums…
Are you seriously trying to tell us that those behind your ‘agency’ are not responsible for these bogus forums?
Click:
http://top10modelagency.co.uk/forum/read.php?2,5,5
http://modellinglondon.co.uk/forum/read.php?3,9
http://www.ukmodellingagencies.co.uk/forum/read.php?2,9,14,quote=1
http://modelsforumuk.co.uk/forum/read.php?2,2,2,quote=1
http://www.modelagencyreview.co.uk/forum/read.php?3,20
Who owns Zebra Collection or should we say Zebra Management?
Or is it a secret?
Oh Danni, Zen was owned by a woman called Amanda, I took the agency to the Advertising Standards Authority, she then set up casting4tvandfilm getting people to pay for her ‘workshop’, but since I started looking into this new business, everything has gone quiet…
Guess what? As Beth suggested I sent her an email yesterday about getting a new agent and I have not heard anything Suprise Surprise! Surely it can’t take that long!
Not looking good for The Zebra Collection…..
Anyone who has paid a deposit for a portfolio over the Internet or by phone, has a right to cancel and get a full refund, providing it is cancelled within 7-days.
Click on this link:
http://www.oft.gov.uk/advice_and_resources/resource_base/legal/distance-selling-regulations/
“My name is Beth Brodie and I am the Senior Casting Co-Ordinator at The Zebra Collection”
HAHAHAHAHA DEAR LORD….
How come you write all that rubbish!
Better you shut yo fuckin mouth up. Otherwise I’ll open mine and shout out loud REAL FULL NAMES of every single scammer at Zebra.
I worked for them, then I got disgusted and left the job.
Hope YOU, Chris Garner, Diana Baker get all jailed pretty soon.
Hi sophia,
I’m a journalist and a friend and I are trying to do a piece on scam modelling agencies and who zebra have now renamed themselves as (replay). I would really appreciate doing a short interview with you over the phone some afternoon this week. Would that be possible? Identity etc can be kept entirely confidential if you’d prefer.
I would be so grateful if you could get back to me, either via this site or email me at stephanie.boyde@googlemail.com
Thank you so so much
Well Sophia…
Contact me, I would certainly like to know more…
Click http://www.anactor.net
**;¬))
Hey,
I recently got a call from a Lady known as Lola, are you guys familiar with her? She told me to pay £100 for copyrights fee! Has anyone actually complained to the FSA or consumer direct about your money?
Yup…
Done that and more!
£100 copyright… what rubbish…
£740 more likely, for useless pictures!
Hi,
Clive.
I’m a investigative journalist. Currently working on an assignment, investigating scamming modelling agencies.
i need to talk to a few people. People who have been in this situation, that have been scammed by these people.
I’ve also been trying to get a copy of the contract they get them to sign them on the day of the photo-shoot. I want it to be looked at by a solicitor.
Do you think you could give me the e-mail of some people who been in this scam, so i can interview them?
if so that would be great.
Thank you.
Sonida
I know EVERYTHING about ZEBRA/GUAVA/REPLY MODELS
Everything! From the inside.
Contact me on my email fostex.lacie at gmail.com
So
Hey guys,
I think you should check out this website, some people are collectively taking Zebra Management to court.
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=686523&page=2
x
another thing to note about the forums is that most of the ‘encouraging’ posts are left just minutes after eachother. i really doubt anyone is THAT eager to big up the agency that they wait on comments to respond to. all the names that i have been contacted by are different to the ones on here. i do assume they are fake.
AND being part of a studio audience is free.. i was in the deal or no deal audience for a trip with friends and they were also in the top gear audience through beonscreen.com or something like that. it soooo much fun! i recommend doing it this way for free and not paying however many ridiculous amounts of money the zebra collection manage to get out of you. hope this is a little helpful.
I have worked for other agencies before and never had to “buy” my copyrights. quite the other way around. Until you sign something it is always yours and the photographers and they can’t publish anything unless you agree.
They also promised me payments for “extras in a TV ad” that were far above what I or others have earned for that before (unless you are actually an actor and somewhat known already and play a major role in that ad – but that’s not what the job description was).
I was very happy to hear, that most jobs were on weekends, as I obviously have “real” things to do in life as well. Looking back, I don’t think this is true, especially as they named so many big brands (I remember L’Oreal, Topshop and H&M), who will certainly expect you to drop any other plans to go to their castings or work for them during the week.
Plus, I was surprised that there are no photos on the “agency’s” homepage!! Neither of the girls nor of previous projects they were involved in. That seems quite unlikely for a company that claims to have “5 years industry experience”.
Furthermore, to get started, you don’t necessarily have to go ahead and do a professional shoot before anything else. The way I know it from me and many friends, most agencies own a good digital camera, external flash etc (not that big of an investment, really) and will first take neutral pics of your face front and side and a whole body. That should be enough to get you smaller jobs to start with and that’s how your portfolio comes together. I understand they explain all this with “not being a classical agency”. However, a different payment model has nothing to do with pracictal aspects like this and I find it rather suspicious.
The last point I’d like to mention about them, is that all descriptions by girls are very similar. Where you held in the line for bit because the person on the phone had to discuss you with the manager? Did they offer you a shooting the next day or the day after?
They all described themselves as “pretty”, “girl next door”, “average”, but not “astonishingly beautiful” and with a “perfect body”. Of course we all know, that with the right make-up, styling, clothes, light and finally airbrushing we are all supermodels. But I have the impression that they are perhaps specifically scouting for girls who have some potential, but probably no experience because they are actually NOT tomorrow’s supermodels. Sorry, ladies…^^
Oh wow, just read all the comments on here, and I am soo relieved!!
I just recently moved up north and was in manchester the other day, got stopped by a guy who took my pic and all that(I wasnt too particularly happy as I had 2 massive spots on my face that day,was not impressed),however I felt flattered.
Anyway got a phone about a couple of days after, where I was asked general questions like height, what I do for ma living, age, if I was flexible with my time, and then told I will get a call back for a further interview.
Got a phone call today by a ‘Lily’ and she as talking about some jobs with Tmobile thats coming up and closing day for entry for that is on the 14th fo september or something, and she also mentioned how they provide extras for tv shows etc, at this point I was thinking woww…and she saod the job with tmobile will probably pay about 600quid and all that, so I was just thinking lets get going.
However,being the internet whizz(or should I say very very very nosy and inquisitive person) that I am I had already researched the compnay’s name the minute I was given their company card on the street, and I saw a couple of forums with people saying how they have had jobs with them bla bla bla, so I thought they were legitimate, till i decided to do a little more research, and that was when I found out what the real deal was.
So today, she told me joining them was free and stuff (so I thought theres nothing to lose, if its free,then Ill just give it a go),but then thats when she decided to drop the bombshell of the 100quid regarding copyrights and stuff,then she put me on hold saying she needed to talk to her manager to see if she could get some kind of deal, then she came back on the phone saying because the manager likes my look or something along that line(Am not really a big fan of compliment or people flattering me,so I stopped listening at this point.lol), that they were going to pay for the hairdresser,make-up and all that stuff and all II need to do is pay the 100quid for copyrights, so I asked her if it was possible to give a call back, but she suggested communication via email will be better as she wont be in the office all day(I suppose she’ll be too busy luring victims on the high streets into this…tut tut), so now she has sent me an email, and although I was just going to ignore the email, I am tempted to email her back and tell her a piece of my mind…..
Yep, sounds pretty much the same as me and everyone else on here. I almost want to say “classic Zebra Collection.” XP
@Ben
I JUST had a similar experience, with this ‘Lily.’
I at first saw the forums that claimed Z.Collections to be legitimate and all, then I decided to look deeper into this situation because I seriously, don’t want to be scammed.
Then I saw their somewhat true colours. Lol.. Though, I’m abit scared because I didn’t pay anything yet. [The shoot was supposed to be this saturday in Manchester] but they do have my details like Full name, address and all.
Argh. Crap. I’m worried.
I seriously went through the exact situation as Ben did. I was in Manchester few 2 weeks ago, got scouted. Got called last week. Then I just got called today and the whole.. ‘copyrights’ talk.. and being held on the phone while ‘Lily’ talks to the ‘director’ and all.
Lol. Big LOL.
I got so called scouted last week and i was really that bothered especially after checking the website it just looked so cheap. However when i got a call from Dean (If that’s his real name) it sound way to good I mean Topshop, H&M. I don’t know why I stayed on the phone and let him talk him me into it in the end i got a photo shot booked. I done some research and i was convinced by those bogus sites and after looking around I found this site. I’m so thankful for you guys sharing this. I’ll make sure all my friends and family know. : D
I just got voicemail from ‘Dean’! Sounding all happy, complimenting my look etc etc, and he gave me his email address etc and asked me to call opr email back.
I was ‘scouted’ in oxford street a few days ago and have had a few phonecalls since.
I am SO HAPPY I have discovered these forums. Although he has my number and email address now. But at least I can tell him where to go next time he tries to get in touch.
Hi everyone,
I had a classic ZC moment on Oxford St where they took my photo and then emailed me/stalked me about a photoshoot a few months ago and then a friend of mine got the same treatment in Hammersmith. Niether of us went as I smelled a rat and decided not to go. Now that I’ve read all the responses on this forum I am hugely relieved but angry that they are continuing to get away with taking money for photos and then not calling people back.
Not sure if anyone who actually went as far as having the photoshoot would be interested but here is the link for BBC watchdog. I don’t think they’d be interested in my story as I didn’t part with any money but if you have and you’d like the chance to find out why you’ve not recieved any work then perhaps this could be a good opportunity to find out why.
We all want to know how the Zebra Collection really works and if they have nothing to hide they won’t mind us sending the story to Watchdog! The link is: http://www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/gotastory/
Girls up and down the country need to know about this before they part with thier money!!
I emailed Watchdog with a link to this thread a month or so ago, they’ve not since replied but I think if enough people do then they’ll have a look into it.
Hey
Yup, this all sounds familiar.. scouted in manchester, phonecalls, questions and the “please wait while i speak to my director” and the £150 for the copyrights… I stupidly got lured into this and gave all details but then decided to check it out and i’m glad I did… I recieved an email from “holly” today and she wanted me to do tmobile-£600 a day, sounds good. But I read previously that the closing date was the 14th sept, funny that- i was told it was the 2nd october!! silly ZC. I’m not going to go to the shoot~ but I’m worried they might hunt me down!! haha. I might just email “holly” and say I can’t make it due to the old “family commitments” excuse… thanks guys for making this clearer!! they are obviously a scam. my dad works in the advertising business and models do not pay for the copyright to their photos. I’m so naive for believing their BS but I’m not as naive as those who went for the shoot and are now in ££££’s of debt!! Oh yeah, I cross checked the business card I was given and the phone number on the card isn’t the phone number for ZC but for “Zebra Management” another scamming agency. Also, the addresses don’t all match!! D’oh!!
OMG ive just been saved by all you lot!!!
sophie-tehy said the same to me.. £600 for being an extra on tmobile what a joke
i had a photoshoot 2mz but cancelled it at the last minute…
are you sure the tmobile thing has already been? x
Regarding the so called positive blogs from ‘happy’ Zebra customers under the Top Ten Model Agency blog; if you click on any name, or each and every name for that matter, it all goes back to the same email address: vishnu303@gmail.com.
Now maybe I’m just being paranoid, but that does strike me as rather strange. I have a picture in my mind of poor hard pressed Vishnu working in a cupboard above the studio on a daily quota of invented names and happy clappy messages to counteract the blizzard of bad vibes this company generates. Then someone spices them up with an English expression or two like ‘yay’ or ‘I’m gonna be an xtra next week.’
Also the name Justyna (odd spelling, sticks in the memory) has been quoted as a staff member, but there she is happily blogging like a satisfied client. Vishnu just clean ran out of trendy names.
Let’s all write to Vishnu and wish him well.
Bad times for Vishnu.
replay are still doing it so lets stop them. join my campaign
Hey guys, the same thing happened to me 2 weeks ago…I just moved to London and I was “scouted” on Oxford Street, they called me 2 days later saying they wanted me to join and they had several jobs for me. I thought this was rather strange because I don’t look too bad but there is no way I look like a model
So they called me again for an interview asking me questions about my hobbies and told me they had jobs for T-mobile, fashion catalogues, Eastenders… And they booked me a foto shoot for last Saturday. Luckily enough I found another forum about them before and didn’t go. They tried to call me and texted me but I decided not to react, they are just not worth it. I really hope they all go to jail some time, it is disgusting how they treat other people by flattering them.
Damn, I was the naive one. Reading this thread has made me sh*t myself. i got stopped on oxford st by a foreign lady from ZC.. a few days later got offered some jobs, Tmobile and that. Money sounded good, (c’mon who would refuse after the mention of 600 quid). Went for the photoshoot, yeap Light Studios it was! I got lured into paying out 715 pound altogether!!
The whole weekend Ive tried to send on my phots to ZC and guess what, they suspiciously failed. Ive also sent msgs, which have been ignored.
Im now £715 down, with aload of pictures (which are good) but not worth the money. I paid for a portfolio, and 20 “Z cards” at the light studio, I havent yet recieved these. Im getting really worried.
I dont have family to dicuss this with.
What can i do??
Hi,
If anyone wants to find out more information regarding ‘Employment Agency Standards’ the government department who are responsible for the conduct of employment agencies, then see my website, for details…
Just click on my name as above…
To Clive- you have done a lot of research on them right? Did you manage to bring them to court?
I too have been scammed by them. I’ll keep this short and sweet.
I was stopped by a lady while with my mum at Oxford Circus.
She told me she was from ‘The Zebra Collection’ and took my picture.
They called and said I needed professional photos and recommended the Light Rooms saying they’d pay the £100 copyright and didn’t explain much else.
So, I went to the light rooms and they were like ‘erm, what do you mean copyright, that’s your deposit’ you’ll make back your money via modelling’
Well £600 out of pocket and a shitty five picture portfolio later I’ve had no calls from the agency and their website is displaying the same jobs they had up 6months ago.
I’m reporting them.
My god I wonder how many people they already stole money from. They’re obviously criminal- it must be possible to bring them to court or not?
Is it my computer or has http://www.zebramanagement.co.uk gone offline? I’m getting a blank page when I try to access them.
Maybe they’ve decided it’s time to shut up shop and lie low in Marbella for a few weeks and then come back and start again under a new name in some new cities. Beth was sounding a bit stressed, she probably needs to top up her tan. Well, she can afford it based on what we have read here.
Watch out for the Aardvark Collection in the next couple of months, they’ll start from the top of the alphabet again.
Thank god for this forum. I have never had any interest in modelling till ii was approached by them. I was actually even going to go the photo shoot. You have saved me from being scammed. All those people who have, I hope there is some justice for you
p.s they have my d.o.b, address etc… i hope they would not be able to do any fraud activities with this. worried
Ye same as Brenda, I’ve not gone through with the photo shoot or anything else. However, they do have my home address and date of birth among others. Is there any way they can use this fraudulently. Are there any steps I can take to make sure this doesn’t happen?
Thanks for all the help
Hi Lea,
Click on my name for my contact details and I will try to assist…
Hi there,
I would like also to share with you my experience with The Zebra Collection. I read pretty much all the comments and as most part of you, I was scouted by someone that took a picture of me saying to be from Zebra collection. This happened to me several times (three times in Brick Lane and one in Oxford Circus) until eventually I got back to them after getting several calls and messages into my mobile last August.
Unlike other people in the forum, I had already worked as a professional model (Fashion catalogues, TV commercials) back in my country and I was at that moment starting to get in touch with several agencies here in order to try some work as a model in the UK. After all these messages telling me to contact them if I was interested in becoming part of their agency I decided to give it a go and I contacted them. They asked me if I had ever worked as a professional model. After that, they asked me how old were my portfolio pictures. As I told them that some of them were from 2 years ago, they offered me to pay me a photoshot in The lights Room Studio.
Until that point I thought they were genuine, as from other past experiences in Spain with other model agencies I know that when they are quite interested in someone, they don’t mine to pay you a photoshot to update your portfolio. So, yeah, I decided to go to the photoshot.
I went the to that studio and I got my pictures done. I saw my pictures after they had already retouched them and everything and they looked quite good. But, when I asked them for my CD they told me that, as it was the agency the one that had paid for the photoshot, they couldn’t give me the pictures, they had to do that through The Zebra Collection first and that it was that agency the one that would contact me after that, in order to do my profile in the website and organise my new portfolio.
Before the photoshot I was in touch with John and other people from the agency (they called me and emailed me many times during two or three days and asked me if could it be possible to arrange an interview before the photoshot to plan the looks that I was going to have in the pictures. I told them that i couldn’t make it as I was on holidays and I was coming back the night before the photoshot).
Before the photoshot, this John told me to email him my portfolio pictures in High resolution in order to upload them to the website (which to be honest sounded I bit weird to me, as it is exactly pictures in low resolution what they need for the website, not the oposite). He gave me a password and a provisional user name to get in to my profile through their website. But, when i tried to do it that password and user name didn’t work (what a coincidence…). After the day of the photoshot I didn’t get any calls, any emails, NOTHING.
I am also really supicious and worried about what it is going on with my pictures. I email this John (he is supposed to be the casting manager), I have called the agency and I went to The Lights Rooms Studio to ask them about another guy (Nathan?? or something like that) that I met in the studio and he told me he was going to be in charge from that moment of a new division of the agency called Elite models, in which they were going to include me. He took my phone number and told me he would get back to me in two weeks or so. But this happened to months ago and I didn’t get any calls from him or anyone else from the agency.
As other people mentioned in the forum, I am seriously thinking about report about this agency agency to the police if i don’t find out what is going on with my pictures and where are they. They also told me that my profile was suitable for a couple of jobs (one for the MTV and another one for TMobiles, they tell everybody exactly the same, it is unbelievable!!!).
That sounds very suspicious, I really would encourage everyone who’s been ripped off by ZC to contact and alert as many authorities as possible. Seeing as I’ve not parted with any money or many personal details I think the experiences many of you have had up will hold up stronger against them than mine, but I’m so glad that this blog and especially its comments have been so useful in informing people about ZC.
Again, I’d like to encourage all of you with stories to contact whoever the appropriate authorities are on this matter (and if anyone can suggest who that might be please inform me, I’ve only contacted Watchdog XP). Because inevitably there will be people going blindly into this without doing their research first, and it’s clearly been going on long enough.
Also, a couple of months ago I found a Facebook group about this very scam which I joined and posted a link to this blog entry. It was mysteriously deleted a few weeks later, and I wondered whether anyone who’s commented here knows of this group and/or why it was deleted.
And just to clarify, this post has recieved 1,495 hits since I published it in May. Granted, many of those hits will have been from the same people, but that’s still a heck of a lot. Think how many people they must be scamming every day, and just how many people aren’t looking more closely into who the Zebra Collection really are and what they do.
Good point…
You can contact me with a wriiien statement, which I pass on to the relevant government departments, or you can e-mail them direct.
You need to state what happened to you, what was promised and when. State which area you live in (London?), give a contact number.
You must also state that you wish to to be named as a complainant. Over 50 people have done so…
The two government departments are:
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT), Mike Lambourne: Mike.Lambourne@oft.gsi.gov.uk
Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Steve Keeler: Steve.Keeler@bis.gsi.gov.uk
Click: http://thezebracollection.blogspot.com
Many have stopped the payments!
It would appear that ‘The Zebra Collection’ have changed their name…
Click: http://www.thezebraconnection.co.uk
I wonder what the name will be next week???
Hi, i was lured into them good and proper. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DONT go to them ! luckily, just as i was about to click on send to give ALL my details my brother rang with these blog posts. I’m so glad that you guys have posted on here otherwise it could have been alot worst and thank you clive hurst for all your advice. they are a rip off and need to be jailed or sued for damages – doesnt have to be money you can believe it or not sue for loss of enjoyment etc.
Thankyou so much everyone for posting on here your experiences with Zebra Collection/Zebra Connection. I was scouted on Oxford St and had everything happen to me over the phone that you guys did. I thought it was all a bit too good to be true and did some googling on the company and found this. I’m supposed to be going to a photoshoot tomorrow but won’t be now. If they ever approach me again I will be making myself heard in front of the whole street about how they are frauds.
Hello,
I was scouted by Zebra collections a few days ago and recieved my first phone call earlier today. Being a little suspicious I though i’d check it out on the net and thank god i did! Thank you so much for making me aware of this scam. If they ring again I will tell them to remove me from their ‘list’.
Hi Jodie,
Can you contact me, as I would be interested in what they actually said to you etc…
See my website for contact details…
Click on my name!
Best,
Clive
Yet again I have had exactly the same experience as everyone on here…
Spotted on Oxford St etc etc.
I had a phone call 3 days later saying that I was through to the first stage and had to wait for a second phone call to see if the ‘Directors’ liked my look.
I got a second call from ‘David’ which is when I became suspicious, the call sounded so rehersed and he had an answer for everything. He told me how they already had 3 jobs lined up for me; an MTV music video extra, a model for a well known retailer, and a Nike advertisement.
He asked me the same questions as everyone has stated above and then asked me if I had any professional photos, I said NO but that I could get some done by a photographer friend… that wasn’t good enough and he asked me to hold so that he could ask his manager if there was anything Zebra could do to help.
Suprise suprise she suggests The Light Rooms, which funny enough I had been approached by them a few weeks before asking if I was interested in a free make over and porfolio images for me and a friend.
They look my number and I got a phone call where I was told that I would have to pay £100 deposit in case I didn’t turn up for the photoshoot, that is when I told them I was no longer interested.
As soon as ‘David’ mentioned The Light Rooms things added up in my head, I let him carry on so that I could find out some more information, he said he would book me in for a photoshoot for 2 days time and suggested I bring £100 which ‘may’ be needed for copyright fees.
I said I was unsure and asked if I could go away and think about it for the evening and he would email me further information.
As soon as I checked my emails there were two from him. One listing numerous ‘Jobs’ he had put me forward to and the other trying to ‘big up’ Zebra Connection and The Light Rooms to me yet again.
These emails contained viruses and after reading the small print at the bottom of the page they say that they are not responsible for any of the ‘viruses’ that your computer may get from the email. I deleted the emails straight away and my virus protection detected the viruses.
It’s annoying that I deleted the emails because they had alot of information and dodgy small prints about money and policies that may have been useful to you guys.
I sent an email saying never to contact me and luckily never went to a photoshoot.
Apologies for the long message but I am truely disgusted with how people can get away with this.
They’re sending VIRUSES to people as well?? That makes me think they’re not just after money.
Oh My God!!!! I can’t thank all of you enough. I was in two minds and so checked up on zebra and thank god I found all these sites. What utter wankers. How do they sleep at night? And how do they get away with it?
I had EXACTLY the same story as everyone else here, the same phone script and ‘job opportunities’. I was contacted by ‘justyna’ and after I’d read posts here I sent an email saying what a f***ing scam and she didn’t even reply!!! Which basically confirms that they are a con because any real company would defend themselves.
I feel so stupid, naive and vain for believing them for a second. Don’t get sucked in by them!
I am a journalist and will do all I can to expose these dreadful people. Contact me if you want to tell me your story!!!!
AVOID ZEBRA CONNECTION!!!!!!!
I am sooo glad i decided to check online about them. Like most of you, i was approached on Oxford circus area,London and had my photo and number taken by a woman. I was later called by them several times and 2days ago, a DEAN CHEVALIER called asking if i had professional pictures. He then pitched the Light Rooms in Soho and 1st presented the *favour* where they offered to generously cover the £300 for the shoot. By then i was thinking that why would they just out of the goodness of their hearts pay £300 to a Random Stranger like me. Mind you, he did the classic ‘ill speak with my director thing’ and after he quickly haphazardly breezed through the whole £100 copyright, which i learned online is UTTER NONSENSE as the photographer and model have automatic copyright on the images. That immediately rang more alarm bells, especially as some weeks ago i watched GMTV where they did an exposé on scam agencies.
I was supposed to go for the photoshoot tomorrow and, GET THIS, they said dont bring cash, but BANK CARD *what!* My ex, who is highly skeptical said i should email this dean chevalier person and said that i had financial commitment and that since they said they had *urgent* jobs, they should deduct the £100 from my 1st pay–this was to protect me, because we were thinking that what were the chances of really getting a job after paying the £100. But hey! My research online made me realise that the £100 would have turned to £740 or so…and its sad that some people who gave their Bank details HAD MORE MONEY TAKEN !!!
SOME GOOD NEWS — I reported them to the Metropolitan Police today and even got a call back some hours later. I submitted the 3 different numbers that they used to call me and their emails. Please people call the MET POLICE to hasten investigation or go online to their website.
**ZEBRA CONNECTION IS A SCAM BEWARE***
**ZEBRA CONNECTION IS A SCAM BEWARE***
And for those who gave them their full names and addresses, dont be worried into thinking anything. REMEMBER, you can always REPORT them to the POLICE.
Also, if you have reached the stage where you are about to do the shoot, DO NOT GO THERE AT ALL you are ABSOLUTELY UNDER NO LEGAL OBLIGATION TO DO SO.
And if you walked out of a shoot DO NOT WORRY ABOUT ANY IDIOT THREAT FROM THEM …YOU ARE PROTECTED BY THE LAW, especially if no BINDING CONTRACT WAS SIGNED
**ZEBRA CONNECTION IS A SCAM BEWARE***
**ZEBRA CONNECTION IS A SCAM BEWARE***
Not to sound retarded, this is a copy of an email sent 2days ago (THEY ARE STILL AT LARGE…i know x( )
Hi
I hope you have received your login details successfully, and have been able to start filling out your online profile. Please do this as soon as possible, because there are several assignments I’d like to send your application forward for with some urgency.
For your information, I am particularly keen to submit you for the following vacancies:
· An exciting new UK independent film ‘Fourteen Angels’ is searching for a wide variety of extras for pub, hospital and outdoor scenes for shooting taking place in October. Initially they are searching for background artists, but successful applicants may go on to have featured roles in the finalised production. Pay is TBC, but not less than £100 for a full day’s shooting.
· A leading bridal boutique is looking for attractive, approachable people to promote their new range of wedding attire. They are launching new collections for both men and women, and are looking for versatile models to feature in a comprehensive catalogue of new products. Women will be expected to model fifteen wedding dresses and will be paid £250.
· Anna Kennedy is casting a commercial for FREESAT. The idea of this commercial is to dramatise the ‘for everyone’ part of the Freesat end-line by showing the eccentricities of the Great British Public. This will also make the commercial more quirky and memorable. It would be shot in slight slow motion to give each vignette the feeling of portraiture. Fee: £300bsf plus £1,500 for 3 months for ITV 1,2,3,4
· Mark Summers is casting a photo shoot for UNIQLO
Casting: from photos
Fee: £10,000 + business class flights, hotel etc.
PLEASE READ THE BREAKDOWN FULLY BEFORE SUGGESTING
We are casting a job for Uniqlo . There will not be a casting for this job it will be cast via suggestions.
As part of a worldwide print campaign Uniqlo is casting a set of real people that are starting to get successful in their own field. At the moment we have cast the male and are only looking for the female. This will be an amazing shoot to do, as the person will get a lot of press out of this. This person should also be cute looking & have a fresh hip feel about them.
Please advise me if you would be interested in these roles, and submit your completed profile as soon as possible so I can begin the process of application.
Do not hesitate to contact me with any further queries, and I very much look forward to beginning work together.
Kind regards
Dean Chevalier
Senior Casting Manager
zebra-logo
The Zebra Connection
130 Shaftsbury Avenue
London
W1D 5EU
T +44 (0)20 7166 5300
M +44 (0)7879 335 017
dean@thezebraconnection.co.uk
http://www.thezebraconnection.co.uk
This email and any files transmitted with it are intended for the addressee only. The contents may be confidential and legally privileged. If you are not the addressee, please notify the sender and delete. If you choose to reply to this email by email, please be aware that The Zebra Connection cannot accept any responsibility for any failure or delay in receipt of your reply or for the confidentiality of its contents. We monitor emails for our internal procedures.
WARNING: Computer viruses can be transmitted by e-mail. The recipient should check this e-mail and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The Zebra Connection accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this e-mail.
**ZEBRA CONNECTION IS A SCAM BEWARE*****ZEBRA CONNECTION IS A SCAM BEWARE*****ZEBRA CONNECTION IS A SCAM BEWARE***
Thanks so much for providing all this information, the computer virus thing is just bizarre on top of all the other weirdness about them. I reckon the clock is ticking for them, more and more people seem to be realising that they’re not all they appear.
Hi All,
Just got off the phone from my second phone call from Zebra Connection. It sounded really promising until they found out that I didn’t have professional photos, so they put me on hold for 2 mins, came back and fed me some rubbish about how the manager loves my look so they’re willing to foot the bill for the make up artist, photographer, style consultant etc etc but I’d have to pay for the copyright. Slightly suspicious, so I had a look online and found this forum.
I actually laughed out loud at how similar some of the posts were to the conversation I’d just had: great skin tone, perfect bone structure, love your look (despite only having one late night photo of me rushing out of Covent Garden Tube), blah blah blah.
However, one worrying addition which no one else seems to have mentioned…
*They told me I’d only have to pay £100 MAXIMUM for The Light Room.*
Luckily, I called The Light Room direct and said I was from Zebra Connection and they told me that packages for this client START at £495 and can be paid in monthy installments. A far cry from £100 that Mark Petorious told me. I just hope that people can find this forum before they make the journey to The Light Room.
I think it’s great that people are commenting on things like this and helping people out. Who knows, without it I may have made the journey on Thursday!
Hi all again.
For those who want answers and are tired of getting voice mail on Zebra Connection/Collection/Management’s landline, these are the *Moblie* numbers you can get those scam artists on. I extracted them from the poison texts they sent me.
‘Blake’ 07500772838
‘ Daniel’ 07985744752
**ZEBRA CONNECTION IS A SCAM BEWARE***
I’ve been “scouted” by Zebra management/collection/Connection/whatever 3 times. The first time was a bout a year or two ago. They stopped me outside Covent Garden Stn, took my picture and my number but never called me [that was lucky escape number 1].
The second time was on Argyle St just off of Oxford street. I was with 3 friends and the guy took all three of our pictures and numbers. I found it a bit odd that he was interested in all of us seeing as we weren’t Jourdan Dunn, Daisy Lowe, Natasha Poly and Lily Cole (I’m 5’3, only one of us was over 5’8″, and we were all size 10-12). They called me persistantly for about 2weeks which in a naive way I found it flattering-but I kept on missing their calls [that was a sign from God] however I caught one of their calls one day whilst I was at uni he told me about the photoshoot, I gave them my email address and he said that he would email me the info. Luckily my uni hallway is very echo-ey so I think he misheard my email address and I never received the virus-infested email. [Lucky Escape number 2].
The third time was today. I was coming out of hennes on Oxford street. Once again, he took my picture, name and number and handed me Zebra business card. On the train ride home I noticed that the card was different to the other two cards I had received in the past, and also that they were now called the Zebra Connection. This didn’t feel right, so I googled “Zebra Connection” scam came up and I ended up on this blog.
I remember watching America’s next Top Model and hearing Tyra Banks say that if a Agency is truely legit, they wont ask you for a penny because if they believe in you, they see any penny they spend on you as an investment!
I’ve also been approached by Zebra Connection at Oxford Circus last November and a week later they followed up by calling me, I realized it was a scam!!!!!
E-mail I received below;
Company Beastall North
Job Type Non specific
Job Overview A new MUSE music video wants a soft, feminine, natural girl for upcoming shoot
Payment £300 for 1/2 day
Deadline 25-Oct-2009
TitleMUSE MUSIC VIDEO LOOKING FOR NATURALLY BEAUTIFUL FEMALE
Contact NameSophie
Date Posted31-Oct-2009
Job DescriptionSophie at Beastall North is casting a MUSE MUSIC VIDEO – “Undisclosed Desires” Directors: El Nino – Jonas&Francois Casting: TBC Wardrobe: Shoot: 1/2 day
Company SHOOT PEOPLE
Job Type Modelling
Job Overview A wide range of ethnic groups sought to model in major bank commercial
Payment £1200 + 20%
Deadline 31-DEc-2009
TitleMODELS AGED 30+ SOUGHT FOR BANK COMMERCIAL
Contact NameVicky Connor
Date Posted01-Jan-2009
Job DescriptionVicky Connor at Shoot People is still seeking 35 models for the still advertisement for a BANK Photographer
Company VIP Party Boat
Job Type Promotional
Job Overview
Payment Paid.
Deadline 15-Dec-2009
TitleFUN-LOVING PROMOTERS NEEDED FOR PARTIES AND EVENTS
Contact NameSir / Madam
Date Posted21-DEc-2009
Job DescriptionWe are a new party-nights and events company looking for bubbly, outgoing, self-motivated and confident personalities to promote and sell tickets for our exclusive launch party , 21st October 2009. No experience necessary, only bags of enthusiasm and positive attitude.
Please advise me if you would be interested in these roles, and submit your complete profile as soon as possible ,so I can begin the process of application.
Do not hesitate to contact me with any further queries, and I very much look forward to beginning work together.
Alina Kournikova
Senior Casting Manager
02076107080
02076107090
The Zebra Connection
130 Shaftsbury Avenue
London
W1D 5EU
T +44 (0)20 7166 5300
M +44 (0)7879 335 017
alina@thezebraconnection.co.uk
http://www.thezebraconnection.co.uk
‘We have covered all of the set costs of this shoot including studio hire, hair and make-up artist costs plus photographers fees (Totaling £300), though we cannot cover the copyright costs on the images, so please do take along £100 which will be redeemable against any of the packages available at the studio.’
Last week, I was horrified because I saw the scout girl who was still in the Oxford Circus looking for their next victim!
Take a look at the BBC One Inside Out programme that went out this evening…
Click:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/london/hi/tv_and_radio/newsid_8452000/8452484.stm
And:
http://thezebracollection.blogspot.com
I have had over 100 complaints so far and the figure is still rising…
**;^))
Well that’s pretty conclusive. Apart from the narrator’s pronunciation of the word “zebra”. XP
Hi all,
Just so you all know Zebra Collection is now trading as Guava Talent Mangement! i got approached about a week ago and my story is identical to all of yours- phone call, manager paying, emails- also the jobs seem to be the same ones that were around a few months ago!!! beware!
thanks
I have now received over 130 complaints, which I have on to the relvant government departments. Guess who gave the BBC all their research material on this scam.
Victims have now told me, that instead of taking payments monthly, Guava/Zebra are taking all the money in one hit!
Trading Standards are now doing a full investigation and I have been notified by the police, that they too are keen to prosecute. A ‘special constable’ almost got conned by these rogues. They tried to trick the wrong people!
Time is running out for these tricksters…
**;^))
The same happened to me with an agency under the name of ‘guava ltd’ the woman on the phone also had a south african accent, was excited about my look and sent me a letter saying she has booked me into th light rooms for this friday and that they would cover the cost of the photoshoot except the copyright which I had to pay for and ranged from 100-500 depending on what package i wanted… i asked her why copyright would be in a package and not have a fixed price and she told me she would explain all in the email… I’m definately not going…
she sent me the following email:
In the interests of fast-tracking your application process, I wanted to send you the details of some jobs I think you would be suitable for. Please let me know which ones in particular you are interested in, so I can begin the process of application as soon as possible.
· A leading bridal boutique is looking for attractive, approachable people to promote their new range of wedding attire. They are launching new collections for both men and women, and are looking for versatile models to feature in a comprehensive catalogue of new products. Women will be expected to model fifteen wedding dresses and will be paid £250.
· Mark Summers is casting a photo shoot for UNIQLO clothing company.
Casting: from photos
Fee: £10,000 + business class flights, hotel etc.
PLEASE READ THE BREAKDOWN FULLY BEFORE SUGGESTING
We are casting a job for Uniqlo . There will not be a casting for this job it will be cast via suggestions.
As part of a worldwide print campaign Uniqlo is casting a set of real people that are starting to get successful in their own field. At the moment we have cast the male and are only looking for the female. This will be an amazing shoot to do, as the person will get a lot of press out of this. This person should also be cute looking & have a fresh hip feel about them.
· PR Company Volvarise requires a fresh-faced and bubbly model to represent the company in their new promotional publication. The model will be required to present the company in a positive, innovative light, by posing in a wide range of locations and with a diverse array of clients, so an ability to be adaptable and sociable are key. This assignment will be shot over two to three days, and is paying £250 per day.
· An exciting new UK independent film ‘Fourteen Angels’ is searching for a wide variety of extras for pub, hospital and outdoor scenes for shooting taking place in October. Initially they are searching for background artists, but successful applicants may go on to have
for shooting taking place in October. Initially they are searching for background artists, but successful applicants may go on to have featured roles in the finalised production. Pay is TBC, but not less than £100 for a full day’s shooting.
· Casting for a commercial for FREESAT. The idea of this commercial is to dramatise the ‘for everyone’ part of the Freesat end-line by showing the eccentricities of the Great British Public. This will also make the commercial more quirky and memorable. It would be shot in slight slow motion to give each vignette the feeling of portraiture. Fee: £300bsf plus £1,500 for 3 months for ITV 1,2,3,4
· A new Hollywood film, starring some of the States’ biggest names, is filming on location in London, and is looking for 300 extras to create a variety of party scenes. The production aims to blend the transcendence of ‘Garden State’ with the more intimate style of Noel Coward, and needs both background and featured artists to create the necessary intimacy and energy. Extras will be paid £100 – £150 (background) and £200 (featured). .
· The latest must-have celeb accessory, spotted on the likes of Cheryl Cole, Alexandra Burke and Dizzee Rascal, are searching for ten vibrant new models to promote their visionary product. This fresh, new fashion company have created a revolutionary new line of accessories that challenge war with beauty, by transforming a decommissioned bullet into a stunning piece of Swarovski-crystal encrusted jewellery. They are conducting major promotional exercises all across the capital, and require eye-catching girls and guys to model the product at a wide range of launch, style and music events. Assignments commence over the coming weekends, and pay £25-50 an hour.
· One of London’s hottest clubs is looking for positive people with a serious flair for fun to help promote the right kind of party atmosphere at their exclusive VIP nights. Catering to the crème de la crème of London’s celebrity circuit, the club prides itself on its positive, sociable atmosphere. They require attractive and friendly people to help make sure everyone is having a good time. This assignment pays £150 per night (usually three to four hours work). It is a great chance to network and meet some major players throughout the industry, leading to exciting future employment opportunities.
Please let me know AS SOON AS POSSIBLE which jobs you would be interested in, so I can get a clearer idea of the kinds of jobs you will be interested in working on in the future. I look forward to hearing from you!
Kind Regards,
Anna Spencer
Senior Casting Agent
Guava Talent Management
Building 3, Chiswick Park
566 Chiswick High Road
Chiswick, London
W4 Y5A
ph: 020 8899 7328
m: 07879 335 036
http://www.guavatm.co.uk
This email and any files transmitted with it are intended for the addressee only. The contents may be confidential and legally privileged. If you are not the addressee, please notify the sender and delete. If you choose to reply to this email by email, please be aware that Guava Talent Management cannot accept any responsibility for any failure or delay in receipt of your reply or for the confidentiality of its contents. We monitor emails for our internal procedures.
WARNING: Computer viruses can be transmitted by e-mail. The recipient should check this e-mail and any attachments for the presence of viruses. Guava Talent Management accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this e-mail.
They have now changed their name to Replay Models….
**;^))
Hi,
Clive.
I’m a investigative journalist. Currently working on an assignment, investigating scamming modelling agencies.
i need to talk to a few people. People who have been in this situation, that have been scammed by these people.
I’ve also been trying to get a copy of the contract they get them to sign them on the day of the photo-shoot. I want it to be looked at by a solicitor.
Do you think you could give me the e-mail of some people who been in this scam, so i can interview them?
if so that would be great.
Thank you.
Sonida
hey the same thing append to me last year april-may. i was scouted in oxford street, received phonecalls, emails n etc. the lady told me dey had various jobs lined out for me because my look was perfect for da roles. But i didnt have no professional photos, so da lady sed she wud speak to da manager to see if dey come into any sort of arangeemnt. she put me on hold and den told me they r willing to pay for da photoshoot but i wud ave to pay for copyrights. i paid £500 for it photographs and got da pikz on cds n brousers… after da photoshoot i dint receive no more phone calls.
Hi,
Its funny how the lightrooms are also “fusion” aswell….?
Unfortunatly, again, I was a naive one!! I payed £400 to the lightrooms, Manchester where I felt very pressured. I think the lady who delt with me was called Dianne (?) My Mother was always suspious and asked many questions as we were shocked by the price for 20 photographs!! “Dianne” said she would make us a deal and knock £80 off as i could not afford the pictures (unless my Mother paid). I was also told i would recieve my pictures on a disk in the post as we requested and now its been nerly a year on, I HAVE STILL NOT RECIEVED MY DISK!
As for the “ZEBRA COLLECTION”, i have the exact same experiences as every other victim on here. Starting with the phone call, the compliments bla bla. Then the 2min wait on the phone.
Iam definatly going to go back to the lightrooms and ask for my righty disk of photos, i have retrieved the “reciept”, so surely they wont be any problems……. i wish!
The Zebra collection to me seems like a gimic! A scamish aid for bringing in money. I’am so suprized that the Lightrooms are still running. Isnt there any justice for us?
Are you from a important news paper or TV?
Investigator?
I know everything about Replay / Guava / The Light Rooms / Zebra and Mr. Christ Garner.
If you have connections enough to expose it again like happened in January, please, contact me and I will help.
If you are just another scammed one, sorry, I’ve got no time to waste telling stories.
I’ve got to be objective and help to shut down that place.
contact: fostex.lacie@gmail.com
Id like to help you – I know they closed shop last week, took their cheap temporary signs down but they are still in business. join me to make sure they stop, pay back or at least never do this again
use facebook, wordpress, trwitter, eblog, etc etc. replay may run to spain for a while but they havent been stopped
Moli! Can we talk?
drop me a email: fostex.lacie@gmail.com
or reach me on facebook
x
Thanks for all the advice.
wow i cant believe so many people have been scammed by them.
i was scouted in manchester in the early months of 2009 and sent loadsa emails n recieved loadsa phone calls tellin me id get all these diffferent jobs they then asked me to do a portfolio and booked it before they asked me but i told them that id already got 1 , they seemed fine with this and asked me 2 email my photos i did this n recieved a email off ‘ Rob simpson ‘ saying how much he loved them then since then ive heard nothing!? ive sent emails and tryed to phone but nothing im worried now as they have my pictures x
hahahahah no way!! `THIS IS HILARIOUS I HAD THIS COCKNEY WOMAN RING ME SHE SAID I HAD AN AMAZING SMILE AND WOULD GET ME SOME WORK. MEANT TO HAVE PHOTO SHOOT ON 21ST OF THIS MONTH WONDERING WETHER I SHOULD BOTHER NOW XXX
These people -Diana is obviously a key player – are complete and unutterable scumbags. Do no trsut them. I lost 700 pounds to them 3 years ago. tehy are manipulative and controlling and they are operating a totally shady business- they should be investigated
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