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Hi Everyone, please be aware I answer an add on kijiji about an audition for a commercial, I go to do "the audition" and it turned out to be a model agency called goldstein, I was talked into doing some acting private master coaching classes for $4500 not complaint about the classes since the teachers are some of the best in the industry BUT their workshops are only $500 and $450 per workshop so I could of taken this workshops 5 times and get a lot more practice than 4 days with the "private coaching" (with 5 other students) (not private) the worst part besides the money was the cone artist that lied to our faces, it turns out that this agent Uzi gets on the phone right on your face and pretends to be talking to these coaches saying that he has an actor right in front of them that will fit the profile for "the movie" and much more lies, so talking with the students it turns out he said the same to all the other students and the coach confirms that he was never on the phone with Uzi talking about any jobs or actors that are suppose to be perfect for the role, then he will tell you that he will pay for a photo shoot for you, that he will invest on you and that the coaching teachers want to see your pictures first thing, so he will book a whole bunch of people to get their photo taken and then he tells you that you will come in to get your photos once edited but he never calls you and/or answer your calls, for all of you that are getting into modeling and acting I will stay away from this agency and please never pay more than $500 for acting classes, they should be around this price NO MORE for 6 to 8 classes oh yes! another lesson to raise the flag when you are talking to a cone artist like this he had the impudence to say please don't be late, you owe me, I'm doing this for you? what? is he for real? NO HE IS NOT! he said the same to all of us, NEVER LET ANYONE PUT YOUR PROFESSIONALISM TO THE TEST! is actually an insult for someone that you just met to tell you something like this, all I have to say beside being really upset about it is that what goes around comes around and he will get his one day, you can fool me once but now I learn and I'm going to be more careful, and not to mention I'll let people know so they don't fall in the trap like a few of us PLEASE PASS THE WORD AROUND TO EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE INDUSTRY, don't let this agency over charge you and/or lie to you THANK YOU!
Date Listed 11-Dec-11
Address Mississauga, ON L5M 1L2, Canada
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Job Type Full-Time
Hi Everyone, please be aware I answer an add on kijiji about an audition for a commercial, I go to do "the audition" and it turned out to be a model agency called goldstein, I was talked into doing some acting private master coaching classes for $4500 not complaint about the classes since the teachers are some of the best in the industry BUT their workshops are only $500 and $450 per workshop so I could of taken this workshops 5 times and get a lot more practice than 4 days with the "private coaching" (with 5 other students) (not private) the worst part besides the money was the cone artist that lied to our faces, it turns out that this agent Uzi gets on the phone right on your face and pretends to be talking to these coaches saying that he has an actor right in front of them that will fit the profile for "the movie" and much more lies, so talking with the students it turns out he said the same to all the other students and the coach confirms that he was never on the phone with Uzi talking about any jobs or actors that are suppose to be perfect for the role, then he will tell you that he will pay for a photo shoot for you, that he will invest on you and that the coaching teachers want to see your pictures first thing, so he will book a whole bunch of people to get their photo taken and then he tells you that you will come in to get your photos once edited but he never calls you and/or answer your calls, for all of you that are getting into modeling and acting I will stay away from this agency and please never pay more than $500 for acting classes, they should be around this price NO MORE for 6 to 8 classes oh yes! another lesson to raise the flag when you are talking to a cone artist like this he had the impudence to say please don't be late, you owe me, I'm doing this for you? what? is he for real? NO HE IS NOT! he said the same to all of us, NEVER LET ANYONE PUT YOUR PROFESSIONALISM TO THE TEST! is actually an insult for someone that you just met to tell you something like this, all I have to say beside being really upset about it is that what goes around comes around and he will get his one day, you can fool me once but now I learn and I'm going to be more careful, and not to mention I'll let people know so they don't fall in the trap like a few of us PLEASE PASS THE WORD AROUND TO EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE INDUSTRY, don't let this agency over charge you and/or lie to you THANK YOU!
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
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Im also one of you guys. @mac_in_tosh im also from PH, maybe can you communicate with me?
i am one of you guys who was scammed by this mother f*ck*er UZI... hahaha.. i do not know if will be appalled, be upset or be grateful of the experience to being scammed for a total amount of $750 or Php36, 150 (this was way back 2010) - since it was also my mistake why i was scammed - i grabbed the opportunity of being a model that instant when this UZI told me that I was one of the best that he's seen the day I auditioned for the model search in the Hyatt Hotel, Malate Branch..without even thinking that modelling agencies never ask for money that huge. The lesson is; before taking an opportunity, we have to be very careful of every detail about the tasks we will be taking from someone whom we don't know. So as to never be excited of paying something for an opportunity that we aren't sure if is existing in reality.
BTW the new website he uses is www.casting-toronto.com
You won't believe this but after closing his doors as Uzi Zaidi at Goldstein, he reopened the SAME office location, #211, 168 Queen Street South, as MIKE HERTZ, of CASTING TORONTO.
I went in to audition on Friday night, May 25th, 2012. I was so excited when he seemed to be impressed with my audition and pulled me into his office and immediately picked up the phone. He told me I was the best person he's seen all day, and asked if I could come back the next day, yesterday, for a call-back. This was supposedly for a sci-fi TV show being shot in NY.
He also asked why i didn't have an agent, because I'm so talented. He asked about my headshots, that are not professional, and when I told him that I've got a professional photographer booked for next week he told me he'd pay for my headshots because he wants to see me out there. He said even if I don't get this role, he'll submit me to other things.
When I went in for the call-back, I was expecting there to be other casting directors, etc. there but since the "show" was in NY and it was only a principal role, maybe it didn't matter that it was only "Mike" there. Instead of doing a call-back audition, he just sat me down in the office and told me that "they" (the people at the unnamed tv show I was auditioning for) liked me, showed me the contract and then asked me to do another couple of takes. He emailed the takes over to the other "casting director", supposedly in NY but probably right next door, and got on the phone with her. While on the phone, he was very skilled in acting like he had forgot that I don't have an agent and am non-union.
THIS IS HIS NEW SCAM: Instead of asking for money for "acting classes" or training, he now uses the unions, SAG/ACTRA/Equity, to take your money. When you are a non-union actor, you do need to pay and apply for a permit to work in a unionized role. This is true, and I was aware of work permits for that. So, having "remembered" that I am non-union, he called his colleague to ask how much my permit app would be, and asked me if I could bring him $1195 US in cash by Monday morning.
He acted like it's going to be tough for him to get my paperwork done, and that he was helping me out by submitting my SAG permit application, which is something an agent normally does.
I was skeptical about the paying cash part, but was still excited about the role. After all, I had a contract in my hands, right?
Well, luckily I trusted my gut and did some digging. Unfortunately it's the weekend so I couldn't call SAG to confirm that the permit fee sounded correct, and I didn't really have anyone to ask about his name to see if they'd heard of him.
In my initial digging about Casting Toronto, I came across one other person questioning the legitimacy of the company, and that is when my skepticism really started to dig in. After finding literally nothing on the company or the casting director, I emailed a well known casting director in toronto that I know, and she said she's never heard of him.
Finally I googled the office address, and that is when I found Goldstein, and this complaint board. I google the name Uzi at Goldstein and whose face shows up but "Mike Hertz"!
I am disgusted and appalled, and I will be notifying, ACTRA, SAG, the BBB AND the Police about this guy.
PLEASE do not pay Casting Toronto ANY money. If something feels too good to be true, it probably is!
Hello,
My daughter and I also was scammed from Uzi @ Goldstein. I drove by there yesterday, January 17th and their sign is off the door and one of the other tenants of the plaza said that he used to see them all the time, but haven't seen them for about a month.
It looks like they skipped. We have filed a complaint with the BBB and we are hoping that if we get enough people who have been scammed, then we can escalate it and hopefully everyone can get their money back.
Anyone who has been scammed by Goldstein Models in Mississauga, please contact me at kuehl112@bell.net
Deborah Kuehl