Lornik Productions review: Fraudsters and cheaters 32

I was with this agency they got me a gig as an extra in means girls. I was promised cash on set but received a voucher. The whole thing just seemed funny to me always wanting money upfront and with holding things like my portfolio which to this day I don't even know exsistd as they never showed it to me. I had paid 500 to see this...it just seemed shaddy through way they ran this business...it was my first and last agency as I felt they wud all be this way... I was promised to be featured on the website and never was. Empty promises and never could I contact them when I needed to. Needless to say I wanted to be actor or model and after dealing with them and their contract ended the dream died with it. I lived my childhood dream for our email day and several hundreds lost... If by chance I do this again I will do research in depth...fool me once shame on u fool me twice shame on me...NV

Is there still a person I can contact, to try and get my $800 back, $400 for myself and my ex? becasue i was stupid in college and fell for this and never seem=n or herd from them after.
thanks

lornik production its the bigest scam on canada, dont understand why police its not involved here, i will try to prove how they scam people maybe i will have a little succes, until then screw lorrain and lornik what a ### of people work there...

UGH...never ever PAY to get a JOB. PERIOD.
A lesson learned!
Read more here at ACTRA on GETTING STARTED and how to get your child into Acting: http://www.actratoronto.com/perform/index.html

Avoid Fraudulent Talent Agents

Toronto’s entertainment industry has been concerned for some time about a growing problem of unethical talent, modelling and background agencies. These agencies claim to be part of the legitimate industry but are really in business to defraud thousands of people every year out of millions of dollars. They use methods that include:

Bogus “guarantees” of work,
High up-front registration fees
Contracts requiring clients to purchase services – such as photos, Internet pages and acting classes – for grossly inflated prices.

There's a right way and a wrong way to get started in the film, television and modelling business. If you're interested in working in films or television, have you…

Found an agent through an ad in a newspaper?
Been told that your baby needs professional photos to support his or her acting career?
Been approached on the street, in a mall or solicited by telephone?
Been told that a job is guaranteed as soon as you sign a contract with an agency?
Been pressured into signing a contract without being given time to think it over?
Paid for an agent to represent you or paid just to get an audition?
You've been discovered?

Probably not. Talent agents don't go looking for clients in malls or bars or trade shows. If you're approached, call the agency and ask questions. Check The Agents Book or call AMIS - the Acting & Modelling Information hotline at [protected]. Or subscribe to the CanadianActor Online Discussion Boards and get immediate advice from industry professionals.
How the real entertainment industry works

Agents do not advertise - According to the Entertainment Industry Code of Ethics, talent and background agents cannot advertise to the general public.

Agents don't provide photographic services or give classes - A reputable agent may suggest specific photographers or classes to you but cannot require you to use them.

Children and extras do not need professional quality photos - Babies and toddlers never need professional photos. Extras need to provide a snapshot to their agents. Children under the age of ten do not need professional photos unless they are working regularly.

An agent cannot guarantee work - An agent who tells you that they have work for you must give you a copy of the signed contract along with the details of the job (who is hiring you, what you will be paid, etc.)

Agents are not casting directors and they don't do screen tests - Agents earn commissions when their clients work. Casting directors are paid by the production and never take money from performers for any reason.

Agents specialize - Agents usually represent actors, extras OR models. Be wary if the agency claims to represent all of these categories. Legitimate agents make their money from commissions from your fees: 10% for theatre, 15% for film and TV, 20% for print and modelling fees.

No experience or training? - A talent agent will rarely represent you if you have no experience or training. Legitimate talent agents usually require actors to have some professional training and some theatre or film experience. Only background agents will represent inexperienced people who have no training and will generally try to get them non-speaking roles as extras.

Organizations from the legitimate entertainment industry banded together in 1996 to create the Entertainment Industry Coalition – a broad-based committee representing virtually the entire “talent” side of the Toronto industry. The EIC wrote down what clients should expect from legitimate agents in the EIC Code of Ethics and distributes this Code to arm the public with information about how legitimate agents operate.

The Entertainment Code of Ethics

An agent will be truthful in his or her statements to the client
An agent will not advertise to the general public for the purpose of soliciting clients through advertising placed in any form of printed or electronic media (newspapers, flyers, magazines, telephones, the Internet, fax, CD-ROM or mailings, etc.)
It is not a condition of representation that an agent stipulates the photographer, printer, school or any other service provider for the client. Should an agent have any financial interest in above named businesses, full disclosure about said interest must be provided.
If an agent recommends a service provider in which they have a financial interest, it must be disclosed to the client at the time of recommendation.
An agent will make no claims or guarantees of employment to prospective clients that cannot be immediately substantiated.
An agent will use all reasonable efforts to assist the client in procuring employment in the legitimate entertainment industry.
An agent will not commingle monies belonging to clients with monies belonging to the agent, but will keep such monies in a separate account, which may be known as the client’s account or trust account.
An agent will pay each client his or her share of all monies received on behalf of the client in a timely manner. All monies belonging to the client received by the agent shall be faithfully accounted for by the agent and promptly paid over to the client.
An agent will tell the client at the time of signing a representation agreement which deductions from the client’s share of money the agent may make for expenses such as materials, photos, voice tapes, commissions and so on. However, the agent will make clear the client’s option to undertake the management of any or all of his own materials.
An agent will, upon request, make available to a client or prospective client a complete current list of clients represented by the agency.
An agent will represent all clients in good faith and recognize the uniqueness of the client’s abilities. An agent will maintain an office, records and such materials necessary to conduct business normally deemed necessary to function as an agent.
An agent will agree to be equipped and to continue to be equipped to represent the client ably and diligently in the legitimate entertainment industry and to so represent the client.
And agent will maintain the confidentiality of all dealings on behalf of the client both during representation and after the representation has terminated.
An agent will not accept employment as an actor.
An agent will maintain an accessible office and telephone during all reasonable business hours.
An agent or designate will be available, at all reasonable hours, for consultation with the client.
An agent will inform the client, upon request, of any all activities undertaken on the client’s behalf.
An agent will maintain proper financial books and records.
An agent will make all books and records pertaining to a client available to the client on a regular business day upon forty-eight hours notice.
An agent will inform a new client that commission due to a former agent be kept current.
An agent will accept no employment on the client’s behalf without informing the client of his or her obligations, such as details of fees, performance credit, working conditions and so on.
An agent will negotiate terms and conditions of any employment opportunities offered in consultation with the client.
An agent will recognize and uphold the client’s prerogative to refuse any and all employment opportunities offered.

Note: If you have signed a contract but have not received the services for which you’ve paid, the Ontario Pre-paid Services Act gives you five working days to cancel the contract and get your money back. The courts have ruled over and over that photographic services fall under the provisions of that act and must be refunded if you cancel within the time limit. Cancel the contract with a registered letter.

The Ontario Ministry of Consumer and Business Services offers consumer advice on how to protect yourself from common scams at www.cbs.gov.on.ca and wants to hear from you if you’ve got a complaint about a particular business. If you have been approached or have signed a contract with someone you think may be an unethical agent, call the Ministry at [protected] or toll free at [protected].

Complaints about agencies should be communicated to the following:

The newspaper in which you saw the ad for the agency;
The credit card company which has given the agency credit card privileges;
Document the names of the people who you talked to at the agency and the promises they made;
Call the AMIS hotline at [protected] and tell them about your complaint so that this information will be registered on its database. At present, one agency has been convicted for criminal fraud, as a direct result of information provided to AMIS;
Call the Ontario Ministry of Consumer and Business Services at [protected] to register your complaint about a particular business if you think you’ve been scammed.

If the agency advertises for clients, you can ask Industry Canada to investigate - write to Director of Investigation and Research, Competition Bureau, Industry Canada, Place du Portage 1, 50 Victoria Street, Hull, Quebec, K1A 0C9.

The EIC is supported by:

The Alliance of Canadian Cinema Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA)
Talent Agents and Managers Association of Canada (TAMAC)
Theatre Ontario
Acting and Modelling Information Service (AMIS)
Canadian Actors’ Equity Association (CAEA)
Casting Directors Society of Canada (CDC)
Toronto Association of Acting Studios (TAAS)
Union des Artistes (UdA)
… and independent casting directors and agents working and living in the Toronto area.
http://www.actratoronto.com/

NAME OF MERCHANT : IN MODEL MANAGEMENT ( LORNIK PRODUCTIONS ) LORRAINE NICKEL
LOCATION OF TRANSACTION : BEST WESTERN PLUS 131 LAURIER ST, GATINEAU
AMOUNT OF DISPUTE : $150.00

Upon applying for a job online we had received a response for my toddler daughter to take part in a modeling gig. My wife and I, went to the modeling agency ( a rented hall at Best Western Gatineau ) and met her “agent” and we were told that she had potential, as well as the fact that we had to pay a “registration fee” so we can continue with her job application. We were also told that we needed to give them my daughters social insurance number ( but we did not as we got the feeling it was a scam ) by the agents mother Renee. We were then confronted by many individuals telling us that this agency is fake and that the lady was a professional scam artist by the name of Lorraine Nickel. I decided to call a lawyer and inquire, and we were now 100% sure that we had fallen into the trap of a scam artist. Luckily, there is a 10 day period after the initial purchase in which we can get a refund. The downside is, since she is a scam artist, she has not responded to any of my emails and there is no phone number to contact her at.

The reason we had paid her considering I had a feeling she was a scam, was because she threatened to reject our daughter’s job application if we did not pay her at least half the amount by that night. We agreed to pay, hoping it was not a scam and to avoid losing a potential job for my daughter. I was unable to leave such a great opportunity for my daughter to get such an amazing career, therefore we paid less than half the amount ( using our credit card ) and promised to pay the rest when they find her a modeling gig in cash. Whilst looking at the contract, my wife noticed something that was not there when my wife initially signed the contract. She (Lorraine Nickels ) altered the contract where my wife initialed that she was going to pay the rest in cash and authorized herself ( Lorraine Nickels ) to take the remaining amount from my credit card instead of the cash. The pre authorized payments are to come out of my account two weeks from August 13th, 2011. Coming to the total of around $333.00. She had attempted to get me to sign with there own photographer to take pictures of my daughter, but my wife and I refused. She said that these were “registration fees”, no modeling agency asks for “registration fees” . Plus the fact that she pre authorized herself to take money out of my credit card in two weeks is beyond what we had agreed to. No services will be provided, therefore I am asking for my money back before she gets away with scamming another individual.

The reason she authorized herself instead of waiting for the cash, is because many people find out she is a scam once they get home ( like my wife and I ) . After searching as to whether or not individuals need to pay for modelling agencies. Once they find out that she is a scam, they want there money back. She usually sets up for one day at a low budget hotel and leaves, leaving no address, no contacts - and no refund. She does not wait for the rest of the payment ( therefore she takes anything - even a small deposit ) . So once she found that there was room around my wives initial to pre authorize herself to take the rest, she took the chance not knowing that this is considered stealing.

There have been many suits against this company or Lorraine Nickels filed under the Consumer Protection Act Ontario for services not provided, and the fact that she does not respond to any emails and many other reasons revolving around her scamming people out of there money as well as authorizing herself to use people’s credit cards . My wife has attempted to contact her with the email she provided at no avail.

Check out the consumer beware list ( Ministry of Consumer Services Ontario ), and several “ Rip Off” reports of this company and Lorraine Nickel, as well as complaints made online . All these state the name of the company ( as well as the old name of the company LORNIK PRODUCTIONS she changed it so that no one can track her down using the ministry of consumer services ontario ) as well as a snapshot of her website ( www.inmodels.ca ) and how we cannot contact them.

I HAVE SENT THIS TO RCMP, ALL HOTEL'S & VENUE HALLS IN OTTAWA/GATINEAU TO NOT RENT OUT TO HER ANYMORE, LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS, CREDIT CARD COMPANIES - TO FLAG ANYONE BY THE NAME OF LORRAINE NICKELS & IN MODEL MANAGEMENT, AS WELL AS MANY OTHER COMPANIES

.

CONSUMER SOS
http://www.globaltoronto.com/story.html?id=1820568
Sean.OShea@globalnews.ca
sos@globalnews.ca
Toll Free: [protected] ext 5467
or if you’re in Toronto area – [protected]

leaving to Montreal tomorrow for my daughter's first commercial interview hope all goes well ;)
thank you ! lorraine
from: layla and stephanie

Keep us posted...its great if it works for you.

I honestly think lorraine is an amazing woman very sweet and i really look forward to working with you ;)

wow this is some crazy stuff i just met with lorraine today sunday 26, 2011 at 2 Pm in ottawa at the delta city center motel on 101 lyon St and gave her $170.00 for my daughter and like 20 pics of her she told me today was the last audition and that she was leaving back to toronto ! Im trying to get a hold of her to see what is going on with all this scamming stuff i just really hope my 6 year old daughters heart doesn't get crushed this is her dream.

So I'm a stupid little 16 year old girl with dreams of becoming an actress...
So this Lady calls me up and told me to meet with her tomorrow at 7:30 she gave me the address and it all seemed pretty legit.
Until I tried finding what the place was called, realized she didn't give me her name, and the phone number wasn't showing up anywhere...not legit anymore!
all of these complaints just saved my life thank you all so much! If it wasn't for this I would be sitting in Burlington tomorrow at 460 Brant St. wondering what the heck was going on!
THANK YOU! :D

Lorraine Nickel is a FRAUD and a SCAM. She has lived her life stealing and taking advantage of anyone she can get her dirty hands on. I had a private investigator follow her, she lives with her parents, she is NOT married, she has no children - SHE IS A LOSER! She may wear expensive clothes and drive and expensive car but she is still a child because she lives with mommy and daddy! ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. That is why she rants and rants and rants, calling peoples [censor]s and idiots - LORRAINE, we work for a living, we take care of ourselves and don't run home to mommy and daddy to take care of us, I am sure that we could all afford what you did if we lived off of our parents! I guess she is ALONE and single because she is so nasty and evil - everyman sees right through her wicked exterior! Scam all you want hunny, you have a [censor] [censor] life to live alone and in your parents basement!

I just wanted to express my recent encounter with this agency. I dont want to say this agency is a scam or anything. My experience was totally different one and i could have prevented it from happening.

I am from Toronto and already have an agency working for me. I applied for some side gigs on Kijiji.ca and after few days i received a call from a with-held number460 Brant St., [protected] (Some Model and Management), this lady said they like my picture and want to invite me for an audition for hair style/product, i was excited obviously. But i mentioned i cannot have another agency as per my agreement with my agent but i can work only. On the appointment day I find that this agency is in Burlington which is out of my way. I told them on the phone and they again convinced me saying it only takes 30 mins from Toronto, i said okay lets see what i can do.

When i met this lady (who never gave me her business card) told me "you are very photogenic"..."there is this L'oreal hair product campaign and you are ideal" (buttering me however she could)...she concluded by saying "to get all this you have to sign up with our site that costs $150 per year". The picture was clear to me right then and there... I told her i spoke to this lady and mentioned i cant sign up with any agency, then she started to talk all negative about my agency..."you just ended your modeling career, you are not Cindy Crawford, you are not 5' 8 who signs up for an agent like that"...bla bla bla ". I let her have it her way as i needed to et out of there before she takes my money.

Long story short...there was no audition what so ever, all they and most of the agencies do is to get people in their office and sign them up. For me a whole day and transportation cost was wasted for nothing.

Word of Advice: ALWAYS SHOP FOR AGENCIES BUT DONT SIGN UP JUST YET, KNOW THEM, ASK QUESTIONS, RESEARCH, HAVE YOUR QUESTIONS READY FOR THEM, DONT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ ONLINE NEGATIVITY WILL TAKE YOU NOWHERE. FOR ME THIS FORUM DOESNT MEAN A THING. THERE IS ALWAYS PROS AND CONS TO EVERYTHING, BE POSITIVE AND MOVE ON.

I just recevied a Phone call from this address, and no name was given to me. But i was advised to go to 460 Brant street, the 3rd floor on Friday. I do not want to waste my time, Will i be asked to give money ? Because if that is the case I will not go.

Ok I wish I saw this thread before. UGH!
Her office is at 460 Brant St, 3rd floor but the elevator is locked and doesn't go to the 3rd floor, you need to call first for her receptionist to come down and get you. The phone number is the one posted by Serean [protected]. OH MY GOSH! I CANNOT BELIEVE SHE SCAMS SO MANY PEOPLE. There were 2 guys before me and 5 kids after. The website: http://inmodels.ca/booking_talent.html. The whole thing with the elevator made me doubt a little + it is under REGUS name. I guess they lease the office but DO NOT advertise it

I can't describe how stupid I feel for signing with this 'agency'. Just got scammed a week ago and decided the day AFTER I signed that I was going to cancel because it felt kinda sketchy. I tried to look things up but the title 'in model management' is kinda vague and it kept giving me other companies. I wish I saw this thread sooner :( would've saved me a few hundred dollars...I just called that investigator, whoever's fighting this, I'm right there with you cause I don't know about all of you but I DO NOT let this slide, I'm getting my money back no matter what. BTW the alternate number is [protected]

The company address is 2368 LAKESHORE ROAD W, FLOOR 3RD, OAKVILLE, ON L6L 1H5 . I guess she doesn`t go to often there, but she goes sometimes because the Consumer Office send the complaints to this address.

Would be really niceee if someone could let me know where i can find her!
took 1000 from me she crazyy or what!?!

This Marn must be Lorraine, it has the same offensive style that she had went I requested her my money back and cancel the agreement that I signed with her. If she had a good business she didn`t yell at her clients, and accepted to cancel the agreement, something that anybody could do in Ontario between the next 10 days after signed it. I would prefer be a [censor] working in a Mc Donalds than the thief she is.

We wanted to cancel the agreement because we noticed that something was bad, she played like a scammer mading us to sign immediately because she was suppose to come back to Toronto that day, she made up a story about the glamorous model life and the agreement papers were without her name or any company representantive. We opened her webpage and most of the pictures aren’t professional photos, and even the site isn’t in Google.

So we called the hotel where she was doing the ¨casting¨ to check if she was going to be there the next day, and off course she had more casting that day. So after listened her yelling and tell us she was going to call the hotel security because we were there requesting our money back, we said to her that we could call the RCMP, and in that moment she stopped screaming and gave us a cheque. When we went to the bank to get the money, the teller told us that she placed a stop payment.

We called her, she never answered or called back, we sent her a letter and she never went to Canada Post office to picked it up, but around 2 months later we got a letter of her with a money order for $57, when we paid her $163. She said that she was paying just $57 because the rest was her consultation fee, but to enter in the casting she charged us $15, that we didn’t add to the $163. We didn’t worry about that because we already had sent the case to the Consumer Protection Office. After wait 3 months we got a letter from the Ministry of Consumer Services with our money back, even what we paid for have sent the letter. If somebody has a problem with her, I have all the copies about the case or contact directly the Consumer Protection and talk to Suzanne Lizotte.

Hi Lorraine,
This is Marn. You seem to have made a few enemies. It's OK cause people believe what they want to.
Thx for getting me something. Guess if these people got something they wouldn't write stuff.
Oh, bet someone's gonna say it's you writing. HA!
Lots a jealous people. Lots of people that like to blame someone. That's gonna be you cause you saw them and serviced them or didn't in their eyes. Can't win em all.

Take the criticism cause that's what you have to do when you run a business or go work at McD's like most of these [censor]s. Or just sit at home all day on the computer. These low life's just want to bring you to their level. That's all!

Thanks for the auditions and the couple of gigs I got.
Not everyone hates you.
Bye
hope you remember me - you better

Listen - we all know modeling is a tough gig. We all have dreams of being someone. The Reality is that we all can't always be what we want. Loraine did nothing for my sister and I, aged 20 at the time. She made false promises that we would make it big! Promising that my sister would have a great chance at an up and coming L'Oreal commercial. She did not call to let her know of that event, or it's passing. I'm not even sure if it existed. For me I called a couple of months later asking of her why we we not contacted and so on. She then informed me of this casting in Toronto, I trusted in her once again. When I arrived I learned that it was an open casting, there was no one that knew of my arrival. I signed in anyways, before I signed the agreement form the fine print Stated;--- MY PHYSICAL APPEARANCE AND VOCALS COULD BE ALTERED AT ANY TIME, I WOULD HAVE TO SACRIFICE UP TO 6 MONTHS WITH NO GUARANTEED PAY. Did I mention it was a show about gay guys living together. Another process was that i would have to follow a guy with a camera to the outside of the building and take photos with my shirt off to "enhance my chances" F that I was not informed of what I was getting into that day. My girlfriend still laughs at me. Lol Loraine the problem is that you didn't do your job for any one... the money is the second part and your reputation is the third part. By the way how much do you think 16 photos are worth for my sister and I. You can buy them back for $ 2025. Fool me once shame on me fool me twice STILL SHAME ON YOU. I believe in Carma! Do you?

Thanks so much for this info I am calling consumer protection Suzanne right now.My phone numer is [protected] I would be happy to STOP THIS SERIOUS CON ARTIST before she rips more people.She is so angry you can see from her coments she thinks this is about money o poor Lorainne better get a good lawyer.
Sanja

this is for suzy888
listen here suzy q im the one who got my money back and consumer affairs contacted me, so if there contacting me then something is seriously wrong with in model management, and low and behold there is they have already been charged once for taking ppl for there money, your the one whos pathetic, nobody else out here, were normal people looking for our money back...what is rightfully ours...so im in no trouble sweetheart, no reason to be for what because i fought for what was rightfully mine?

Saw her today, she is still at it! In Model Management, 2368 Lakeshore Road W, Oakville, ON L6L 1H5. Phone [protected] Try doing a reverse look up on that number, I should have! Be aware though she has another number too, I did write it down but cannot find it, I will though and post here.

WOW SOMEONE PLEASE GIVE ME INFORMATION ON LORRAINE
I HAVE JUST BEEN SCAMMED AND IM SO MAD. IM GONNA REPORT HER AND TELL HER OFF. I WANT MY MONEY BACK AND ILL GIVE HER A PIECE OF MY MIND.

Oh the person who just wrote the above comment MUST be Lorainne

GOT WORK! Sorry you didn't! ARE YOU PEOPLE ALL LUNATICS? YOU'RE ALL MOTIVATED BY YOUR OWN GREED! Shameful! THEN, want to blame someone for YOUR disappointments, as your heads are in lala land somewhere!

YOU are all pretty twisted people and wasting some person's time at Consumer Affairs, for what ...? Your problems in life that went wrong... ohhhhhhh pooorrrr people you are!

Someone should go after all of you for harrassment and the lady that got her money back should be in deep crap, even, by the consumer lady!

Check out the site of Ed...you people are pathetic like him - seems all agencies have something written on them.
If you all have time to talk about this company and person you must all have no lives! LOL!

PLEASE ANYONE WHO WAS TAKEN BY LORNIK PRODUCTIONS NOW KNOWN AS IN MODEL MANAGEMENT PLEASE CONTACT SUZANNE LIZOTTE @ [protected] SHE IS AN INVESTIGATOR WITH THE CONSUMERS PROTECTION BRANCH AND HAS ALREADY CHARGED LORRAINE FROM LORNIK PRODUCTIONS AND IS NOW GOING AFTER HER AGAIN UNDER HER NEW BUISNESS NAME IN MODEL MANAGEMENT AS SHE IS RIPPING US OFF ONCE AGAIN UNDER A NEW NAME...PLEASE EVERYONE OR ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN RIPPED OFF BY LORRAINES OLD COMPANY LORNIK PRODUCTIONS OR HER NEW ONE IN MODEL MANAGEMENT PLEASE CONTACT THE PERSON ABOVE...SUZANNE LIZOTTE @ [protected]. IF YOU WANT TO FIGHT BACK NOWS YOUR CHANCE.

anyone who got ripped off by lornik or IN MODEL MANAGEMENT please contact CONSUMER PROTECTION BRANCH

hello i too just got burned but was lucky and got my money back but i didn't stop there, just had consumer protection leave my home with all my documents in hand, Lorraine and her English accent side kick are getting charged once again, yes they have been charged once before under lornik but now they go under the name IN MODEL MANAGEMENT LOCATED IN OAK VILLE ON LAKE SHORE ROAD. her real name is Lorraine nickel, i have her car plate number and everything, she really did mess with the wrong one here, but shes being dealt with once again, for all those who got ripped off contact me i have a number and name for the person who came to see me from the consumer protection board im sure she would love all the ammo she can get.

Would definately like to know where Lorainne went, im quite sure she owes alot of us who did work for her and didnt get paid a fair chunk of money

This MUST be Lorainne writting the above statment...as I was almost taken by her!
But she messed with the wrong person...anyone looking for they money that they never got...write a comment and I can tell you where to find her...