Rae, it is very considerate of you to make this statement. There are agents in Perth that do the same thing, have a fee which covers the cost of going onto a national register and having photos taken for such. I DO feel that it the responsibility of the Agent to inform their prospective clients of these arrangements however and shouldn't be up to the client to discover on their own.

That being said, to all on this site, if you are asked for an upfront fee, do not feel obligated to pay it. Joining an agency should always be free so why should they charge a fee. In this case, it was for something OTHER than joining the agency itself and in that case, you have to opportunity to decide if you WANT to pay it.

While I have stated over and over again that up-front fees are to be avoided (am I am not for one second going back on that statement) there are services that are OFFERED upon signing up which do require payment. Showcast and AT2 are two of thos types of services, but as Rae mentioned in her 'Example', they were completely optional and could be avoided if they were supplied with evidence and photos of yourself.

You should never have to pay a compulsory fee. There shouldn't be any.

Absit invidia

Jeff Watkins
Perth based Actor/Performer
who can also sing and dance
Fight/Sword Choreographer
Virgin Director
UPstageWA Rep

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