Folks,

Some people appear to have been burned by this agency.

But, is NOTM actually a shocker?

They would be by definition if they claim to be actors' agents and they charge a fee to list with them. Reputable agents don't do that (although agents which don't charge a fee are not necessarily reputable - eg overcharging commission on jobs is a scam - 10% is the benchmark). They would be if some of the practices people have written about here have actually occurred. Unreturned phone calls is not only bad business and poor client relations, it is also shonky, especially if you are trying to get back money.

Second, I would raise at least one eyebrow in theatrical fashion if they were not a proprietory limited company. Many partnerships and sole traders are genuine in whatever business they undertake, such as consulting etc. I don't know in this industry. Being a Pty Ltd company does not mean a company is clean either, but I'd like to know that I'm not just dealing with some fly-by-night operation. This is probably less likely if the agency is a company. NOTM is not a Pty Ltd company.

Third, someone said they had not been registered since 2004. Well, that is not the information that is listed on the ASIC webpage :

Name NATIONAL ONLINE TALENT MANAGEMENT
Registered state/no.
QLD BN18749707
Type Business Names
Registration Date Unknown
Next Review Date Unknown
Status Registered
Principal Place of Business not available
Jurisdiction Office of Fair Trading, Queensland

A genuine company will be easy to find. NOTM is neither in the white pages nor the yellow pages online. According to the NOTM webpage, the address is 8/98 University Drive Robina. That is near Bond University. Is it just a bunch of students making some money on the side? Or a business set up to harvest film students from Bond University? Is it someone's apartment? Or is it an office in a business centre? In fact 98 University Drive is accommodation for students - Central Park Apartments.

With a little bit of research simply using Google, you can do your own homework on an agent instead of sounding off, which could create legal problems. I wouldnn't even consider them just from the informatioin I've dug out.

Cheers,

Jim

Probably the only 'report' Today Tonight has ever aired worth watching.

But thanks for the heads up.