Model platform companies are often labelled as scams. However, before making such claims, it is important to define what constitutes a scam and to understand what model platform companies actually do.
A scam occurs when one party (A) deceives another party (B) in order to take their money. In other words, A deliberately lies to B to extract payment under false pretences. A model platform company, however, is not a model agency in any form and, by principle, should explicitly state this in their application process. These companies do not offer modelling contracts, nor are they responsible for securing work for aspiring models—they simply sell model portfolios.
When a model platform company contacts you for a test shoot, informs you that you have passed, and then requires you to purchase a portfolio, it is crucial to consider what they disclose before you make a payment. If they clearly state that:
Then, regardless of how much money you have spent, they technically cannot be classified as a scam. This is because you made your payment with full knowledge of these conditions. It should also be noted that model portfolios sold by these companies are primarily suitable for freelance modelling.
Model platform companies should not be blamed for an individual’s failure to read the fine print or pay attention to the terms presented to them. Often, aspiring models are so eager to enter the industry that they selectively see and hear only what they want, only to later accuse the model platform of misleading them when they realize their expensive portfolio has not yielded the expected results.
As long as a model platform company is transparent and abides by the conditions outlined above, it cannot be classified as a scam. However, if it fails to uphold these disclosures, then it has indeed crossed into fraudulent territory.
Ultimately, if a model platform company confidently claims that a legitimate agency will use the portfolio they are selling you, you should ask yourself a simple question: If that were truly the case, why wouldn’t they assist in securing you representation with one of these agencies? Why wouldn’t they do the background work and have the agency contact you directly? Could it be because they know that legitimate agencies would not actually be interested in your portfolio?