The Stage

ASA rules extras agency is guilty of misleading over fees

Published Thursday 2 April 2009 at 13:45

An extras agency exposed by the BBC for charging more than £100 in up-front fees has been found guilty of breaching the advertising code, after its promotional material failed to inform potential clients of costs.

SW1 Talent, based in Manchester and run by Jamie Randall, was reported to the Advertising Standards Authority in November last year for publishing an advert calling on models and extras to attend an audition for a variety of jobs, including film and television work.

Equity walk-on councillor Clive Hurst complained to the authority that the advert was misleading because it did not make it clear that people had to pay a fee to take part in the auditions. He also claimed the advert suggested work was available and did not state that SW1 Talent was an agency, which only refers clients to other agencies.

In its ruling, the ASA said the “need to pay for a portfolio was a significant condition that should have been stated in the press ad”, which it claimed was therefore likely to mislead. It ruled that wording in the advert implied work was available through SW1 Talent, but said there was “no evidence” this was the case.

The ASA added that an employment agency “must make its status clear in marketing communications” and ruled that the advert published by SW1 Talent “must not appear again in its current form”.

SW1 Talent was approached by the ASA for a response, but did not submit one. The authority said: “The ASA was concerned by SW1 Talent’s lack of response and apparent disregard for the code. We reminded them of their responsibility to respond promptly to our enquiries and told them to do so in the future.”

It is not the first time a company run by Randall has been found in breach of the advertising code. Last year, Eimaj, which has ceased trading but was also operated by Randall, was criticised by the ASA for neglecting to inform performers about the up-front fees it charged.

Randall has since claimed he has changed the way he operates. Following a BBC Inside Out investigation into SW1 Talent in February, which highlighted how Randall was charging more than £100 for portfolios, he said people looking to join his agency would now have to send in their own CVs and photographs.

Randall said a charge of £35 applied, but that this would only be taken once a client had completed their first assignment.