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Scammers

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xdjproductions

Does anyone else get the occasional email that looks like this?


After listening to your demos online, I think you would be the perfect voice for my station. We are getting ready to do a format flip from our current format to Country.

What would your cost be for two pages produced per month? Also, what is your turnaround time? And how quickly could we get started?

I look forward to hearing back from you!


They then give you fake call letters to either a TV station or a station that does not exist. Once you begin to question them about the (fake) call letters....the conversations stop. I was only out a few custom liners, so no big loss. But, I am curious as to whether others have been contacted this way.
 
There's always someone out there trolling for free work. I remember a one-person agency that faxed over some copy to all the stations in town, with a cover letter saying that she's soliciting this script as a "demo" for future talent consideration. She needed it ASAP (to test your turnaround time, she said), so I'm sure it was an actual client needing actual production. This spot had all the bells and whistles, too - I wonder if anyone bit.
 
I sent my resume for a gig in north carolina for an agency. they said they loved my stuff but wanted me to do a demo, so they sent me some raw voice tracks and told me to produce the entire ad. they even sent me the po. i produced the ad, sent it to them and never heard from them again. I have a feeling they used me. bastards!!!
 
Gotta pipe up here..I haven't gotten an e-mail solicitation like that, but I have had my share of agencies and stations that want a custom demo etc. A few things I learned from a few years of doing this.

A custom demo should only be done in "spare time" I don't do a custom demo in place of work for solid clients..BUT I will do them...production too...

However I only do a little under HALF of the material they send..and I DO allow stations to go ahead and plug them into rotation for a weekend or so of on-air usage..as long as I know the station is legit...esay to check up on at radiolocator.com.

As for agencies..they will get 21 sec of a 30 sec spot..in 64kbps MP3 in MONO. It gives a great demonstration of what they will eventually get, and it makes it a LOT of work to try and use the 21 sec worth of audio. If they are aiming to try and bone me..they will have to do a LOT of physical work to manipulate that audio for use on air somewhere..and of course if it DOES air..and I never hear from them again I have the name of the actual client..don't I?

Ohhh these retail clients HATE the occasional phone call from a voice talent/producer who got the screw from an ad agency they used..It's almost worth the money I would be out to imagine the raft of fire the agency guy would get from some of these car dealers or stereo stores...

I also have in my agreement with the agency people my RIGHT to call and cancel entire advertising schedules if payment for services is not recieved in a timely manner..typically 60-90 days.

I have never had to do that but ONCE in 36 years..and it was a stereo store chain that hadn't paid the agency either..for 5 months..They were still running on three stations..and we knew which stations.

Two phone calls to the stations that were running the spots..and ((poof)) gonzo! HAAAAAAH HAA HAHA!

Basic fact: That audio is MY property until full payment is made.
 
Yep, here's the one I got. I checked it out, couldn't find the calls registered and should have trusted my gut... Talked on the phone several times, strung it on for a week, wrote him some imaging, voiced it, had it produced, invoiced, and then they dropped off the face of the earth... Mind if I ask what the call letters were?

I no longer do VO without a good faith check and preferably a contract.

Justin

Justin,

I have listened to your demo and love it. I'm trying to image a brand new country station in a small market in West Virginia, and feel as if your the perfect voice.

Just a few questions. How much would two pages max, produced a month cost?
Also, how quickly could we get started? And finally, what is normal turnaround time?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Zack Taylor
 
XDJ, can you call me... I took the bait hook, line, and sinker and went over and above for this guy... Our e-mails look very similar to each other. Jeff has some great points here and I threw all of that out the window because the guy sounded desparate, liked my voice, etc. A learning experience, but there are too many similarities here...
 
I received the same email just a couple of weeks ago. When I replied that I couldn't turn the copy around as quickly as they wanted and that I needed partial payment up front because of scams on the internet they dissapeared quickly.

As was stated above, I, too,do only partial custom demos. And in some cases I'll intentionaly mispronouce a word or two. It's an easy fix if the sales goes through.

By the way, anyone here using PayPal to collect fees?
 
I'm using paypal for some of my clients. Mostly podcasters use it since I make them pay up front. It's technically an option for everybody but I'm perfectly happy to get checks from the bigger clients and not have to give up the fees.

Thanks for the heads up on that particular scam. Hadn't heard of it yet.
 
Received the same e-mail just the other day. It looked odd but I replied with my rates, and said that we can get started as soon as I receive additional contact info, station call sign, market size, etc.

Not a peep since.
 
BTW David..you sound great!

PayPal is fine for taking payments..HOWEVER be sure the payment is CLEARED and actually in your account before dellivering on the deal. I sold a mic to a fellow recently who used PayPal and his payment cleared immediately..so I sent the mic out. I have several international broadcast clients that pay me monthly via payPal..It's easy for them because they can enter thier local currency and the conversion is made for them. I have a religous org that I do projects for and they pay me via PayPal same day. I also have several talent/production agencies who (get this) send PayPal payment ALONG with the scripts! (Thank you STORM!)
 
Jeff Laurence said:
BTW David..you sound great!

PayPal is fine for taking payments..HOWEVER be sure the payment is CLEARED and actually in your account before dellivering on the deal. I sold a mic to a fellow recently who used PayPal and his payment cleared immediately..so I sent the mic out. I have several international broadcast clients that pay me monthly via payPal..It's easy for them because they can enter thier local currency and the conversion is made for them. I have a religous org that I do projects for and they pay me via PayPal same day. I also have several talent/production agencies who (get this) send PayPal payment ALONG with the scripts! (Thank you STORM!)
Click to expand...

Jeff,

Sincere thanks; your demos are top-flight as well.

I'm a fan of PayPal also, even if the fees sometimes add up and make me say 'ouch'...
 
It's funny. I recieved a paypal payment a few days ago and had no idea who it was from. Got a script about 8 hours later from a guy I'd sent a quote to months ago. Works for me.

P.S. Hi DH! Fancy seeing you here.
 
I like having the option to process CC's through PP virtual terminal. The fee's you're seeing are better than or close to what you would pay had you went with a Processing firm. COst of doing business and offering a better payment option to your clients.

Pass the cost along to your clients.
 
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