The Berlin consumer advice center warns against hasty contracts with modeling agencies

“Recently, there has been an increasing number of cases in our legal advice that always follow a similar pattern,”

reports Petra Hegemann, lawyer at the Berlin Consumer Center.

“A consumer is approached on the street by an alleged representative of a modeling agency. The representative compliments the consumer and invites her to his studio for a photo shoot,”

said Hegemann. The costs of the photo shoot are not mentioned.

Shortly before the shoot, the consumer signs a contract that involves high costs for her. In return for the – usually annual – fee of between 200 and 400 euros, the consumer receives the photo shoot and an entry on a website that advertises models.

Consumers generally have a right of withdrawal if contracts are initiated or concluded outside of business premises.

“But the prerequisite is a close spatial-temporal connection,”

explains Hegemann. If the contract is concluded and the shoot takes place a few days after the person is approached on the street, the right of cancellation is usually excluded.

A second reason why young women usually cannot revoke their contract: Anyone who commissions photos and advertisements for modeling work can be viewed as an entrepreneur and thus lose their consumer rights, including the right of withdrawal.

If an aspiring model is considered an entrepreneur, this has another disadvantage: the contract for placing advertisements is usually extended every year if the contract is not terminated in a timely manner.

Hidden in the company's terms and conditions there is often a clause according to which the contract can only be terminated in writing and not by email. Anyone who sends their cancellation by email or by post without a handwritten signature cannot prevent the contract from being extended. This clause would be ineffective against consumers, but not against entrepreneurs.

The Berlin consumer advice center strongly advises against concluding modeling contracts hastily. A reputable agency will have no objection if a contract is taken home, read through thoroughly and only then signed.

If you have already fallen into the trap, we recommend making an appointment with our consumer law advice as soon as possible.

We will then check which steps make sense in your case and, if necessary, take care of the correspondence with the company ourselves.


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