NEWARK, N.J. (Legal Newsline) - New Jersey Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa announced a $400,000 consent order Wednesday with a modeling and talent services company that allegedly misled customers into signing expensive photography services contracts.
Industry Model and Talent Studios LLC, its successor corporation InterFACE1 LLC and Roman Vintfeld, the owner of the companies, allegedly misled consumers into believing that the companies were modeling or talent agencies that could place someone in the entertainment or modeling industries. A July 2011 lawsuit alleged the defendants were only providing photo shoots and access to a website where consumers could post photos.
The lawsuit also alleged that Industry Model materially misled its customers about the terms of its contracts and the costs of its services.
Under the terms of the consent order, the defendants will pay $300,410 to the state in civil penalties and attorney fees, pay $99,500 in restitution to 104 past customers and retain an independent compliance monitor to ensure the company complies with improved business practices for two years at their expense. The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs will approve the monitor and receive reports from him or her on whether the defendants are complying with the terms of the consent order.
Vintfeld and InterFACE1 also agreed to multiple business practice changes, including clearly and conspicuously disclosing actual fees to be paid by consumers under the company's agreements, providing consumers with full and accurate copies of any contract, document or agreement, and not making any written or oral representations to consumers about the merchandise offered for sale that differs from the actual terms of any written contract or agreement.
Vintfeld and InterFACE1 did not admit to any guilt or wrongdoing as part of the consent order.
N.J. AG settles with modeling/talent agency
