Possible SCAM be aware!

[kostasphotopro]

there is a site out there called sportstop25.com I applied a few weeks ago just to see what they have to offer. 80/20 split on proffits and you get into major college games... not bad for a starting person who it trying to get a portfolio together and get bigger gigs but at the same time they are getting paid, no? any way I inquired about getting press credentials for games in my area since there are two 1 division schools here. They told me that I need to purchase a Press Pass from them for 75 bucks.... AND I need to call the school that I would be going to shoot at to get a press pass at the gate... yeah crazy huh? I never heard from all the years I have been freelancing for major wires and so on that I need to pay for my press pass and that I need to call the schools... if you are working for someone they need to provide you the press pass they need to get you the credentials to enter the gate... not the other way around.

[Abel]

ive picked up passes at the gate plenty of times but never have had to "pay" an organization in order to get one.

that does seems VERY shady.. thanks for the heads up.

[Namu @ XenFoto.com]

So let's get this straight...they want you to pay them for THEIR press pass and then call the school to get one from them too? And then, on top of that, they want you to pay them 20% of your profit from the shots you end up with?

How very generous of them! What, exactly, is the benefit of joining them then? Sounds to me like all you're doing is giving them 20% of your profit for zero return.

Not illegal, what they're doing, just shady. Although, the fact that they don't disclose that you have to buy a press pass from them until you've already signed up could be construed as fraud. But either way, their website is poorly designed, half of it doesn't work and I wasn't very impressed with a lot of the content - I'd steer clear of it for sure.

[kostasphotopro]

Yes I agree... I saw them advertizing a lot and there are sites like Maxpreps who take 50% of the earnings but they advertise for you give you business cards (where you gotta buy those as well with sportstop25) shirts hats (gotta buy those as well at sportstop25) and you name it. Any way just so people know to steer away from these people before they get scamed.