Scriptapalooza TV

Incomplete script coverage and unethical management; AVOID THIS COMPANY, USE A REPUTABLE SERVICE

This company's greatest claim to fame is that they have been around since 2002. (So has palm reading; who cares?) What they fail to realize is that longevity is not the only measure of quality in a business. On their website, Scriptapalooza advertises (and provides examples) that specific sections will be included in their coverage, depending on which coverage you choose. When I received my "coverage" (the First 20 Pages for $55) it was completely missing the 20 Pages section and the Dialogue section was skeletal (three very, very short sentences). The coverage was actually about a B- so I obviously don't have any complaints about that, but the terms of the contract (I paid $55 they were supposed to provide all the sections THEY advertise) were not met. Any first year law student can tell you that is breach of contract. So, naturally, I contacted the company to tell them that I was unhappy with my alleged "coverage" (along with my reasons for dissatisfaction) and the President of the company - Mark Andrushko - was very rude and scoffed at me saying "It's ONLY $55". Well, I am a disabled veteran, so $55 would never come with the word "only" in front of it. So, I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and found out that he provided a boilerplate excuse ("Writers frequently don't like our feedback") instead of honoring the contractual obligation the company entered into by accepting my "not-only $55". In fact, I never once said I didn't like the feedback, I said it was incomplete and quite obvious that the reader didn't actually READ the 20 pages the "coverage" was alleged to have covered. I further emphasized that the reader contradicted themselves multiple times in the "coverage" so - all things considered - the coverage is useless for me, because no professional filmmaker would take it seriously. Obviously, this company is run by unethical management and feels that since writers are paying "ONLY $55" for this service, we just have to shut up and take it. Well, the regulatory agencies that oversee this type of industry seem to think otherwise. My advice? DON'T PAY THIS COMPANY FOR ANYTHING. Go to a more reputable service, such as Page Awards or Austin Film Festival, Coverfly, Film Freeway, or InkTip (stellar). Plus, their prices are better and they have great ratings from actual screenwriters.

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