In a federal class action, mothers of would-be child stars say unregistered talent agency Be Productions charges thousands of dollars in advance, though very few kids get any work. Its Web site claims, "All clients that are selected by BE will get a chance to be on one of our popular TV shows," and may get "feature films, background work, commercials, television" and other jobs, but class attorney Ethan Preston says none of his clients' children were given the opportunities they were promised.

Parents say Be Productions pushes deceptive, pricey "packages" of services that allegedly include auditions with casting directors.

"The marketing materials basically guaranteed that these kids would be more likely to find work," Preston said. the complaint says the class may number in the thousands.

Be Productions claims it is "headed by entertainment industry veterans with deep knowledge and expertise in casting, production and talent management," but Preston said anyone with real knowledge of the entertainment industry knows that legitimate talent agencies do not charge upfront fees.