Job Discussion Forums

arodeorowdy · Joined: 09 Aug 2004 Posts: 125 Location: Shenzhen, China

Agency. English Me, in Shenzhen is owned by a Taiwanese man named Alex. Managers are Tim Wong and Kim ?, two guys.

This agency will rip you off once you do anything at all that they didn't they didn't give you the okay to do.

They owe a girl, a Russian friend of mine 2,000 (two thousand!) kuai and they refuse to pay her. She worked for them for a short time, WITHOUT A CONTRACT, AND took a job with the school they sent her to, but she WAS NOT under contract with English Me.

They owe my Austrailian friend 12,000 (twelve thousand!) kuai and they're refusing to pay him. He quit his job. The contract states they can keep 2 weeks work, but THEY'RE KEEPING ALL 6 WEEKS OF HIS WORK!!!

They owe me 6,400 (six thousand) quai and they keep giving me hopes, but still, after 2 weeks....NO PAY EITHER! They have no valid reason for me.

There are other teachers that were ripped off by this agency, but that was last year and I didn't think I needed to worry about it. Now it's happend to me and my friends!!!

So, BE VERY CAREFULL if you think about hiring on with English Me in Shenzhen, Guandong Provence, soon to be called Language Me as I heard they were changing their name.

Anyone else have an agency rip you off? If so then submit their name so to help anyone avoid CON-ARTIST AGENCYS.

Cheers for you...and I hope soon for me, Rowdy4Bush

limits601 · Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 6:29 am Post subject:

Before Roger rips into you, i just want to say thanks for the advice and for the story. We need more of these.

Spiderman Too · Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 6:54 am Post subject:

31 January 2005

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

For me the whole matter is too opaque and doesn't warrant "rip(ping) into" someone.
First of all: A "quai" is a KUAI really...

But assuming you have been at Jin Long or that other outfit since January or even before, it would also help readers to know whether any of these victims of those wicked Taiwanese guys have been legal.

My suspicion is that no one cared about their own legal situation. A Russian girl working in Shenzhen? Probably without a work visa. The rest of the crowd: ditto. Or moonlighting.

It looks like a case of "like and like played together".

latefordinner · Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Posts: 973

Well Roger, you're probably right about the "like and like". Personally I'm a little inclined to be sympathetic, but then I've danced in that kind of bar before and been burned for it. Curiously, I chose that particular outfit because they promised the coveted Z, but they didn't/couldn't deliver and the rest is the usual sad story. I've cut my losses and moved on.
I'm a little inclined to believe that when 2 people do the same thing, sometimes it's not exactly the same thing. I have to wonder how many of those teachers could have met the SAFEA requirements. Perhaps the teachers would have been happy to produce documents etc, but because it didn't suit the management's long term plan (ie, immediate convenience) they got the shaft instead of the Z.

arodeorowdy · Joined: 09 Aug 2004 Posts: 125 Location: Shenzhen, China

...picky picky. In the way of Steve Martin, "Exxxxxxxxxxcccccccccuuuuuuuuuuussssssssssseeeeeeeeeee ME!!!
Kuai not Quai. Sheesh...your nearin 5k's Roger ole boy!
And in case you didn't know it...there are many non-native english speakers working as english teachers Roger. And here I thought you knew everything. Rolling Eyes

Yup, English Me offered to get all the teachers I know, excluding the Russia as she wasn't under contract, a Z visa. Yup promised that. And all the teachers I know are indeed working under the table, so no taxes.

I was working at Jin Long, under contract with English Me. I started 1Sep.04 - Feb. 21. So, I'm gonna hire a lawyer to send 'em a letter stating what I wanna do. C what happens.

Cheers, Rowdy4Bush

goman72 · Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 3:52 pm Post subject:

Hire a lawyer ? You're wasting your time !!
Leave them and get a new job... Part with the old and embrace the new (as long as its not another dodgy Taiwanese-owned business)...
...another reason to invade Taiwan !! (just kidding).

CG

arodeorowdy · Joined: 09 Aug 2004 Posts: 125 Location: Shenzhen, China

Is this what most of you would do?
Just cut your loses and get a new job? And forget about $750???
Dam, I don't want to just walk away from US$750 without some kind of fight! Otherwise...they'll think they can keep doing it. Or is this HOW IT'S DONE ALL OVER CHINA?
Call me a dreamer, but I think/hope I'll get my money.

Cheers, Rowdy4Bush

goman72 · Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 4:06 pm Post subject:

You'll get your money, but probaby not $750 !!
PLUS you'll probably spend $750 trying to get it back... in 2 years time.

Look, I've lived in several countries, in 3 continents. In some countries that kind of action would work, but you're forgetting that China is still in its development stage (although they'd like to think otherwise). These cases are relatively new... Heck, even Chinese nationals suing the massive factories aren't getting anywhere, truth is the authorities just don't care!
I very much doubt that a poultry sum of $750 would get much attention in a small claims court in China (if it even exists), most lawyers would scuff !!

CG

Norman Bethune · Joined: 19 Apr 2004 Posts: 731

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

kimo · Joined: 16 Feb 2003 Posts: 668

There are other ways to get retribution. This idea might be extreme but I'd say a call to a local newspaper about how that Taiwanese owner is supplying Chinese women for Japanese tour groups might at least bring some unwanted interest upon the school.

brsmith15 · Joined: 12 May 2003 Posts: 1142 Location: New Hampshire USA

Yeah, the newspaper to be sure, but I got a better one: the local tax bureau. Don't know much about how the tax thugs work here in China, but most Yanks know all too well about the goons at Internal Revenue.

If EM has been dodging payroll taxes, as we all suspect they and the other McD's of teaching have been doing for years, the government just might like to know that - - -if they haven't paid off the right folks, that is.

china_sk8er · Joined: 30 Oct 2004 Posts: 166 Location: Harbin

I posted on Dave's in November or December about a problem I had with World-Link China in Sichuan. My boss ran away to Shanghai and left 3 foreign teachers stranded. We didn't get paid for about two months of work. In total it was about 30000 kuai that was owed. Instead of giving up and "cutting our losses" we went to Shanghai and tracked him down. We went to the papers and made flyers. Then we went to the labour department and they told us that what the company did was illegal. So they got in touch with our boss and forced him to pay us. We got our money and a free trip to Shanghai.

So my suggestion is that you go to the labour department in Shenzhen with all your documents and tell them the problem. They'll sort it out for you. Back home would you just leave it alone and cut your losses? I also agree that you shouldn't get a lawyer. Just a waste of time.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

arodeorowdy · Joined: 09 Aug 2004 Posts: 125 Location: Shenzhen, China

For all your input and advice guys.
Thanks for your sympathy too Roger. I said "yup" meaning, "yes/affirmative".
I like the newspaper idea, that would bring heat down on them.
I'll try to find the labor dept.(although I don't know where to start) and bring them my contract from Eng.Me. and hopefully get my 2 friends to join me.
Appreciate it all.

Cheers, Rowdy4Bush