Job Discussion Forums

[StephenfromNZ]

I have a return air ticket as part of my contract, but I'm not planning to return home. The foreign affairs officer has said I need to provide receipts from a travel agent to claim it. However, we have spoken to one travel agent who could not provide an official receipt.

Does any one have any advice?

Stephen in Hebei province.

[theoriginalprankster]

Steve, get an itinerary from your travel agent. Printed. Sorted.

[beckyshaile]

[JamesD]

You might be stuck since they're asking for an official receipt, depends on what your contract says. This is why some people negotiate for a bonus rather than a ticket.

Does your contract say you get
a) a set amount
b) reimbursement of a ticket to your home country
c) reimbursement of a ticket (no destination noted)

Are you buying a ticket from the travel agent to whom you talked? If so, I don't understand why they aren't able to provide a receipt. Did they give a reason?

[GeminiTiger]

This is in my opinion one of the biggest scams schools try to pull on teachers.

Why can't you get a receipt?
What does the actual language in the contract say?

[Bud Powell]

The ticket is your receipt. The boarding pass is the receipt. If you charged it, the invoice is the receipt.

[Denim-Maniac]

Sounds like they are asking for an actual receipt for a genuine ticket home at a date to coincide with the end of the contract ... and the reason he cant provide one is he isnt going home and booking a flight at the end of the contract.

Most schools / employers are reasonable over this, but need something to validate their records and show a cost. Quotations have worked in the past at my employers, and when I was in Hainan, my colleague (who was staying in China) was simply paid the same amount as I was (leaving China), by submitting a copy of my ticket with a claim form.

It would be a total scam if you cant get the money unless you actually leave China / Buy a ticket. Id look into buying a ticket that allowed a cancellation and do it that way. And Id give my boss the choice: Id give a quotation for a budget no-cancel ticket, and a quotation for a ticket with cancellation allowed and give him the choice. The latter is normally wildly expensive. The former might then be attractive.

If there is someone new in charge of this, expect problems. It might not be an outright scam, but merely someone who doesnt know quite what to do and are protecting themselves first and foremost.

[NoBillyNO]

thas why u always deal in contracts that offer cash and not bennies....

[Non Sequitur]

[Big Worm]

Buy ticket online. Print receipt (you will get something in an email, it will be official). Cancel ticket. Save email for future tinkering. Might have to eat some fees.

[StephenfromNZ]

That's great guys - a lot of helpful ideas. Actually I've been in China for some time and already had flight reimbursements from previous employers, but I didn't think to keep the receipt for my original flight here.

We've just been to another travel agent who could not provide anything offical, but did verbally give a figure: 12,000元.

It is a public university, so they do need something official for their accounting, and I heard from another foreign teacher there they just gave him 5000 for each semester.

I'll try to do something with an online flight booker, as it is something I am contractually entitled to.

Cheers!

[StephenfromNZ]

Yes, I've been able to get an offical-looking travel confirmation booking from ctrip.com No money was paid but I did give identifing information.

Its a pity I don't have to travel because it is considerably cheaper than the verbal quotes: 8000元！