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justin moffatt
Joined: 29 Aug 2006
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 Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 6:28 am Post subject: BEWARE OF SCAMS with F2 Education Reruiter |
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This scam has been fairly prevalent during my years in Korea. Agencies often contract me to develop curriculum for their Education programs, and provide the material before the program starts (to provide textbooks to participants in advance) Sometimes they then diminish the actual contracted hours or "cancel" the program altogether after receiving the curriculum. Of course, I am not financially compensated for my time, and breach of contractual agreement.
Here are a list of companies and recruiters who often pull these scams:
F2 Education
SLI
KMA
Yoon's Education (Steve Yoon)
If these basturds want to file a libel or defamation suit. BRING IT ON! I have had enough with the lying and deceit here.
Last edited by justin moffatt on Tue Jan 05, 2010 10:39 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Goon-Yang
Joined: 28 May 2009
Location: Duh
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| Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 7:09 am Post subject: |
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Are you in an F-visa OP? If not you're screwed anyways. They don't ned to pay you because you were doing illegal work.
If you are on an F...then take them to court. These companies are Seoul based? |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 4:41 pm Post subject: Re: BEWARE OF SCAMS with F2 Education Reruiter |
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| justin moffatt wrote: |
This scam has been fairly prevalent during my years in Korea. Agencies often contract me to develop curriculum for their Education programs, and provide the material before the program starts (to provide textbooks to participants in advance) Sometimes they then diminish the actual contracted hours or "cancel" the program altogether after receiving the curriculum. Of course, I am not financially compensated for my time, and breach of contractual agreement.
Here are a list of companies and recruiters who often pull these scams:
F2 Education
SLI
KMA
Yoon's English
If these basturds want to file a libel or defamation suit. BRING IT ON! I have had enough with the lying and deceit here. |
I don't know why you'd hand over the work before getting paid. Especially after the first time. |
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lifeinkorea
Joined: 24 Jan 2009
Location: somewhere in China
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| Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 5:00 pm Post subject: |
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Why would you do preparation and not teach? You might as well post it on a website. You have scammed yourself, not the school.
TEACHING FOR DUMMIES 101
START
Prepare SOME work, teach.
Prepare SOME MORE work, teach.
Prepare SOME MORE work, teach.
Prepare SOME MORE work, teach.
Get paid.
Go back to start |
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justin moffatt
Joined: 29 Aug 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 10:38 pm Post subject: |
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To answer your questions:
Yes, I am a F2 visa holder.
Yes, this companies are Seoul based.
Yes, my contracts have been scheduled for me to develop the program and instruct.
Yes, I have refused to provide ALL the material in advance (usually provide sample lesson). HOWEVER, when some of the companies previously mentioned requested all the material in advance (for textbooks), I turned them down flat. Which means they just found another sucker to do so.
For the record, I have threatened litigation. and did receive some monies from some of these companies. As for the Labour Board, they will do nothing unless you actually instructed in the program. In other words, if you are hired, sign contract, develop program and curriculum, provide material, night before you are fired, you have no leg to stand on. |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 3:01 am Post subject: |
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Well, thanks for the heads up on that situation.
I always did think those develop curriculum ads seemed a bit off. |
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Netz
Joined: 11 Oct 2004
Location: a parallel universe where people and places seem to be the exact opposite of "normal"
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| Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 4:47 am Post subject: Re: BEWARE OF SCAMS with F2 Education Reruiter |
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| justin moffatt wrote: |
This scam has been fairly prevalent during my years in Korea. Agencies often contract me to develop curriculum for their Education programs, and provide the material before the program starts (to provide textbooks to participants in advance) Sometimes they then diminish the actual contracted hours or "cancel" the program altogether after receiving the curriculum. Of course, I am not financially compensated for my time, and breach of contractual agreement.
Here are a list of companies and recruiters who often pull these scams:
F2 Education
SLI
KMA
Yoon's Education (Steve Yoon)
If these basturds want to file a libel or defamation suit. BRING IT ON! I have had enough with the lying and deceit here. |
It�s only gotten worse over the years. I remember my first Hagwon job, and the shady director illegally farmed ALL of his teachers out on adult teaching gigs. It was certainly more �acceptable� back then, as the rules were rarely even known, let alone followed. As an example, he sent at least 5 teachers out daily to the National Police College in Yongin. And of course, the crooked �cop� admins made their fair share of the take, while the teachers got a whopping 17k an hour.
After every Korean figured out they could register themselves as a �recruiter/agency�, and sub-contract these jobs without even having a school, it became a free-for-all, and the number of �illegal� teachers far exceeded the number of �legals� on these types of jobs.
Ahh, the good ol�days.
I personally learned my lessons well, and was able to work around the blood sucking leeches for many years, as they had yet to entrench themselves firmly in the ESL business world, and there were also very few people able to legally work many of these jobs, so eliminating the competition was only a phone call away.
Fast forward to today, where the number of card carrying F visa holders has multiplied, along with the sheer number of foreigners here, many of which who share the same penchant as their Korean agency handlers, of breaking the law. The landscape has certainly changed, which is the way of things in general.
Still, I write this only as a piece of advice to many F visa holders out there now, who have no idea how much they are being taken advantage of, and the only reason is, they allow themselves to be put in that position.
All of the agencies you�ve mentioned, and many more less known, continue to exploit the ignorance of the F visa holders, who don�t understand the power they wield. If they could collectively make a stand, and refuse to be �enslaved� to their Korean �masters�, many of these slime sucking parasites would be forced to hire �illegals� which would in turn assure their failure and eventual demise.
It�s a soapbox I�ve certainly been on before, but every once in while it�s good to remind people of their own power to control their situation, lest they forever be cast in the role of servants.
In summary, for legal F visa holders, when it comes to being whored out by Korean agencies, just say "No". There are clearly so many other opportunities available, that there�s no need to sell yourself short and perpetuate the �money grubbing middlemen� system that only hurts all foreign teachers living in Korea.
Until that happens though, the Koreans will continue to stock up on Vaseline, as the hordes line up. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 3:39 pm Post subject: Re: BEWARE OF SCAMS with F2 Education Reruiter |
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| Netz wrote: |
[q
All of the agencies you�ve mentioned, and many more less known, continue to exploit the ignorance of the F visa holders, who don�t understand the power they wield. If they could collectively make a stand, and refuse to be �enslaved� to their Korean �masters�, many of these slime sucking parasites would be forced to hire �illegals� which would in turn assure their failure and eventual demise.
. |
Except that illegals have been and continue to be hired. This has gone on (in English education) for nearly two decades now. The problem is that when illegals are exposed, it's often no more than a slap on the wrist for the employer.
As long as they refuse to pay for qualified people and as long as the laws continue to be unenforced, these "parasites" will not only continue to survive but multiply (as you pointed out above.) |
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Netz
Joined: 11 Oct 2004
Location: a parallel universe where people and places seem to be the exact opposite of "normal"
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| Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 4:05 pm Post subject: Re: BEWARE OF SCAMS with F2 Education Reruiter |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| Netz wrote: |
[q
All of the agencies you�ve mentioned, and many more less known, continue to exploit the ignorance of the F visa holders, who don�t understand the power they wield. If they could collectively make a stand, and refuse to be �enslaved� to their Korean �masters�, many of these slime sucking parasites would be forced to hire �illegals� which would in turn assure their failure and eventual demise.
. |
Except that illegals have been and continue to be hired. This has gone on (in English education) for nearly two decades now. The problem is that when illegals are exposed, it's often no more than a slap on the wrist for the employer.
As long as they refuse to pay for qualified people and as long as the laws continue to be unenforced, these "parasites" will not only continue to survive but multiply (as you pointed out above.) |
Sadly, this is true.
It would also mean that Koreans would need to develop the ability to distinguish quality from crap, and that probably won't happen any time soon either. |
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justin moffatt
Joined: 29 Aug 2006
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| Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 4:47 pm Post subject: |
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I completely agree. I have lost count of the number of companies I have worked for that hired illegals for less than half the standard pay rate. It has made it difficult to compete, when cost savings trump quality and experience. In fact, companies tend to make contracts with those agencies which hire illegals due to cost reductions (not held liable either).
Moreover, due to the decrease in many part-time positions, many F visa holders are getting desperate as well. Some agencies know this and take advantage. |
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Bramble
Joined: 26 Jan 2007
Location: National treasures need homes
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| Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 5:26 pm Post subject: |
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Let's hear it for vigilante justice.  |
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Netz
Joined: 11 Oct 2004
Location: a parallel universe where people and places seem to be the exact opposite of "normal"
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| Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 1:16 am Post subject: |
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| Bramble wrote: |
| Let's hear it for vigilante justice. |
The Korean govenrment seems to favor this approach, as they do earmark a decent sum of money annually to pay off tipsters who turn in illegals.
In most cases, Koreans would look the other way and mind thier own business, but you mention money, and they start setting up CCTV cams in order to "cash in". I think there were even a few Koreans who posted "phishing" ads on various sites to lure in potential marks so they could get paid for turning them in.
I know more than a few people got busted last year due to anonymous tips, as there was some QQing on this forum about people getting nailed at camps. It reminds me of 10 years ago when the K-gov did the same thing, but hey, whatever works. |
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justin moffatt
Joined: 29 Aug 2006
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| Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 12:15 am Post subject: |
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Sadly, I have had more requests for cirriculum development from agencies (some of which I have had longstanding relationships with), and STILL they are trying to pull the same scam. Develop our material for free, provide ALL material before the program, and maybe you can instruct a few sessions. . . . Unbelievable. . . .
The corruption in this country never ceases to astound me. Many agencies rely on inexperienced instructors to fall into their trap and be taken advantage of. Unforunately, many instructors do, otherwise this pattern would not keep emerging (reinforcement theory). |
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