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Undercover
Joined: 14 Nov 2007
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 Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 4:08 pm Post subject: Korean credit card a means to revenge??? |
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I am leaving Korea and my hakwon is screwing me around. They refuse to pay me my airfare and a bonus that was in my contract. I think they are cutting costs and since they have no intention of hiring another foreigner they are pushing the limits of what they can get away with.
Now I have a credit card which they had to sign some document for when I applied. I have no idea what the document was. But a friend suggested to me that they co-signed and are legally responsible for any debt which I incur but do not pay. Is that true?
Also, can my debt follow me back to the US. My bad credit in the US never followed me here. My friend has suggested that it does not. |
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Theo
Joined: 04 Jul 2009
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| Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 4:20 pm Post subject: Re: Korean credit card a means to revenge??? |
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| Undercover wrote: |
| I am leaving Korea and my hakwon is screwing me around. They refuse to pay me my airfare and a bonus that was in my contract. I think they are cutting costs and since they have no intention of hiring another foreigner they are pushing the limits of what they can get away with. |
Nothing at all surprising about this part of your post. Welcome and Farewell to Korea! Golden Land of Kimchi and Cunning Deception! I'm sure some of the defensive posters on this forum will find some way of blaming you for this misfortune, but a great many of us who have worked in Korea know these things to happen all the time.
| Undercover wrote: |
Now I have a credit card which they had to sign some document for when I applied. I have no idea what the document was. But a friend suggested to me that they co-signed and are legally responsible for any debt which I incur but do not pay. Is that true?
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Now, as for the 'revenge' aspect... Not recommended. Taking a revenge-type action in a foreign country, I think, is not too smart. You could easily just compound your problems, and could face fines, etc. prior to departure -- and I assume at this point, you can't wait to get outta Korea, yes?
Just go, and just keep warning others about this employer after you're back home -- or your next destination.
Leave Korea and don't look back.
Good luck. |
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Mr. Pink
Joined: 21 Oct 2003
Location: China
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| Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 4:31 pm Post subject: Re: Korean credit card a means to revenge??? |
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| Undercover wrote: |
I am leaving Korea and my hakwon is screwing me around. They refuse to pay me my airfare and a bonus that was in my contract. I think they are cutting costs and since they have no intention of hiring another foreigner they are pushing the limits of what they can get away with.
Now I have a credit card which they had to sign some document for when I applied. I have no idea what the document was. But a friend suggested to me that they co-signed and are legally responsible for any debt which I incur but do not pay. Is that true?
Also, can my debt follow me back to the US. My bad credit in the US never followed me here. My friend has suggested that it does not. |
Your debt doesn't follow you. However, if you ever do come back to Korea, you will be hounded to pay back that credit card debt.
Why don't you take your boss to the labour board? Or threaten to?
I can see if you are never coming back here how you might be tempted to put the screws to your boss. I once went to work at a place, and these "teachers" felt the school had misled them (which wasn't true) so they raked up like $500 long distance phone bills (each, there were two of them) then right after payday they did a midnight run. That was an honest school which treated every employee right. Again, the decision is up to you. How screwed do you feel, and what are you willing to do to make it right? |
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pocariboy73
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 4:40 pm Post subject: Re: Korean credit card a means to revenge??? |
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| Undercover wrote: |
I am leaving Korea and my hakwon is screwing me around. They refuse to pay me my airfare and a bonus that was in my contract. I think they are cutting costs and since they have no intention of hiring another foreigner they are pushing the limits of what they can get away with.
Now I have a credit card which they had to sign some document for when I applied. I have no idea what the document was. But a friend suggested to me that they co-signed and are legally responsible for any debt which I incur but do not pay. Is that true?
Also, can my debt follow me back to the US. My bad credit in the US never followed me here. My friend has suggested that it does not. |
With people like you around, no wonder it's so hard for foreigners to get credit cards. |
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Theo
Joined: 04 Jul 2009
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| Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 4:47 pm Post subject: Re: Korean credit card a means to revenge??? |
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| pocariboy73 wrote: |
| With people like you around, no wonder it's so hard for foreigners to get credit cards. |
First of all, the OP is just venting, and justifiably so.
With Korean employers like this one, no wonder so many FTs leave Korea fuming and warning others not to step foot in the place.
Oh, yes, the HOST employer in the HOST country is never culpable, right? |
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E_athlete
Joined: 09 Jun 2009
Location: Korea sparkling
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| Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 4:56 pm Post subject: Re: Korean credit card a means to revenge??? |
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| pocariboy73 wrote: |
| Undercover wrote: |
I am leaving Korea and my hakwon is screwing me around. They refuse to pay me my airfare and a bonus that was in my contract. I think they are cutting costs and since they have no intention of hiring another foreigner they are pushing the limits of what they can get away with.
Now I have a credit card which they had to sign some document for when I applied. I have no idea what the document was. But a friend suggested to me that they co-signed and are legally responsible for any debt which I incur but do not pay. Is that true?
Also, can my debt follow me back to the US. My bad credit in the US never followed me here. My friend has suggested that it does not. |
With people like you around, no wonder it's so hard for foreigners to get credit cards. |
this is the response I expected |
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afsjesse
Joined: 23 Sep 2007
Location: Kickin' it in 'Kato town.
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| Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 4:59 pm Post subject: Re: Korean credit card a means to revenge??? |
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| Undercover wrote: |
I am leaving Korea and my hakwon is screwing me around. They refuse to pay me my airfare and a bonus that was in my contract. I think they are cutting costs and since they have no intention of hiring another foreigner they are pushing the limits of what they can get away with.
Now I have a credit card which they had to sign some document for when I applied. I have no idea what the document was. But a friend suggested to me that they co-signed and are legally responsible for any debt which I incur but do not pay. Is that true?
Also, can my debt follow me back to the US. My bad credit in the US never followed me here. My friend has suggested that it does not. |
If your leaving debt behind on a credit card with no intention of paying it, then you deserve what you get without any sympathy.
If you just have the card and they are using it as an excuse to get you down, show it to them and cut it up. |
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E_athlete
Joined: 09 Jun 2009
Location: Korea sparkling
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| Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 5:13 pm Post subject: Re: Korean credit card a means to revenge??? |
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| afsjesse wrote: |
| Undercover wrote: |
I am leaving Korea and my hakwon is screwing me around. They refuse to pay me my airfare and a bonus that was in my contract. I think they are cutting costs and since they have no intention of hiring another foreigner they are pushing the limits of what they can get away with.
Now I have a credit card which they had to sign some document for when I applied. I have no idea what the document was. But a friend suggested to me that they co-signed and are legally responsible for any debt which I incur but do not pay. Is that true?
Also, can my debt follow me back to the US. My bad credit in the US never followed me here. My friend has suggested that it does not. |
If your leaving debt behind on a credit card with no intention of paying it, then you deserve what you get without any sympathy.
If you just have the card and they are using it as an excuse to get you down, show it to them and cut it up. |
If you re-read the OP's question he doesn't ask us whether we think the whole thing is moral/ethical or not.
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| they co-signed and are legally responsible for any debt which I incur but do not pay. Is that true? |
I can't say for sure whether or not they are responsible but from my understanding you are not responsible for paying it should you leave Korea. And no it wont harm your credit rating back home. No, collection agencies from Korea are not going to come after you for pocket change and there isn't much they cannot do much even if they sued you back in the US or wherever you are from. |
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VFRinterceptor
Joined: 22 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 5:26 pm Post subject: |
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better idea:
the apartment you are in is probably owned and furnished by the school.
Sell everything in it, then trash it. Let the landlord take it up with them. |
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Theo
Joined: 04 Jul 2009
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| Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 5:48 pm Post subject: |
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| VFRinterceptor wrote: |
| the apartment you are in is probably owned and furnished by the school. |
If the OP is working for a hagwon, I doubt they own, or have anything to do with the apartment. I worked for major hagwon in Seoul, with a foreign staff of over 40 teachers (part-time and full time) and the employer owned none the dwellings of any of my colleagues. In fact, they refused to be involved in helping us secure housing. Outside of posting key money on behalf of the FT, they had nothing to do with this aspect of our life in Korea.
Again, I well understand the OPs frustration, but I hope they don't really engage in any revenge-type behavior -- outside of posting warnings on forums such as this, and well after they are out of Korea.
Also, what is probably being lost here (only the OP knows for sure) is the fact that now that the contract is almost finished, he (I'm assuming the OP is male) was probably asked, over the course of the contract to do things above and beyond the letter of his contract.
The managers of the hagwon where I worked were contantly requesting, cajoling, demanding, coercing extra "favors," such as Saturday classes (after the FT had already been teaching 8-10 classes a day for the past 5 days), and/or teaching a "special, customized" class on less than 24-hour's notice. Am I right, OP?
He probably did much of what they asked in this way, assuming such cooperatiion and flexibiliy would only solidify his end-of-contract bonus, right, OP?
Therefore, when FTs get screwed at the 11th hour, no wonder they're fantasizing all sorts of revenge tactics.
I don't want to see him get punished any more beyond what has already happened.
Easy for us to suggest revenge measures, but we're not the ones holding the bag in the end.
His best revenge is played out at the keyboard, serving up testimonial warnings about the guilty parties/hagwon.
Last edited by Theo on Tue Jul 21, 2009 5:56 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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lifeinkorea
Joined: 24 Jan 2009
Location: somewhere in China
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| Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 5:50 pm Post subject: |
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I highly doubt the Koreans are basing their only reason for behaving the way they do on this original poster. Maybe if they set up a system of equal checks and balances, enter the civilized world, and treat their employees like employees instead of tethered slaves they would get more out of the teacher. Who knows, they might actually get along with the "foreigner".
I'd say, fellow slave, snip the tether and flee with what you can carry. |
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Theo
Joined: 04 Jul 2009
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| Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 5:53 pm Post subject: |
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| lifeinkorea wrote: |
| I highly doubt the Koreans are basing their only reason for behaving the way they do on this original poster. Maybe if they set up a system of equal checks and balances, enter the civilized world, and treat their employees like employees instead of tethered slaves they would get more out of the teacher. Who knows, they might actually get along with the "foreigner". |
Aptly stated. I couldn't agree more! |
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ryoga013
Joined: 23 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 7:12 am Post subject: |
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| If they are responsible for that card you have, use it to buy as much as they have slighted you, and then leave. You would be getting the money they owe you, and it would be in an underhanded manner that they even should be able to appreciate |
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Sody
Joined: 14 May 2006
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| Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 8:08 am Post subject: |
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I know it hurts to be ripped off like that, but it happens all the time in Korea.
Know that a lot of people on this forum have had the same thing happen to them and a lot of my friends in Korea have gotten over it. You will too. They took your time and money, don't let them take your honor as well. You can always make more money later. You are a better person than they are.
In answer to your question, no, your bad credit history in Korea will not matter in the US. But doing something dishonest might matter to you in the long run, and it's what matters to yourself that counts. |
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ontheway
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Location: Somewhere under the rainbow...
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| Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 8:28 am Post subject: Re: Korean credit card a means to revenge??? |
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| Undercover wrote: |
I am leaving Korea and my hakwon is screwing me around. They refuse to pay me my airfare and a bonus that was in my contract. I think they are cutting costs and since they have no intention of hiring another foreigner they are pushing the limits of what they can get away with.
Now I have a credit card which they had to sign some document for when I applied. I have no idea what the document was. But a friend suggested to me that they co-signed and are legally responsible for any debt which I incur but do not pay. Is that true?
Also, can my debt follow me back to the US. My bad credit in the US never followed me here. My friend has suggested that it does not. |
It is a very bad idea to break any law or incur any debt with the hope of leaving it behind and getting revenge.
The US government has been leading the charge lately to get financial reciprocity with countries around the world in order to trace terrorist funds and assets, and assets and income hidden from the IRS. These new financial laws are snowballing and breaking down the old barriers. It is becoming easier every year to follow people for old debts of any kind. These debts can mushroom with penalties, late fees, fines and interest. Some years down the road, when you have settled down, least expect it and can ill afford it, the entire load could come back to haunt you. Even if you escaped incarceration or payment, you could harm your credit rating and reputation.
You should keep your own reputation and financial history clean no matter when or where you go, no matter what others have done to you. |
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