Complaint Review: Au Pair in Argentina - London Select State/Province
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- Author Not Confirmed
- Au Pair in Argentina spencer cottage 2 treville street London, Select State/Province United States of America
- Phone: +54 911 5162 8112
- Web: www.aupairinargentina.com
- Category: Employment Services
Au Pair in Argentina Anna Templeton, Isabel Glover, Anna Ashenden, Au Pair in Andalucia Negligence, false claims, inconsistency, legal bullying: Paid $250, received no family placement and no refund. London, Other
*Author of original report: Placements with Families that Can't Pay
*REBUTTAL Owner of company: Response to claim
*Author of original report: Key Things Templeton Has Not Addressed
*REBUTTAL Owner of company: Au Pair in Argentina
*Author of original report: Anna Templeton Creates Fake Profiles and Comments
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I sent in an application in August after the ladies at the agency told me that theyd definitely have a family situation ready for my October 21st arrival, since it usually takes about a month. So I sent them $250 via Google Checkout and waited. And waited. Over the course of 2 months, I followed up seven times and always got lots of positivity and zero substance (Im confident well have something for you in time!). I never got any information about any family. No interviews.
This was pretty suspicious, but I took my chances because I was pretty paranoid about being on my own in South America. A week before my flight, I followed up once more and this time the agency camekind of clean: You might want to get a hostel for your first few days here. This is code for We dont really have anything for you.
Upon Arrival: Negligence/absence of service as website claims
Well, I touched down in BA, found my way to a hostel and called the agency. Nothing. Emailed the agency. Nothing. What exactly did I pay $250 for? They promised me a SIM card, a transportation guide and help finding alternative accommodations. Nothing. I sent a pissed off follow-up email and got an apology from the agency director/owner Anna Templeton.
She helpfully advised that I sit tight in a hostel indefinitely until they find me a prospective family. Days? Weeks? Months? Should I get an apartment? She didnt really have an answer. Instead, I lost hundreds of dollars paying hostels.
Finding a Placement: With a family that expressed it may not be able and willing to host/pay.
Finally, I met Isabel Glover, a co-worker of Anna Templeton, who told me she had a great family for me to meet. Well, thats nice. We went down to the suburbs to meet them: the mom Ileana, and her two daughters.
I told Isabel Id like to work with them. They did the same. I moved in. Things were good but rocky that first week. Ileana was annoyed at some of my habits and I was annoyed at some of hers. But we all really liked each other. The next step would be to sign a placement contract.
We never signed anything because after only a week, something unexpected happened: Ileana pulled me aside and told me she cant afford to pay me. The agency was aware of that. She had told Isabel repeatedly that it was a lot of money for her and wasnt sure about it.
They werent even upfront about their placement fees, so she was actually facing 3 times more than she was expecting to pay. She also was never sure she wanted an au pair, but Isabel and the agency pressured her into a no-strings attached trial period.
The agency knew this was not going to be a successful placement. Thats what I paid $250 for. The
agency left me without a job, and without the kindness and friendship of Ileana, I would have been homeless too.
Battle for a Refund
When I emailed the agency for a full refund, I received accusations and legal threats instead. They refused. They told me Im not entitled to a refund since I was a bad au pair.
Thats not true- Ileana told Isabel repeatedly she liked me but couldnt afford this before she even
met me. She even let me stay with her family until I found a new place. She has since also chosen to NOT work with this agency again, upset over the undue pressure they put on her to host an au pair, and because they were not upfront with their fees.
I eventually agreed to a compromise agreement that would allow me only a partial refund ("gesture of goodwill"). I was willing to accept that until I saw that without informing me, they had included a gag order that prevents me from ever discussing my unbelievable and terrible experience with the agency. Au Pair in Argentina provided me with negligent service that left me homeless and without a job- and they eventually kept my $250 fee because I refused to sign this.
Again, in order to receive a refund for a service I did not receive, I was asked to sign a legal document that would allow them to sue me for ever talking my experience with Au Pair in Argentina. I signed no contract and no reasonable placement was ever offered to me. Unacceptable.
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 01/03/2012 12:47 PM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/au-pair-in-argentina/london-select-stateprovince-sw15-4jx/au-pair-in-argentina-anna-templeton-isabel-glover-anna-ashenden-au-pair-in-andalucia-ne-817333. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content
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#5 Author of original report
Placements with Families that Can't Pay
AUTHOR: Dinister - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Friday, February 10, 2012
Hello Ms.Templeton,
Just to be clear with your statement below: "They found they were too stretched to support the salary of an au pair."
Your agency then knowingly placed me with a family that could not afford your fees and salary. Since then, you have consistently been denying my refund by claiming apparent misconduct on my part. By your own account, this family could not afford an au pair, regardless. You put me in a very precarious foreign situation and that was irresponsible and negligent. With that, I reserve every right to refuse to employ your agency again and have my full refund request honored.
Do you then generally include a gag order with every refund you issue? It might then be a hallmark of your online business strategy. You should definitely be more clear on your website that should a customer have a bad experience or request a refund, they must first sign a document that will legally prohibit them from speaking about their dealings with you and your agency.
All TOS are copied and pasted directly from you. Here are the terms & conditions you wrote to me in your 12/5/2011 email. I am happy to make screenshots available online. Here it is, for reference:
"No refund will be considered or made after the Guarantee Period.
As clearly stated in our terms and conditions there is a guarantee period of 21 days, where the host family or the au pair can chose to withdraw from the scheme. Only in that period would Au Pair in Argentina be under any obligation to refund the deposit. On expiry of this period it is agreed that the engament is satisfactory and that all agency obligations have been fulfilled.
Upon expiry of the Guarantee Period it is agreed that the Engagement is satisfactory and that all of the Agencys obligations have been fulfilled. Following the expiry of the Guarantee period there are no refunds whatsoever."
I do still invite you to refund my $250, without unethical gag orders in place.
#4 REBUTTAL Owner of company
Response to claim
AUTHOR: Anna Templeton - (United Kingdom)
SUBMITTED: Friday, February 10, 2012
1. Why did you make up fake profiles and comments to impersonate your own customers? Your claims of fake profiles are unfounded
2. If the problem was the au pair, why has this particular host family refused to continue working with the agency? Can you provide a statement from the family?
Again your claims are unfounded. The family decided not to continue with our services for two reasons
1. They did not enjoy their first experience with Nandini
2. They found they were too stretched to support the salary of an au pair
3. Why does your agency charge au pairs an employment fee in direct violation of Argentine labor laws that prohibit employment fees? We are a UK registered company and adhere to English Law
4. Where in the terms and conditions is there mention of signing additional contracts and gag orders to receive a refund? The legal contract we asked you to sign is a standard settlement agreement.
5. Both host family and I alerted you within 14 days that we would not go forward with the placement or contracts. You are legally bound by the 21-day guarantee period in your own terms and conditions to provide us with refunds. Why have you not refunded us?
("There is a guarantee period of 21 days, where the host family or the au pair can chose to withdraw from the scheme. Only in that period would Au Pair in Argentinabe under any obligation to refund the deposit.")
You have misquoted our terms and conditions The family have been refunded as per our terms and conditions. As per the application form (and our terms and conditions) which Nandini Jammi signed the placement fee for the au pair is non
refundable. Instead should the family not wish to continue with the au pair during their guarantee period we re place the au pair with a new family, as long as they have performed their duty as an au pair. In this case Nandini Jammi did not
5. Why attach a gag order to a refund if the "bitter au pair" claims are frivolous? As stated above this was a started legal settlement document, that we required Nandini
Jammi to sign as full and final settlement of accepting our gesture of good, the full refund of the placement fee.
#3 Author of original report
Key Things Templeton Has Not Addressed
AUTHOR: Dinister - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, February 09, 2012
Ms. Templeton:
1. Why did you make up fake profiles and comments to impersonate your own customers?
2. If the problem was the au pair, why has this particular host family refused to continue working with the agency? Can you provide a statement from the family?
3. Why does your agency charge au pairs an employment fee in direct violation of Argentine labor laws that prohibit employment fees?
4. Where in the terms and conditions is there mention of signing additional contracts and gag orders to receive a refund?
5. Both host family and I alerted you within 14 days that we would not go forward with the placement or contracts. You are legally bound by the 21-day guarantee period in your own terms and conditions to provide us with refunds. Why have you not refunded us?
("There is a guarantee period of 21 days, where the host family or the au pair can chose to
withdraw from the scheme. Only in that period would Au Pair in Argentina
be under any obligation to refund the deposit.")
5. Why attach a gag order to a refund if the "bitter au pair" claims are frivolous?
#2 REBUTTAL Owner of company
Au Pair in Argentina
AUTHOR: Anna Templeton - (United Kingdom)
SUBMITTED: Friday, January 13, 2012
It is quite standard for Au Pair Agencies to cover a fee; it goes towards administration, care while the au pairs are abroad, events and orientation.
We have been working for 2 years successfully in Argentina with currently 30 happy au pairs placed with satisfied families, which I dont think we could do if we were fraudulent or out to rip people off. Unfortunately there is not much we can do about a bitter au pair, who was asked to leave for not working properly and treating the house like a hotel, bad mouthing us across the internet, and of course she is entitled to her freedom of speech. The only thing we can rely on is the positive feedback that we consistently get from our clients content with our service and who know that we are true to our word.
If you would like anymore information from us or have any questions regarding this matter or any other please contact us info@aupairinargentina.com
#1 Author of original report
Anna Templeton Creates Fake Profiles and Comments
AUTHOR: Dinister - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Monday, January 09, 2012
After I created a Wordpress account to bring attention to my experience with AuPairInArgentina.com, its director Anna Templeton created several fake comments and profiles posing as happy customers, on my own blog as well as elsewhere.
All comments and profiles can be easily traced back to London where she currently resides- all comments came from the same IP address. She also created a fake profile on Couchsurfing.org, where I placed a warning to the community about the agency, also pretending to be a customer. Although her fake screenname is "MaddyBA", her full name appears on email notifications sent to users.
In addition, Anna Templeton is the director of AuPairInAndalucia.com and "Splat Argentina."
Screenshot evidence is available on my blog: http://aupairinargentina.wordpress.com/the-agency-responds-to-this-blog/
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