Consider my cautionary tale about Au Pair in Argentina, a Buenos Aires-based agency run by a couple of British expats, and then make sure you nor anyone you love ever works with them.
I paid them $250 to place me as an au pair. After months of blaming the “flakey” Argentines and promises of many interested families by the time of my October arrival in Buenos Aires, they told me a week before my flight that they would have a placement for me in my "first days" in the city. When I arrived, I was not able to get in touch with anyone in the agency via email nor phone. (Their website claims to have full-time support for their au pairs.)
I paid hundreds of dollars in hostel and living expenses while waiting for a placement. Two weeks later, they finally placed me with a family that told me one week later they can’t even afford an au pair. The family had also told the agency's representative Isabel Glover that they were not sure whether they are able and willing to provide for an au pair before having met me. When I agreed to be placed with the family, I had none of this information.
Because the family chose not to continue with the agency within two weeks, I had no opportunity to sign a contract and I have received no family placement (and was never offered a replacement family). Glover also knew beforehand that the family would reject a contract and failed to inform me or offer me an alternative. Due to this negligence, I lost hundreds of dollars in rent and other burdens and expenses I was not expecting- for the second time. I did not even receive a refund or apology from the agency’s director, Anna Templeton nor her representative, Isabel Glover.
At this point, I told Templeton that I'm terminating this deal and that in light of this clear deception and negligence, I want a full refund. Templeton repeatedly refused me a full refund because of a purported "non-refundable fee." (The non-refundable fee only applies once I have signed a contract- which I never did, nor had the opportunity to do.) I imagine that non-refundable fees and such "terms and conditions" also do not apply when the agency does not perform its own job. She and her lawyer also accused me of being a bad au pair- despite the fact that the family and I remain on good terms and the family has also chosen to not work with the agency again.
I finally agreed to settle for a partial refund in exchange for signing a contract that promises I won't sue them in the future". However, when I read through the contract Templeton and her lawyer sent me, I saw that without telling me they had added a gag order that prohibits me from speaking about my experience/. Not only was I being bullied into accepting a partial refund, but they were trying to make it illegal for me to talk about how terrible my experience was?. I refused to sign such a document for a refund that is clearly mine:. Because of this, I have received none of my $250 back, I have no family placement and I lost hundreds more during this time:. For what it's worth, it's helped make my short stay in Buenos Aires really really ***:.
Additionally, I've launched a blog to bring this story to light|. See how Anna Templeton's agency has engaged in further deception by creating fake profiles and user comments to combat my story: www".aupairinargentina.wordpress.com 12909b9
I paid them $250 to place me as an au pair. After months of blaming the “flakey” Argentines and promises of many interested families by the time of my October arrival in Buenos Aires, they told me a week before my flight that they would have a placement for me in my "first days" in the city. When I arrived, I was not able to get in touch with anyone in the agency via email nor phone. (Their website claims to have full-time support for their au pairs.)
I paid hundreds of dollars in hostel and living expenses while waiting for a placement. Two weeks later, they finally placed me with a family that told me one week later they can’t even afford an au pair. The family had also told the agency's representative Isabel Glover that they were not sure whether they are able and willing to provide for an au pair before having met me. When I agreed to be placed with the family, I had none of this information.
Because the family chose not to continue with the agency within two weeks, I had no opportunity to sign a contract and I have received no family placement (and was never offered a replacement family). Glover also knew beforehand that the family would reject a contract and failed to inform me or offer me an alternative. Due to this negligence, I lost hundreds of dollars in rent and other burdens and expenses I was not expecting- for the second time. I did not even receive a refund or apology from the agency’s director, Anna Templeton nor her representative, Isabel Glover.
At this point, I told Templeton that I'm terminating this deal and that in light of this clear deception and negligence, I want a full refund. Templeton repeatedly refused me a full refund because of a purported "non-refundable fee." (The non-refundable fee only applies once I have signed a contract- which I never did, nor had the opportunity to do.) I imagine that non-refundable fees and such "terms and conditions" also do not apply when the agency does not perform its own job. She and her lawyer also accused me of being a bad au pair- despite the fact that the family and I remain on good terms and the family has also chosen to not work with the agency again.
I finally agreed to settle for a partial refund in exchange for signing a contract that promises I won't sue them in the future". However, when I read through the contract Templeton and her lawyer sent me, I saw that without telling me they had added a gag order that prohibits me from speaking about my experience/. Not only was I being bullied into accepting a partial refund, but they were trying to make it illegal for me to talk about how terrible my experience was?. I refused to sign such a document for a refund that is clearly mine:. Because of this, I have received none of my $250 back, I have no family placement and I lost hundreds more during this time:. For what it's worth, it's helped make my short stay in Buenos Aires really really ***:.
Additionally, I've launched a blog to bring this story to light|. See how Anna Templeton's agency has engaged in further deception by creating fake profiles and user comments to combat my story: www".aupairinargentina.wordpress.com 12909b9
 Comments (5) |
| 1. Written by Dini on February 10, 2012 from capitol heights, maryland, US 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 Agency’s 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. |
| 2. Written by Anna Templeton on February 10, 2012 from sao paulo, sao paulo, BR 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 standard 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. Written by Dinister on February 9, 2012 from missoula, montana, US Templeton has not provided explanations for the following: 1. Why did she make up fake profiles and comments she has made up to impersonate her own customers? 2. If the problem was the au pair, why has this particular host family refused to continue working with the agency? Can she provide a statement from the family? 3. Why does her agency charge au pairs an employment fee in direct violation of Argentine labor laws that prohibit employment fees? 4. Where in her agency's terms and conditions is there mention of signing additional contracts and gag orders to receive a refund? 5. Why attach a gag order to a refund if the "bitter au pair" claims are frivolous? Thanks, hope to hear from you soon. |
| 4. Written by Anna Templeton on January 9, 2012 from sheffield, england, UK I would like to also ask as a matter of courtesy that Nandini desists from blackening the name of Isabel Glover who is simply an employee of Au Pair in Argentina and following Au Pair in Argentina procedure. Don’t you think it is a little unfair she is being dragged into it? |
| 5. Written by Anna Templeton on January 9, 2012 from sheffield, england, UK 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 don’t 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. |
 |
| Comments on Au Pair in Argentina, Anna Templeton, Isabel Glover: Fraud, Negligence, Deceptive Practices | |
• Keep the topic of messages relevant to the subject. • Personal attacks will be deleted. • No Links or Scripts. |
