Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  02/15/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The aupiar that we had staying in our has decided to leave in middle of her commitment, We had prepaid for her services to the company for the whole year, and now the company is refusing to refund us for the remaining months that we are not getting service for. They state that since its been 6 months of service clients cannot get a refund. But, we did not choose to discontinue the service. The aupair that the company hires chose to leave. How is that our fault ? We should be refunded or credited for future services.

  

  Business response

  02/15/2024

  The customer is correct that the au pair staying in their home has decided that she did not want to continue working for this particular host family.  Section 12 of the contractual agreement signed by the Hasni family, confirms their understanding that AuPairCare does not guarantee childcare coverage at any time, including unwillingness by an au pair to fulfill her/his training/duties.

  We cannot force an au pair to work against her will, but we are happy to support host families with finding a replacement au pair using program credit.  Per the terms of the Host Family Agreement,the host family is eligible for $2,587.54 in credit that *** be applied to a new au pair (see Section 43).    
  

  When a host family opts not to continue with AuPairCare to hire a replacement au pair, the Refund Policy in our Host Family Agreement applies (see Section 44).  Our Refund and Credit policies are neutral with respect to whether the au pair or host family decided the placement is not the right fit. 
  

  In this case, the customers match had been active for more than six months, at which point no refund is available,per the terms of the Host Family Agreement. I have attached a full copy of the agreement which transparently outlines these terms.  

  Customer response

  02/16/2024

   
  Complaint: 21299670
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  we are not trying to force the aupair to live and work with us. What  we are trying to say is that the funds that we paid upfront  for the months that are not being used due to the decision make by your employee about not working  should be refunded or credited to us  

  You mentioned the credit  how does the credit work ? How much time do we have to utilize the credit ? We are being told by local reps that the funds are not refundable and we will not be able to use the credit  

  Sincerely,
  
  Moez Hasni

  

  Business response

  02/16/2024

  Per the Host Family Agreement, any account credit is available up to 12 months beyond the placement end date.  This credit must be applied toward a match with a new au pair. Per the Host Family Agreement, the au pair is not the employee of AuPairCare.The au pair is the employee of the host family. AuPairCare recruits a pool of au pairs that meet or exceed ********** of ***** requirements for participation, and provides on-program support for au pairs and host families.  We hope this helps clarify! 

• Initial Complaint

  08/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Key points: ******* was an in-country au pair when we matched with her, and was sent to another family after we unmatched with her. THIS IS DESPITE BOTH ***S AGREEING SHE WAS NOT FIT FOR CHILDCARE AND I HAVE TEXT PROOF. My 18 month old son suffered an injury due to her not watching him, and he is in behavioral therapy due to exaggerated reaction whenever something falls now. She would leave kitchen knives within arms reach of him and leave. I HAVE VIDEO SURVEILLANCE. THIS COMPANY KNOWS WHEN AN AU PAIR IS NOT FIT FOR CHILDCARE YET IGNORES ALL INDICATIONS AND ALLOWS THEM TO REMATCH. I WILL NOT REST UNTIL WE GET OUR UNUSED PROGRAM FEES REFUNDED PLUS $350. We welcomed an au pair into our home only to find out the next day that she was communicating with the *** that she wanted to rematch. Its ridiculous that someone would be allowed to rematch after 1 day of being placed. This company sends the girls to as many families as possible to get the non refundable $350 placement fee without making sure they are suitable or fit to work. She begged for another chance after the company supposedly threatened that she wouldnt be allowed to rematch. During this time, she was not a good caretaker. My toddler son suffered an injury due to her negligence. She was sitting on the couch doing absolutely nothing and turning away from the playroom when this happened. The company is charging us for all the days she spent there even though there was a period of 7 days in the midst where she was not working for us as we officially unmatched. She begged for another chance and we listened. After multiple threats to leave, we finally decided to unmatch with her. They absolutely do not ascertain that these au pairs are fit for responsibility let alone childcare. (she would leave my kids in dirty diapers because she thought she could determine whether they were soiled or not by patting the back of their diapers. No one with hours of childcare experience would do that.)

  

  Business response

  08/10/2023

  We are so sorry that you were unhappy with the childcare provided by the au pair.  I have attached your Host Family Agreement,which outlines that while we complete screening above and beyond the US ********** of ***** regulations (including reference checking for the required childcare experience), we cannot guarantee that an au pair will meet your familys particular needs.

  I have attached documentation showing that suitability concerns were noted regarding both the host family and the au pair in this situation.  Participating in a cultural exchange program requires patience with cultural differences, culture shock, and language barriers, and our Host Family Agreement highlights that there will be an adjustment period at the beginning of any match.  Unfortunately, some families and participants are unable to overcome these challenges. Our intent is to treat all parties fairly, as we find that in most cases it is a matter of personality fit. While our local Area Directors (sometimes referred to as LCCs) can provide input regarding whether to allow an au pair or host family to remain in the program, the ultimate decision is made by the Regional Manager, who conducts a thorough formal review to determine next best steps. 

  Ultimately, this au pair has gone on to have a very successful match I have provided documentation showing that her current host family has rated the match as Excellent and is having a positive experience with her.  We sincerely wish for you to have a similar experience with an au pair who is an Excellent fit for you!  While your account does not qualify for a refund, you have a $2643.43 account credit that we hope you opt to use toward a future match.  

  Customer response

  08/10/2023

   
  Complaint: 20449470
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  this does not reduce the fact that she caused severe damage to our family. I will *** her in the ***************** and see how willing her family is to keep her when she is in and out of court

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  

  Business response

  08/15/2023

  We are sorry that you feel that the au pair caused damage to your family, to the point that you are considering taking legal action against her.  I have attached an excerpt from the Host Family Agreement signed by your family, indicating your understanding that AuPairCare shall not be liable for and does not guarantee that the selected au pair will be compatible in Host's home, meet Host's expectations or meet Host's performance expectations, and that AuPairCare does not exercise dominion or control over the actions of the au pair. We wish you and your family the best. 

   

• Initial Complaint

  07/27/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We welcomed an au pair into our home only to find out the next day that she was communicating with the *** that she wanted to rematch. Its ridiculous that someone would be allowed to rematch after 1 day of being placed. This company sends the girls to as many families as possible to get the non refundable $350 placement fee without making sure they are suitable or fit to work. She begged for another chance after the company supposedly threatened that she wouldnt be allowed to rematch. During this time, she was not a good caretaker. My toddler son suffered an injury due to her negligence. Due to this injury, he has an irrational reaction when anything falls. She was sitting on the couch doing absolutely nothing and turning away from the playroom when this happened. We have this on video surveillance.The company is charging us for all the days she spent there even though there was a period of 7 days in the midst where she was not working for us as we officially unmatched with her. She kept begging for another chance and we unfortunately listened. After multiple threats to leave, we finally decided to unmatch with her. Now, our placement says it is ineligible for a refund. We are not sure why. We plan to take her to small claims if the company does not refund us fully what we paid for her. They absolutely do not ascertain that these au pairs are fit for responsibility let alone childcare. (A funny instance is that she would leave my kids in dirty diapers because she thought she could determine whether they were soiled or not by patting the back of their diapers. No one with hours of so-called childcare experience would do that.)

  

  Business response

  07/27/2023

  We are so sorry that your au pair decided that she did not want to work with your family after the first day, and despite efforts to make things work, the match did not end up succeeding.  As a placement agency, we ensure all au pairs meet ********** of ***** eligibility requirements (including reference checks for childcare experience) as well as the additional requirements set by AuPairCare. The ultimate hiring decision is up to the host family,as you know your familys personality and needs best.  While we encourage host families and au pairs to expect an adjustment period of 60 days, we cannot force an au pair or host family to continue a match if they choose to end the cultural exchange relationship. 

  
  To support host families in situations where the match ends early, we do provide a full credit of program fees that can be applied to a match with a new au pair.  Our refund policy is outlined in the Host Family Agreement ($550/month minus unpaid installments), which is attached, but I am happy to summarize the calculations for you:  $550/month ($18.08 daily rate) x 299 unused days = $5,406.57.  Because you had $5,461 in unpaid installments, $5,406.57 minus $5461.00 results in a negative balance,so no refund is due.  However, your account credit, which can be applied to a new au pair, is $2,643.43.  

• Initial Complaint

  07/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Our chosen aupair was refused ***** According to the signed contract we should have been refunded all fees except the initial fee. They refused to honor the contract

  

  Business response

  07/17/2023

  All paid Program Fees have been refunded ($1000 + $8764), and I have attached the refund confirmation for your records.  Due to the au pair's **** denial, the standard $500 cancellation fee was waived, flight costs were not charged, and the non-refundable Placement Fee ($350) while not refundable, will be waived on a future match with another au pair as a goodwill gesture offered by our company.  Please see our program costs page here: ************************************************************************;  Our Host Family Agreement is also attached, which outlines the normal fees ($500 cancellation fee + flight costs, non-refundable Placement Fee).  I have attached excerpts from the agreement of our refund policy and non-refundable fees, which I hope provide clarity about the policies and exceptions made. 

• Initial Complaint

  06/03/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On April 29, 2022 we paid $7,254.80 to place an au pair in our home, after she was put in "rematch" this is where the original match does not work out. We were told we could not speak to the former au pairs host family to attest to the reason of rematch, and instead took the word of the agency that she was a capable au pair. Around July, our au pair joined a local FB group seeking employment as a nanny. At this time our au pair described wanting to leave the program to pursue her studies in ******* and live here. We informed the agency and asked to start our search for a new au pair, we were told we could not, as we needed to wait until 6 months before her end date (scheduled for Feb 3, 2023). Based on Au pairs comments, we began our search for a new au pair with another agency. By August 19, 2022 Au pair decided on her own accord to move out and end her placement with **. We requested a refund for our fees ($4,142,88) reflects a daily rate of $24.66 (assuming non-refundable fees over 280 days) times the portion of unused days 168. Instead the agency only provided a refund of $3037.81 which they claim is based on the daily fee of *****. - we are requesting a refund for the total amount due, or ******** the difference owed to us.

  

  Business response

  06/05/2023

  We are sorry that you had a disappointing placement experience.  Host families are not required to provide a reference for their former au pairs, and prospective host families have the ultimate hiring decision regarding any au pair they choose to match with.  AuPairCare's role is to make sure that the au pair meets the ********** of ***** regulatory requirements, as well as some additional AuPairCare requirements including a home-country drivers license. We cannot guarantee that an au pairs personality will be the right fit for any specific family, or that an au pair will want to continue working the entire period. We would have been happy to help you find a replacement au pair after your match ended, using the remaining full, unused program credit on your account.  When a family chooses to leave the AuPairCare program, and not complete their year, they are eligible for a smaller amount as a refund ($550/month or $18.08 per day), as your attached Host Family Agreement explains.  We are unable to provide a larger refund, but we wish you and your family the best.  

  Customer response

  06/14/2023

   
  Complaint: 20140027
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 

  When we contacted Au Pair Care regarding *****'s rematch, we were only able to speak to her local area coordinator, ******, who vouched for her skills.  We were at that time unable to contact her prior host family as we were told by the agency they were not longer part of the program.  Based on assertions made by APC, we matched with ***********  Between April 23, 2022 when she joined our family to end of May - things were not smooth, despite our best efforts.

  On June 21, 2022 I requested to look for a new au pair through Au Pair Care, I was told I could not look earlier, and must wait until 8/3/2022.  The reason we wanted to start looking earlier was 1) through our experience, it takes months to find the right candidate, and 2-3 months to secure a ***** depending on country, and 3) the very inconsistent messages ***** provided, she indicated her desire to remain in the US, and pursue studies, and not be an au pair, unclear whether she wanted to remain with us, or end her term with us, abruptly, and due to our fears of her choosing to leave us without notice, we wanted to at least have an au pair matched with us.  As an aside, we ended up in rematch when our previous Au pair (*******) decided to end her au pair program abruptly with no notice to either us or agency.

  On July 18, 2022, we were approved by ************* (Another au pair agency) to begin our search for a new au pair with them.  Note, it does take time to apply to a new agency, submit required background checks, recommendations and facilitate a home inspection.

  Around this time, ***** requested additional week of vacation to visit her family in ******, we were able to accommodate this request by having my husband swap his ER shifts with another doctor, and granted two weeks for end of August.  During this time, ***** mentioned not returning to us.  We had multiple discussions with our local area coordinator, *****, who finally met with ourselves and *****, at that point, ***** suggested and recommended ***** return home and end her placement with us.  This August 8.  At this point, we connected and match with our current au pair, ***** who we found through *************.  By late ******, ***** expressed remorse about her decision and asked to remain with us.  Based on this, we agreed to have ***** begin with us after *****'s term, and in fact, we agreed to have ***** start Dec 2, and to relieve ***** earlier from her placement with us.  This was all *****'s choosing, not ours, we felt obligated to host her until the end of her term, or when she wanted to end with us.  Based on this, we matched and began the **** process for ***** with CC.

  On Aug 23, we received a text from ***** saying she was going to return to pick up her things, and return to ******.  In the meantime, we already signed a contract with CC to have ***** join our family.  On Aug 29, ***** informed me she would be remaining in *******.  On Aug 29, ***** from APC informed us that ***** submitted her change of **** application.  

  Also, see screen shot where on July 3, 2022, ***** joined a local FB group for nanny's looking for local positions.  By Aug 29, here is where we were at, we had already signed and matched with an out of country au pair on August 29 with ************* that we could not terminate, and we started our search for ***** in July (after APC told us we would not be able to look for a new au pair earlier).  We agreed to have ***** join us in Dec, as ***** expressed her desire to remain with us longer. ***** left Aug 23.

  From Sept until Dec, we hired a temp nanny, *************************************, and incurred $9,237 in childcare costs from Sept to Dec as a result of *****'s early departure with no notice, and APC vouching for *****'s performance (without making her prior host family available to speak to us), refusal to allow us to search for another au pair sooner, and inability to take our concerns seriously with respect to *****'s intentions to leave the program to pursue her education and illegal employment here.  We are not seeking a "larger" refund, we are seeking a complete refund for all fees paid for unused days.  Total unused days 168 days.  Total amount paid to APC $7254.80, total damages incurred as a result of *****'s actions, $9,237, because we very kindly agreed to let her remain until she said she wanted (Dec 2), vs. terminating our placement with her immediately.  And for the record, see attached email, where we communicated all this very clearly to APC.

  We had no use for a credit with your agency, because to reiterate, we had already matched with another au pair from another agency, when you did not permit us to look sooner.  And we no longer have any use for any credit, as ***** has chosen to extend with our family until our family no longer needs an au pair (they will be school age).  

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  

  Business response

  06/21/2023

  We share the disappointment that your match ended earlier than contracted and youve had a negative experience. AuPairCare works hard to be fair and transparent with our customers. The Host Family Agreement clearly states the credit and refund policy for families to review prior to making a decision on hosting an au pair and our policies are very much aligned with other au pair companies. The agreement terms and a credit/refund calculator are available to host families in their portal throughout their placement.

  The Matching Expert email sharing, You will be able to start searching for your next au pair at the **** of 6 months before your current match ends, so it should be on 8/3/2022 was accurate if the match was intact. If placements end earlier than contracted, an Exit Interview is conducted with your local Area Director and then a host family can renew their application to begin the selection process to find a replacement au pair.

  On August 9th, the local Area Director outlined via email your familys credit/refund calculations and expiration. It sounds like your family matched with an au pair from another agency prior to the Exit Interview on August 26th.  On September 7th, our Billing team emailed explaining our firm credit/refund policy and the financial consequences of leaving the program as outlined in our Terms and Conditions Agreement.

  AuPairCare was disappointed your placement did not go full term and that you ultimately went with another agency instead of using your credit. We processed the refund contractually due to your family on August 30,2022.  If you want to discuss hosting with us again, please reach out to discuss options. 

  Sincerely, 

  AuPairCare 

  Customer response

  07/04/2023

   
  Complaint: 20140027
  
  I am rejecting this response because we disagree.  When your agency denied us the right to start our search for our next au pair, we were left no choice but to sign up with a new agency.  To be absolutely clear, our INTENT was never to terminate the contract early, our intent was to start a search for our next au pair early, given the comments from ***** regarding leaving (and these comments were never abundantly clear due to language and cultural barriers). Unfortunately, since July of that year, ***** had been indicating she may terminate her contract and leave with us (later substantiated by the fact she joined a local nanny search group in July).  We worked through all this with our local area coordinator, who kept telling me to take ***** out for 'girl dates', have wine with *****, which we tried.  As you know, searching and finding a new au pair can take time, and we started our search in July because we did not know what *****'s intentions were (despite asking) and did not know wether she may leave us, and we knew it would take months for a new out of country au pair to secure a visa.  When we matched with ***** through a different agency, we agreed for her to start after *****'s term.  However, ***** later told us, she wished to end her term with us  in December as she wanted to go home to ****** for the holidays, at that point we asked ***** to join us in December (which she in fact did), and we agreed to host ***** until the holidays (we had hoped for an overlap for both au pairs) and told ***** we would provide her extra travel weeks to see her family.  There was absolutely no intention by us to terminate our agreement with your agency or our au pair.  In early August, we sat down with your agency when ***** said she had doubts of staying.  We were offered and then provided a refund/credit calculation when we were told by ****** from your agency, that ***** was likely to leave in a few days.  ***** changed her mind, told me her dreams were to remain in the US and to have us host her.  We agreed.  About a month later in *****, ***** texted us to tell us she intended to pack her belongings and leave.  At this point, we matched with ***** - no intention to terminate our agreement, had we planned to do so, we would have asked ***** to agree to come earlier, but we asked her to arrive in Dec so ***** could finish her term and we could complete the contract.

  Your agency has told me many times you will assist us in finding a new au pair, however, that is a rather moot offer when we have someone arriving, and no longer have any childcare needs (with now school aged kids) after our current one.  While your write you offer credit and refunds - a credit is absolutely moot for a family who was forced to secure another au pair while their current ones was constantly disingenuous  with her intentions to fulfill her contract, we had absolutely no use for a credit.  Furthermore, your agency has yet to provide ANY Explanation whatsoever of why the two amounts actually differ other than to compel families to remain with their agency, which does not provide families the freedom of choice to choose another agency once an au pair (not a host family) early terminates their contract (without any notice).  In fact, this differential is actually economically punitive, you punish host families for leaving your agency by providing them less money in return for compelling them to remain.  So beyond what you claim is what other agencies do, why exactly is the rate for a credit different for a refund?
  

  I am incredibly appalled by your unethical, disingenuous, unfair and frankly anti competitive agency with its punitive practices.  We were told we could not contact *****'s former host families, but we were repeatedly assured by members of your agency of *****'s abilities to perform her duties.  Based on your agencies advice and recommendation we matched with her.  When she left us with a day's notice, after begging us to keep her until her term, your agency offered no help, particularly when again, I asked to search for new au pairs when I became increasingly concerned she may up and leave us, and we would need someone quickly.  If my intent was to breach the contract, I could have had a new au pair arrive sooner, but we did not.  Your responses to my email requests for a full refund, plus here are absolutely disappointing.  I would never recommend your agency, and I am appalled at your refusal to do, literally what is right by honoring the amount owed to us (as we prepaid a contract for an au pair who terminated 3 months after joining us), which is the minimum you could offer given the immense (10k) of unexpected costs we incurred, never mind emotional toll on our children.
  

  We agreed to host someone for a year and provide them a cultural exchange, we did not agree to be lied to and manipulated by an au pair, who left our family to seek illegal employment in the US, who I later discovered was unkind to my children.  Your responses lack compassion and empathy for parents who are kind and do their best to honor their commitments to these young people.  We agreed to prepay the full amount, excited for the opportunity, not to be later gouged by not having our fees appropriately pro rated and returned to us, instead told we would only get what is fairly ours by essentially being forced to remain with you agency.  I am utterly disappointed with your agency's response.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  05/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This transaction started in November with au pair care to find an au pair for our family. We paid the agency in full an amount of $9,050 dollars. We paid the agency so they could help search and provide ** with qualified individuals. They first started to send me only profiles that did not match the criteria requested, so I started to do my own search and interviewed and looked over hundreds of profiles. I found someone that looked like a good match and had experience with a family with kids similar age to mine. On her profile, it stated that this person had her references ****************** by the company. We came to find out, after the au pair was here that not only she was lying to ** about having allergens in the house and my kids were having allergy symptoms from products she was using that we requested not to be used ever, but then we also found out that she used her own boyfriend as a reference in order to make the hours needed to be an au pair. She committed application fraud. I have saved all the proof and pictures of her profile and his. I tried to request my money back in full since we paid for a service that we did not receive aka (a qualified individual to care for my children) but also we found out the agency breached the contract by not interviewing my husband before moving forward with our process. The company needs to abide by DOS rules and interviewing all adults is a requirement. My husband was not deployed. They also never came over to my home to verify our living conditions and room. The agency did not take accountability or replied my questions as to how come this au pair made up her experience and nobody verified this. The company returned me $6,400 from the $9,050 but I am disputing the difference given that this au pair arrived and within the first week we rematched due to health concerns and then following the findings of **** fraud.

  

  Business response

  05/12/2023

  We are truly sorry to hear that your au pair's usage of personal care products was not a good fit for your family's medical needs, and we can't imagine how disappointing that would be after you worked so hard to set clear expectations in advance.  Per the attached Host Family Agreement, it is up to the host family to make any final hiring decision, and we cannot guarantee that any individual au pair will be the right fit.  While we are not able to share private details regarding your former au pair, we can confirm that we have investigated your concern regarding her references.  We understand the urge to try to investigate when you're upset, but it can lead to incorrect conclusions, and our understanding is that the person in your attached screenshot is not the person who provided a childcare reference. This au pair meets the qualifications to participate in the exchange program, and she has gone on to have a very positive program experience with another family.  We sincerely believe that there is a "lid for every pot" and wish you the best of luck in finding the childcare provider that's the perfect match for your family.  

  Customer response

  05/13/2023

   
  Complaint: 20050145
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  Au pair care is not correct in saying that I am mistaken and that her reference is not her boyfriend. Please see attached yet another the proof that confirms her reference is the person on the ******** profile ( her boyfriend *********************, that she has been in a relationship with since 2017 as attached on documentation). *********************, is *******'s boyfriend. You can see attached WhatsApp screenshot from my conversation with him when she first arrived and his phone number. Please note that on the second attachment I have screenshot his business information in ****** that has the same phone number we communicated via whatsapp, his picture on the whatsapp, that matches his ******** profile and his email, which is the same email ******* used for the reference of the family. The email is as follow: ************************ I also attached a screenshot of her reference information on her au pair care profile confirming that she used ************************* as an email reference. 
  
  In sum: she used her boyfriend's name, and  his email as reference for childcare with a made up experience (not even the ages of the kids matches the years worked). The company iis trying to say this is not the person I believe it is and I am mistaken him with someone else. His email is attached to his business and personal cell number (which I screenshot proof as I communicated with him before) as seen on attached files. This company is trying to gaslight me and avoid responsibility because this will uncovere a bigger issue with their screening process. 
  
  This is a very serious matter, and the fact that the company yet again is not taking responsibility and trying to cover up that there is an oversight and did not make its diligence is atroucious. We did our diligence as a host family and trusted the business to do its part (find qualified au pairs), which is to make sure she was verified at a minimum her basic childcare experience. The company breached its contract by not verifying this and allowing it to happen. 
  
  The company proceeded to let the au pair be matched with another family under the compatibility reason, and never even thought into looking at my fraud claims before sending this au pair to another family before really verifying her credentials. I am requesting my full refund based on everything I listed above. The contract does not matter when the company did not follow on its commitment to find a verifiable qualified care provider to be part of the au pair program. 
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************************

  

  Business response

  05/16/2023

  Thank you for sharing the screenshot of the number you believe belongs to your former au pair's boyfriend.  We have confirmed it does *not* match the phone number provided by this au pair for her reference, who we understand to be a different **********************  Please see the attached screenshot -- we have blocked the full phone number for privacy reasons, however it is visible that this number ends in 508.  We hope this eases your concerns. 

  Customer response

  05/16/2023

   
  Complaint: 20050145
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  Listed In *************************** (au pair) employment history was a man by the name of *********************, which also happens to be her boyfriends name. ******** boyfriends father also goes by the same name. Under the professional reference section of *********************, the email address of ***************************** is listed as the point of contact for her reference *********************.  Upon doing some independent fact checking and research, and in accordance with the attached screenshots of public information found on the internet, the above referenced email address is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the email address of *************************** boyfriend. As depicted in the screenshot, the phone number listed for ********************* ending in ****, is the same number I have spoken to him on while ******* was working for ** (see screenshot). I have also attached my WhatsApp conversation screenshot with ********************* at that number. This proves that the email address listed under ******** employment references matches the email address and information provided in this website, all confirming *********************, ******** boyfriend, as the email owner. At this point the erroneous phone number listed under ********************* in Moniques employment references section is simply just false information. More importantly, the information stated above and screenshots attached are sufficient evidence to prove that 1. AupairCare failed to do their diligence in properly vetting applicants to the program which also is a violation of the **** ***************** regulation on processing of au pair visas, and 2. ************************* falsified her employment history in order to qualify for the au pair program/visa by placing her boyfriend as an employment reference on her resume in order to acquire, on paper, the necessary child care experience to qualify for the au pair program. 

  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************************

  

  Business response

  06/07/2023

  We take these matters seriously, and have been in contact with the ********** of ***** regarding your concern.  We have responded to all of their inquiries with the documentation that we have, and to our knowledge they are satisfied with the information that has been provided.  We do not dispute that your former au pair's boyfriend has the same name as her reference, and as you state in your message and as we found in our investigation, he shares this name with other members of his family.  We unfortunately cannot share further information regarding the ********************* who served as her reference due to privacy concerns, as we have already provided as much information as we can, but we have not found evidence that anything fraudulent occurred.  It is common for au pairs to have childcare experience taking care of the children of family friends or other people they know personally in their community.  I'm so sorry that the situation has been so distressing for you.  

• Initial Complaint

  05/02/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Dear Head of Customer Experience,I am utterly appalled at the abysmal level of service your company has provided, and I demand that you take immediate action to rectify this situation. I will not tolerate the same generic responses that you have given to other parents who have complained before me.It is reprehensible that your company prioritizes the profits of your au pairs over the well-being of the families who use your services. Your business practices are nothing short of disgraceful, and I will not stand for it.I am requesting a full refund for the services that were promised but were not fulfilled by your end of the contract. These services include;matching, international au pair travel, local staff support, national support, and after-hours emergency support I have attached documentation to support my claim, and I expect you to take swift action to resolve this matter.As parents yourselves, you should be ashamed of the experiences that families like mine have had to endure. It is unconscionable that you would allow young children to be placed in situations where they are not being cared for properly. Your staff's failure to take our concerns seriously is just as unacceptable.Your company's current relationship training is clearly insufficient, and it is clear that you need to do better. We paid thousands of dollars for a matching service that did not deliver on the support that was promised in your help articles. We were left with no choice but to seek outside child care and the lack of support we received from your company only added to our frustration.I implore you to take this matter seriously and to take immediate action to rectify this situation with a refund for the outlined services above. Your company must do better, and you cannot continue to prioritize profits over the safety and well-being of the families who use your services.

  

  Business response

  05/04/2023

  We are so sorry that your au pair opted to end the match with your family we understand that when this occurs it is a stressful and traumatic experience, and it is never our desired outcome.   We unfortunately cannot guarantee that an au pair will be willing to work with any particular host family, and we cannot force a host family or au pair to continue a match against their will.   We outline this clearly in our Host Family Agreement,which is attached.  

  Our Regional Manager ******** has offered a phone call with you, which you have declined, as well as two goodwill gestures in an attempt to resolve the concern.  She is the best person to contact and has the full set of tools in her toolbox to assist you.  AuPairCare does not provide refund exceptions, however ******** has offered your family a Return Customer Credit option, which allows you to receive your contractual refund ($818.84) right away while retaining the balance between Credit and Refund ($2304.92) as a discount on your account to apply to a match with an au pair in the next year.  In addition, she has waived the $350 placement fee for a future match.  If there is something else that would be helpful more time to use your account credit,scheduling a call with your Matching Expert for some tailored advice around interviewing and expectation-setting, or something else please let ******** know. 
  

  We understand that international cultural exchange is not for every family, and we are happy to provide your contractual refund upon request.  While we are unable to provide a refund above and beyond the contract, we sincerely want to support your family in using the credit on your account to have the positive experience your family deserves.  If you feel there is any possibility you might give the program another try, I encourage you to reach out to ******** by phone to have a conversation.  She is the best person to address your concerns and gain a better understanding of what additional support we can provide to help you feel confident moving forward with the program.  

  Customer response

  05/04/2023

   
  Complaint: 20007823
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  We were told we paid for flights for through aupaircare but we paid for these out of pocket. 
  we are requesting a $1500 reimbursement for that expense since we paid for it. It is fraudulent to charge a member for a service they paid for.

  Sincerely,
  
  *********************************

  

  Business response

  05/04/2023

  Happy to help clarify!  Because this is a federally regulated program for international exchange visitors, all au pairs must arrive to the ** on an international flight from their home country in order to participate in the program.  Per the Host Family Agreement, these international flight costs are covered by program fees from all host families participating in the program. 

   If a host family opts to match with an in-country au pair (who was previously placed with a different family where the match ended early), the family arranges domestic travel and covers these costs, which is outlined transparently on our public costs page ************************************************************************; I have included a screenshot for your convenience.  If host families prefer not to pay these costs, they are welcome to opt for an overseas au pair instead.

   

  Customer response

  05/05/2023

   
  Complaint: 20007823
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  This is a scam and completely unethical billing practices. I am requesting once again to refund me the $1500 for a flight that we should not have paid for, if you will not I will continue to reject your offer and will bring in legal counsel on this.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************************

• Initial Complaint

  02/15/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This is the second time this agency instructed an au pair leave my employ without contacting me first. The first Au pair was instructed to leave because she did not have her own room. This was not true, and the agency never contacted me to find out. The incoming au pair was to be trained by the outgoing au pair, and I made sure they both had bedrooms. The agency failed to email me, call me, text me or anything to straighten this out. I didnt get a refund for that week and I actually paid the agency fee for both au pairs. And they provided no credit for the inconvenience that they caused after it all came to light that there were plenty of bedrooms.The second time this happened, I was out of town as was my mother, and the Au pair left with no warning or explanation from the agency. My daughter reported that somebody from the agency picked her up. There were never ANY problems reported to me via text, email, or phone calls at the time of the departure, or in the previous 11 months that she was in my home. When an au pair chooses to rematch, the rules say they are to give the host family 2 weeks notice, and vice versa. Only after several emails to the agency, did I hear that the au pair said she felt unsafe. Interestingly, the Au pair had plenty of time to do all of her laundry, rearrange and organize her room, and arrange transportation by the local coordinator. It should also be noted that the only person in the house was my child, who was supposed to be at her fathers for the weekend. The agency could not provide me any proof that I was contacted prior coming to get the au pair. This agency believes they can break the contract without any repercussions. My child was left home alone, and she was scared. Although the agency said they owed me money, they never paid it to me. I think a $5000 credit for the unused agency fee(s), two breaches of contract, and damages for scaring my child is an order. My next stop is a complaint to the *****************

  

  Business response

  03/07/2023

  Hi ******, 
  
  Hope your week is going well.  Im sorry to hear this customer has reached out to you.  
  
  I have attached our response along with a copy of ****************** contract and refund receipt.   Please confirm that youve received the documents and let me know if any further information is needed.
  
  Best, 
  ****
  *********************
  Director of Customer Experience
  she/her/hers  
  AuPairCare Main ************
   
  *****************************************
  
   
  www.aupaircare.com
  
   
  **********************************************************************************
  
  
  
  
   
  
  

  Customer response

  03/14/2023

   
  Complaint: 19408525
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  **** is omitting that there was no notice, which they are required to give me prior to an au pair leaving, and there should be a dialogue between the local coordinator prior to departure (at a minimum).  I also did not receive the refund which is not enough for how much angst au pair care caused by not following there own process.  There was no emergency, the au pair was not at risk, and although she may have wanted to leave there is a process which is contractually supposed to be followed.  That process was NOT followed by the AGENCY.  I would like a $5000 credit as they did this to me and my family on two separate occasions and the first was complete misinformation.  If I were to dismiss an au pair, I certainly would have been made to follow the process of giving two week notice and attempting mediation, or would lose all or most of my $10000 agency feel. AuPairCare not holding themselves to the contract is both unfair and unprofessional and a safety issue, as my daughter was left home alone. My daughter was the one who communicated to me that the agency picked the au pair up.   Also I see that the BBB seem to be on a first name basis with AuPairCare.  That worries me in that I am not must not be the first complaint, and that the familiarity with this agency by the BBB may be a conflict of interest.  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

• Initial Complaint

  12/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Agency is very misleading as far as the program goes and overcharged for an issue totally out of our control. We had to terminate our Au-pair after the 1st month since our babys safety was at risk. We are going to take legal action if the refund does not get readjusted after this reach out and go to court if necessary. ********* necessary for our points are backed up with documents and will be presented at that time. Our baby has been at risk during this month and caused my husband and I not to be able to attend our work schedule as planned and had to keep an eye on how our 5 month old was treated.

  

  Business response

  01/12/2023

  Hi ******, 
  
  Thank you for letting me know. 
  
  Response below:
  
  We are so sorry to hear that this host family was dissatisfied with their experience with the au pair cultural exchange program and that they are dissatisfied with our contractual refund terms.  AuPairCare has promptly provided this host family with a refund per the terms of their signed Host Family Agreement, which I have attached along with the receipt for the refund for their records, and a screenshot below of the email explanation regarding the refund that was sent to the family.  As the host family did not complete stipend payment to this au pair for her final days, per the ********** of ***** regulatory requirements (host families agree to abide by the regulations in the Host Family Agreement), it was necessary for us to deduct $72.75 in order to ensure the au pair was paid and regulatory requirements were met. We encourage the host family to review these documents with their legal counsel.  
  
  AuPairCare screens candidates above and beyond ********** of ***** regulatory requirements for this cultural exchange program, and I have confirmed that this au pair met all requirements including extensive childcare experience with children under the age of 2.  AuPairCare is required by the ********** of ***** to keep record of monthly check-ins with all au pairs and host families upon review of these monthly check-ins which date back to April 2021, we can find no indication that any other host family had concerns regarding the safety of their children under ****** care.  We understand that every host family has different needs and expectations, and we transparently state in our Host Family Agreement that we cannot guarantee that a particular au pair will be the right fit the final hiring decision is ultimately up to the host family.  We also transparently state in the Host Family Agreement that we are unable to reimburse for any costs related to alternative childcare needs.  
  
  While we are not able to increase the refund provided, we absolutely understand that live-in cultural exchange is not the right childcare fit for every family, and we sincerely wish them the best of luck in the future.  
  

  
  

   

  

  Customer response

  01/14/2023

   
  Complaint: 18540324
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I had been in contact with ****** and things escalated within days of not being able to trust the exchange person any longer. My family understands the age of the au-pair and tried to have her as a family members for the time staying with us which as I had explained to the area director we tried to make things work for as much as possible.

  once safety concerns for our infant occur there is no more cooperation possible and the amount we needed up paying for the hassle cannot be justified. The refund amount after paying the au-pair cannot be justified.

   

  we found the best care I could ask for local with supervision of my son and dedication to make him grow and I am able to focus on my job without any concerns. 
  

  The expectation on the au-pair were never that high, but the way the company treats au-pair families is just a rip off and money oriented. There are no signs of caring regarding cultural or well being of the host families who are letting a person they dont know into their life and trusting their child.

  Our only request was after paying the au-pair in full to receive the refund of the upfront paid deposit which their aggressively prorated.

  Everything this company talks about is law regulations and agreements. There is no sense of sympathy understanding and accommodation when there is a change within such a short period of time from their side whatsoever which is what is our main complain just like all the other families who have complained. Our family went through the biggest inconvenience we will always remember and make sure we spread the word to families we know so they dont have to go through this.

  Also, our mistake was not looking at the BBB prior to trusting them.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **************

• Initial Complaint

  06/19/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On May 5th, 2022 my husband admitted to having feelings for our AuPair *******************. At that time she was supposed to leave and have no further contact with my husband. *********** claimed they didnt have enough evidence to Have her leave the program and allowed her to match with another family. My children have witnessed further contact via text message between **** and my Husband on 6-17-2022 and 6-18-2022. I expect a simple phone records review to determine actions that should be taken in this matter.

  

  Business response

  07/15/2022

  Hello ******,

   

  Thanks for reaching out! 

   

  Our response:

   

  We are reaching out to this au pair to determine if any behavior is occurring that is inappropriate for her program participation.  We are unfortunately unable to share any details of this investigation with ******************** due to privacy issues, as she is no longer the au pairs employer.  Our top priority is always the health, safety and welfare of our participants.  We appreciate your understanding. 

   

  Thank you,

  *********************

   

  ********************* Director of Customer Experience she/her/hers AuPairCare Main ************ ***************************************** www.aupaircare.com 600 ************************************************************************** 94108

   

   

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩