Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  06/17/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Avoid this agency at all costs. We're a new family with a 21 month old. Our life is pretty hectic with a toddler in our home. We got an AuPair outside of Expert AuPair's network and they accepted and vetted her. Unfortunately it didn't work out with her. As in she refused to work. Instead of Expert AuPair helping us, they told us that we had to keep her at least a month and keep paying her. In the contract they had us sign, she committed "Gross negligence" because she refused to work. We showed them proof through WhatsApp messages and them talking to her but they still pushed us to keep her and keep paying her. Then they asked us for feedback about the AuPair and they shared everything with her! I mean everything as if instigating. She started arguments and made the house hostile. Mark (CEO of Expert AuPair) then scolded us for calling him in the middle of the night, even though that's what the "03.2021.Grievance Procedure & Contact Info.pdf" they give us, says to do in case of emergency. We were forced to ask for the last option of relinquishing our money for them to come grab her as soon as possible. Expert AuPair now has a year's worth of our money plus a free AuPair they can offload to another family. Rinse and repeat. Mark even threatened to sue us if we posted anything online. We have all the proofs needed and then some. AVOID AVOID AVOID this sleezy agency.

  

  Business response

  07/12/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/06/30) */ The family found their au pair from Morocco and appeared upset when she made friends rather than staying at home all the time. The host father called in the middle of the night and was determined that his au pair - whom the family had invited to stay with them for a year - should leave the house immediately. It seems that he had asked her to sign a piece of paper that she would not sign. However, there was no emergency, no reason for an immediate removal, and so I told him we could speak again in the morning. The host father then called back twice more. He even promised that I would be his "special project" because I didn't agree that their au pair should leave the family's house immediately. A bit later, but still around 3am, the host mother called and said she recognized there would be no refund (because, quite reasonably, our contract doesn't allow for families to leave their au pairs with nowhere to stay) but they wanted the au pair to leave as soon as possible the next day. We arranged that, and we consider issues around the placement closed. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/07/01) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) It's unfortunate that Expert AuPair is extending their lies even further now. It's alarming that they are in the business of putting strangers in people's homes. Thankfully we have extensive evidence (please find the attached) and will be using that here and beyond to at the very least warn future customers of Expert AuPair's business practices. We also have recordings of the AuPair saying that Expert AuPair is trying to instigate trouble in our household. We've been in contact with Expert AuPair since the beginning about the issue. Yet they forced us to keep paying her. If we ended the contract early because we were forced they get to go after a new family and pocket another deposit. This scammy practice is very common with agencies tha require deposits. The state of limitations in Florida is 5 years, Thank God. So just will be coming to Marc and his shady business sooner or later. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/07/05) */ We consider the issues around this placement closed.

• Initial Complaint

  05/13/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On April 1st I was charged $1,950.00 for an au pair service for the time period April - July. The au apair only stayed 4 weeks. I was told by the CEO Mark I would be refunded on May 11, 2022. Now they are stating I did not pay my au pair which I did that they are no longer refunding my money. This company is a scam!!!!

  

  Business response

  06/08/2022

  Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/05/16) */ The au pair agency in question only refunded me a portion of the amount due. The CEO continues to contact me and threaten that my comments are libel. My comments are factual and only a partial refund was issued after I filed the report. My contract was paid for three months, I only received service for one month. Therefore I am due two months of non-service. There was no offer for assistance in finding a replacement au pair. M Mark G****** to me 16 minutes agoDetails ********, Of course we paid your contractual refund, not the larger amount you are now asking for. I hope that it is abundantly clear that we will not pay you more, to withdraw a statement that I am confident would be libelous if published. Consumer Response /* (3000, 8, 2022/05/16) */ Mark G. 5:54 PM (1 hour ago) to me ********, We heard from Paola today that she says she was paid her stipend by you during her stay. This is enough for us to refund your card, which we have done. I do, however, think that the comments you made to BBB may be libelous if published. Specifically, I believe there is a problem with: "I was told by the CEO Mark I would be refunded on May 11, 2022. Now they are stating I did not pay my au pair which I did that they are no longer refunding my money. This company is a scam!!!!" Could you correct the record with BBB, and update me before Tuesday at 5pm? Mark Mark G., PhD CEO, Expert AuPair 5736 First Avenue North Saint Petersburg, FL ***** Phone: ************** Fax: ************** Email: ********************* Web: *************************** Blog: *********************************** Instagram: *************************************** Facebook: **************************************** ******** ******** <***********************> 7:15 PM (12 minutes ago) to Mark I would be happy to edit the comment when the amount owed $650 a month x 2 months ($1,300) of non-service is due to me. You refunded $600 at 11:07am on May 14th. You only refunded a partial amount after the complaint was filed (May 13th 2:02pm). Nothing I stated is libelous, I have emails from you stating that no refund will be provided due to non-payment of au pair. I submitted the proper documentation that she was compensated more than required by law. As per your email you stated, "section 5.10 of the family service agreement that there will be no refund if an au pair is not compensated appropriately." In a separate email from your office when I inquired why I was not refunded yet the response received was, "Your refusal to pay your au pair has changed the situation." (This comment from your office is defamation.) There was no refusal of payment - Final payment was submitted on the 11th the au pairs final day, proof was submitted and you still refused to refund my $1,300. Even after submitting proof of the four weeks of pay your response to me was, "I'm not quite sure what your point is, but you have made it clear you have a lawyer." Business Response /* (4000, 10, 2022/05/23) */ We refunded the customer her contractual refund as soon as we determined that her au pair had received her payment. The customer's complaint is untrue in many places. We are obviously not a scam agency -- we are designated by the Department of State. She was provided more than 30 replacement candidates to consider by email. She replied to that email, saying she wanted a refund. This was one of four requests for a refund. Her contractual refund is $600, which she has received. Consumer Response /* (3000, 12, 2022/05/25) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I was provided 1 substitute and she did not speak any English. There was zero effort on the agencies part to remedy the situation! So what the agency is saying is that I should be penalized because an au pair contracted by them decided to depart after 30 days. The fee is $650 per month to the agency, the agency is stating that I am not due the $1,300 even after again someone Employeed by them did not keep the terms of the contract. So I paid $1,250 for one month of service. I was refunded $600 only after I filed this report! I was also sent harassing emails by the CEO. ***Document Attached*** Attached is the 1 in country au pair they sent me to review. Business Response /* (4000, 15, 2022/06/06) */ We suggested over thirty replacement candidates on April 29. The host mother was provided her refund, in accordance with her contract.

*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. ↩