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Q: Being ripped off by a company in Shenzhen, can anybody help?
Coerced into moving to Longgang to teach English with promises of teaching adults, salary and lower cost of living. Leaving well paid adult teaching jobs in Russia. Only to arrive in September, be shoved into a Primary school and have our agreed salaries cut down on the contract. We decided to compromise, and lo and behold on payday my fiance's salary has been cut down to 50% of the already compromised amount. We invested too much in flights to get here and now we feel trapped. Any advice?
9 years 26 weeks ago in Teaching & Learning - Shenzhen
1) don't post anonymously
2) are you working legally - 'Z' visa?
3) if you are working legally, go to your nearest SAFEA office which you can fond by typing in SAFEA in the search bar above and enter the city you are now in
4) correspond / communicate with your school through email so you have documentary evidence of breach of contract
5) bring evidence to SAFEA office
Stiggs:
I would add .. start looking for a better job because I really doubt that the situation will improve.
dokken:
What is wrong with posting anonymously. People must feel they have a reason to tick the anonymous box. Perhaps they think an employer might identify a nickname or feel they can post more openly if not identified. Echina cities gives that option. I got no problem with anonymous posters. If people do the perhaps just don't answer the question
sorrel:
most anonymous posters have tended to be trolls.
if the question is innocuous like this one, why not use your alias?
even an alias provides some anonymity.
TBH, i don't think most employers in China know about this website, they have better things to be doing online than read things like this - like shopping 
I agree with Sorel, so follow her advice.
Don't post anon, and give us more details (as Sorel asked), and you will get right guidance.
Many FT here went through the same thing as yourself and your GF.
Don't compromise.It only makes the boss think you are weak and they're going to rip you more.
Quit the job right away before your financial situation getting worse, find another teaching job at famous and reliable language schools, for example the New Oriental School, the Wall Street English, the Global IELTS and so on.. I know these schools are always recruiting Wai Jiao ( English teachers) on Zhi Lian Zhao Pin. You can also google their phone numbers, ask them straightly if they have job vacancy.
Try to make friends with the young local mothers (they would like to keep a foreign friend for their children), and they will be helpful to you in the future.
Eorthisio:
New Oriental is infamous for ripping off foreign teachers, late salaries (when they are paid), unpaid overtime, being treated like an unwanted necessity (without us they have no business) if that's what you want then yes you can work at New Oriental.
JulieShen:
I used to think New Oriental as a good company... I've never attended any English school though... How about working in public schools? Can it be better? Or maybe find a Chinese agency, work as a private English tutor and get cash each time you finish the lesson? But the work visa can be a big problem then...
I was ripped off when I was working overseas too...But when i'm back to my country, I only work for multi-international companies, they treat the employees better than local chinese companies..
icnif77:
I had blast with Nanjing NO for 4 years at their Summer Camp. Everything was on time, and I would repeat Summer Camp anytime.
Problem was, I get too expensive. Every year, I got pay per hour increase with the new Contract.
No complains whatsoever!
If you "invested" money in your flights, then I suggest you made the wrong investment.
As with all "investments" the value may go up or down.
Your investment went down. No big surprise. Your business plan was flawed.
Beautifulsoup:
There is more than meaning of investment. Not only finance.
Are you Native English speakers with the 'right' passport? If so, you have LOTS of options.
If not, your options are limited... limited to either suffering this sort of crap continuously, or getting into a more reputable place (for which you'll need to have the qualifications).
The various forums are FULL of individuals like yourselves... and the advice is always the same. China is not the land of milk and honey.... most milk is chemically treated UHT and is crap, while honey is rare, often fake, and expensive.... :( the good stuff for both comes from other countries... and is hard to get (and costs an arm and a leg)
"Coerced into moving to Longgang to teach English with promises of teaching adults, salary and lower cost of living. Leaving well paid adult teaching jobs in Russia"
You're full of shit. How does someone coerce you from another country? Did they threaten to go to Russia and beat you? And if you gig in Russia was so good why even explore leaving. That part tells me that you and your post in one way or another is full of it.
post names and documented proof
dokken:
If somebody promises a higher salary attracts them to a new job under false pretenses then that is a form of coercion. The person said their salary was quite good but this salary was better. How does that make her full of shit. You are hostile in every post you make. Angry angry man. Total freak. As if she'd post details of it. Why would she lie about it?
I do think the person should get a copy of the contract emailed as an attachment before accepting a new job.
jetfire9000:
It seems that Mr. Ted is unfamiliar with the economic sense of coercion and is only aware of the part that is associated with violence. That's not hard to believe considering he's a loose cannon in nearly every post he makes. I'm glad somebody else pointed that out. This is past anger, it is rage.
Englteachted:
If you leave a position that you happy with for the 'promise' of more money in China then you are not smart. If you continue to stay at said school even after the broken promises, then you are stupid and deserve what you get.
Now I do not believe this post, because where is the proof?Where is the important details (visa, contract clauses)?
Posts like this actually hurt teachers in real trouble. Sort of like the boy who cried wolf, if there are too many bogus posts then it will be difficult to believe and answer a post that is real.
jetfire9000:
Responding to your first point, it is never stupid to leave a job under the circumstances of getting a better paying job. That equates to one way of moving up the income ladder in life. If nobody ever changed jobs on the pretext of finding a higher paying one, the working world would be stagnant and unchanging - nobody anywhere would ever change jobs! That is hard to believe. It's simple.
Secondly, I believe the user posted the question in order to seek advice about his/ her predicament. Most people are sort of shocked when they don't receive the wages they were promised and don't know how to deal with the situation, therefore flinching momentarily instead of acting. Look before you leap is what we often say in English, and I think this person was just seeking some common counsel before making a quick jump in a place that is probably somewhat foreign to them. They aren't the first person to get scammed, nor are they the first person to run into such a reality here, nor are they the first person to be confused about what to do. It's actually not that hard to believe.
Giving out common advice; what these boards are all about!
Englteachted:
"it is never stupid to leave a job under the circumstances of getting a better paying job"
'Never'? How old are you?
2 factors (out of many), trust and stability.
When changing countries or simply changing jobs in China, you must understand that most offers are lies. This means you must do your homework and research the school. Make sure you have a back up plan to leave if they prove to be a scam. You don't stay there giving them second , third and fourth chances.
If you are making 14k (stable year to year) but might be able to earn 16k but not sure about the future which option is wisest?
Your 'ideals' ignore the reality of working in China.
Englteachted:
If this poster was real there would have been some feedback and more precise information given.
What did they promise you?
What was in the contract?
How much did they actually pay you?
What reasons did they give? (optional)
What visa are you on?
How can anyone expect good advice when you don't provide important details.
