Podtravelandteach.co.uk Scamming fellow Brits, working illegally, violence, racism !! (this is on the other side of the world, china, once their and signed to their contract what can you do) Batley, United Kingdom
On learning that this company is on a mass recruitment drive in the UK things need to be said. Myself and up to 50 other british nationals were recruited by a company known as English International, later changing their name to Havefunteaching. On arriving in china we were given no training, well, would be a lie to claim they knew what they were doing, 3 days in an office with Billy, a young man "fresh from mcdonalds". Then we were handed over to his business partner and basically forced to sign a contract, what - with the culture shock and the trust we unfortunatly had in this company. We were then placed in our schools and not paid for the first two months.
Some people were paid as little as 250 pounds for a months work. The schools had no idea what was happening and they were paing our agent 1000 pounds plus.There was a large western population in the city where they origianally founded themselves and people soon learnt how much they were been treated. It was not long before people were leaving, but what to do without their airfare and visa cash as it was stated by the company it would be refunded on completion of the 12 month contract?
People were stuck and forced to find alternative employment which without the support of the western community out the would have been even harder than it was. People began posting on forums and urging people back home not to fall for this scam, many people seriously distressed. One young girl was told "china is a big country and people go missing all the time". Another was threatend by a knife by a chinese business partner. I will not state all the stories on them here, it will take too long. Some refrences to this are :-
(((link redacted)))
(((link redacted)))
http://www.ripoffreport.com/teachers/english-internationa/english-international-the-tru-f8e83.htm
http://www.ripoffreport.com/directory/English-International.aspx
Once you are working you will be on a 3 month tourist visa, which means you have to travel to Hong kong to renew this besides the fact you will be working ILLEGALLY.
This is deffinetly the same company, just a name change and a more attractive website, most likley paid for by some of the 20000 Uk pounds they stole from their chinese business partner, Lucas. Who had connections with some very undesirable chinese nationals who he threatened he would use against anyone who spoke out of this opporation.
Podtravelandteach are 100% not to be trusted, i cannot believe they are doing this again. Please research or even contact the chinese consulate in manchester on 020-72994049.
It really is something to be taken seriously what they are doing out there. They can give you all the promises they can here in the uk but once out there your on your own. There is a reason why TEFL's and training are in place, speak to i-i about this. "teach abroad, no experience, don't pay us a penny" deffo something wrong there.
I believe this time they will send people to remote places, away from the cities to keep people apart. I have been in china well over a year now and know the ins and outs of the whole opporation.
Stay clear.
4 Updates & Rebuttals
Ross P
London,Internet,
United Kingdom
Oh My God....
#5UPDATE EX-employee responds
Mon, February 07, 2011
...Please tell me this is not English International back again!
If they really are and have just changed their name then they have to be stopped. I worked for English International last summer out in Shenzhen, I believe I along with many others have said all that needs to be said about them on numerous other forums around the web, but what I will say is that these people (and others like them) need to be stopped at all costs. If you work with the likes of them you will be working illegally, you can't work on a tourist visa in China.
I have seen somebody calling themselves "Vicky" posing as the office manager of this company. They have copied and pasted exactly the same text into all of the forum threads exposing them, a sign of just how dim they really are if you ask me.
Please avoid like the plague, and report them to the authorities.
alex l smailes
Nationwide,United Kingdom
Do not be fooled!
#5Author of original report
Mon, February 07, 2011
I am aware that i have misspelled some words here, i did correct the title with a new report though pod replied to this one. I am infuriated by them and careless to spell check as i filed these reports.
alex l smailes
Nationwide,United Kingdom
Do not be fooled!
#5Author of original report
Mon, February 07, 2011
Vicky, blatently Billy and the crew. Batley.? You may be able to fool some people but as you say, in the end the truth prevails.
Anyone going to china with this company should contact the chinese consulate in manchester on 020-72994049 and ask about going there to teach on a tourist visa. You will need an invitation from the school and some quailifications of some degree. Also it might be worth contacting the British embassy on this issue.
The schools pay the agency 1000 uk pound plus. You will recieve 400 or less. This is while you will be working on a tourist visa. These tourist visas last 3 months and nothing in china is stable, recently visa's would only last 30 days due to the asian games.
Vicky, seen you posting on other forums as potential employees and happy customers. I can see right through those lies, same writing style as last year
Ok, so you guys down in the office will yet again be chasing forums ending in you changing your n ame again !! I will be reporting you to the police once i have the support of the other people you seriously mistreated last year. £400, 4000rmb is a joke of a salary in china. It is not simply about the money though on a 12 month contract on the other side of the world surely an honest salary is required. Not working ILLEGALLY on a tourist visa for nothing. Just remember, china is a long way from home to find you have any problems with this contract.
Where will you be placing people this time? not in shenzhen? what is your chinese address?
ay, happy chinese new year to you vic.
waiting for false statements from you, "lets go for the experience" "money is not important" "some people have teething issues" "we are not there to babysit people" and finaly " i wont lie to you"
"We have been going since 2007 where we have been working with Chinese educational clients and been placing people from other companies throughout the world" could you plese give me the details of these "other companies throughout the world"? be nice to contact them enquiring about pod travel and teach, put peoples minds to rest. "Since we don’t charge these fees that others do, it has made us very successful in what we do" how do you know you are successful when you are only just these days sending people out?
vicky
batley,Nationwide,
United Kingdom
POD Travel And Teach - And Nothing Else
#5UPDATE Employee
Mon, February 07, 2011
I have just been informed by one of our successful candidate’s who’s going out to china, about some forums.
Just to put the record straight, here at Pod Travel and Teach we have never used any other names or companies. We have always been and always will be known as POD Travel & Teach. We have been going since 2007 where we have been working with Chinese educational clients and been placing people from other companies throughout the world. It has only been since September that we have now the full knowledge that we can select the right clients to work with in China, as well as selecting the right committed and mature clients in the UK.
We had originally placed around only 35 people for a trial period of up to 3 months at a time. This has only been done to ensure that we can cope on a much larger scale as we are now looking for 75 people to go out in the February & March period just after the Chinese New Year.
We offer full Visa costs as well as return airfare refunds to people who complete a 12 month term. We don’t offer nor guarantee any refunds if someone does a only a 6 month term, as this differentiates the genuine and committed candidates from the rest. As a company we never charge a single penny for our cultural exchange programs.
The vast majority of the companies that work in this field always charge a high one off fee, or some kind of application fee. Since we don’t charge these fees that others do, it has made us very successful in what we do. This I would imagine makes a lot of people jealous, hence the unfair comments. Furthermore people would say that if you don’t charge any fees to the applicants then how do you make your money. Well each Chinese client that we place people at, have an annual budget fund and that’s where we get our fees from; the Chinese companies that we work with.
People who aren’t always successful in their application with us or someone from other competition that might be writing all these unfair comments. It might be even young kids pretending to be several people writing these comments. In the end truth always prevails.
At the same time any small, medium, or large company, whether it’s M&S, Virgin Atlantic, or Thomas Cook aren’t perfect, I would be the first person to say that any ones perfect. Always remember that you should never pay any money for a cultural exchange program abroad whether it’s in France, Japan, South Korea, or China.
Vicky At Pod Travel & Teach – and we don’t go by any other names.