SmartAupairs review: Unethical behaviour 6

I worked as an au pair for a week and then quit because I lived somewhere in the middle of nowhere. When I talked to my host mum in the morning she wanted me leave right after. I didn't get the two weeks to find another family or a place to stay. I packed my suitcase in 30 minutes and booked a hostel. My host mum picked me off at the train station without caring about the fact that I had to wait 1, 5hrs for the next train to Sydney (my host family lived in Wallerawang) in a foreign country! Then, I didn't get paid for the week I worked. And I worked! They (smart au pairs and the family) even said I am guilty because I left them. But they didn't mention that the family wasn't honest telling me that they live in a city with 20k population. They should've said that they live 20km away from that city and that I left Germany to stay in the middle of nowher! And they didn't say that I offered them 2 months to stay, so they could find an au pair! Or that I was left at the train station without asking if I am alright! I would never recommend the agency!

I worked as an au pair for a week and then quit because I lived somewhere in the middle of nowhere. When I talked to my host mum in the morning she wanted me leave right after. I didn't get the two weeks to find another family or a place to stay. I packed my suitcase in 30 minutes and booked a hostel. My host mum picked me off at the train station without caring about the fact that I had to wait 1, 5hrs for the next train to Sydney (my host family lived in Wallerawang) in a foreign country! Then, I didn't get paid for the week I worked. And I worked! They (smart au pairs and the family) even said I am guilty because I left them. But they didn't mention that the family wasn't honest telling me that they live in a city with 20k population. They should've said that they live 20km away from that city and that I left Germany to stay in the middle of nowher! And they didn't say that I offered them 2 months to stay, so they could find an au pair! Or that I was left at the train station without asking if I am alright! I would never recommend the agency!

We are a Sydney based family and just completed the interview process with smart Au Pairs 2017 - Im absolutely disgusted at the way in which they conduct business. On two occasions i rang to clarify their costs and was told the only fees and charges involved was a 200.00 fee to get the ball rolling and a police check that my husband and i would have to undertake and a 500.00 bonus paid to the Au Pair at the end of the contract. When we became emotionally invested in a candidate and offered the formal invitation to our candidate, we were presented with 1000.00 placement fee! I admit in part to not understanding the fees, but when i made two inquiries with Smart Aupairs to clarify the fees i feel they deliberately mislead me - and left me in position in where i had to let a lovely candidate down and disappoint my young children - unethical and unacceptable behavior .

Before considering this agency i would suggest everyone review this link as the information you get over the phone was misleading
http://www.smartaupairs.com.au/why-smartaupairs/program-costs/

Smartaupairs is the worst company you can choose when looking for an aupair. Bad service, lack of communication. They just want to get the placement fee from you and that's it. Call them and nobody will answer your call just an answering machine. If things go wrong with the aupair, Smartaupairs will not provide any support and you have to pay again if you want a replacement. BE CAREFUL with this company as they just want your money. I am not impressed if they did this to get publicity. The business has no ethic whatsoever

Whoever wrote this seems certainly not to be the family who hosted Birte.
I happened to be the the board member at the International Au Pair Association handing the award to Birte in 2012. The host family had even sent a lovely video that we showed.
The Au Pair of the Year Award is an award that IAPA hands out every year to an Au Pair representing thousands of other wonderful young people who participate in this cultural experience through an agency. Here the link to our website where you see the winners of the last years with both agencies mentioned https://www.iapa.org/events-2/au-pair-of-the-year/au-pair-of-the-year-winners/
As you can see on our website we hand it over to different Au Pairs who were placed by different agencies. Of course the agencies can also be proud of their work and use this also on their websites/social media. They made the match, bring both sides together and take care of families and aupairs. Generally the receiving agency has more work with the placement altogether as they are in charge for the whole time of the placement. The German agency was invited as well and she could have used the award as well to inform people. If you look at past winners we usually highlight both agencies-sending and receiving. Not always both sides choose to attend the ceremony but they are acknowledged. Placing an au pair is usually a cooperation between sending and receiving agency at least in our understanding. But the receiving agency does a big amount of work and is the matchmaker between family and applicant. It is also the receiving agency handing in the application as the process of application is started from the that side. Host parents write an essay about their wonderful au pair.
Smartaupairs has done nothing unethical or incorrect and it is for sure not the host mother who wrote this.

Patricia Brunner
Managing Director
IAPA International Au Pair Association
www.iapa.org

If she works for them, and she was entered into the contest as their employee, then when she won, so did they. So they are right.