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Myself and my family want to caution any other family thinking about using an Au Pair agency, to just skip consideration of Expert Aupair. We made the mistake of using them to bring in an au pair to help take care of our infant son. About four weeks after the au pair arrived (Brooke), we discovered that she was working another job in her off hours. She was moonlighting in the adult entertainment business, as a "dancer". We had an acquantance that ran into her on a party boat, and was able to take a picture of her with his camera phone. We did not want this type of person watching our newborn son. We also discovered, that she also did side work with the last company she was with. After presenting this evidence to Mark and Kathy at Expert Aupair, they simply said nothing. Then the au pair, angry as you could imagine, made false accusations against us. Expert Aupair, then removed her from our home, and has refused to communicate with us. They will not provide a refund, and will not place another au pair with this. Their only concern is for money and keeping the $7, 000 they charged us. We can only imagine the horrible experience the next family that gets placed with this au pair will have to endure. What we thought would be a positive experience by welcoming an au pair into our home, has become a nightmare. Hopefully the US Department of State will launch an investigation, and shut down this sham of an agency.
Expert Aupair will not return your money, so you can kiss that investment goodbye.
Really, the only and best option is to contact the US State Deparment, and convey your experiences with them. Here is the contact info:
Julia Findlay
Office of Designation, Private Sector Programs Division
U.S. Department of State
ECA/EC/D/PS, SA-5, 5th Floor
2200 C Street, NW
Washington, DC [protected]
Tel. [protected]
Fax [protected]
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer's satisfaction.
This comment is in response to Mark Gaulter of Expert Aupairs comments above, which are misleading and a poor effort to hide the facts.
First of all, the picture we sent was just not of the au pair wearing a bikini. She was lined up next to 3 other girls, inside a strip club type environment, all wearing the same bikini. Please see the attached picture. We won't identify which stripper is the au pair, but do you really think this is just a picture of a girl in a bikini?
We explained where the picture was taken, and what the circumstances were. We also said how there was video footage of her dancing, putting things down her panties, etc. Expert AuPair simply did not care, and was more interested in placing her with another family. All the details were available for them to investigate, but they chose to ignore us.
We have recently obtained the video footage of the au pair at her other job and presented it to Mark at Expert Aupair. His response was that it is no concern to us. From that comment, it appears that au pairs can work whatever job's they want in their off hours. But we don't want this type of person helping us take care of our newborn.
Secondly, the au pair made insane charges against my family. Namely that we were drug addicts and had sex parties. She called the DCF, and made a complaint and tried to have our infant child taken from us. Can anyone imagine the drama this caused? After a full investigation, the DCF found the charges "unsubstantiated". Anyone that knows my family understands that we are outstanding members of our community. These are false charges by an angry au pair, that knew that she was "caught", and about to be sent home. It is a shame that Mark from Expert AuPair felt the need to parrot these false charges.
This au pair also did babysitting on the side, the last time she was in the United States. Because she had a similar bad situation with her last host family, she couldn't use them as a reference. Instead she used the families she did babysitting for, as her reference. This is not allowed by the US State Department. Au pairs can only work for their host family, and can't take other employment. But again, Expert Aupair, just ignored that, even though this outside work is documented on their own stationary!
After this posting, Expert AuPair sent us a refund of $1, 000. Not the full refund they promised to us twice via email. Mark stated that they were sending the reduced refund because we asked to have the au pair removed from our home. That is untrue, and completely false. Expert Aupair removed the aupair from our home, and would not even tell us the reason why.
We have documented evidence for everything that we have stated.
Again, we caution any family that is considering using an au pair agency, to stay away from Expert Aupair. They are simply "experts" in separating family's from their happiness, money and reputation.
You should sue for your entire amount reimbursed or receive another aupair. If you had asked for the aupair to be removed immediately, who would blame you!
You can not sue if you have no physical proof that my dads business did that to you. if you happen to find your "proof" then let him know and please do not lie online because you have nothing other to do with you're life.
I have been an au pair in Florida. During my time period in U.S.A, Expert Au Pair Agency gave me a horriable experience while besides that I have good memory with this country. In the end, the host family while we have conflit concern my safety and paid half of my ticket back to my country. Mark Gaulter just made a phone call after the host family terminated the contract and told me they wouldnot give me any placement, no any refund of my deposit and laughed to say that I have to leave the country in 15 days. They donot need any investigation as the host family lives in a supper rich area in Florida .
I cried heavily and desperately after that . After I informed that to host family and agency . Mark Gaulter replyed me personally that I run off the duty just want to attend a party and I am foolish to expect the agency to give me another placement. That is all.
I took my personal stuff with the help of warm people, book the ticket with the help with host family and finally leave the country while the agency just disappear.
Expert au pair agency is just a cruel gold digger and racisism against non-white au pairs as they think we use this programe to stay in America.
I have reported this to the U.S. government and start to charge the racial discrimination. It is very horriable as the agency is a window of many young people who want to see and know America while exhausted and hurt in the end.
I really appreciate the nice people offer me free accomadation and food in the last 2 weeks in U.S.A while I gave some tips back to them ; offer me transportation to get my personal stuff, back mobil phone and go to the airport.
I still think America is a great country as the majority are nice.
I, too have had a HORRIBLE experience with Expert Au Pair Agency, Mark and Kathy. After months of emailing their profiles that I wouldn't hear back from, they finally placed a transition au pair in our home. Within 4 weeks, it was clear she wasn't going to work out. What's worse is that they had met her in Florida, knew that she had physical problems and was extremely immature. She told me their 'office' was run out of an apartment that was a mess and had NO idea what they were doing. She quit after I confronted her about losing the cell phone we provided, she had knowingly accepted stolen goods, got into trouble at a party where the police were called, etc. I asked for a refund and because they contractually returned a small portion to me, my credit card company will not charge it back as a disputed charge.
I am now going to FILE A LAWSUIT IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT for the remainder. If anyone would please share their story with me, that would help my case. If we get enough people who have had problems--especially if they're of the same nature, we may be able to get a class-action suit going. I'm a member of the bar association and am happy to handle adding other co-complainants.
I will also contend that many of the profiles were fraudulent, as I didn't hear back from 95% of them.
Thank you--Sherry Hackney Cade
Hi Sherry! We are securing representation over our situation. Perhaps we can share information.
Hi Sherry, I would love to connect with you
Hello Sherry, I'd like to connect with you too. We are also having similar issue with Mark putting an au pair they previously deemed not fit for the program into my family. Thank you
I am looking for an Au Pair at present. I am glad I came across this board, can scratch one agency off my list for sure! has anyone had a positive experience with an Au Pair agency?
I have experience with ExperAuPAir, and can say this is the ugly, horrible, stupid, [censor] agency in the World. Its true they never back your money, they never response to your emails, they never help you, they always blow your brains. Mark and Kathy are the worst people i ever met, they are so bad persons, they interested only to get their money, to earn from hard work of au-pairs. Mark is crazy of money and he doesn't care anything only to get more $. Kathy wants to looks like a cool lady, but she is coyote in her heart. Someday i hope they loose everything they have and i wish they will be very unhappy, because they got au-pairs money from au-pairs broken hearts and tons of thier tears. I would never ever meet these people in my life anymore and please never use their agency if you dont want to get big, big troubles.
We've had three AuPairs placed through ExpertAupair and have been very happy with the service. It is much smaller than some of the other agencies, and I like the personal attention and service from Mark, Kathy, and everyone else at Expert. Everyone has always acted in a professional and courteous manner. Families should understand that the placement fee includes the visa, airfare, transfers, health insurance, and the first week's lodging and training, so who would you get the refund from? The airlines? The State Department? Yes, the refund policy is in the "fine print" and it is your responsibility to read it. It is also your responsibility to do a full check before hiring, as you, and not the Aupair agency, are the employer. Conduct interviews via videoskype, emails, phone, and check references and education before you make the offer.
Well I don't know what to think about this agency, I am an au pair from England waiting for Expert Au Pair to find me a family, they are taking far to long I feel and so I have been searching for a family on my own mainly through Greataupair.com. My point of view is that many au pairs are hired to come work with families in the USA from around the world and most of them are unreliable, don't have real experience with children. They mostly care about coming to America for the wrong reasons, for their own personal gain. It makes me feel that these people give us geniune au pairs a real bad name.
I am from England and I have wished to come to America to work and visit for many years, but I feel for the families with the terrible experiences they have been through. I personally believe in only coming if I truely feel I am capable of taking a big step forward and being away from home. I have been away twice, to work in Europe, so I have got used to staying away from family for periods of time.
Children should not have to go through a terrible experience with their caregiver who comes from abroad, it is heartbreaking that some au pair put them through that, it is not good for the child's outlook on things and it can disappoint them.
Julia Findlay is no longer working in this complaints section at the State Department. The phone number has also changed (see below). If you want to make a formal complaint, you can write to "jvisas@state.gov" which is monitored daily and they do follow up.
Office of Designation, Private Sector Programs Division
U.S. Department of State
ECA/EC/D/PS, SA-5, 5th Floor
2200 C Street, NW
Washington, DC [protected]
Tel. [protected]
They all suck. All agencies. Don't go with this program. These agencies are making big bucks bringing these girls in the US to party mostly. These girls have no concept of working whatsoever.
This is a response to BurnedOut's post.
You make it sound like all girls who want to be aupairs are in the us to party. A lot of girls who want to be au pairs (myself included) want to be au pairs because we genuinly like and want to work/learn more about children and another culture.
Some incidents are unfortunate of course and some girls really are terrible but far from everyone. Your statement is really unfair and inaccurate.
I'm from Sweden and I'm looking to be an aupair with a host family either in the US or United Kingdom and I've been looking at Expert AuPair because they seem to have decent qualification requirments and I like that they seem to be a fairly small and personal agency.
Well. I had a good experience with the Expert Au Pair. I had a match after 4 days online.The time you're waiting for a match depends on you, obviously if you are not as qualified you are not getting out of your country anytime soon! Host families will always try to take advantage of the au pairs, but the agency has nothing to do with that. They do not force either the families or the au pairs to get a match. We both know this is very affordable for both parties. You get what you're paying for.
About the first comment it's very unfortunate that your family let someone work as a dancer, if it's even truth. Most of the host families just want their money back so badly that they make up whatever bs it takes to get things on their way.
I just think that most of the Au Pairs should appreciate the chance they had to come to the US to better themselves with 800 bucks! If this isn't what you're looking for, you're always welcome to pay for other Student Exchange Programs that will cost at least 5000 for not more than two weeks. And Host Families are always welcome to pay 10 dollars/h for a live out local nanny with no tax reduction!
Aline
EXPERT AU IS THE WORST! DO NOT WORK WITH THIS AGENCY
Mark Gaulter is a crook, he will take you money and then do not respond to his promises, its just about taking your money for him. His screening of au pairs is questionable (essentially the girls that he sent us had no clue) and our interactions with him were horrible. I will write to the State Department to complain because it is not possible that he is still allowed to operate. I'm sorry I do not have the time to write all the bad experiences I had with him and his agency, but please please please take our word, learn from our horrible experience (seemingly we were not the only ones from what I read) and refrain from using this agency.
I would not trust this person, Mark Gaulter. He does not know the word honosty or truth. You can go to Sunbiz.org --- type in his name --- and see that he set up a business for a friend who was going through a divorce to help hide money. I have all the bank documents from Bank of America to prove this happened if anyone would like copies. He will lie for any amount of profit.
Mark has two businesses registered on SunBiz: Expert Group International is the Expert AuPair business and EGI Communications is the fake cover-for-a-buddy business. Sign on to www.sunbiz.org to see the results of questionable integrity.
After hiring a private investigator to check out these companies both under Mark --- I was truly enlightened...and not in a good way. If anyone would like copies of the pictures or the investigators details please feel free to contact me
We are about to start a nasty fight with him on his agency business. Any info you can provide will be helpful!
I would like vehermently to disagree with the source close to LTC US Army Kimmey.who made these ridiculous allegations.
Search the name Mark Gaulter under sunbiz.org and you can see the truth or better yet….just show up without an appointment to his “corporate headquarters” as my private investigator did and gets a NICE surprise. I don’t know ANYONE in Montana so nice try Mark…I mean Bob Knight. Have your attorney contact me and please have your people stop the harassment to my family and threats to my children’s’ safety.
I have received multiple inquires about the documents in my possession which show that Mark Gaulter is not a reputable or ethical businessman. I will be creating either a Blig or Wiki page where I can hang the relevant sworn documentation, sworn statements, and certified accounts where Mark lied under sworn oath.
If needed, I will add anything from other victims to my Blog or Wiki.
Hello, can we please connect? Thank you
This company and Mark need to be avoided.
We used Great Au Pair and have had a horrible Le experience where our au pair put our child in danger. I cannot provide the specifics now as we're trying to work on a case against them. After five years in the program and using two agencies, I believe this program should be shut down. The au pairs are usually not sufficiently trained our experienced in providing quality care. They also have other reasons why they come to the US, which means their full time job as a caretaker is not their #1 priority. Save yourself the trouble and get someone proven and has the interest in being a caretaker, such as a professional nanny. We learned the hard way.
Its really somebody ask me, to work with them in us as aid, nanny or haousekeeper, I also have dream to work overseas, because money chager is big value from my country malaysia. I usually work partime as housekeepuing or cleaner here, I have experiance take care of chiidren because im married and have two kids. my point here is did I realy need to pay fees to register as aupair... or maid to search work before visa proses succesfull
My email is lailatulmubarakahmalaysia@gmail.com or num phone [protected] please reply me custumer servis maybe... she also said your company name to me... I really need job.
After dealing with the company's CEO, I do not recommend anyone do business with them.
Expert Au pair is a smaller agency compared to the larger competitors but my experience with them is extremely positive.
They are very responsive and try to work with both parties involved unfortunately reality is that there are many host families that do not follow the rules and regulations pertaining to the Au pair program and Au pairs that are often not qualified but this is with any agency out there.
If you are willing to train the candidate ( some are very capable and qualified) it’s a great experience.
Try arguing with some of the largest competitors and what you get is a letter from their legal staff.
Also people should be very careful of the accusations they make nowadays