Finding a maid nowadays is as easy as posting a hiring ad online or asking referrals from friends or social groups about maids or yayas. Others take a safer approach by going through a maid agency online. Going online today is just practical since everything and anything is found in the world wide web.
In their search, employers usually canvass the best maid candidate or maid agency. And the best usually for the majority, is the cheapest. Once they find the lowest salary or agency fee, due diligence usually stops and they give in right away to the best deal even if the hiring process seems unreasonable.
For direct hires they usually ask for transportation fare among others. We get this if this were someone referred by a person you trust but for someone you just met? Blinded by the best deal, employers usually fall prey to this kind of scam as all the stories would tell you online.
For maid agencies found online, it’s a different story. As a rule of thumb, we all shouldn’t believe everyone you meet and everything you see online especially if they or it sounds too good to be true.
So before you waste your hard earned money, we have made a checklist for you so you can see for yourself if you’re dealing with a legitimate maid agency.
Before sending any money online, first check their documentation:
- Company name
- DOLE PEA license
- Business permit
- Office address
All of these should be consistent with each other. It would be best to ask for pictures of their permits so you can check personally if all the information are correct. In addition, these permits can be verified with a short call to DOLE PEA department and your LGU’s business permits and licensing office.
Next are business practices that are worth considering.
- Asking for payment whether full/down before proceeding with hiring?
- Incomplete documents and clearances of applicants?
- No employment contracts?
- No receipts?
If the answer to the next 4 items is yes, be weary already. Sending money despite this will leave you in the dark when times get tough because there is no paper trail.
Lastly, it is also wise to check their reviews online.
You can Google their company name or if they have a Facebook page, check their reviews there. A word of caution, don’t be fooled by likes. If they have been around for a while, they must have reviews. You can also check them on Facebook groups about maids and yayas because disappointed employers usually express their sentiments there. Use your better judgement if these are real or just made up.
To share our experience, there are numerous fake agencies in Facebook who have significant followers and use Housemaids.ph’s pictures for their content. Clients from Instagram usually message us when it is too late by verifying if the maid agency they dealt with is us or our sister company. These fake agencies are alleged to have taken their money, sent online, with no service provided after. These poor clients are usually blocked afterwards. We are also blocked for calling them out. And for everyone’s information, they change their names every so often to avoid being caught. So please be cautious when hiring from Facebook!
It’s only a SCAM if you FALL for it. – Lily Houghton
Was this helpful? Want to know more regarding maids? Visit us at www.housemaids.ph for more information on hiring help in Metro Manila. Comment and let us know if you want us to tackle issues regarding Kasambahays!
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