Do you think ESLCafe.com is a scam TEFL Job forum?

Discussion about jobs in Asia inc. Middle East

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Grizzly
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Do you think ESLCafe.com is a scam TEFL Job forum?

Unread post by Grizzly »

I had a bizarre experience at Dave's ESL café and here is the short story... I submitted a resume for a teaching position (China kindergarten) for a blind ad posted at ESLcafe.com. I did not apply anywhere else yet. Within one week, I was contacted by no less than 16 private black Chinese "schools" and only one was semi-legitimate with a SAIC business license. They all offered me jobs that paid less than 8,000 yuan per month. NONE of them asked me if I ever taught before and 12 of them said I should go to China illegally (on an L, F, or M visa). None of them would tell me who owned their company and only 1 (the semi-legit one) would let me review a contract before I left for China! What bothers me a lot is that I applied for one specific job that offered 12,000 yuan per month, plus an apartment, and I never heard from them - only all these black/gray companies with crap pay. I really think they fabricated the good job just to get my contact info and to sell me these other garbage jobs.

So I decided to look around and got a copy of "2012 CFTU China School FAO Directory" and sent out some email inquiries. I received replies that included questionnaires about my experience, written job descriptions, and a list of current vacancies from each FAO except one who advised the "hiring season was in May". When I asked to see a contract that I was expected to sign, I was sent a copy. All of them guaranteed me that my invitation letter would request a work (Z) visa. I then received 3 offers and all were between 12,000 to 16,000 yuan per month. 2 of the three offers included housing and medical benefits. Quite a pay difference. I then checked the SAFEA registration list that came with the directory and all of the employers of the FAO's were authorized to hire foreigners and had business licenses.

I shared this story with a veteran ESL teacher I know in Japan and he sent me two links that I think are worth sharing with you all: http://www.realscam.com/f8/daves-eslcaf ... scam-4352/ and also http://www.scam.com/showthread.php?6853 ... sers-daily. Personally, I am glad I found TEFL.net
Saturn
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Re: Do you think ESLCafe.com is a scam TEFL Job forum?

Unread post by Saturn »

I stopped using ESL Cafe last year after I was being spammed like mad after I applied for one of their jobs. Then when I did not respond, I started getting PMs asking me if I wanted a job teaching in China. They are one of the most unethical ESL/TEFL forums I ever visited.
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John V55
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Re: Do you think ESLCafe.com is a scam TEFL Job forum?

Unread post by John V55 »

The truth is that no one pays big salaries anymore, unless you have a teaching certificate from your own country, or some wanted specialty.

For China, I estimate around 7 to 8k for a bog standard degree and a couple of years’ experience and 9 to 10k for a Master’s. It all depends on what the individual has to offer and in a massive recession hit west, the newly degreed 21 year old who is struggling to get a job at MacD’s, won’t fare much better in Asia.
I think the problem is that many see these sites as a helpline, but they’re just businesses, that’s what they’re there for, to make money. Business was never about ethics.

I wouldn’t put too much faith in the Foreign Teachers Union, it’s more of a wish than reality. There are some good sites and recruiters out there. PM me if you’re stuck, but don’t expect a goldmine.
Murphy
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Re: Do you think ESLCafe.com is a scam TEFL Job forum?

Unread post by Murphy »

Well, I found quite a few similar complaints as OP all over the place on-line and then I found this ad at ESLCafe.com:

"Advertising at Dave's ESL Cafe - Secure-Quotes.com
http://www.secure-quotes.com/eslcafe/post.asp
Email Dave's ESL Cafe: ... (http://www.eslcafe.com/jobs/wanted) 30 days resume database access for $75 ... If there are any billing problems or questions about"

So basically anyone with $75 has access to your info - including identity thieves!
Norman
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Re: Do you think ESLCafe.com is a scam TEFL Job forum?

Unread post by Norman »

Yes. It has always been about money to those people. http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/ESL-Forum ... om-1085687
Skyler
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Re: Do you think ESLCafe.com is a scam TEFL Job forum?

Unread post by Skyler »

I think sometimes dummies need to be cheated at least once to get a wake up call and make them more alert in the future. Here is what I suggest http://www.identityprotection.com/educa ... tity-theft
clyde532
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Re: Do you think ESLCafe.com is a scam TEFL Job forum?

Unread post by clyde532 »

BEWARE: Dave's ESL Cafe....Dave will ban and delete posts that give honest posts about some schools, or in one particular recent post (Feb. 2018) about the Ministry of Education in Dubai, UAE. It is one of the worst organization to work for, yet Dave will delete posts which reference them. It is shameful. Also, Dave allows scammers to advertise on his website too. Apparently, he has no regard for teachers, only money.
IrishWoman
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Joined: 22 May 2018, 11:07
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Re: Do you think ESLCafe.com is a scam TEFL Job forum?

Unread post by IrishWoman »

Is there an agency that you guys would recommend as being the least scammy? I am new to all this, and know that I will get some of the lower jobs the first few years. I am happy to work my way up, but I don't want to be totally scammed or living in a roach nest :(
Mango2020
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Re: Do you think ESLCafe.com is a scam TEFL Job forum?

Unread post by Mango2020 »

clyde532 wrote: 16 Feb 2018, 08:26 BEWARE: Dave's ESL Cafe....Dave will ban and delete posts that give honest posts about some schools, or in one particular recent post (Feb. 2018) about the Ministry of Education in Dubai, UAE. It is one of the worst organization to work for, yet Dave will delete posts which reference them. It is shameful. Also, Dave allows scammers to advertise on his website too. Apparently, he has no regard for teachers, only money.
AGREE! many have posted the TRUTH about the MOE jobs and they were taken down. British admin are nothing but bullies, on huge salaries. Teachers are suffering. They get loans upon arrival as the set up cost is so high. Once reality sets in about how horrible the teaching is, they suffer more. Unruly students, principals without proper qualifications, also bullying teachers. Local teachers on fewer lessons than expats. Now expats will be forced to teach 30 lessons per week! It's been getting progressively worse in the last 5 years. Unqualified bafoons, only hired to threaten teachers. sick!
Bimbo
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Re: Do you think ESLCafe.com is a scam TEFL Job forum?

Unread post by Bimbo »

I can't say if Dave's ESL cafe is a scam. However, I can comment on working in Dubai, as I spent several years there until recently. The accusations regarding bullying from the management are absolutely true. The culture within the MoE is poisonous, but this is NOT from the locals but from the expats. These people would be unemployable in their own countries, yet get away with it in the UAE. I suffered bullying at the hands of British management, people with no experience of teaching or school related positions.
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Atlas
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Re: Do you think ESLCafe.com is a scam TEFL Job forum?

Unread post by Atlas »

Image

Is the sun hot? Is the sky blue? Does a bear shit in the forest? Dave's ESLCafe has become the largest and most brazen TEFL teacher scam in the world! Originally however, some 20 years ago he was probably the first and only honest TEFL board in town. As time passed, greed kicked in and Dave saw how easy it was to swindle people he never had to meet face to face and he hired aggressive sales people that pose as "moderators" and they used sock puppet accounts to quietly sell to newbies with PM messages and "referrals" and "recommendations" to any black market school willing to pay a $1,000 referral fee. The rest is history. They were blacklisted as far back as 2007 and ever since https://teflblacklist.blogspot.com/2007 ... -cafe.html

Today they are still blacklisted by the CTA, CFTU, ETA, and ChinaScamWatch.org as well as ESLWatch.info and five or six subs at reddit and ruqqus. There were once over 300 warning posts online at various forums but Dave is a very rich and resourceful guy. He bought his way off the shit lists at the beijinger, Echinacitiess, StudentRoom, Gumtree by purchasing advertising. Then he hired hackers to corrupt most of the scam warning links.online. The TEFL veterans are well aware of this on-going fraud, but dozens of newbies wander in there every day.. A quick search online will expose him IF you re willing to search 8-20 pages deep on the search results. Fraudwatchers, Scam.com, etc. all say things like this https://realscam.com/f8/daves-eslcafe-c ... ht=ESLCafe and this https://chinascambaiterclub.wordpress.c ... ight-back/
Look Before You Leap at https://reddit.com/r/teflscams
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