Hammer1 Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Hi everyone, I have been offered a job in Thailand at the Siam Steel Corporation through the Osaka Agency in Bangkok. However they have asked that I pay the agency fees before they will apply for a visa for me. I am uneasy about sending the money via Western Bank Transfer as I cannot find much information regarding either the agency or the company on the internet. Does anyone have any knowledge of either of these companies before i send the money? Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_smith237 Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Sounds like a scam.. Why would a company who is going to pay you want you to pay something first ? I assume that it would be logical that any agency fees involved could be subtracted from the 1st paycheck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nowhereman60 Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 I don't find either of these companies on the web. Sounds like a scam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pushit Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Have you attended an interview with Siam Steel Company Human Resources Dept or received an offer via email? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkman Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Have you attended an interview with Siam Steel Company Human Resources Dept or received an offer via email? Excellent question. I'm interested in how the OP heard about the job and what kind of job it is. If it's a labouring type of job, they wouldn't offer that kind of work to foreigners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonrakers Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Scam No employer would put permanent employment in the hands of a third party. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammer1 Posted November 13, 2011 Author Share Posted November 13, 2011 Thanks for the replies. The job was advertised on a TEFL site. I applied through it, the agency then emailed me to say they had put my CV forward to the company who the job would be with. I then received an email from the company asking when I could schedule a phone interview with them. I had a telephone interview and then received an email from the company to say they were offering me the job and they were passing my details back to the agency in order to process my application. The agency requested that i pay the agency fees before they will process anything Initially i thought that it was a scam but wanted to find out if anyone had heard of either of these two companies before i did anything. The job on offer is for an administration manager. Thanks again for all your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokie36 Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Thanks for the replies. The job was advertised on a TEFL site. I applied through it, the agency then emailed me to say they had put my CV forward to the company who the job would be with. I then received an email from the company asking when I could schedule a phone interview with them. I had a telephone interview and then received an email from the company to say they were offering me the job and they were passing my details back to the agency in order to process my application. The agency requested that i pay the agency fees before they will process anything Initially i thought that it was a scam but wanted to find out if anyone had heard of either of these two companies before i did anything. The job on offer is for an administration manager. Thanks again for all your help. In cases such as this the company hiring should pay any fees. Speak to the company about it....for sure don't send any money! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pushit Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Thanks for the replies. The job was advertised on a TEFL site. I applied through it, the agency then emailed me to say they had put my CV forward to the company who the job would be with. I then received an email from the company asking when I could schedule a phone interview with them. I had a telephone interview and then received an email from the company to say they were offering me the job and they were passing my details back to the agency in order to process my application. The agency requested that i pay the agency fees before they will process anything Initially i thought that it was a scam but wanted to find out if anyone had heard of either of these two companies before i did anything. The job on offer is for an administration manager. Thanks again for all your help. A phone interview serves to create a short-list, you should be requested attend a formal interview. Somthing wrong, don't send any money, anyway how much are the "Agency" asking you to send? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohyesuare Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Did the guy on the phone sound Nigerian? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammer1 Posted November 13, 2011 Author Share Posted November 13, 2011 Sorry i shouldve mentioned it was Skype interview over the phone, the guy looked Thai. The are asking me to send $100. As i suspected this looks like a scam, i will not be sending any money and will not be taking any offers of jobs from them. Thanks again, i just wanted to double check my suspicions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoonman Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Scam No employer would put permanent employment in the hands of a third party. Errm plenty of companies use employment agencies to source their staff. It would appear though that the Osaka employment Aaency does not seem to exist according to google. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokie36 Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Is this the company? http://www.furnituresystem.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beetlejuice Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Osaka Corporation from you Only Live Twice, James bond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattaniMan Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 I am uneasy about sending the money via Western Bank Transfer Western Union = SCAM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Litlos Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 To clarify a few points and I have worked in Thailand for nearly 10 years for a multi national company as a basis for my comments. I found a company on the web called Siam Steel, but not Osaka agency. A phone interview is quite normal for international postings, they will normally request details of qualifications and references that can be validated. Due to the hassle with work permits etc it is quite normal for expats to be hired through an agency. I have never heard of anyone having to pay the agency fees. They normally get their finders fee plus costs from the employer. The sooner they get you on the books, the sooner they get paid so they will not be delaying anything intentionally. Has a distinct smell of scam or at least a little profiteering on the side about it, and as previously posted try emailing the company direct. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pushit Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 (edited) Sorry i shouldve mentioned it was Skype interview over the phone, the guy looked Thai. The are asking me to send $100. As i suspected this looks like a scam, i will not be sending any money and will not be taking any offers of jobs from them. Thanks again, i just wanted to double check my suspicions. Wise move, I've worked through Agents for years and yes initial interview is with the agency so they are happy with the candidates' abilities. But the employer has always required an interview albeit phone or in person. I have never been asked to pay agency fees, these are normallypaid by the agents' customer. Edited November 13, 2011 by Pushit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammer1 Posted November 13, 2011 Author Share Posted November 13, 2011 Just to clarify, the interview was with the company itself, the agency just dealt with my CV and passed it on to the company because they felt i had the required attributes. The agency seem to be dealing with all the administration side of things, whereas the companies only involvement so far was the Skype interview, once this was completed they emailed to say they would like to offer me a position and the agency would deal with the administration of the appointment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pushit Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Get the HR/interviewers phone number and schedule a visit to get hands on and face to face job description and discussion. Take it from there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokie36 Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Get the HR/interviewers phone number and schedule a visit to get hands on and face to face job description and discussion. Take it from there Agree 100%. In the meantime keep your money in your pocket! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silsburyhill Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 I don't find either of these companies on the web. Sounds like a scam. It IS a scam. Little wonder many expatriates in Thailand complain about they're having been taken advantage of and losing their money. Do please do some research (Google is your friend) before your making a fool of yourself on an open forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonrakers Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Scam No employer would put permanent employment in the hands of a third party. Errm plenty of companies use employment agencies to source their staff. It would appear though that the Osaka employment Aaency does not seem to exist according to google. Errrm But who makes the final decision? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigt3365 Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 What don't we try this in the Jobs forum? Topic Moved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
talk2sam Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Did the guy on the phone sound Nigerian? Dumb question...why not give him a reasonable advise... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StreetCowboy Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Send the money to me. I'll sort it out for half the price. Whenever you're engaged in paing for anything that sounds a bit dubious, think: "If all I'm left with is a funny story, will this still be a bargain?" If not, wait till you've held it in your hand and sniffed it before you pay for it. If the company won't pay the agency fee, they're probably not serious about employing you. If you're going to pay an agency to find a job for you, then you choose the agency, not vice versa. SC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWMcMurray Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 It definitely sounds like a scam.... but why not just call the company directly and ask for their HR manager and them ask them directly? I am sure they would also like to know if their company name is being used in a scam. Tel : +66(0) 2384-2876, 2384-3000, 2384-3040 http://www.siamsteel.com/index2.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoonman Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 (edited) Scam No employer would put permanent employment in the hands of a third party. Errm plenty of companies use employment agencies to source their staff. It would appear though that the Osaka employment Aaency does not seem to exist according to google. Errrm But who makes the final decision? The man on the moon ? You seem to be confused as to what role the agency plays in the sourcing of staff. Edited November 13, 2011 by Spoonman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Litlos Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Still looks fishy. There is no Osaka Agency in Thailand that I can see. There is a Siam Steel in Thailand, this company has a lot of ties into Japanese companies, so would imagine any expats there would be a preference for Japanese. There is common thing in Thailand for "Tea Money" to be paid to gain a job, so may be an attempt to collect this, normally for teachers, nurses and not normally asked of an expat. So this could be Tea Money disguised for the benefit of an expat. Normally once you get a job offer and you accept they will send you a whole heap of paperwork so you can go to the Thai embassy at home and get the correct visa for working in Thailand from your country. I have paid for the visa and been reimbursed, however I have never had to pay for something work related like a "Fee" to an agency. Have had various things tried on before once working, and had to explain to the agency they need me not the other way, and there are plenty of other agencies. If you still think there is a legitimate job then try emailing the contact email on the companies website, include the original employment offer email. If genuine they will get it sorted, if not genuine they will be grateful to learn their company name is being used in a scam. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soutpeel Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Its a scam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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