Domestic helper agencies copped 234 complaints last year including over fees and unmet expectations
Consumer Council report cites more than 200 complaints over domestic helpers last year
The Consumer Council received 234 complaints related to hiring domestic helpers last year, with the watchdog saying irresponsible intermediary agencies were to blame in many cases.
A report by the council showed that most grievances from local consumers concerned long delays in the hiring process, helpers not turning up for work on time and poor performance.
In many cases, local domestic helper agencies tended to shift the blame to their overseas counterparts when things didn’t work out – despite the thousands of dollars in handling fees they charged from consumers.
“Local agencies have ... to make sure that all the information their partners provide are verified,” said Michael Hui King-man, vice-chairman of the council’s Trade Practices and Consumer Complaints Review Committee. He added that false statements from those agencies could breach the Trade Descriptions Ordinance.
In one case, a complainant paid HK$6,800 for an intermediary to find a helper to report for duty in mid-November.
But after a fruitless three-month wait and two unfulfilled promises, the complainant asked to cancel the agreement, but was told only HK$3,000 of the deposit would be returned. The other option was to settle for an unsatisfactory replacement.
