Well Claire, it didn't take you long to start posting your one sided account , so let me balance it out with the emails you sent to me in the hope that everyone can see how easy it is to attack someone's reputation while withholding your own part in the process:

March 1st : offer made.

Hi Edmund,

Thanks for the email! I'd like to officially accept the offer! The answer is no to all of the below!

As you know I'm currently awaiting a new passport. I expect to receive it in the next week and a half. What is the process re visa application? Should I just apply for one over here?

After this acceptance the normal route was followed with Claire keeping us informed of her progress. During the wait for the new passport there was never any doubts raised regards accepting the job. As with most schools we waited a cooling off period of about 5-7 days, after which we then began planning and preparing for the new arrival. Part of that is finding new apartments, agreeing contracts, advanced scheduling, training etc. After 10 days or so I am okay with arranging holiday requests from current staff based on projected arrival dates. Of course anything can go wrong in any situation, and it has in the past, but there is usually a very good reason for that.

Here is Claire's sent 18 days after accepting:

Apologies for the lack of contact over the last week but I have been sick so haven't felt up to doing much!

After a lot of thought and consideration, I've decided not to take the job at Eden English. I'd like to thank you for the interest you've shown in me.

Regards,

Claire

And that was that. Nothing else. Just those few lines with no explanation.

You have read my reply, loaded with thinly veiled sarcasm I know, but I wanted a point to be made.

This is Claire's response:

Wow!

Your response to me deciding not to take the job has definitely made it so much easier to walk away from you and your school! Thanks for your care you showed towards me in asking why I decided not to take the job! I certainly agree with all the bad reviews written about your school online now! I'll certainly be adding my opinion of you along with this email to some of those sites and may even contact the media over here, just to let them know what you're like! Who's sick now?!?

I was never sick about not taking the job! The only sick feelin I felt was in my gut telling me nt to take it!

If you read my emails correctly, I never told you I was applying for my visa, I was asking for a letter for you stating I got the job so I could apply for the proper working visa, which you took a few days to reply to, then saying you sent the letter and never did!

So glad I'm not going to be working with you, you actually have no idea! Thanks for also reaffirming what I always knew about myself, always go with your gut instinct!!!

So, hopefully that offers some balance. I'm not looking to score points in posting here, simply provide a fuller picture. (The invite letter was sent but I believe Claire didn't check her email settings and it is in her 'junk/spam' folder. I have confirmation of that email on file)

Of course there are some horror stories out there regards schools messing people about, but equally there are many schools and their staff and students who suffer due to people messing them about: We just don't have websites dedicated to that side of the story, do we? I don't normally have the time nor inclination to get involved in petty disputes, but this case is an exception due to the nature of the consequences felt by innocent parties.