http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/review/index.pl?read=29795

Rob I believe this post shows that the visa issue with this company is still very much up for debate. Here is another one:

http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/review/index.pl?read=29689

Even if your boss or ex-boss got you a visa, it wouldn't be good business practice to lie to someone about the salary and how much one should get paid. He may have treated you okay, but that doesn't mean he did with everyone.

Here is the post with the most meat:

http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/review/index.pl?read=29987

May I share some quotes written by Dell himself?

Your recent problem with your visa is Bill's fault and your mistake for going to the bureau and not having your new job take care of your visa.

The owner blames someone else for not taking care of the visa issue which is within his very responsibility for guaranteeing the welfare of the teacher. The "not having your new job take care of your visa" part is a lot of bullcrap because in China you need that release letter from your former employer.

Before we hired you Mao, I told you that you would stay with Jordan because our school was new and we are waiting for apartments to be built. Until then you would have to live with him. Yes the conditions were not so great because it was a rental property. But you knew all of this from day one. You are not the only one impatient about the apartment conditions. I've been waiting 9 months for my apartment to get finished. The apartment complex keeps telling us next month, next month, next month. I've been hearing from them lately "Next week Next week" The conditions with your apartment were due to the land lord.

Instead of actually TAKING OUT THE TIME to find a good place to live, the owner continues to give excuses for not giving the teacher proper living conditions. I know for a fact that in China, companies will make pacts with landlords and have them deduct excessive amounts off of the electric bills as well as water costs from the teacher's salary (this has happened to me personally as well as to teachers who worked for Tianshou in Changchun). If the teacher is in charge of paying rent there is also the opportunity to steal from them as the company will show on the salary note that xxx amount of rent was paid when in fact there was an extra few hundred yuan added on top.

By law because you don't work for us we are to report to the bureau that you no longer work for us and they are then to cancel your visa and or change it to a tourist visa. We don't cancel it. We just inform them that you are no longer an employee of ours.

Another denial on the part of Dell. Companies are responsible for the release letter as long as the teacher didn't commit illegal actions which would merit the denial of the release letter. Unfortunately people who go on power trips (such as your boss) will enjoy being vindictive just because the teacher dared to disagree with them.

I asked you nicely could you help us for a couple weeks until David the new teacher could arrive and then you could leave. You then stated that you may have an interview during that time and that you must go. I talked to Uncle and Lisa and we all agreed that you could do that because finding another job was important. Here is where the problem is. You found out about your interview. You called my phone but it wasn't working while I was in Beijing. You should have immediately contacted Lisa to let her know. Instead the day before your interview, you contemplated on if you should wait till I get back to inform me and then talk to Lisa or just go with out saying anything to Lisa. The moment you got that call about that interview you should have called Lisa when you could not get a hold of me. I know that during your meeting with Lisa, things were said that did not go over well and she insulted your character and threatened you. I had a nice talk with Lisa and told her about this mistake and that the way she handled the situation was unprofessional and was uncalled for. When you came back from your interview she was to apologize to you and we were going to let you finish out your time here. You would have left with no ill regrets and you would have received your final pay and ticket to Beijing.

Another coverup on behalf of Dell towards the poster. He can say whatever he wants about getting his crony Lisa to behave in a professional manner because he knew the teacher would not be there anyway due to being fed up with the poor treatment. Blaming the teacher for not having the cell phone on(another lie possibly as bosses of training schools have enough money to have more than one fancy phone and more than one contact number). Why couldn't he give out an alternate number to the teacher if he really cared about the well being of the teacher? It always comes down to poor treatment of teachers leading to blowback, which leads to coverups on behalf of the bosses. This whole charade always starts with the boss believing they are above making any mistakes or being called out for making mistakes just because they are in a position of power.

Avoid this "school" and avoid dealing with the unprofessional behavior of this company!