Someone was posting about this company being 'Illegal' and that isn't helpful since 'legal' or 'illegal' are some fairly ambiguous, subjective 'foggy concepts' that may or may not mean much.

CZZ is essentially a semi-legal triad. A gang. It's sort of like working for 'legal criminals' who buy foreigners to own for a while. They are actively disrespectful to foreigners. The contempt is tangible in the air and body language alone. You will not really know who you are working for anyways. You may have an agent who's somehow a subcontractor that's an associate of CZZ but somehow you don't actually work for them directly.. yet you do, kinda.

They will not provide you a work permit or they might. But later. Maybe. But there will be problems. So maybe not.

The real problem as of 2013-14 is what I called the 'self-degenerating cycle' where CZZ loses foreigners quickly. They are (maybe understandably) upset as they only see the money and time they lost on the investment. (they do not care the foreigner has risked far far more and paid far more to be there) so anyways here is where they develop ways to 'get their money out first'. They will invent 'pay periods' and try and stretch your first paycheck to about 6 weeks after you start. But the foreign teacher (who's invested far more time and money) will get very nervous (6 weeks, your flight costs.. hey.. will they pay?) and they will - deducting any and all fees they can. So expect half a paycheck. This is when foreigners get scared and because there is still no Z-Visa (2 months and counting) they start to panic and get this.. even foreigners who would not otherwise have left CZZ will NOW START finding ways to leave CZZ... and do. Then CZZ sees this as 'confirmation' they need to trick and scam and fleece and 'skim' even MORE on their new hires. Downward cycle.

There are plenty of other things too. Expect to be 'golden' when you start. After 1 month when you start asking questions you will suddenly find you are a real screwup and get harshly criticized and suddenly become a bad teacher. (this is typical stupid Chinese negotiating crap).

Other problems include the worst scheduling I have EVER seen in my life. I mean seriously - you will be late (or many hours early) or arrive at canceled classes around 30% of the time.

Sometimes it will be your mistake due to the ridiculous confusing communications but mostly it will be incompetence. So you will pay money to travel for hours and then you will be given warnings about being late or missing classes. Maybe 35% of all your schedule.

Now to make things worse - they will assign a young man to antagonize you. His name is Tom and he has no respect for you whatsoever. He will actually CAUSE you more problems than he will solve and then laugh at you for being so stupid. He has what we'd call 'ADHD' and he will also skim, scheme, game and work you. He will actively disrespect you. In fact, CZZ has such little respect for foreigners that they will act OUTRAGED when you DARE to be offended. Then say you offended them and then say whatever you said back to you but even harder.

Personally, I was 99% certain they would NOT pay me after attempting to give me 1500 RMB (after 6 weeks I remind you) and I did get that upped to 6000 (9000 would have been better). but after waiting another 5 weeks - YES they actually DID pay me the correct and full amount.

Anyways, totally incompetent (constantly 'misunderstandings' and things 'lost in translation' which never seem to benefit you btw) and quite seriously they actively disrespect their hires (the stupid foreigners they own) and quite frankly some of the rudest, strangely arrogant, stupid bullies I've ever had the misfortune of dealing with.

And in case any of them are reading this - I did not write any of the previous comments on here and I did not mention CZZ to any employers or authorities in China (i made a point of mentioning NO names even when I told of my bad experience).

So I would like to believe it was not CZZ who put me on what is apparently some kind of 'blacklist' that actually does seem to exist based on some interesting things I learned.
But here's the thing - NOBODY deserves to be treated like that.

I have spoken to the alleged manager from Iowa (alleged to have a Canadian wife?) and I really have no idea where he fits into anything other than some kind of co-owner or original investor.

Basically they have made a business out of hiring and turning-over 1st time foreign teachers. They made that their main business. 'turn-over' is the actual business.
(the rent schemes, skimming and 'recycling' 're-renting' etc are a good little payday in their own right).

Once again - nobody deserves to be treated so poorly and they hate you.. which means you will quickly start to hate them back... and even the nicest foreign teachers will soon become miserable and suspicious.