Expats ripped off, kicked out...

[Mike]

I thought I'd drag this thread back with a new story about another expat who was ripped off.



This is Kelsey Conway from the U.S. and she was brought to Bermuda to work as a carer.  She was told that she had to pay $700 up front for her work permit, which she did.  The first problem was, the unscrupulous employer never applied for a permit!  Putting her to work illegally, then shafting her on her pay. 


From the RG:

In the end, Ms Conway said, the experience soured her impression of the Island, and she returned home to the US.

“After moving thousands of miles away from my home I could not believe this had happened to me,” she said. “I was very sceptical about even moving to Bermuda in the first place, and then this happens to me.”

It just gets worse.  The woman running the home care business on the side is even more dodgy:

Barbara Tannock, former vice president of private banking at Capital G, ran housekeeping and home care businesses on the side.

She was jailed for six months on Friday, for stealing $76,500 from an elderly couple.

[The G-Killer]

i wasnt going to commnt but i feel i should. kelsey was my wife who i brought to bermuda. her treatment and mine caused us to live. our struggles there were a factor in our marriage dissolving. be forewarned folks. bermuda is another world, and not a good one.

[Wikigrl]

G-Killer --- your marriage disolved because of the crap you two went through in BDA? Sorry to hear this...

[Captain Canuck]

Ya sorry to hear that G.  Can't imagine the stress this @$$hole lady put you two through.  And for her to only get 6 months is pathetic.  Here's to hoping Karma is real and she gets hers...

CC

[Ilanit]

i wasnt going to commnt but i feel i should. kelsey was my wife who i brought to bermuda. her treatment and mine caused us to live. our struggles there were a factor in our marriage dissolving. be forewarned folks. bermuda is another world, and not a good one.

Very, very sorry to hear this. Sad to think that a place people once thought was a paradise could cause so much upheaval and heartache.

G-Killer, I sincerely hope that your future is much brighter than your recent past.

[Mike]

My sincere sympathy G-Killer. 

This is a very real issue people either don't consider or take far too lightly.

[The G-Killer]

Thanks all. There were other factors as well, but as many couples can attest, living in Bermuda and dealing with the crap expats deal with can put a huge strain on a marriage, especially when the money isnt there. As i type this, i am 2 hr from st johns newfoundland for my next job. It took ONE HOUR and $150 to apply for and recieve a work permit at the border. It took 4 montjs and $3000 in Bermuda so so far so good!

[Wikigrl]

Best of luck in the new place!

[Pandora]

G-Killer - you have to keep us posted on how things go in NFL. Sorry about the situation with your marriage. Horrible.

I know of another Canadian ex-pat who also had a marriage breakdown while on the island -similar story. Tried to persuade him to come on here but he is still not ready to talk about his experiences. Does not want reminders. Plus he had the company owners gossiping about him and sticking the boot in. Got quite messy.

At the time I was new and still in the "honeymoon phase" so did not get what was going on.

[The G-Killer]

Pandora and others,

I wont go into too much detail about my marriage ending out of respect for some parties, but yes our time here was indeed a contibuting factor. As in my previous posts, she had trouble securing work and as you can tell from above, was ripped off by Ms. Tannock, providing a huge personal and financial setback. She secured another position but was essentailly bullied by this employer and let go without good reason, perhaps this was the employer's way of nudging her out the door to bring in a Bermudian. That became the final straw for us after I was also ripped off by my bank and landlord for large sums of money (fortunately I finally got it back). I loved my position in BDA but the pay was not nearly enough to support both of us (To all those hopefuls wanting to move to BDA to work - do not accept a slaray less than $62K). Our stuggles there with Immigration, customer service, unriendly locals caused much resentment on her part and drove a wedge between us. Other unrelated factors come to the forefront which made me realize that a split was probably a good thing. Had we never moved to Bermuda, we would likely still be married although perhaps it is a blessing cause we probably werent right for each other and living there got the ball rolling on our downfall.

I think my story and many others proves the obvious. Living in Bermuda will test your relationship/marriage to the fullest. A spouse will feel somewhat natural resentment towards the other when Immigration turns thier nose up at you for trying to find work or when you have to pay $1000 to get your car on the road or paying $250 to get snail like internet or paying $40 for a plate of subpar food with rude waitstaff. I think FOX or ABC should begin a reality show and have a young couple move to BDA on a less than $75K salary and see if their marrage can withstand the lump of crap many will encounter. (I may ptich this idea to FOX! haha)

On the flipsdie, After 3 weeks in St. John's Newfoundland, things are going very well. I knew the outcome would be different when I was at the border for no more than an hour. Work permit was processed in that time and issued to me for a mere $150. The only documents I supplied was a resume, degree and a few sheets of paperwork. Compare that to a packet full of crap for $3000 for a perimit that took months to process in BDA. The locals here are very nice and has immersed me in their culture while showing much intrest in mine as well (again something I never noticed in Bermuda) I feel that my presence here is welcome and I am a positive contributing factor to life here on the Island. The cost of living is reasonable and the downtown area is trhirivng with culture, music and pleasant passer-byers. Getting settled has not been too much trouble. It took a mere 20 minutes to get a social insurance number, a process that also took weeks in Bermuda. Getting set up with cable, internet and phone has not been a big hassle and every cashier or customer service rep i have run across has been pleasant and willing to help. I will say that beer prices on the rock are through the roof haha!.

Kudos to the Canadians on the site though. You guy know how to do it right.

[Ilanit]

Happy to hear that things are looking up. Newfoundlanders are some of the friendliest, most helpful and hard-working people around. Have they made you "kiss the cod" yet? And watch out for the "Screech". Makes Bermuda rum seem like Kool-aid.

[The G-Killer]

Haha yes I did get "Screeched In"! Definately some potent stuff. There wasnt a cod around for me to kiss so i may have to do the official ceremony at one of the bars. Aside from a select few, Newfoundlanders are indeed great people. I have so much higher hopes here than I did in Bermuda, where everyday seemed like a constant emotional and financial struggle.

[Pandora]

G-Killer

Thanks for the update. Happy for you that things are working out well so far. Oh yes the screech! 

People in NFL are very down to earth and a good laugh. If ever you need something there is always some one who knows some one.... You could not be in a more opposite place than Bermuda. The weather and beaches are not so great but everything else is. Moosehead beer and fish chowder. Lots of fun to be had.

"The select few" tend to be real characters and give the rest something to talk about. ;-)

Bermudians like to blame us when our experiences turn bad, like it is our fault. Oh and then give us more grief for telling it like it is when we try to warn others and provide advice. Some one needs to provide a sympathetic ear and we have all been there and got the warts and all.
In Canada if that situation happened you would have been entitled to compensation. Unfortunately so many crappy employers get away with quasi illegal practices because ex-pats just leave and a cross border law suit is not worth it. I am stilled owed thousands and wrote it off long ago.

Your story also proves that what a different experience it is outside of Bermuda. Bermuda is another world.... 

Funny how things work out 

Looking forward to hearing about your next adventure. NFL is not without its charm. Love the brightly painted houses and the pubs. Some similarities to Scotland and places in Ireland.

[Wikigrl]

Glad things are working out for you in NFL. Definitely keep us posted!