QUICK...URGENT AP HELP NEEDED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ingles2]

so after my rant last week about AP crashing the car, I talked to her about it very reasonably and calmly on Fri for 2 hours. I thought wehad sorted it. The only points I really raised were that I thought it was rude of her to not apologise at any point, and that I would like her to contribute to the excess. the car is a write off,... £1200 of damage. her fault.
I did notraise my voiceand told her that I knew it was an accident.
She has just told me...
that she wants to leave as she doesn't see why she should take any responsibility for the car. I insure it for her and therefore my problem. She will not contribute towards excess and how dare I tell her she is rude for not saying sorry.
She has just been shouting at me for 10 minutes. I have walked away so I don't raise my voice.
I'm am totally shaking.....
What do I do?????
HELP!!!!!!!!!

I probably pass you on my way to work in London

HI Ingles. Haven't been on here for AGES and am horrified to hear what's gone on. Poor poor you but hopefully huge relief to be rid of her and have your house and children to yourselves again, even with the nightmare of how to cope with next week. If you have problems with your agency and want another one, email me and I'll give you the phone number of the agency we're now using - just one women, really lovely to deal with and she simply doesn't do messing about. After our frustrating experience with the one at the end of last year (we have eventually been sent a refund but not without a fight) this woman is a joy to deal with. We had a wonderful wonderful Italian girl through her over Christmas who sadly could only stay for 2 months. That experience completely restored my confidence - sorely needed! Then another Italian who decided after a week that she didn't want to be an au pair after all, thankfully as she was clearly going to drive me made - she sat in the kitchen talking on the phone to her boyfriend in a little baby voice till I wanted to thump her and that was on day 2!!! Tomorrow we have a 54 year old Hungarian woman arriving. I've had 3 weeks of increasing panic as there appeared to be an au pair drought with Baby No. 3 due at the end of March and likely to be earlier rather than later. And then like manna from heaven this Hungarian woman materialised. So I cannot recommend this agency highly enough, you actually deal with somebody normal who listens and is on your side. xxx

Hi Cloud,...
Great to hear from you....are you well? Congrats on the imminent arrival,..how exciting... (slight jealous wistful emoticon)
Can I please CAT you for the name of your agency,...I need to cover all bases.

I'll email you now

Hows the hunt going??

Hi Marmaduke...
Weeellllll, I've had 20 people apply, but at least 10 their profile was in german / italian or spanish!?! so, so far I've emailed 3, and 1 might be suitable!...so, not great..

I'm seeing you in an entirely different light having read another thread !

Do you use babelfish to translate or just deem their level of English to be too poor to cope?

I don't know what got into me last night, revealing all that!
AND I can't really believe that was actually me anymore ifykwim
do you know what. it didn't even cross my mind to translate it,...I just kind of took it mean their english was too poor.

Oh cloudberry - please let us all know your agents name....

Hello lovely ladies again!
sorry to resurrect this but I spoke to the agency this morning.
They'll find me another AP but it'll cost £480+vat.
agency are talking to AP about another placement. now please correct me if you think I'm wrong but actually I think it's bloody awful that the agency are going to
A/ place her again
and
B/ make a profit out of my nightmare. i.e charge another family £500 for her and charge me £500!
So Agency make £1000...
AP's all right
and I have to pay £1000! (fee and car!)
What do you reckon?

bump

Ingles
Name and shame. Their behaviour is disgraceful. In fact, if you know any journos...well, I leave it to you.

No way I would trust them to find another childcarer.

The agency shouldn't charge you they sent you a crap AP it's like tenants leaving before contract is up surely? Got any lawyer friends who can write a letter for you?

no... pity....
I'm glad it's not just me who thinks that is beyond cheeky!

check your contract with the agency .. you might find they are indeed taking the mickey

I'm a contractor and agencies are my bread-line and I detest them. They do this day in day out. I'm used to their underhand tactics now (ie asking for references and then contacting these immediately asking them if they have any vacancies) having worked with them for 10 years. Hate them.

Unfortunately not much you can do here ingles - apart from never use them again. Now you know why ele and I never go with agencies. (Or maybe we should just set up our own agency )

not acceptable imho, but probably par for the (agency) course!

I'm guessing she (AP) can stick her reference where the sun doesn't shine?

you got that right marmaduke
have just spoken to cloudberrys agency. She sounds lovely. Thanks Cloud

Good grief. What horrible behaviour -- even for an agency. I would go over that contract tooth and nail and I would most certainly NOT be giving them a penny. In fact, I would demand they refund the agency fee I paid them last time. A nice stroppy letter on legal letterhead would do. ANd no no no no no way would I trust them to give me another one.

eleusis
i agree with everything you say and moreoever
how long did that TAKE you?

LOL eleusis....that MUST have taken you an age. But I appreciate the sentiment behind it.
I sent agency an email this afternoon saying I no longer wanted an AP from them. She sent back an email saying 'I think that's for the best' !!!!
Even though Clouds agency lady seems nice, I'm so simmering with resentment I'm just not sure I can do another AP. They're all nightmares from what I can see (nothing like a sweeping statement )
I need erratic childcare, 6am - 9am then 3-7.30 ish. Will anyone else do this kind of thing? It's not even regular, 1 day 1 week, 3 the next, none the next. Anybody got any suggestions?

Oh you silly people. I typed it once, copied it, and pasted repeatedly. Didn't take that long.

What about an au pair from the web. We are approaching au pair season and I would ink it would be quite easy to find a good un. You could hardly find a worse one.

And write that horrible agency demanding your agency fee back?

And tell us the agency name! (or at least their address)

I'm trying the web... everyone"s sending me the thanks but no thanks response. And absolutely no one has answered blueshoes questions!
(Bloody great big sigh!.......)

Have you tried greataupair.com. They have a fab search facility. You can weed through a lot more of them without so much time spent e-mailing back and forth.