my host family have cancelled!

[italyhereicome]

I arrived here on June 15th (last monday). The grandmother has been ill, they knew that she was coming to live with them before I came. That is WHY they needed my help with the little boy.
On Friday evening, the father takes me aside and tells me that things have changed, and that the grandmother is worse than they thought, and that there is no room here for me anymore.
I gave up my flat in Birmingham to have a year in Italy. There is not much room at my parents house, so my mum is not very happy at me coming home to say the least!
Should I ask them to pay for some of the airfare or what?
I understand that she is ill, but this as screwed me up big time.

How awful for you. good luck with coming home and with getting every reasonable penny out of them.

If we were in that family's situation, I would feel terrible, and would be paying your flight and prob 2 weeks notice. what do the contracts on AP World say? My Agency states 2 weeks unless AP does something dreadful.

When I said about working 2 weeks notice, he said fine. Work 2 weeks notice = E200
or I give you E100 now for your flight.

So I would be better off going home and earning more money at home I think.

I can't view the contracts, im not a premium member, so don't know.

will someone in the uk do me a favour please and look at how much Genoa to Gatwick on Wednesday costs? I have E177 here, but wondered if it is cheaper if I get my mum in th Uk to book it there.

Surely as a laywer he should be aware that he entered into a verbal contract with you? There doesn't have to be a signed piece of paper.
Will look at flights for you, hang on.

I guess that AP world can only give contracts as examples but is not responsible whether the family use them or not. And the family can say of course that without contract they are not obliged to do/pay anything. They don´t seem to care about the moral part of it, do they
Good luck and don´t worry, most of the families are lovely so don´t let this horrible one to put you off AP experience.
I was an AP 5 times (for a summer) for 4 different families and with the 2nd one actually something similar happened to me - a long story, but I was working nonstop for 50/week (incl.weekends when the family left me with kids in the morning, went to a festival and came back at 11pm, without even asking or paying extra) and when I said I wasnt happy and was considering leaving, they got angry and made it look like they fired me because I was no good and lazy etc. - I was 18 at that point and it did put me off quite a lot, luckily I was able to contact a family from the year before and stay with them for a couple of them and sort myself out, as this family told me to leave the next day. Lovely! After that I thought "never ever do I want to be an AP again", but the next summer I thought I could give it one more try and found a wonderful family and had a great summer with them - we are still in touch and I see them every time I visit the UK, they came to see me to my country etc. The other 2 families were also very good - so definitely there are plenty of nice people! Unfortunately you have been unlucky with your 1st AP experience, but I hope the next one will be great for you!
Btw any chance you could post some of the stuff home, so that you dont have to throw it away?

the lawyer is the wife. yes i suppose a verbal contract, but it wasn't stipulated at any time in any conversation "if you have to go home early, we will pay for you" so i don't really have anything to fall back on.
He keeps saying 'im not obligated to give you anything, im doing this to be kind' to make me feel grateful....its not working. and is incredibly irritating.

hi evuscha. i hadn't thought about posting things. would have thought it would be really expensive though? To send a postcard cost 60c, so im not to sure about an international package!
I know doing it via a courier eg dhl/fedex is really expensive but not sure about general post..hmmm.

Posting is not too bad, less than courier.

I would say go by train/coach - it will be slower but definitely cheaper and you can take all your luggage with you.

If you do end up coming to Paris and I can probably find you a home for the summer (I promise I'm not an internet psycho - I've been where you are and it's not nice).

I don´t know about Italy, but in the UK there are companies that deliver your things quite cheaply, fixed price per one piece (suitcase, box..) or per kg, like this one - although that is from the UK to Europe, not the other way round - but there might be some Italian one doing the same.

This is shocking. I would get in touch with the nearest British Embassy or Consulate, they might be able to help: ukinitaly.fco.gov.uk/en/our-offices-in-italy/other-locations-in-italy/
Hope you get home (or to your next AP host) safely.

HI,

have had a look at Lufthansa and the flights for Weds are showing as 751 euro

Easyjet have a flight from Milan on Weds for 89.99 euro at 16.50pm.
tbh, it looks like it would be easier for you to book a flight from there.
Sorry, i'm not being much help.

Based on what I can find on www.mondaq.com they are breaking Italian employment law.

If you have no contract then you are deemed to be a permanent employee (if you had a contract you would be temporary and have less rights).

You say the mum is a lawyer, do you know what type (advocate, notary or employment), depending on how you are feeling, you could threaten to complain to their professional association about their behaviour (only make this threat if you are prepared to carry it through).

And he is wrong they are obligated to give you money for unfair dismissal under Italian employment law.

According to bravofly for Wednesday:

56EUR Malpensa to Heathrow with Lufthansa
68EUR Orio Al Serio to Stansted with Ryanair
90EUR Malpensa to Gatwick with Easyjet

Expedia (www.expedia.co.uk)are showing Lufthansa direct from Milan (MXP) at £47. Forget coach and train this was far more expensive (even allowing for the luggage thing).

idranktheteaatwork hello! the flight with lufthansa will be from milan not genoa for that ver expensive reason!

dadinstead of mum. I have my card in front of me. she is an 'avvocato' whatever that means?

Have you got a link to any info on the obligation? thanks

yea, at the minute its looking like Lufthansa - heathrow. its just a case of the extra nearly 20kg of stuff!

I´d personally go to threatening after you are on your way out of the house - I´ve heard the stories of APs being thrown out of house at night before

yea, im not doing anything until im packed and have a flight booked. but would be good to know.

could someone please look on BA please for Genoa to Gatwick?

I found 199e on Wednesday, 177e Thursday, 154e Saturday

Just wanted to say I'm really and at what has happened to you.

yea, need it in £sterling though. it is slightly cheaper apparently if booked in Uk, but mum isnt answering her phone so i cant get her to look it up!!

think i might have to bite the (very expensive) bullet and go with BA. im looking at about E200...

BA will only quote in Euro if start point is in eurozone - so even on UK website they are showing EUR199.

Avocato is advocate, so highest form of lawyer (equivalent to a barrister) so most to lose from a formal complaint.

On the mondaq website I posted the link to, the articles are only accesible if you register (for free) but once you have if you search for Italian Employment Law Wrongful Dismissal - you will have everything you need.

can i ask what seems a bit like a stupid question;
if i was to complain about her, what exactly am i going to gain from it? its happening at her home, not something professional...

ok, i did the search and registered but it is only comin up with things about contracts- which i dont have!