補習-Education center branded job trap

hktutorcity.com-上門補習

Nine job-seekers have accused an unnamed education center in Mong Kok of putting them under pressure to engage in pyramid-selling.
The nine, aged between 18 and 20, and accompanied by the chairwoman of the Women's Affairs Committee of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, Elizabeth Quat, reported the case to the police Commercial Crime Bureau in Wan Chai yesterday.

Quat said the institute pressed the recruits to become course promoters and to subscribe to those courses, costing HK$10,000 to HK$50,000.

She estimates the total amount involved is more than HK$100,000.

ADVERTISEMENT


"The center told them that as course promoters, they need to better understand the courses - including English and finance - by subscribing to them," Quat said.

Committee vice chairman Lai Wing- ho said courses were compulsory for recruitment agents, otherwise they were not allowed to promote them.

Lai said after subscribing, the complainants were required to provide contact details of their families, relatives and friends for marketing and to promote courses provided by the center.

"They suspected it was a pyramid- selling practice," he said, adding that if they refused to provide such details, they were told they would not be allowed to complete the courses.

One complainant, identified only as Wong, said he had been asked by the center to provide a contact list of his friends.

"I did not realize the problem until one of my friends told me it was inappropriate," Wong said, adding that he did not have a basic salary.

"The center kept encouraging me to promote the courses. They told me I would receive HK$1,000 for every person I persuaded to subscribe to the courses."

Lai said the center is still operating.

With the summer holidays approaching, Quat warned school leavers and summer job-seekers to beware of job traps.

The DAB called on the government to strengthen education among the public on how to avoid falling into such traps.

A police spokeswoman said: "Since the cases are under investigation, we will not make any comment at this time."