Syedney

Hi All

This is my first ever post here (so please go easy on me !). We always wanted to emigrate to Oz and last year, duly, we started the TRA process with one of the agents in London (I will withhold their name as not to give them free ad!). We paid £1000 for the initial stage to kick start. After we made the initial application to them, and while we were in the process of gathering all the documentation for the OH to submit to TRA, the agents told us that the pathway the OH was using which is pathway D has been removed for now. In the meantime, I received a sponsorship from an OZ company and they will pay for relocation etc to Sydney. We now are going through this route. I haven't told the agents yet.
Now, we would like to get our money back from the migration agents but I cannot see how. The migration process as far as we understand has grinded to a halt because of removal of pathway D. Anyone has ever managed a refund from the agents? What ground can we use?

Syedney

Had quite a few viewers to this thread and no replies...hmmm. Either no one has ever asked for a refund fom migration agents or this has been answered elsewhere and I have inadvertently wasted my time and others. If so, please let me know so I can find it.

PS: Anyone has ever dealt with migration laws of 1958? Maybe Sherlock Holmes has...it's so ancient!

Baby75

Hope you find an answer soon did they give you a contract may be its in that as they didn't do they job you needed them too you have to be entitled to a refund im surprised they didn't offer it to you may be you might need a solicitor advise on this. Im sure if im wrong some one will correct me

Baby75

sent you a pm check your inbox good luck

JAJ

The Migration Act 1958 has been extensively amended and now bears little resemblance to what was originally enacted.

That's not a problem as newly consolidated versions are always available.

What exactly are you asking?

laguna33p

It should say in the small print

Joosy

Hi, I know exactly how you feel - we started the process before Pathway D was removed and now we're in limbo, having paid our agent already. I haven't asked for a refund, I'm just waiting patiently (!) and hoping some news is going to come soon!

Not sure how you would go about getting a refund as it's not actually the agent's fault; maybe if people were really peed off they might think about getting compensation from the Aussie Government!!! However, I do remember reading a post on here where someone said for the agents to have an amount of money without seeing the work through (due to legislation changes or whatever), then it's really money for nothing and could be seen as a "windfall" which they shouldn't actually benefit from.

Here's hoping that a decision about Pathway D is announced soon and we can all get on with our applications. Good luck xx

Syedney

Thanks to everyone who responded. I couldn't have put it better Joosy, we are truly in a LIMBO state with pathway D.

I believe that most agents are honest bunch...Most!

Like you Joosy, we keep getting emails from the agent every so often asking us to wait for changes in legislation...We don't mind waiting but for how long???

I think there is a case for refund if your agent hasn't sent in the application form yet.
I will chase it up with agent. Will keep you informed.

ivorfatarse

Hi, we know how you feel also, we signed up last year with our agent and then pathway d was removed 2 weeks later, we asked our agent for our retainer back, but he said "it was impossible because he had too many clients in the same position and to pay them all would bankrupt him, and he has had to make redundancies because of pathway d. This we feel is not our problem as we have paid our money which looks like it may be lost - although he did say that TRA hope to announce a solution in July.

George Lombard

Hi All,

As an ethical agency we do have a fair refund policy and a number of our clients had funds returned after the Pathway D fiasco, but what your rights would be depends on the cost agreement offered. Retaining funds without performing the service seems a poor business practice to me; the MARA is also more likely to get involved if no refund is offered.

Cheers,

George Lombard

Syedney

Thanks for that infor about MARA, George and agree full heartedly with your reasoning about it being a poor service if an agency is refusing to refund when they have hadly done anything for us.

I am pretty sure, like you highlight in your comments, that there are some honest hard working agents, who helped countless people to emigrate. Shame that minority is ruining the reputation build up by honest breed.