Dubai Forums Dubai Expat Forums Dubai Expat Help Forum

hi all,
i need some help on the folllowing:
i was sponsored a visit visa by a company who called me for an interview to Dubai. they also sent me a so called return e-ticket of 'air arabia'.

when i reached dubai, the company tells me that the visit visa costs AED1500, the ticket costs AED1000. I was also told that the ticket for the return journey is a dummy/fake. the also wanted me to work for them while i was on visit visa, and also surrender my passport to them.

when i checked the cost of the VISIT VISA it is AED150 including agent commission, and the ticket cost AED450 as it is one way ticket.

i remained firm on not surrendering my passport, and managed to leave the country on my own.

i am now being threatened of being banned for life from entering UAE, and being put behind bars in India.

can someone guide me how do i get back to these guys and teach them a lesson? can someone provide me with email address where i can complain about them? I am now in India.

so stay there and be happy

the best place to complain would have been to the labour department while you were there, although you would have come off second best as you were working on your visit visa.

you could try taking it up with the indian conuslate in dubai, although i have heard mixed reports on how helpful/ unhelpful they actually are.

technically they can't ban you as you were never formally or legally employed (no labour card or residency visa), neither can they demand the money from you for processing ... employers are to bear all costs associated with recruitment and registration of employees. i think they are just trying to scare you into paying the money.

however if you were legally employed and given a labour card they could apply to have you listed as "absconded" and and banned/ blacklisted - they would then loose more money (thier labour deposit), so are not very likily to do this

was this a labour recruitment agency? or did they want to employ you directly?

Show them the middle finger.

dbxsoul wrote:was this a labour recruitment agency? or did they want to employ you directly?

this was not a labour recruitment company! it was the employer who wanted to hire me directly! i dont want to let them off so easily!

am2kewl wrote:

dbxsoul wrote:was this a labour recruitment agency? or did they want to employ you directly?

this was not a labour recruitment company! it was the employer who wanted to hire me directly! i dont want to let them off so easily!

As others have said, they can't do anything to you. You were here on a visit visa, and you didn't even work or do anything illegal.

Name the company, will ya?

unfortunatley there is not much in the way of effective legal action you can take against them - it sucks, but that's it.

if they were a labour broker, then it's a different storey and legal action/ official complaints can be made regarding thier actions and thier trade license could be revoked.

hypothetically of course - getting even is just as much fun, company email addresses that could end up on spammers lists, mobile numbers of management staff that could end up posted on "lonely hearts" bulletin boards (or scratched into the back of toilet doors)... web pages get hacked... all sorts of bad things happen to bad people

imagination is a wonderful thing

dbxsoul wrote:unfortunatley there is not much in the way of effective legal action you can take against them - it sucks, but that's it.

if they were a labour broker, then it's a different storey and legal action/ official complaints can be made regarding thier actions and thier trade license could be revoked.

hypothetically of course - getting even is just as much fun, company email addresses that could end up on spammers lists, mobile numbers of management staff that could end up posted on "lonely hearts" bulletin boards (or scratched into the back of toilet doors)... web pages get hacked... all sorts of bad things happen to bad people

imagination is a wonderful thing

hmmm...so you all are saying that they can't ban me from entering UAE. And also that even I cant do anything to them... but what about the fake ticket that they issued me? nothing can be done about that too?

look for you to be able to open a case/ lay a charge you have to be in the uae, which you are not. the uae consulate in dubai isn't interested in things like this, i wouldn't expect them to take action.

as long as you were never issued a residency visa or labour card they can't do anything. you were never officially employed by them, and any work that you may have done would have been illegal (for both parties). legally you are not obliged to repay them anything...

Really nothing else that you can do except publish the name of the Company so that others can be warned.
Unless the Company actually managed to get you a residence permit in your passport, they cannot get any ban against you, this could only be done by the Police (In case of Criminal proceedings).
The so called "Fake Ticket" is simple, they needed you to have a return ticket when you came into the Country to show at Immigration, if asked.
In the end of the day, a bad experience, try to be more careful as to which Company you are hooking up with, mind you, I guess this is not so easy coming from the Sub-Cont.
In the end of the day Ian's advice will probably give you the most satisfaction.

ok... so (i) they cant ban me from the country! (ii) I should forget everything!

well... thanks for all ur help guys! really appreciate it!

sage & onion wrote:Really nothing else that you can do except publish the name of the Company so that others can be warned.
Unless the Company actually managed to get you a residence permit in your passport, they cannot get any ban against you, this could only be done by the Police (In case of Criminal proceedings).
The so called "Fake Ticket" is simple, they needed you to have a return ticket when you came into the Country to show at Immigration, if asked.
In the end of the day, a bad experience, try to be more careful as to which Company you are hooking up with, mind you, I guess this is not so easy coming from the Sub-Cont.
In the end of the day Ian's advice will probably give you the most satisfaction.