Soaked for More China Adoption Fees Yet Still Not Mad at Agency

By on 2-21-2012 in China, Hague Convention, International Adoption, Unethical behavior

Soaked for More China Adoption Fees Yet Still Not Mad at Agency

I could have titled this Why Agencies Can Continue their Corrupt Ways, too. It is because PAPs take it because they are so close to finalizing the adoption. This is why Hague is a joke.

Excerpt from the Public Forum China Adopt Talk http://chinaadopttalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=80339.0

“Just a few days before we left, we were notified of a number of fees that needed to be paid that we were unprepared for.

One of them was the guide fees and hotel fees. We thought those fees had already been paid but apparently they had not. The hotel fees we thought we would pay while we were actually at the hotel and that we could use our business credit card because we are also here on business, most of our in country costs are paid for thru my dh’s company except for the parts of our trip that are only adoption related. I was surprised to find out that we had to send a check prior to travel for these hotel and guide fees.

Also, I just got an email from our China coordinator that the majority of her fee has not been collected. $1000 to her is waiting to be paid. I am so annoyed!! We just paid about $4000 more than we were notified about in advance. I understand all the fees, really I do. But, I have been so careful to ASK about all the fees that were due BEFORE travel so we could prepare for them. We don’t have a money tree growing in the back yard since I last checked….

I am frustrated and annoyed that these fees weren’t disclosed and of course, I would never think to not pay them but THIS is not the time to be notified of such things. NOT AT ALL!!”

This is more than “annoying”. Besides being unethical, China is a Hague country. Hague rules state that ALL fees SHALL be disclosed PRIOR TO APPLICATION! 22 CFR ” § 96.40 Fee policies and procedures.

(a) The agency or person provides to all applicants, prior to application, a written schedule of expected total fees and estimated expenses and an explanation of the conditions under which fees or expenses may be charged, waived, reduced, or refunded and of when and how the fees and expenses must be paid.
(b) Before providing any adoption service to prospective adoptive parent(s), the agency or person itemizes and discloses in writing the following information for each separate category of fees and estimated expenses that the prospective adoptive parent(s) will be charged in connection with a Convention adoption:”

Hotel fees should not EVER have to be paid to an agency. Kickbacks are common in this type of scheme.

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Hague2

Agencies don’t follow Hague rules and there is no enforcement when they refuse to follow it. International adoption is still the wild west even in Hague countries.

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