WHEN Cacisani Mdlalose saw an online advert for his field of work in Italy, he was over the moon.
The 26-year-old from KwaMashu, north of Durban immediately contacted Tact in Action Employment Abroad, an online recruitment agency.
“I applied in October and in no time they told me they had found a job for me in Italy. They said I would be joining a cruise ship’s maintenance department,” he said.
Cacisani said the agency asked him to pay R3 500 for registration. They later demanded a R7 000 placement fee as well as R5 000 for medical tests.
He said: “What surprised me was that I didn’t get to even do the tests they claimed I would do on arrival in Italy. I took the money I had saved while working at the South African Navy and paid the money required.
“The consultant who helped me told me that I would leave the country in May. I was excited about the job and even told my family and friends.”
Cacisani said when May arrived, nothing happened.
“The agent told me to wait because there were other things they were still working on. I became worried when I went to their Durban offices in June and found a man who had a complaint similar to mine. He was demanding his money back.
“When I asked for my money, I was told there was no refund. But when I applied, I was assured the money is refundable if you are no longer interested,” he said.
When contacted by Daily Sun, a consultant who only identified herself as Chantel said she had received a cancellation letter from Cacisani.
“I am working on refunding him. He is lying. We did not refuse to give him his money back,” she said.
However, she refused to say when Cacisani would receive his refund.
