Expert AuPair - St. Petersburg, Florida

Sim Dau

After representing Expert Au Pair in Vietnam for five years, I decided to terminate our partnership due to repeated instances of unprofessional conduct and breaches of contract by the CEO, Mark Gaulter.
1. As a former au pair who worked with Expert AuPair, my role was to represent the company in Vietnam, recruiting candidates and helping them match with host families. Everything went smoothly until the later stages of our partnership when Mark unilaterally canceled one candidate’s profile due to her preferences, without first discussing the issue with either me or the candidate. He provided no explanation to her, disregarding her efforts after more than one year of preparation. When I asked him why, he simply stated, 'We do not entertain racism,' showing a complete lack of respect for both the candidate and myself. His actions not only hurt her but also damaged my reputation in Vietnam. Every time I raised concerns, he would threaten to end our partnership without trying to find a solution or compromise.
In another case, a candidate was asked to schedule a second interview after her first visa denial. Both she and I were informed that the host family was still willing to proceed with her. We arranged the interview, but later, the company informed us that the family had changed their mind. Interestingly, I was in contact with the host family directly, and the host mother revealed that Expert AuPair had advised them against continuing with the same candidate, citing a low chance of visa approval. Meanwhile, Mark promised the candidate a refund for the interview fee if she couldn’t find another family, but he never followed through. The entire situation was the company’s fault, and yet he didn’t have the decency to apologize or explain to the candidate.
2. Mark also violated our contract by working directly with candidates who were supposed to go through me, as outlined in our agreement. He was willing to accept unqualified candidates, some with poor intentions or unsuitable personalities. I think that’s why a lot of host families had issues with their au pairs.
Throughout my time working with the company, I maintained high standards, ensuring a thorough screening process for recruiting au pairs. I understood the expectations of host families and carefully selected candidates who were well-suited for the program. Unfortunately, Mark disregarded this and insisted on choosing/accepting candidates himself, despite having me representing their company. It’s crucial to verify candidates' childcare experience, personalities, motivations, and ensure they are well-prepared for their role. Expert AuPair seemed indifferent to these critical aspects.
After all the unnecessary drama, I decided it was time to stop working with them. I originally wanted to represent Expert AuPair because I wanted to help more Vietnamese girls experience the au pair program, but I never anticipated being unable to defend them when they needed me most. He put me in a situation where I had to witness them being treated unfairly and I could not do anything. It was devastating. After working with these candidates for so long and seeing their commitment to improving their English and childcare skills, it was heartbreaking to see their efforts dismissed.
Ultimately, I’d rather find a better partner than continue working with a company whose CEO lacks basic respect and ethics.

Andrea Sinkin

Let me start off by saying I have never reviewed something before, but when this came our way as a request, I jumped at the opportunity . Expert Au Pair has been extremely helpful kind and a true partner to us so this was the least we could do to express our gratitude and let the world know what a wonderful experience we are having with them

We came to Expert Au Pair from our own Internet research. We had previously matched with another au pair with a different agency who did not pass her first visa interview ? and expert Au pair graciously agreed to take us on as a pre-match and let her have a second try to pass the visa interview. This was above and beyond what the previous agency was offering!

Unfortunately, as luck would have it, the young lady we had matched with once again did not pass the visa interview so that was the end of the road

At this juncture, we could have gone to a different agency or gone back to the original one as we had already paid for the year with them- We had a fight in front of us get a refund!- But we decided to stay with Expert Au Pair regardless because they had been so gracious and welcoming and helpful- and yes in the end, the previous agency did give us a refund. We were so impressed with the responsiveness from Mark who is the CEO of Expert Au Pair That we wanted put our trust into their process.

Expert Au Pair Immediately sent us a list of About 20 candidates - all pre screened. This was much better for me than the endless searching on the website from our previous agency . We were hoping to have more geographic regions, but they have a specialty in S America and Mexico from what I understand… Regardless, we found a few young ladies we connected with…. Once we matched, They sent out their local representative PAOLA For an interview in our house.

To be honest, we were What? dreading it as we had just been through this with the other agency and we were running in 19 directions! That said, when Paola Arrived to our home it was immediately like welcoming family. She was thoughtful And kind and gracious and compassionate and funny, and truly a very remarkable woman. She has been doing this long time and cares very deeply about the family and the young ladies and her company- It was impossible to not immediately fall in love with her. Even while we were running on fumes, we felt Like we didn’t want to say goodbye to her!

And since then, we have gotten to know this agency and Paola 1000 times better. We renewed for a second year In March with our current Au Pair So we have Had interactions with them from all different levels.

This is an agency that cares deeply about their families and their Au pairs. They are dedicated to the happiness of the family and also the Au pair. We have had endless questions through the program that they never leave us hanging on. We were a first time family and they are still Learning as we go, and we could not do this without their support.

We had previously had the same live-in nanny for eight years so this was a learning curve for us but a very welcome one.

We have had a wonderful experience with the agency, Our local representative and of course our Au pair.

Throughout the year, when things have come up such as Medical issues, And other unexpected bumps in the road they have held our hand and talked us through every part of the process.

They also interact with the Au pairs regularly and plan events And gathering to keep them connected social and adhering to program guidelines …. But it is all done with loving hand and loving guidance

Paola Has been remarkable in this process. She gives us endless support and never judges, and is always an open ear and helpful guide But most importantly, she is a friend to us all

I hope this allows the reader to understand the true partnership this agency has offered us. We are incredibly grateful

Marília Farias

Worst Agency ever! I had a lot of issues with my host family and asked for help, one the things got worse and they told me to live the house if I wasn’t feeling safe so I did only for them to tell me that since I left the house they couldn’t do anything (again: They told me to do so). The CEO is the most rude person ever he threat me saying that I was lying all the time and that I said that I wanted to live asap (which is true but I was asking for their help until my host mom get really mad and told me to live and talked to the agency on the phone and she asked me if I was feeling safe). I had a place to sleep only for one night and the day after I spent the whole day inside a library because was cold and had to sleep at the airport because I was begging for help and Mark only said that this was my fault and my problem.

Karine & JC DULIO

We have been with Expert Aupair for 9 years, and we are still happy.
We had wonderful aupairs, and still in contact with some of them.
I can’t say the matching process is easy, it’s not easy!!
Matching process is a common decision of the host family and the future aupair! You need to take into account your life style, diet, activities and make sure they work for both parties!
Lately after our aupair came back to her country after only 6 months with us (she was home sick), we welcomed an aupair in rematch. And We are very happy with this new aupair!
She plays with our daughter all the time, always laughing.
You need to see your aupair as a big sister/brother, part of the family. Not an employee! I’ve heard from some aupais that some families can easily take advantage of the situation.

I like Expert Aupair, they always helped us along the process (especially during the rematch) , our local representative is also an amazing support!
It’s a small agency but I think it’s better because they know the families and the aupairs.
I will continue to stay with Expert Aupair and recommend this agency!

Mebarka Elkhansaa Rabiai

I want to share my own experience with Expert Aupair that was really great because of the hard work that all the team do.every time I have a question and ask them, they answer me very fast and giving me support.
If you are a family or an Aupair I recommend you choosing Expert Aupair as they are very trustful and will provide you will all the information you need, Also I find it the most affordable Agency comparing by the others and it covers so many places around the states.
Thanks

Lorenzo Fulgencio

Avoid ! Avoid ! Avoid !

Had a terrible experience with Expert Au Pair. Firstly, they do not assist with the matching process they simply send you several profiles of several different Au Pairs each varying in skills and age, not chosen for any reason in particular. Expert also does not mediate when issues arise. Au Pairs receive unlimited rematch opportunities and host families get one rematch regardless of the reason. They have terrible customer service in particular Mark Gaulter.

Had an Au Pair for approximately six months. This Au Pair did not have any discernable skills, she could not clean, cook any meals and needed specific instructions to do simple menial tasks. She did claim to have all these skills and experience with toddlers. Also, she was not the most hygenic in that she did not wash her hands before handling the child and on several occasions she would return from exercising in the gym then attempt to care for the child before bathing or changing the clothes she wore to exercise. She would pet my dog then try and prepare my child's meals. Each time I observed this I intervened of course and to her dismay she could not understand why washing her hands or changing her clothing was important. Au Pair also on many occasions did not use good judgment when caring for the child in that on some occassions the child gave her a hard time to eat but instead of trying again at a later time she would let the child go without eating and not mention anything about it.

Au Pair work ethic was mediocre at best, in that she could never do anything unless instructed to do so, would show up exactly on time or a minute past her shift, repeatedly asked same questions for several weeks, never committed anything to memory nor wrote anything down. Au Pair on several occasions would be on her phone during work hours and would move the nanny camera or stand somewhere she believed was out of the camera's range so she could be on her phone. I also caught her eavesdropping on me while I was having a conversation in my bedroom.

The Au Pair's integrity was also lacking in that whenever the Au Pair was asked if everything was fine she would always state everything was fine but then would email the coordinator to complain about the most insignificant and trivial things. For instance she had recieved a food item from a food pantry, brought it to my home, left it in the kitchen for some time and when it expired it was thrown out. I thought nothing of it until the coordinator mentioned that the Au Pair was upset that it was thrown out and Au Pair contacted her via email to complain. The food item was promptly replaced and when Au Pair was informed that the food item was thrown out because it was expired she again ensured that it was not a big deal and denied complaining about it.

It was obvious Expert Au Pair's screening process is non-existent and they overstate the abilities and experience possessed by their Au Pair candidate pool. In addition my Au Pair also confided that many of the things that Expert Au Pair promised her after signing the contract were not true. When the Au Pair arrived she complained about not having all holidays off, she requested time off just two months into her placement and requested that all of her transportation costs be paid for by the host family even when she traveled for leisure.

A meeting between the Au Pair, coordinator and myself was set up and during said meeting Au Pair immediately asked for a rematch and did not want to talk about anything but insisted on a friendly rematch. Coordinator did not try and mitigate the situation nor did Expert Au Pair hold the Au Pair accountable for anything in fact Mark Gaulter without having any first hand knowledge of what transpired accused me and my family as being dishonest and the reason for the Au Pair leaving.

Note: The only really good review for Expert Au Pair is written by an Au Pair. Expert also has the cheapest fees for Au Pair's to join the agency.

A P

“I am completely dissatisfied with the service I received from Expert AuPair. The ordeal reached its peak when Mark Gautler, the head of Expert AuPair, coerced me into accepting a mere fraction of what was rightfully mine, a full refund, following a blatant violation of our agreement and the company’s irresponsible hiring practices.

The depths of deception were plumbed when Expert AuPair utterly failed to conduct a thorough background and training verification of the Au Pair, and additionally, fell short of acting as an unbiased mediator in addressing the disputes that arose.

It’s critical to underscore that at the time of the Au Pair’s arrival, I was 26 weeks pregnant, grappling with a high-risk pregnancy, making the removal of the Au Pair from my home not just a preference but a medical necessity once their presence began to jeopardize my health.

Upon arrival from abroad, the Au Pair, whose credentials were seemingly unverified, lacked essential skills such as CPR, had no practical knowledge of child safety, and was ill-prepared to care for a toddler. In a mere two weeks, the series of mishaps included my toddler being lost at a public place, suffering injuries due to negligence, and enduring preventable hygiene-related discomforts.

The situation escalated with the Au Pair compromising our family’s safety by inviting strangers to our home and engaging in activities that led to police intervention—a first for us—aggravating my pregnancy-related health risks significantly.

In attempting to resolve these issues with Mark Gautler, it became evident that the promises about their vetting and evaluation processes were grossly misrepresented. My attempts to highlight these failures were met with resistance, and Gautler’s refusal to follow the agency’s own procedures or advocate on our behalf was appalling. He was far from neutral, prioritizing the agency’s interests over our family’s safety and well-being.

Moreover, Gaulter’s approach was confrontational, accusing me baselessly and pressuring me into silence by threatening the withdrawal of any refund if legal advice was sought. His insistence on us bearing the cost of the Au Pair’s return, only for her to remain in the country and be reassigned, speaks volumes of the agency’s disregard for genuine concern and safety.

In summary, my experience with Expert AuPair was marred by negligence, deceit, and manipulation, with the agency’s actions—or lack thereof—posing serious risks and leaving our family in a vulnerable state.”

Justin Wright

I find myself in the unfortunate position of having to detail my distressing experience with Expert AuPair, a situation made all the more unacceptable by Mark Gautler’s handling of our case. As a father and husband, my primary concern is the safety and well-being of my family, which was compromised under the care provided by the au pair placed with us by Expert AuPair.

Upon the au pair’s arrival, it became apparent that the rigorous screening process promised by Expert AuPair was grossly overstated. Despite claims of thorough training and vetting, the au pair displayed a concerning lack of essential skills such as CPR and basic child safety knowledge, which directly endangered the well-being of our young child. The series of incidents that unfolded—including negligence that led to my child’s minor injury and a severe lapse in judgment by inviting unknown individuals to our home—culminated in a situation that no family should ever face.

To add to our distress, when these serious concerns were brought to Mark Gautler’s attention, his response was far from professional. Instead of offering support and immediate remediation, Gautler’s approach was defensive and ultimately aggressive, insisting on a partial refund as the only solution and disregarding the emotional and physical toll on my family. This stance was not only dismissive but also seemed intended to dissuade further action on our part.

Moreover, the resolution offered by Expert AuPair fell significantly short of addressing the core issues at hand, including the lack of proper vetting and the au pair’s inability to meet the basic requirements for childcare. The suggestion that we were somehow at fault for the au pair’s failures was both insulting and baseless.

In the end, the lack of accountability and the unwillingness to provide a satisfactory resolution left us feeling abandoned and disregarded by an agency that had promised to prioritize the needs and safety of its clients. This ordeal has been a harrowing reminder of the importance of diligent research and the need for transparency and integrity in the au pair placement process.

I share this account not out of spite but in the hope that it will prevent other families from enduring a similar ordeal. The safety of children and the peace of mind of parents should never be compromised, and it is imperative that au pair agencies uphold the highest standards of care and responsibility.