Let's Japan.org Debunking Eikaiwa and Ramblings in Japan

I filled out mail forwarding cards at the post office and despite two moves, I still received my certificate! (I also sent in a fax to update my address on Saturday but it was too late!) I do question the amounts on the paperwork concerning rent taken out. Why are the trustees deducting September's rent but not October nor November??? And, why did G-edu take out rent for December when I lived in an old Nova apartment that the company didn't keep and had to move out of on Christmas day????? I thought G-Edu wasn't responsible for old NOVA debts. Thats what they said when my gas was turned off in Early December and I had to pay to have it turned back on. The gas company is trying to make me pay the rest of the bill but I never signed anything! Whats with all the inconsistencies??? And did anyone ever figure out how the trustees cam up with such a low number for stay at home pay in November? 60% of 80% or 80% of 60% is still more than I received. I even tried the average of three months divided by 91 days and then multiplied by 20 working days...it's still doesn't add up but, Thats about right! Does anyone else have similar inconsistencies?

whats this have to do with gcom? are the Trustees different from gcom?

please not the chuo line if you do. that line gets enough suicide related delays

I quite agree. I got my forms, in England. But the fact that people still don't have them after faxing them their details is a ******* disgrace. We need to show some solidarity here. I'm prepared to do anything to help, and others should do the same. It sickens me when I read people gloating about getting their forms, and getting more than they expected etc. A sad, immature, naff bloody thing to do.

Actually the Trustees did confirm receipt of the polite fax I sent them asking them to update my information. The next day someone called me to tell me they received and that the papers would be in the mail the following week, and they were. Sending a complaint won't help the situation. Calling them, calling the media, killing yourself . . .it's all just nonsense. If they get it wrong . . .send another polite fax again. Don't throw a baby tantrum. I think it's hilarious that the way you want to handle the situation is to scream and kick and jump in front of a train. I seriously don't blame the trustees for not having email or phone contact. You babies just slow the whole process down for everybody else. And no, they aren't doing it intentionally. They dont like you babies, and they hate it when you dirty your diapers and start screaming for them to change it for you.

I'm sorry but my faxes were perfectly polite. I had no reason to be rude to the Trustees.
I think there's good reason to beleive they haven't exercised due care, and that a large number of instructors may have been affected.
I want to know how many, and make sure the problem is fixed. That's all.

Twenty percent fee for the overseas remittance is ridiculous. For me that comes to almost 100,000 yen.

I called the trustees and asked them if they could deposit the money into a friend's account (I closed mine before I left). They won't do it.

I tried opening an account with Citi (Tokyo Branch), but no luck... I have to be a current resident of Japan...

I still have an account with Lloyds so I asked them if they could accept a deposit from Nova. They told me that they couldn't accept deposits from third party members and that I should ask a friend who has a Lloyd account to add my name as one of the beneficiaries... but as Nova won't deposit money to account other than mine, this can't be done. Then they wrote: "Of course the ideal situation would be for a representative from Nova to register with our service and send the funds that way. This would also be a much more trouble-free process for them, as they would simply have to add teachers such as yourself as their beneficiaries, and make domestic transfers to each of these as appropriate."
Domestic transfers would be alot cheaper for them! In fact, each time I made a transfer in the past with them, it only cost 2,000 yen. Quite a difference to this 20%...Check this website if you don't know about Lloyds: https://www.golloyds.com/en/index.php

Anyone figure out how to get around this somehow?

Don't joke about that shit, my wife is suffering from clinical depression.

Right, thanks for clarifying that. But I definitely agree the 20% income tax they've imposed is a rip-off. They're only doing it because thay can.

It's pretty standard that they would charge you the 20% non-resident tax for the pay you were due once you left the country (if NOVA was your last gig in the country and you go out before the following month's 15th). I agree that it's poopoo because you earned the money while a resident of Japan, and in this case many of us were there when the money was due to be deposited. In any case, I would imagine that most governments have a system of screwing foreign labor over when they depart the country. We aren't voters, we have no power, so why worry about pissing us off? Especially since we won't be nearby to complain. I'm just glad that I'll be getting some money, the bills are piling up.

I know people that received confirmation of their faxes too . . .and obviously they were still in Japan. Calling England? Come on. I think that having phone lines open and email would have slowed the process up for everybody. I understand the frustration, of course, but complaining (especially when it sounds like pretty much everyone received their papers whether to an old address or not - which could be a post office error) is not the way to get your money, or help put the whole messy situaiton behind us all. Do you have your papers? Did you mail them? Did you make copies? If yes, then shut up, move on . . .babies.

Those who have left the country and are being hit by the 20% can console themselves with the fact that they won't be hit by an extortionate local tax bill in the spring. Swings and roundabouts my friends.

Having found out how few people there are working on this for the trustees it's not surprising things have screwed up for a minority of people. But disorganization and understaffing aren't our fault. There are people writing on the forum who even now haven't got their papers. Is Mr/Mrs. high and mighty canadajin, saying they wouldn't be tempted to politely)complain or come on here for a bit of support if they needed the money if they hadn't recieved any papers yet (for fear of being a "baby"). Agreed that it will be sorted out for everyone in the end and people are overreacting, but jesus christ.

BTW if people are getting their forms sent to their old address in a trustees envelope with that printed on the front by them, that clearly isn't a post office error. That means they have lost or disregarded faxes. This appears to have happened to a sizeable minority, BUT DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT COMPLAINING BECAUSE THAT WILL MAKE YOU A BABY.

We understand that they're doing this for 7000 people, and to make it more difficult they are receiving the majority of the faxes in a foreeign language. But It's something they had to get right. Some of the mistakes mentioned so far show that they clearly haven't implemented a suitable system for managing our information.

It certainly was a difficult undertaking for the trustees, but it doesn't seem to have been done in exactly the most efficient of ways. And they knew they would be receiving a lot of faxes in English. If they were confused about the content that could be the fault of the person faxing of course. But it seems there are too many people who have done everything right who haven't heard a thing, I know of one of them myself.

But don't worry just fax them again with your details, 2,3,4 times if you have to, and it will be put right. They're not doing it on purpose.

The points for insisting on snail mail and faxes are simple:

(a) A reasonable number of instructors will simply not bother - all too difficult.
(b) They can more easily claim non-receipt, and it is more difficult to prove receipt. Even a transmission verification read out from a sending fax machine means nothing, if the fax machine at the other end was out of ink.
(c) It is harder for the "client" to keep a copy - if it goes by email, much, much easier.

The whole process is designed to make it as frustrating as possible, and to enable them to defer and buy time - "Hey, we have no record of your papers".

Any ex-Nova employee should in fact send it what they want by registered mail, and keep the detail, so they can in fact prove their papers were delivered, and even, if push comes to shuv, verify who signed for them.

..and i dont have anything but sympathy for anyone whos in dire straits here...as i am one of them as well.

if you re-read my posts carefully, i was "merely" suggesting that you dont talk about committing suicide over this issue.

but no no, just jump to conclusions..cuz thats what paranoid little monkey brained assholes do.

other folks are calling you babies...it is not I..I sign all my posts.

FYI, My friend posted his back pay claim forms last week and will be recieving the money on 5th of march, it took less than a week to process, I sent my papers 2 days after and got a slip in the mail today informing me of my back salary to come in on 10th march, I guess it first in first served, so if you delay your forms there will no doubt be a backlog.

i also received a slip in the mail today saying that my money was processed and will be deposited on the 5th of March.

I still haven't received my application forms. I've sent 4 faxes and gave my details to the union to pass on to the trustees months ago.

I'm not going to top myself but I'm so sick of this crap just to get money that is rightfully mine.

I apologise for attributing the "babies" comment to you, its just that your tone was so similiar to the other poster. And, of course, describing someone as a "paranoid monkey-brained asshole" is far more level-headed and mature. So apologies again.

paid to me on the 5th, finally.

I am finished. No forms. 4 million faxes I will kill myself March 5th in protest and hopefully that will get their attention. I am obviously in need of help and since I cannot afford to get any it's over for me.

I live at minamitatsumi.

All the best to you too Cedric!

I am sure you will be moving onto bigger and better things.

there is a number for the trustees. I just called them, they took down some info: my dob, name, phone number. called me right back and confirmed they had received my application for replacement wages.
Jabon Labor Bureau.

Spat out of after years of service. I can't handle this shit anymore, and am ready to kill myself. After all I have given to Japan and the Japanese, this is my reward. Why did I waste my late 20's and 30's doing this bullshit? This is the end. Thanks Nova. Thanks for destoying my life, you sons of bitches. This is the end.

I seriously doubt there was any phone number in the first place. You're jus bull*******.

I posted my forms on February 25th but have also heard nothing. Trying to be patient but knowing Japanese bureaucracy, I suspect a fuck up. Also my friend got his money today. Will call them tomorrow if I don`t have anything by tomorrow.

Do they have English speakers there? Doubt my limited Japanese will be enough.

How many of us are in the same boat?

to all those saying they have called the trustees, spare a thought for your fellow man and tell us the bloody number

I think the mysterious number people are refering to is not the trustees number , but the number of Japan labour and welfare organisation http://www.rofuku.go.jp/kinrosyashien/miharai.html

044 556 9910

They are the people to contact to check if ones application has been received and when payment is due .

Wow, I can't even begin to describe the amount of anger that overwhelms me to realize that some people in Japan have already had their rightfully earned money deposited into their bank accounts, and others like myself in Canada/USA/UK/ETC. have not even received their replacement of back wages documents in the mail!!! Like several others who have posted, I have faxed the trustees 3 times and mailed them a letter identifying myself and providing my new address, and although very formal and polite...I have received nothing!!! It's extremely frustrating to have to deal with the fact that the demise of Nova cut my stay in Japan short, and then forced me to use whatever money I had saved up to survive in Japan for about two months, before I was left with no other option than returning home. Now that I finally have a chance to collect some (a very poor sum) of that desperately needed money, I'm not eligible to collect yet due to lack of paperwork??? That's fucking bullshit! Not to mention a visible sign of inconsideration on behalf of the Trustees. I do understand that they must be swampped with questions and concerns, but that's precisely why they didn't provide a telephone number or email address, so they could better focus on the tast at hand, which is sending EVERYONE their pending documents!!!

I've been waiting two weeks now for those papers to come in, and I think I've been patient enough. It almost makes me want to fly right back to Japan and deal with this issue face to face in the Trustess office, and with the Japanese governemnt, because apparently there seems to be no other resolution for those of us that are stranded abroad. I will call that number that was previously posted by a generous comrade, and hope that they will provide some information as it pertains to this serious matter. Anyway, good luck to the rest of the folks out there in the same situation as myself, and to those of you who have already received that money...be wise my friends, as you don't want something like this to ever happen to you while you're still there.

you are gonna get boned out of another 20 percent..sorry for this..good luck getting a new job at home...luckily for you summer is coming..(if youre not in Oz/NZ that is..)

keep on them though...

You wouldn't be living in Perth and about to move again right now would you? Mate, I know you probably need the cash now but don't worry, we're going to get help from other avenues if they keep preventing us from getting our backpay.

Hey Guys,

Just wondering if anyone can help me out. I received some documents sent to my old address from a mate in Japan hoping they would be my claim for unpaid wages forms, I returned home a while ago. It seems they are just my exit papers, did everyone receive these?? I am just thinking they have me declared as resigned which I never did. I called the welfare office and they said most people have not received their papers. I know allot have been sent to wrong addresses but everyone I know has at least had them sent somewhere. What's the go??? I'm a little bit out of the loop. Cheers.

i think we would all like to know if indeed its true that people are ACTUALLY receiving their cash..

i realize that it must be frustrating to not even have the forms, and yet see other folks have already had them processed.

i hope its been straigtened out for everyone you speak of.