Hey Monee
Whichever agency you are going to use.. whether is your aunty's long time friend a pc of advise - PLEASE DON NOT TRY THE AGENT. Never believe what is in the BIO, never believe what the maid said during the interview. NEVER. So I guess it's really all abt luck.
I got a maid from GOLD YEAR aka Amorie in 2007 because I was expecting DS3. The maid came a month or so earlier before I was due, as I have dliated at 33 weeks, I was told to bed rest at home. This maid, a Myanmar maid - good English, Bachelor of XXX, the agt hard sell her so much, Fresh maid, asking for SGD350. I spoken wif her over the phone, very accomodating and it's true that she can speaks better English vs the other Myanmar maids I have spoken to.
First of of arrival, she was OK, on the 3rd day, she starts telling me her ambition and why she wants to come SG bla bla bla.. and finally asked me to help her find a job outside!!!! CRAZY right?? I told her I can't do that it's illegal, then she asked me if she can go outside find job herself, at night then come home and clean my house for me.. etc... Lagi Crazy! I told her no way!
And immediately called the agt... the agt then SCOLDED her on the phone.. and I can see her LOST look in her face, she didn't even know what's happening!!??
Then I took time to explain to her nicely, the cost of living in SG, how much she is going to spend in SG if she dun work as a maid etc.... then she seems to undertsand and alls good. 2weeks later, she siao again... ask for the same thing, this time, she said, she can't be a maid, cos her dad duno she comes out as a maid, I called the agt again. Think the agt threatened her or something. She apologised then wanna stay again.
Soon, I went into delivering. She stayed with my MIL for a couple of days whilst I was at the hospital. I came home, everything was OK, during my 4 months maternity leave ( I think).
Cos she is pretty senang actually. I ordered home delivery confinement food, DS1 and 2 in childcare, I take care of DD3 myself, and all she does is mainly general hoisekeeping. She even have time to read book during T-time. From 8.30am to 9pm [only 3 of us at home- weekday. She doesn't even need to cook for DH, he will have dinner at his mom's place with the boys before they come home.
Cos she has old parents at home 60-70 yo, and I scare they may need help, so I even gave he a mobile phone. SGD20 prepaid card - she finishes within 3 days!
New year came.. instead of giving her ang bao, i gave her another prepaid card... same thing happened, finsihed within week.
Who she is talking to? I duno, she said, she tries calling home, but they put her on hold.. bla bla bla...
My nigtmares come on my 1st day back to work, preparing to send she and baby to my MIL's place. At 5.30am, she told me she wants to go back, ask me to send her back to the agency. It's 5.30am in the morning. I told her, YES, I will but u have to let me talk to the agent and fix a date. Prior to that she still has to work for me. She agrees. During this period, her attitude sucks! She refused to eat dinner at my MIL's place, she bring bread from home for lunch and cook instant noodle when we get home. Even when my MIL served her her dinner, she said I AM FULL. Quite daring!! even I also dare not do this to my MIL. Eventually, my MIL dun serve her anymore and let her take when she wants.
She often comes home with us from MIL without dinner and cook noodles or i give her SGD3 to buy noodles from coffeeshop downstairs. I told DH to tahan her a while more.. she will be gone soon anyway.
A few days' gone, she suddenly cried and hug my legs to say she LOVE me and my MIL, ask me to give her a chance to work for me again, cos her father need money to have an eye operation next month, she needs money.. bla bla bla... and idiotically ME - I accepted her again and THIS IS MY GREATEST MISTAKES!
I can't remember, few days later, I received a call from my sobbing MIL when i was at work. There are policemen at her place!!!!
I rushed there to find out what happened. Spoke to the police officers, they said someone lodge complaint of maid abuse. Informant said that the maid was asked to wait up at 5am, sleep at 12noon, one meal a day - maggie mee!!! MIL is a rather egoistic person, but that day i saw her watery eye, carrying my 4-5mos DD3 in her arms. I am really pissed off. :x
The maid kept telling me its not her.. she didn't call the police. ANd carried herself \"very professional-like\" when talking to the police, said our family treated her very well, she was not sure who did this.
It was ab 1plus 2 - the police said when they came, my maid was actually having her lunch and the house was peaceful when they came.
Even News Reporters (Daily newspaper) also came!! See the plot??!!?? I called the agent and immediately wants her out of my house!! Agent came to my MIL's house downstairs at 6+, but said he has errands to run and will come back later.
We had dinner....reach home at abt 8 and the agent was at place at abt 8nish. Maid immediately know what's happening, i can even see her grinned!!! She was calmed and its seems like she is ALL prepared!!! Till bid me good bye at the door smiling leh!!!! :x
She left my place on 9th. Her new BIO was almost immediately UP on http://www.netmaid.com after she left my house and she was wearing MY BLOUSE!!!! in her new photo. 2 days later, she found an employer. Till now, I am still wondering HOW could she find an employer so quickly??!! :?
And I have checked from MOM, she is still in SG with the same employer since she left me, I won't be surprise that the agent kept her themselves to work as their own staff be a translator or something cos this girl really can speak \"good english\" but get a \"scape goat\" to finish her loan or lighten her loan?? And if this is true.... then this is really scary. :shock:
She has been with me for abt 4 to 5 months, and has a couple of months loan of cos. Agent threaten me that I will lost everything if i send her home. Including air ticket, it's abt SGD2K. And my MIL is quite angry, ready to give me the CASH to pay me back - to send her home. But on 2nd thought, why must I give her a free trip to SG?? In the end, of course, I transfer her instead.
I didn't get a replacement from them, as the next one I've picked - failed her entry test. And obviously its another painful experience of getting my money back. Almost like BEGGING for my money liao :(:(
SO - be aware... I have read some stories abt GOLD Year on http://www.singaporemaid.blogspot.com, some of the stories are even more scary. :shock:
Just my sharing.....don't trust anyone, but yourself. Employing a maid is all about luck, it's not about the nationality, and your expectation, it's not about which agent you choose, but smeewhat the ethics of the agency is very important. Some just want money and dun care if the maid is OK or not.. just bring them in.... but I am just saying.. just some.
Wish you luck and me too - my new maid is coming in 2 days time. 
Prior to my last maid in 2007 whom lasted me for 4 to 5 months, the one before her was since 2002! I never like the idea of having a maid, but now that my boys are all in school, and DS2 has requested to stay at home instead of student care... i have no choice lor.. *sigh
Just my 2 cents worth.. thanks for listening... 
Bliss
Fingers crossed to both of us 
and no way my MIL will keep the maid for me… cos she is NEVER gd in handling maid. I also dun want to "lose" the maid on my return … kekek…