Just a word of caution. Some posts here are made by foreigners & I wld be very careful about clicking in any links.


Thanks for the reminder Esteema. Indeed have to be careful, don’t know the motive of some people. It’s evidently false, what he posted about a whole house cleaning for $50, and providing the link some more!

lerom5m, I clicked on the link you posted (themaidsquad.com). Someone responded, I think based in Los Angeles? Quoted $340 (not sure if it’s S$ or US$) for a 4 hour regular cleaning, for which I am currently $80. May I know if the link you posted is correct?

Yet another police case ! I really think there is something inherently wrong with the system. Recently I read in the news about MOM regulated part-time cleaners. Hopefully we can see a more viable option for domestic help . With all the horror stories that have been going on for years, it seems the current system is made up of rogue maid agencies recycling criminals!

Good idea to get a helper directly. If you think that one advantage of going through a maid agency is the replacement guarantee, you can stop being fooled by that. Getting a replacement is just as costly as the initial round and if you are dealing with an unethical agency, the nightmare is amplified tremendously. I had a very bad experience lately with an agency inBt Timah Plaza who claim to be a “Leading Maid Agency “ since 2001. Not only is that so untruthful, but the experience leaves you feeling like you’ve been fleeced. For the quality of maids you get these days, it might just be better to do without maids.

I see here that the last post was , like in 2016 . Now 5 years later, things are still the same . This ministry has completely ignored all the grouses here. I had a recent case, much the same as the problems brought up here, and yes still the same, MOM is still very pro- FDW and pro- maid agency, leaving the poor employers to bleed. Why have them at all, if all they do is add to our misery. The best is, don’t use maid agency, directly find a helper and save taxpayers’ money by closing redundant department in-charged of FDW. Otherwise, get FDW and the agency who they protect to pay them instead. The distress and burden we poor employers face are too unjust !

I have come to the conclusion, especially after browsing through the posts here, that if you can do without a maid, that is a blessing ! I used to have only Filipino maids who I found to be generally hard-working and capable. Their salaries became too high as their numbers dwindled, being taken after they have had years of experience mostly by caucasian expatriates. I tried Myanmmar maids, 2x but short-lived, and it is true, they are proud, never admitting to mistakes, and defiant even. Indonesians, I am wary, as you never know what is lurking in their heart and mind. Grisly acts committed domestically seem to be by Indonesian maids by and large. My last maid was a young Filipino, and I can tell you, they are a far cry from what they were before. But the thing that made me swear off maids is dealing with the maid agency ! If you can, spare yourself the trauma, heartaches, dishonesty, and sleepless nights. I believe doing what you can to manage and adapt makes more sense than tolerating/enduring all the nonsense from maids as well as the maid agency . Instead of helping you, they make your life more miserable, and believe me, once you toss them out, you feel like you have been given a new lease of life !


I had a very bad experience with BUDGETMAID at Bukit Timah Plaza, so please be warned. They are most unethical and do not look out for the employer’s interest. Should any problem arise, the standard phrase is "please refer to the Service Agreement", which is very well if the matter referred to is really there in the first place ! it is well too if someone will answer to your calls when you need help. In my case, they defaulted on getting me a replacement when the multiple-times transfer maid they gave me did not work out. As for REDUNDS, they will NOT EVEN HEAR of it. They claim to be a "LEADING MAID AGENCY" since 2001(dubious) but all their experience are concentrated in "pulling wool over the customer’s eyes’ .

Get a maid through direct hire and skip the maid agency . Don’t be fooled or hanker after replacement guarantees .
All that happens is helping the agency make round after round of money .