UNITED SOCCER ACADEMY-Is this a Scam

I recently received a conditional offer from United Soccer Academy and they are asking for some fees to be paid for example a program fee and a deposit. I have never worked with this company or any company like this so I do not know if this is the norm.

This is the email they sent to me

First of all congratulations and thank you for your time during the application stage, I am pleased to offer you a conditional coaching role with United Soccer Academy in 2014.

Attached you will find your Conditional Employment Agreement and Terms, which detail your offer for employment with United Soccer Academy. You acknowledge that this employment offer represents the entire agreement between you and United Soccer Academy. No verbal agreements, promises or representations that are not specifically stated in this employment offer, are or will be binding upon United Soccer Academy.

The offer is conditional, meaning that we still need to collect program fee payments, vital documents for visa processing and you are required to attend our final assessment weekend at the Stevenage Arts & Leisure Centre on 1st and 2nd February 2014.

Please note: Candidates that are not successful at assessment events will be refunded their full program fee.

WHAT NEXT?

1. First of all, please reply to this email to let us know that you are accepting the position!

2. You will create a CampLinkUSA account to manage your employment process going forward.

3. To do this visit CampLinkUSA and follow the instructions to create your account with us. You will then complete a “Personal Details” form to get started.

4. Once you have completed step 3 above, sign and scan your entire employment agreement.

5. You need to upload your employment agreement within 10 business days to accept the position. To do this, log back into CampLinkUSA and go into the Documents section to upload it. Don’t worry, you can do all the other forms later. All we need right now is your signed agreement contract!

6. Once we receive your signed agreement you will pay your £100 program fee via CampLinkUSA within 14 days of signing your agreement. Simply log back into CampLinkUSA and work through the “Payments” section. From there, you can complete all other payments to process your employment.


WHAT DOCUMENTS DO YOU NEED?

As part of the visa process we will require the following documents to be uploaded. Don’t worry, we will guide you through this process but here’s a list to start you thinking about what we need.

· Contract (as above - read thoroughly, print, sign and upload the entire document within 10 days)

· Copy of your passport page

· Copy of your passport page once your visa stamp is in it. (this will be the last thing to do)

· Face shot photo (similar to a passport photo)

· 3 references (please have your references complete and sign our company form, available in the ‘Downloads’ section on CampLinkUSA)

· Valid Criminal Background Check from ACPO

· Concussion Training (We will be sending a link of how to complete this before you arrive)

· Medical and immunization records. These might be needed based on where you work, we will communicate that to you at a late date so don’t worry about that for now!



I look forward to helping you through the process and meeting you on the 1st/2nd February at the final assessment weekend in Stevenage.



Our websites contain lots of answers to questions you may have, so please refer to the jobs section to learn more about employment with the USA Sport Group Family. If of course you do not find what you are looking for then please do not hesitate to ask!



Finally, to confirm your acceptance of the above position, please ensure to reply to this email and create your CampLinkUSA account.



Kind Regards,



Grant Findlay,

Regional Director of Recruitment & Education,

United Soccer Academy.



Indoor winter 2014 sport programs now listed online. Please click here for additional information.



Direct Line: (732) 563-2531 | Main Line: (732) 563-2525 | Fax Line: (732) 563-2537 | Web: UnitedSoccerAcademy.com



United Soccer Academy is part of the USA Sport Group family.

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender immediately by email and delete this email from your system. Please note that any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the organization. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The organization accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email.

IS THIS A SCAM PLEASE ADVISE ME BEFORE I MAKE ANY COMMITMENTS.

Did you actually apply for this job - if not worry!

If you did apply for it then

1) United Soccer Academy appears to be OK.
2) Their website http://unitedsocceracademy.com also appears to be OK -registered in their name in 2000
3) It is part of the USA Sport Group whose website is here http://usasportgroup.com

HOWEVER are you are certain that your job offer came from the real company and not just someone pretending to represent the company?

Ways to be sure that the offer and request for money come from the company:

1) What is the sending email address - is it a [email protected] email? If not, worry!

2) The main contact telephone number in your email Main Line: (732) 563-2525 is the same as the number on their website (732) 563-2525 so you could ring and ask to speak to Grant Findlay.

3) If telephoning is not an option there is a general enquiry facility here: http://unitedsocceracademy.com/general-inquiries.html where you can ask any questions about the job offer

4) How do they want payment? - they should be providing a bank account in their name - no Western Union, Money Gram or similar. Their website appears to take major credit cards so a credit card payment should be protected.

5) You could ring the Stevenage Arts & Leisure Centre and ask whether they know about the assessment weekend Tel: 01438 242 605

Hope that helps. Good luck.
Let us know.

unitedsocceracademy.com is registered for 17 years, including some in the future. It is unlikely to be fake. If you get an email from some other domain or a message referring to another website, please post it here.

Be aware of the correct procedure for getting a visa. You apply to the embassy or consulate of the country you're visiting in the country where you are. Scammers often have you apply to a travel agent (who is a character played by the scammer) in the country you're visiting. Travel agents don't issue visas.

On the website I see a lot about the costs and fees you pay but nothing specific about remuneration.

http://unitedsocceracademy.com/full-time-jobs-home/full-time-job-faqs.html

1. Program Fee
Every coach needs a visa to work in the US; USA will process this visa for you. The cost of obtaining securing and processing the visa is £100

2. Security Deposit
You are required to pay a £350 security deposit. This deposit is fully refundable upon completion of contract (returning coaches pay a reduced deposit fee).

3. Third Party Fees
The following fees must be paid directly by the employee and are not included in the program fee:
a) ACPO Police Background Check, £45
b) US Embassy Visa Processing Fee, $190 (applicable exchange rates will apply)
c) Medical Examination. This is only necessary in some instances. Fees vary by physician.

4. Health Insurance
You must provide documented health insurance for your duration of stay. This typically costs around $200. You may use our recommended provider, or select your own provider. Additional travel insurance is optional but recommended.

Salary:
Salary varies by contract

They tell you what they will pay for but if you're applying for a job to get paid, this is an important missing piece of information.

I may be wrong but it sounds to me much like a working holiday where you won't get paid much, and what you get you'll invariably spend over there. Between costs and insurance (and you might require special insurance) it'll cost you between £500 and £1,000). This is fair enough as long as you understand what it is you're applying for and judging by the age group you'll be coaching, you couldn't really expect to be paid much.

It could be a great offer if you're looking for a working holiday in the USA but they'll probably expect a lot from you.

Thanks for your responses guys will definitely look into all your comments