Hi,
Just seen this in the Chinese news
tw.news.yahoo.com/華爾街美語傳倒閉-學員求償無門-082649182.html
Says that WSI have closed all of their Tawanese branches with effect from Sunday 6th Aug. i did’t see that coming :eh:
Any teachers on here affected by this? What went wrong?
Sorry that I don’t have an English news story yet.
No way! That’s a massive shock.
Hope nobody’s been hit too badly by this.
A little extra information on the company’s own website
wallstreetinstitute.mediaroom.co … hp?s=33206
Doesn’t look like much notice was given. Sorry for the staff, especially the FTs who are going to find it tough in the present economic climate. I’m so glad they never replied to my enquiries a couple of years ago.
Was waiting for someone to start a thread about this. I know someone who was working there and he mentioned last night that a storm was brewing and I should watch the news.
I have a couple of friends who’ve worked at WSI, Kaohsiung, but they’ve all quit complaining of bad management. One in particular quit two years ago and has never stopped complaining bitterly that the owner used the place as an ATM so there was always more pressure, but never any reward. He’s been saying for two years that this would eventually happen. What do you know?
housecat, I heard similar complaints from my friend. The only reason he stayed was because he wanted to teach adults and not children, but he was never happy working there. I bet GVO is smiling tonight 
I had an interview there 3 years ago. I received a 99% on the computer exam.
I went for the interview and the interviewer was a student that also went to my language school. The interview appeared to go well in my opinion, but I didn’t get the job. He said he would call me back and never did, so I had to call to find that out.
In retrospect I’m glad they didn’t offer me a position there.
Who needs Wall Street Institute to teach privates?
I am glad that they are gone!
Yay!!! 
:bravo:
Happy happy joy joy.
WSI is owned by Carlyle Group. The Bush family and the bin Laden’s are joint owners of this brand. I can’t stand either family or their nefarious brands.
Pure evil
According to the link on wallstreetinstitute.mediaroom.co … hp?s=33206 , the press release indicates that the owners of the franchise name, WSI International only learned of the decision to shut it down late last week. The press release says it was a financial collapse of the owners business.
It also goes on to state that they are looking to establish some on location support to further assist students with their study, and closes by saying they are working had to ensure they deliver the quality English language education they expect.
So… Makes me wonder if WSI international plans to take over running operations.
Yeah Dan, or it could just be an attempt to placate lots of students who likely just paid for a new semester or two and are getting screwed. Lots of teachers are likely in a similar boat, waiting for pay or hours that they aren’t going to get. Sudden school closings are getting to be common place in the south, but usually these are smaller, one owner places. Wall Street is fairly large for this kind of thing, especially for all of them to close at once. They have to at least LOOK like they’re going to try to provide services or compensation.
Your probably right.
Back home, when there was a news article of a company abruptly closing without giving notice, the idea was that the owner intended to bail on his financial obligations to the workers and people he owed money to so he didn’t give them any time to complain, just cleaned out the office. The workers went to work on Monday not knowing and came across an empty office.
I would hope the franchise owner would do the right thing if the franchisee won’t and compensate the teachers and students.
[quote=“dan2006”]
I would hope the franchise owner would do the right thing if the franchisee won’t and compensate the teachers and students.[/quote]
:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: Funny guy! 
Too bad so sad.
I guess Taiwanese are starting to wake up and realize the usefulness of these institutions. :bravo: :bravo: :bravo:
I got home last night and the Mrs was all excited because, on the TV news, as part of this story, they had apparently tapped our own beloved zender for an interview, probably more because he’s such a handsome bastard than because he had anything important to say.
Link to video??? Anyone?? Bueller?
Last time I knew someone who was studying there, WSI policy was to sell 6 months at a crack, paid in advance.
If that has still been the case, one would assume there are going to be a metric crapload of pissed off students.
You don’t have to press me too hard to get my vitriol about this place out of me. But it wasn’t the owner (since replaced) that got me (gets me) all riled up. It was the foreign managers. Easily the most despicable people I’ve met in Taiwan (that’s saying a lot). One stole my idea and got himself appointed lead on a major project (live and learn), and when he couldn’t convince me to work under him on it, he conspired with another drunken prick to falsely accuse me of sexual harassment. The single most brutal buxiban horror story in my 10 year history of being in that business.
Good riddance WSI.
I do hope the teachers and students get restitution though. Gotta suck for them.
I’m guessing this was the one you got wrong:
Sorry, couldn’t help myself. :raspberry:
[quote=“the chief”]I got home last night and the Mrs was all excited because, on the TV news, as part of this story, they had apparently tapped our own beloved zender for an interview, probably more because he’s such a handsome bastard than because he had anything important to say.
Link to video??? Anyone?? Bueller?
Last time I knew someone who was studying there, WSI policy was to sell 6 months at a crack, paid in advance.
If that has still been the case, one would assume there are going to be a metric crapload of pissed off students.[/quote]
Yes, it’s true. TVBS came by the competition to interview the owner, and they wanted to get a little footage of a real teacher in action, so they asked me to pretend to teach for a minute. I thought we should all just mug for the cameras, give high-fives all around, and say, “Wall Street?! Mbwahahahaha!” But nobody ever listens to me. :neutral:
Wall Street’s forte was always sales. They quickly built up clean-looking facilities that reminded me of futuristic airport check-in counters. They had some magazines for students to peruse, and they even had guarantees that students would make progress. They did a clear sales pitch that got some people to cough up NT$80,000+ for lessons:
“Here is your level now 
; here’s where you want to be :bravo: . Our teachers all wear ties. 
Would you like a year’s worth, or would you prefer the two-year package? 
Our Consultants recommend the latter. 
All major credit cards are welcome. Pay now, please.” 
Then the reality set in for students. You’ve got to spend a lot of face time with a computer and pass a test before you can sign up to see a real teacher in a classroom. :ohreally:
Computers are cheap, but some of the locations that Wall Street chose were crazy expensive. The corner across from the Breeze Center (on Fuhsing) cost them a fortune. The branch on Nanjing E. Rd. (ground floor) must have been expensive, too. Both of those closed years ago. The adults-only market is tough in Taiwan due to demographics, the universities, and the rise of China giving some people the idea that English might not be necessary for success.
Hope the teachers, staff, and students at Wall Street get paid and find new jobs/schools quickly.
I’m guessing this was the one you got wrong:
Sorry, couldn’t help myself. :raspberry:[/quote]
I left myself open there.
That’s a good combination of not paying attention and typing on a cell phone. I tend to not be careful on posts.
From the Taipei Times today:
taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/ … 2003539849
“Students were especially shocked because they had earlier been told the closing was for a renovation project and would be temporary”