Agency dirty tricks or genuine cock up?

[BolshieBastard]

Been contacted about a London based role with a well known High St name via an agency who has a contributor on these boards.

Pimp contacts me to say a suitable role is paying up to a maximum £545 a day. You ask for and they accept your agreement to be submitted at the daily rate of £525.

A few hours later, another pimp from the same agency contacts you saying they have a great job for you (turns out to be the exact same job reference) but they can only pay up to a maximum £425 a day.

Next day the original pimp contacts you to say the maximum rate has now been, ahem 'confirmed' at £450 and would you still be prepared to be submitted at this new, lower rate (£450?).

So, at a stroke they've creamed £95 a day off the top for themselves. Alternatively, the client has reduced the original budget. But, I think I know the most likely scenario here.

[SueEllen]

They screwed up.

They were discussing total rate with the client i.e. what you wanted plus their commission on top.

Least there is actually a role. Sometimes agents do this and no role materialises.

[jmo21]

The possible other scenario is that they were trying to entice people in with the higher rate that never existed.

Still a tulipe thing to do.

[sal]

Only the Agent(s) can give you the right answer to this. It can be a genuine screw up, mixing up what the customer is paying in total with your cut or giving the approximately 20% difference might be mix-up around with/without VAT.

In any case, does it really matter? If you are not happy with the lower rate just tell them to foxtrot oscar

[psychocandy]

Could be any as others have said.

Or agent guessed rate before it was finalised to get it out there first (then it was wrong)?

Not unknown for them to be creaming it off the top though. Fella in last place had this. Got offered then pimp phoned him day before start to say sorry client budget cuts £50 less per day which he accepted.

Months later when he was friendly with client this came up in conversation. Of course, it was total bollax that agent had made up to screw another £50.

Risky thing to do by agent because client was less than impressed that agent had lied like this on their behalf.

[tractor]

...

Could be any as others have said.

Or agent guessed rate before it was finalised to get it out there first (then it was wrong)?

Not unknown for them to be creaming it off the top though. Fella in last place had this. Got offered then pimp phoned him day before start to say sorry client budget cuts £50 less per day which he accepted.

Months later when he was friendly with client this came up in conversation. Of course, it was total bollax that agent had made up to screw another £50.

Risky thing to do by agent because client was less than impressed that agent had lied like this on their behalf.

It's more likely the client was straight on the phone to ask where his £25/day reduction was!

[psychocandy]

It's more likely the client was straight on the phone to ask where his £25/day reduction was!

Possibly. In this case though client was fairly useless and think they were being taken for a ride too.

They though agent was on fixed margin but when they checked the contract found out they werent.

[BolshieBastard]

They screwed up.

They were discussing total rate with the client i.e. what you wanted plus their commission on top.

Least there is actually a role. Sometimes agents do this and no role materialises.

Ive no doubt they told me the total rate the client was prepared to pay. What's more than disappointing is the rate the second pimp was quoting. This meant they were trousering at least 100 quid a day and a maximum 145 if the original max they told me is paid by the client.

[northernladuk]

Did you ask if the agency are on a fixed rate or not?

[BolshieBastard]

I have been contracting since the early 90's this has happened to me on many occasions.

One thing to note -> The mistake is never in your favour. It's a sign of bad things to come on the agency front.

I'd been contracting since the mid 90's and to be honest, Ive never come across it before.