Accepting another contract due to delay

[Jordan]

Hi! I'm new to contracting, and I have a question about whether a recent decision I made was professionally advisable.

Last month I got a couple of offers through two different recruiters. I chose one, confirmed my preference with both recruiters and waited for the contract to come through, expecting to start next week.

Yesterday, the recruiter called to say that there was a problem: the person who was meant to confirm my contract on the client's end was now on holiday until next Tuesday. There was also something about them having to review their recent contract offers to make sure they still aligned with the budget.

The outcome was that my start date would now be delayed by an unknown duration and there was a small, but non-zero, chance that the contract would not materialise—and I wouldn't know either for sure until next week.

Ultimately, I called the other recruiter and am now moving forward with the other offer. My questions are:

• Would this generally be considered unprofessional given that I already verbally accepted the first offer? Or is a change in start date and unknown chance that it could be withdrawn a reasonable basis for reconsidering?
  
• Did I act prematurely? The original offer meant more money, interesting technologies and a higher-profile client. I seriously considered waiting, but decided to prioritise a concrete offer starting immediately over something that now seemed uncertain.

Any input would be appreciated!

[missinggreenfields]

Lesson to learn here - only accept "subject to an agreed contract". Then you have the wriggle room to get out if you want to beforehand, because you just don't agree a contract.

[WTFH]

If you haven't signed a contract, you're free to do whatever you want.

[northernladuk]

If you haven't signed a contract, you're free to do whatever you want.

Totally this. You've got nothing and are not legally bound until you've signed the contract. Until you do you are a free agent.

[ASB]

Totally this. You've got nothing and are not legally bound until you've signed the contract. Until you do you are a free agent.

You are legally bound.

not to the as yet unsigned contract of course, but to whatever the constucted verbal contract is. Given verbal contracts are worth the paper they are not written on it is a matter for negotiation or legal determination.

A sensible option might be to wait until actually installed in the alternative and then tell the first you are withdrawing. Expect some bluster from them.

[Old Greg]

You are legally bound.

not to the as yet unsigned contract of course, but to whatever the constucted verbal contract is. Given verbal contracts are worth the paper they are not written on it is a matter for negotiation or legal determination.

A sensible option might be to wait until actually installed in the alternative and then tell the first you are withdrawing. Expect some bluster from them.

Let's say the OP is legally bound by verbal acceptance. Surely all they are then doing is verbally terminating the contract, and as there are no agree terms for termination or notice, who can argue?

Sound like the OP did the right thing. Just keep it class when letting down the agent and client.

[SlipTheJab]

Agreed at the end of the day it sounds like that first role is about to disappear sharpish, those kind of excuses late in the day are the pimp keeping you hanging just in case it all comes good.

[SimonMac]

Until my bum is on a seat I never stop looking, if I have a good relationship with the agent, lots of comms etc. I would turn down others offers, but that is rare.

[suityou01]

What did you verbally agree to?

1) You verbally accepted the offer. What offer?
2) You verbally agreed to sign the contract. What contract?
3) You verbally agreed to start on a given date? That date has been cancelled by them, or at least postponed indefinitely.
4) You verbally accepted the contract? Nonsense.

[LondonManc]

Go for it.

Turning one down and having the other fall through cost me over £10,000 in 2012. Explain to them that you couldn't afford to wait an indeterminate amount of time, but only when you get your feet under the desk at the second client. Both contract opportunities should be kept open as long as possible; they'll think nothing about canning your contract before it starts.