Gig Cancelled Immediately After Signing Contract

[northernladuk]

I'd complete the IPSE claim form for the contract falling through.

And definitely this!!

[Lance]

What's the notice period? They have to pay you that as you signed a binding document. Otherwise sue the agency and the client into the ground.

rubbish

[psychocandy]

I'd complete the IPSE claim form for the contract falling through.

I had this once and IPSE did pay up to be fair.

[Unix]

rubbish

Noticed a lot of contractors on here have no balls and let clients/agents walk all over them. They would never survive if they were running a real business.

[psychocandy]

OP - so agent phoned you and said its £380 now not £450 and you said no (or offered £440) and THEN they cancelled the contract?

If so, I smell a rat. Maybe agent has got someone on hold who'll do it for £400, they tried you at £380 and you said no so the £400 has got the gig. Win win for agent who has got even more in his back pocket.

Chances are the agent has told the client you knocked them back but they're 2nd choice (i.e. the guy whos ok for £400) is up for it. Bet you.

I'd be tempted to contact the client anyway to see if there is any truth in this. If only to piss the agent off and/or drop them in it if this is what they've done.

More prevalent then you might think. Clients don't get the best candidate available - they get the candidate that the agency pushes who makes them the best margin.

[Lance]

Noticed a lot of contractors on here have no balls and let clients/agents walk all over them. They would never survive if they were running a real business.

that's as maybe, and I've been paid notice periods due to the client being generally quite nice about the whole thing.

For the OP's case, forget it. They're not going to pay for someone who never started.

[LondonManc]

Not much you can do about this I'm afraid apart from suck it up & move on. And 'no' I wouldn't try & contact the client directly.

Sages on here will advise [rightly] that you don't really have a confirmed role until you're sat at a desk on-site.

As for "I told him I wouldn't work for that and could come down £10 on the daily rate it says on the contract in an emergency."...really; what's all that nonsense about?

Shock? If £450 is your bottom figure that you told the agent, £440 is still better than nothing.

[jmo21]

Agreed. If you say something along the lines of "I was looking forward to working with you, but I understand, from the agent, that your budget has been reduced. Let's connect on linkedin and perhaps we can work together sometime in the future", you are making a potential direct contact and finding out whether it was the client budget or the agent who has just found someone else and realised he can make an extra £70/day.

Any kind of funny business with rates, and I will tell an agent I am going to do exactly that.

If the rate thing IS real, then I don't expect this would resurrect the role in any way, but it would certainly flush out whether the agent was trying it on ("Oh, I've just spoke to the client, they have found the extra budget after all!")

[Old Greg]

What's the notice period? They have to pay you that as you signed a binding document. Otherwise sue the agency and the client into the ground.

I'm assuming you haven't read the OP's contract.

[northernladuk]

Noticed a lot of contractors on here have no balls and let clients/agents walk all over them. They would never survive if they were running a real business.

Well the fact you mentioned suing the client makes your original state wrong as was pointed out. You have no contractual relationship with the client so can't sue them. Contractors not having balls is a different argument.

Also, a general rule of thumb. If someone bands the 'Sue everyone involved' line around it means they've never sued anyone and don't understand the process. There are much more effective lines before going straight for the sue line.
That's not even getting in to a discussion about what he's losses his suing for etc etc