How carefully do you read a contract before signing?

[northernladuk]

If the contract would be terminated early by myself or the endclient I would have to pay the agency their missed revenue for the remaining contract period. (Harvey Nash - 2013)

Oooooh that's a good one!

[SueEllen]

If the contract would be terminated early by myself or the endclient I would have to pay the agency their missed revenue for the remaining contract period. (Harvey Nash - 2013)

I had similar but it was a smaller agency in 2008 and put in the extension. Had a fight getting some of the clauses removed.

[hobnob]

If the contract would be terminated early by myself or the endclient I would have to pay the agency their missed revenue for the remaining contract period. (Harvey Nash - 2013)

Did they also tell you what margin they were on, or were they effectively asking you to sign a blank cheque?

[malvolio]

Oooooh that's a good one!

It's also a damned good demonstration of how agencies view their candidates and how their business model actually works. It's nothing to do with procuring the best talent for the role, just the most profitable.

[Eirikur]

Did they also tell you what margin they were on, or were they effectively asking you to sign a blank cheque?

Nope I told them remove the clause or I will walk away. They removed it.
The end client (a city council) terminated half way through BTW, a new (clueless) IT director came in and thought it was an easy way to make some savings by getting rid of contractors and some permie came back from maternity leave, who they thought could do my job, which they couldn't, I found out later.

[CheeseSlice]

Seems to me the agency was either incompetent or trying to brush you off.
Signing the contract is the final stage to closing the deal for the agent and the contractor. It’s in both interest to solve any last minute issues getting in the way, it’s give and take. If they won’t budge or claiming they don’t know who can do it then it’s probably a tactic. Be firm and tell them which clauses are red lines and be prepared to walk away from these and incomplete contracts. They should be focussed and keen at this point and need to demonstrate a willingness to negotiate with you and their own legal department. If you don’t sign they lose and they have to start over.