Contract terminated before start date

[malvolio]

Which IMHO means that unless you've completed any project work for the client, the agency can't get anything from them. In turn, you will get nothing from the agency. Forget it.

Exactly. What "damages" have you sustained, beyond some lost sales effort? Becuase that's all you're likely to be able to recover. Simply not worth the bother, just move on.

[sathyaram_s]

I'm sorry you have been made redundant ...
and
Welcome the the real world

If you actually sufferred any loss, say, you rejected another contract offer (not an interview, but actual offer) based on this one, then you stand a very, very slim chance to get compensated ...

If the client has terminated, then the chances are even slimmer ...

If the agency has found someone else to send to the client and has given a false information about you to the client(eg. the contractor did not take the offer), then you might be able to complain about the agency to an authority, say DTI, but what compensation you will get will be small, if at all there is ...

As others said, just move on and don't burn bridges with the agent ..... As the agent has identified you as marketable (the client was happy with you and offered the contract), you stand a better chance for working through this agent for future roles ...

Do you have any friends who work for this client ? or do you have the client manager's email address ? or can you guess it ... If yes, send a note to the manager - thanking him for offering the position, and a 'unfortunate this contract didn't go ahead and looking forward to work with you and your company in the future' sort of mail ... Be very professional ....

BTW, Make sure, this incident does not put you off contracting ...

Good luck ...

[DimPrawn]

Write to your MP.

They are very sympathetic to small businesses and especially the IT contracting profession.

Not!

[callan]

I'd contact my MP if I thought it would help!

Unofficially the Agency informed me that another manager at the client site put in a bad word against me yesterday with their Hiring manager. Apparently this person unknown remembered me from a 9 month contract I did 12 years ago! Obviously he/she didn't want me on board. That was the agency spiel and 2BH I believe it.......which makes it difficult to know where to seek redress when it appears it was the Client's last minute decision to bin me and not the Agency.

[oraclesmith]

Don't bother getting back at the client, it will only hurt the agency who are stuck in the middle. They will always bin you rather than the client if there is a problem. Your best bet is to gracefully accept it and keep in with the agency who now know you can get roles at clients (provided your old mate doesn't work for them!).

[shoes]

which makes it difficult to know where to seek redress when it appears it was the Client's last minute decision

Redress for what? You're not out of pocket, you didn't do any work. Would you be seeking redress if they rejected you at interview stage instead of shortly after you signed a contract? You're wasting your time thinking about this, act as though you were rejected at interview stage. They don't want you. The end.

[callan]

Well they did want me and I signed a contract to that effect. The redress I'm seeking is the same if the tables were turned i.e. I accept the offer then at the last minute I withdraw my acceptance and take a job somewhere else. I suspect if that were the case the agency/client would consider suing me for damages? I've never reneged on a contract I've signed so I don't know.

I'm just looking for advice and the general consensus appears to be forget it. Fair enough!

[eliquant]

This is a terrible thing to happen. Getting your hopes up and then being shot down.

What you should try and figure out is if anything strange is happening with the references etc. ie you need to find out why the offer was actually withdrawn.

One technique is to get a lady friend who is a good actress pretending to be a Human Resources member of staff from one of your previous companies on a telephone employee reference call to the company that withdrew the reference, then make sure that you have the call on speaker phone (BT phones that do this are cheap) and then record the conversation and listen out for the reason why it was withdrawn. You may get a harsh answer.
Get the lady on your side to state that you were a good employee also.

If anything negative comes up then you can investigate it and maybe sue for damages ie liable etc.

[eliquant]

Just read the part where you stated that it was some boss that did a mini smear campaign against you from a contract that you did 12 years ago (when you were probably junior).

I mean did they not consider that you may have changed and got actually 'better' at your job !

Try and identify the dude who lost you the contract and try and make his life difficult I say.

[callan]

Yep carry out a personal vendetta like he/she has done. 2BH I don't know who it is. And even if I did there's not much I can do. It was a contract I worked on 12 years ago!

The thing is my refs checked out ok. I doubt they went back 12 years but even if they did the client is acting on hearsay rather than a written reference. I assume the hiring manager just didn't want the hassle and the easy thing for him to do is renege on my contract. C'est la vie.

Thanks for all the advice. It certainly helps.