whoops...

[Wanderer]

wantacontract, from what you've said it sounds absolutely clear that the job you got through agent B is completely different to the one agent A put you forward for. So there's absolutely nothing to worry about. However, now that you have a contract, I don't see that there is any reason to ever speak to agent A again.

How about contacting agent one and mentioning your suspicions and see how he reacts.

As much as we would love to know what the backgound to this one is, you know that agent A will just pump the contractor for as much information as he can get then rub his flithy little hands together with glee and go after the agent B to demand a cut.

It's interesting to see how strong everyone's reaction to the "sole representative" thing is. It makes agents who demand sole rep status look like they are up to some dirty tricks, doesn't it.....

It's quite amusing when two agents but it's not worth stiring up the tulip and risking losing a contract over it.

[NotAllThere]

I've heard rumours that some agents will do this sole representation thing to lock you out of the role - they never submit you and make sure no-one else has.

[MarillionFan]

I've heard rumours that some agents will do this sole representation thing to lock you out of the role - they never submit you and make sure no-one else has.

I would be surprised at that. More likely they have a better candidate and as they can only submit so many.

To be though, if you agree to an agent to represent you to client X, and then dont send you, but someone else does. Then IMO, they aint representing you.

When an agent asks you to send that email of representation, you should probably add some T&Cs to it?

Is there a small set of T&C's available?

[wantacontract]

I've heard rumours that some agents will do this sole representation thing to lock you out of the role - they never submit you and make sure no-one else has.

that sounds like another typical underhanded trick from the pimps...

[NotAllThere]

I would be surprised at that...

Me too, in fact, since it would show a level of sophistication and intelligence not normal to a recruitement agent.

[Wanderer]

I would be surprised at that. More likely they have a better candidate and as they can only submit so many.

Or maybe "agent A" scrapes the ad from jobserve, does a few fishing calls to find out who the client isand then readvertises it. They hook a contractor and convince them to sign up for "sole agent". Nice.

Now, since agent A isn't on the preferred suppliers list for that client they have a snowball's chance in hell of placing the contractor with the client so they tout the contractor to the perferred supplier "agent B" for the client in the hope of claiming a "finders fee"....

Now what happens?

• The preferred "agent A" tells agent B to bugger off because they have enough clients of their own and they bin your CV.
• The client gets your CV from agent B and bins it because it's not from a preferred supplier.
• Agent A gets your CV but bins it because they know agent B has a sole agent agreement with you.
• The client actually reads your CV from agent B and tells agent A to get you off agent B and in for an interview. Agents A and B can't make a deal so you get binned.

All this happens behind your back and I really can't see how any of these shenanigans benefit the contractor. The agency has everything to gain and little to lose.

The trouble is that agencies do this EVERY DAY, it's their core business. We do this maybe a few times a year at most so we aren't as thick skinned or wise to their tatics.

My understanding is that signing up to a sole agent isn't forming a contract because there is no "consideration", ie money paid so they can't do anything to enforce it. It's just agency bulltulip at the end of the day.

Perhaps we should start a campaign to "just say no to sole agencies" and make a list of "stupid agency tricks" for people to watch out for.

[MikeC1408]

Don't worry about it, take the contract and keep quite.

I had this happen to me, Agent said they had submitted my CV, they kept this up for a week before changing the story to 'Sorry, made a mistake our quota was full so couldn't submit your CV'

Contacted another agent I knew had the role, Interview arranged for the next day and got the 3 month gig

That was 3 years ago and I'm still here, tough tulip too the first lying scumbag of an agent

[expat]

Or maybe "agent A" scrapes the ad from jobserve, does a few fishing calls to find out who the client isand then readvertises it. They hook a contractor and convince them to sign up for "sole agent". Nice.

Now, since agent A isn't on the preferred suppliers list for that client they have a snowball's chance in hell of placing the contractor with the client so they tout the contractor to the perferred supplier "agent B" for the client in the hope of claiming a "finders fee"....

Now what happens?

• The preferred "agent A" tells agent B to bugger off because they have enough clients of their own and they bin your CV.
• The client gets your CV from agent B and bins it because it's not from a preferred supplier.
• Agent A gets your CV but bins it because they know agent B has a sole agent agreement with you.
• The client actually reads your CV from agent B and tells agent A to get you off agent B and in for an interview. Agents A and B can't make a deal so you get binned.

All this happens behind your back and I really can't see how any of these shenanigans benefit the contractor. The agency has everything to gain and little to lose.

The trouble is that agencies do this EVERY DAY, it's their core business. We do this maybe a few times a year at most so we aren't as thick skinned or wise to their tatics.

My understanding is that signing up to a sole agent isn't forming a contract because there is no "consideration", ie money paid so they can't do anything to enforce it. It's just agency bulltulip at the end of the day.

Perhaps we should start a campaign to "just say no to sole agencies" and make a list of "stupid agency tricks" for people to watch out for.

I think you swapped A and B in the middle of your scenario, but otherwise I agree totally.

I have had this, where I picked the wrong agent and my CV didn't even go forward because he wasn't the preferred supplier, and the preferred supplier had enough CVs. If I had gone to the preferred supplier then my CV would have gone in and IMHO I might well have got the contract.

The strange thing is, my agent didn't see anything wrong about this.

[wantacontract]

update for you...

agent 1 has phoned like crazy today and also emailed and txted...

i rang agent 2 saying I'm going to need to talk to him, agent 2 says he is going to back off as I emailed sole rep....

I speak to agent 1, he's very apologetic....so I am now with him!