Multiple offers...?

[Drewster]

Right on that note I'm off to the pub for a couple of pints.

Meanwhile......Drewster has an alcoholic free fruit juice!!!!

Touche!

[Papavar]

I think you are forgetting you are a contractor and what actually happens when you accept a contract. You erm... are in a contract!! Once you accepted you have a verbal agreement and cannot give backword. You can give notice or you can be in breach of contract. The first will piss your client and agent off, the second can see you being sued.

To give backword on a contract you accepted is bad, very bad. It makes us all look like idiots and will most definately get you noticed. I don't know what agents are like but there are enough of us out there for an agent to risk wasting his time with you again.

Some people will come on and say bollocks to them, it's your life, you take the contracts you want and the rest can see you in court (which they never do) but it will get ugly for awhile. I mean, think about it. If you were either agent or client, would you be happy?

Check your contract, have a look at the notice period, try substitute someone and if those fail pray you don't get the one you are interviewing for.

For future reference do everything to stall the first offer. DO NOT accept it. You are bound in. Just stall, don't pick phone up, throw up on the phone, anything cept say yes.

Right, thanks for those rather strong opinions! To clarify - I haven't seen a contract at all for the first (verbally accepted) offer although I've been chasing it up for a week. A quick google on my rights finds this:

"In order for a verbal agreement to be legally binding the agreement must have reached completeness. This means that all terms and conditions have been reached and agreed regarding services and terms of pay. Agreements will be incomplete when there are still further terms and conditions to be agreed. Agreements in principle will not usually be upheld in court and will not usually be considered complete verbal agreements. "

As far as I'm concerned, the only T&Cs that have been discussed are duration and day rate - that's it. I have neither seen nor agreed to anything else. I have had an email forwarded on to me by the agent which states a notice period of a week so presumably I could give this now anyway?