Multi Agency Contracts

[TheFaQQer]

First thing I twigged was that agency 2 was invoicing agency 1 weekly but asking me to invoice them 4 weekly

How? Surely they need some kind of timesheet to do that - or are you submitting weekly and invoicing monthly?

[SimonMac]

How? Surely they need some kind of timesheet to do that - or are you submitting weekly and invoicing monthly?

Time sheets are done weekly, the other contractor here invoices weekly which pisses me off

[Wanderer]

Wanderer was saying "its got nothing to do with the agency" its got everything to do with the agent, the agent is employing your resource not the end client, yes of course speak to the client about renewals or any other matter but regardless of who makes a decision your contract is with agent 1.

Yeah, fair point my original statement was rather bolshie.

The point I was driving at is that although your contract is legally with the agent, it absolutely would not exist and will not continue to exist without the client being there.

Think about it for a minute, what is the agent to do other than to introduce contractors to clients and to factor the payments from the client to the contractor? Work directly with the client and gang up on the agent to get a better deal for everyone. I used to negotiate through the agent but I ended up with a lot of problems. These ended up getting solved when I took it directly to the client so now I just deal direct where ever possible.

As jmo21 says, everywhere is different though. I just don't default to toeing the agency line that I can't speak direct to the client about contractual matters.

[Wanderer]

Time sheets are done weekly, the other contractor here invoices weekly which pisses me off

Go and tell the agency that you are invoicing weekly from now on.

If they won't budge on the monthly invoicing then start doing timesheets monthly too.

[TheFaQQer]

Time sheets are done weekly, the other contractor here invoices weekly which pisses me off

Maybe he has different payment terms. Last contract I did, invoiced weekly, paid on 30 day terms. This contract, invoice monthly, paid the following week.

There's not much you can do, but when you do have the discussion on a renewal, make that part of the new terms - weekly invoicing, weekly payment.

[NotAllThere]

...The point I was driving at is that although your contract is legally with the agent, it absolutely would not exist and will not continue to exist without the client being there. ...

Quite right. It isn't the agency that decides whether you get renewed or not. That depends on your relationship with the client. Similary, if the client is an arse - no matter how wonderful the agency, you're going to be looking for another contrat.

[SimonMac]

Maybe he has different payment terms. Last contract I did, invoiced weekly, paid on 30 day terms. This contract, invoice monthly, paid the following week.

There's not much you can do, but when you do have the discussion on a renewal, make that part of the new terms - weekly invoicing, weekly payment.

Different Agency

[escapeUK]

Two agencies? Wow just think how much of your hard earned money is going to leeches!