rates scales

[Alexander Coe]

Considering most contracts advertised/specs, which do display their rates, tend to be on a scale - i.e. £400 - £450 per day - if you agreed with the agent to be put forward for less than the full amount, for example £425, I've always assumed the client, would therefore be paying less... whats the danger of the agency actually putting you forward at the max or re-negotiating the max rate at a later point and pocketting the extra £25?

[Cowboy Bob]

Considering most contracts advertised/specs, which do display their rates, tend to be on a scale - i.e. £400 - £450 per day - if you agreed with the agent to be put forward for less than the full amount, for example £425, I've always assumed the client, would therefore be paying less... whats the danger of the agency actually putting you forward at the max or re-negotiating the max rate at a later point and pocketting the extra £25?

It's not a danger, it's a certainty...

[Pondlife]

It's not a danger, it's a certainty...

Not many things in life are guaranteed but an agent trying to make more money without any effort is a definite one.

[ratewhore]

Moral of the story - always ask for the top displayed rate + 10%. Then negotiate down to no lower than the top displayed rate...

[Fleetwood]

pocketing

[Alexander Coe]

pocketing

we've been here before - I'm dyslexic, remember?

[Fleetwood]

Sorry, mate.
I forgot.

[Alexander Coe]

Moral of the story - always ask for the top displayed rate + 10%. Then negotiate down to no lower than the top displayed rate...

yeah, normally good at that side of things - got top displayed + £20 p day for current contract, but there were a few factors for this one, including:

- length of project and the fact they have a good rep for renewing
- fact they are waiting 6 weeks for me to finish current contract
- fact I as being thrown in with a 2nd/3rd line team. currently even the bottom offered, 400 a day, is more than I could hope to get else where and if I hack it for a year + future earning potential would increase greatly.

for which I was happy to take a little less for the sake of fostering good will with the client but didn't really want that just to go to agent...

[Alexander Coe]

Sorry, mate.
I forgot.

no worries... its been a while

[Alexander Coe]

one other question - given it doesn't start for 5/6 weeks, once the contract is all signed, how easy/hard is it for them to pull out, should there be any sudden budget issues, stock market crashes, acts of god etc?