Advertised wrong rate? Quick reply - how to play this one

[Dallas]

1. it is not a salary FFS
2. You dont have the role yet
3. Stop being desperate and chill out, get the role then decide what your price is .....

[riffpie]

I'm getting a lot if conflicting opinions. I'm also about to go to an interview having no idea what the real salary band is.

I'm going to follow your advice and get interview done and see what agency has to say. I won't bring up the rates in interview (although someone above said their client appreciated it). Hmm...

There's every chance the client hasn't got a clue what your rate is. They're paying the agency, remember, and they're unlikely to reveal to you how much.

[Anubis]

1. it is not a salary FFS
2. You dont have the role yet
3. Stop being desperate and chill out, get the role then decide what your price is .....

It is a rate, which in turn pays my bills hence a salary - do you not live off of a salary? Like to know how...

I know I don't have the role yet - bit late asking for advice once I've done everything as I don't have a time machine

I'm not being desperate. I'm asking for opinions and advice - if someone was offering tens of thousands less, you'd also come across as anxious to sort out this mess hence why I'm asking others what they would do if put in this position.

[riffpie]

It is a rate, which in turn pays my bills hence a salary - do you not live off of a salary? Like to know how...

I know I don't have the role yet - bit late asking for advice once I've done everything as I don't have a time machine

I'm not being desperate. I'm asking for opinions and advice - if someone was offering tens of thousands less, you'd also come across as anxious to sort out this mess hence why I'm asking others what they would do if put in this position.

What YOU pay yourself may be a salary, but most likely dividends + salary. What the client is paying, that's a daily rate. There *is* a difference.

[Dallas]

He is a little firecracker isn't he

[riffpie]

My opinion. Its either:-

1. Pimp didn't even know the rate but wanted it advertised as soon as they could so just guessed and made it high so they got some interest. - Possibly, but most pimps would say they will get back to you with the rate. - Unlikely -

2. Pimp knew rate but deliberately lied on advert so they got some interest. - BINGO -

3. It is this rate but pimp is thinking they can screw a huge margin out of this now. - BINGO - BINGO

4. Client has decided they really can't pay this and have knocked the rate down. - Extremely unlikely. Think about this if the client did reduce the rate, why did they reduce it onto an even multiple of £100? So with a commission percentage the amount reduced should be an odd number.

My money is on #3.

OP, the way to deal with this, as always, is to pretend the problem isn't there until you ace the interview and get the client on board. Then call the pimp's bluff. By which I mean, actually be prepared to walk. It's also worth, if you can, getting contact details for someone at the interview, and should the agent start any nonsense, dropping them a line to the tune of you're looking forward to helping with their project, and something about tedious red tape with the agent. That way, the pimp will find it harder to simply tell them you've walked and just ignore you.

[kingcook]

It is a rate, which in turn pays my bills hence a salary - do you not live off of a salary? Like to know how...

[infosec]

Bringing up rate with the client is a big no-no, especially at interview.

Yes, but sometimes they mention it first... which happened in my last interview (as in "can we reduce it") so its ok to discuss then within reason.

[Wanderer]

My money is on #3.

My money is on all of those being true....

pretend the problem isn't there until you ace the interview and get the client on board.

Yep. Wait till you have the client engaged before you start thinking about negotiating. If the client wants you then the agent will be all over you like a rash and that is the time to negotiate. Everything you have agreed to up until that point is inadmissible as far as I'm concerned. Also get the agent to send you a draft contract up front so you can review their terms of business as part of the negotiations. Threatening to bring the client into the negotiations really puts the wind up the agents but sometimes it will piss clients off too so tread carefully.

Sometimes clients will discuss the rate at the interview though I don't normally bring it up unless they mention it first because it's not uncommon that you are dealing with a permie who doesn't know how much you are charging and they stay right out of the negotiating part of it. Other times, the client has been 100% up front and going as far as telling me what the agency cut was.

[sunflower]

Gordon Ice, I love that title.... Pimpology Volume 1.

Anubis, I suspect this pimp is playing up. -100 per day is a lot.
Most of the time, the client has an idea of budget when they request the assistance of an agency to fill the role.

Go for the interview and if you get an offer, you are in a stronger position to push your rate back up towards what you originally asked for.

Agents have all sorts of vile strategies. One of the common ones is wait till someone is offered the gig and then drop the rate for various reasons. It's an old chestnut.

1. The role is long term...(it might not be).

Friend of mine got offered a contract at a big oil company. The agent negotiated a longer contract for him of 12 months+, but he needed to drop his rate. A few weeks later, he found out from management at the client that the role had always been 12 months+. Pimp margin++

2. The client is offering training :-)
Lands you into IR35 danger.

3. There are other rival candidates and their prices are cheaper.

In the past, I've applied for a contract role where I found out the agent had a 33% mark up!

In the meantime, see who else is advertising that role on different job boards and check the rates offered. Keep the adverts with higher rate quotes as evidence.

Get the customer's business card and offer him yours at the interview.