Pendragon - a warning for you contractors

[PinkPoshRat]

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

I went for an interview with a client in Exeter mid June 2009 and I was told that the client wanted to offer me the gig but had issues with my high rate. I was asked if I would consider £75pd less by the agency. I had to say yes, and was then told that they would put this new offer to the client.
A week passes and not a word from the agency, so I called them for a sit rep. They then told me that the client is having trouble with procurement but they were still interested in me. At this point I picked up on the agency not sounding very comfortable by me calling them and they even suggested that I shouldn't call them, they'd call me when they have more news. There was some slight empathy on the part of the agency, saying they understood why I was calling and that they had warned the client that the contractors would be offered gigs elsewhere etc.,
6 weeks pass, no word from agency, so I call them and was given the same bull$h it again. I decided to contact the client direct.
Cutting the story short, the client told me that I had not been offered the role and that this information had been passed to the agency the day after the interview.

Agency name: PENDRAGON IS
Agency Rep: Richard Crowcombe (who had the cheek to send me a request to recommend him on linkedin!!)

[OwlHoot]

In my experience, agents hardly ever tell you straight out and promptly that you didn't get a gig, even if you ring to enquire.

I think their main reason is that if the preferred candidate pulls out then they can fall back on you. But also it's in their interest to keep you hanging on in case anything else turns up.

But to lie like that by saying you did get the role when you hadn't, and then spin it out for weeks, sounds well out of order even by agency standards.

[HairyArsedBloke]

This is another of the reasons why I left the contracting game.

I never understood why they do this. Why give the impression that an application is still live when it is not. It can screw around with other applications that may be going on at the same time.

The only way is to have a 48hr time-out. No news after that, mark it as failed and the agency as dodgy.

[BrilloPad]

I hope you have emailed him with a link to your post.

[OwlHoot]

.. The only way is to have a 48hr time-out. No news after that, mark it as failed and the agency as dodgy.

That would work most of the time, and in a thriving market it would be fine. But sometimes contract decisions *are* delayed by clients for days and even weeks, especially at this time of year. Happened to me a few months ago, and not for the first time.

All the same, a verbal offer isn't worth squat, and despite the temptation to ease off or stop looking at that point, one should carry on applying for other roles regardless until contracts are signed.

[PinkPoshRat]

I still have contacts working at the client site - some very usefull ones too Whahaahaaa!

[Bright Spark]

report them to the PCG, I think they are members, also shop them to REC Professional standards [email protected]

I got the address from pcg site
http://www.pcg.org.uk/cms/index.php?...27&Itemid=1047

[PinkPoshRat]

I possibly would report them had I any written evidence. Shame.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Btw OP not sure why you've put without prejudice at the top of that - it has no meaning in this context

[PinkPoshRat]

I thought I would insert it 'just in case'...