Agency Rip Off?

[vetran]

Next time the client complains you are expensive apologise and say I'm on my lowest rate ever, I was on XX per hour (XX being what you should be getting at rate -10%) last gig, I'm on much lower now.

[RichardCranium]

my agent was taking 25%, client says they have told all agents they should charge just 15%. So my rate gets bumped by 10%.

The client was being generous. I would have reduced the payment to the agent so you got the same but the agent lost out.

[Iron Condor]

Happened to me once.

I knew as i always try to look on the CV the client has during the interview, it normally has agents inclusive rate on it.

Anyway when i started, i mention this to client that my agent was taking 25%, client says they have told all agents they should charge just 15% for candidates they place here. So my boss gets HR to phone the agent and my rate gets bumped by 10%.

Agent phones me up all apologetic.. claiming it was a mistake...

[Menelaus]

Bluff callling

I was concerned that my pimp was about to go out of business and called their bluff by indicating to clientco that I would be working from home for a few days whilst at the same time telling pimp that I wasn't going back to work until such times as they paid me for the work I'd done to that point.

Desired effect? I had it.

[DiscoStu]

Or my new employer is a retard who didn't know the day rate I am on. Why would they say you were expensive just because 50% goes to your pimp ??????

Sarcasm fail

[EternalOptimist]

Or my new employer is a retard who didn't know the day rate I am on. Why would they say you were expensive just because 50% goes to your pimp ??????

you want to come round to my street , the petrol is dirt cheap.
Actually the price is the same as everywhere else but I discovered that most of it is taxes, so therefore that makes it cheap

[Pondlife]

Or my new employer is a retard who didn't know the day rate I am on. Why would they say you were expensive just because 50% goes to your pimp ??????

Do you want to think about this for a bit longer?

[NotAllThere]

Or my new employer is a retard who didn't know the day rate I am on. Why would they say you were expensive just because 50% goes to your pimp ??????

[Unicorn]

Hi All...
So my new employer tells me a I am a dam expensive resource (and probably thinks the full rate or near enough goes in my pocket) -

Or my new employer is a retard who didn't know the day rate I am on. Why would they say you were expensive just because 50% goes to your pimp ??????

[d000hg]

If your client complains to you personally about how expensive you are, you could mention that you since found out 1/2 is going to the agent. Many people dislike using recruiters so it might get them on your side, and they have more power than you to get things changed.

Of course, it might also get you dumped.

[Muttley08]

You can call their bluff (and demand they stop taking the p1ss) - you've just got to be able to take the consequences if it all goes wrong...not many contracts out there...

I'd try having a quiet word in the first instance with the agent - along the lines of ' I've found out you're taking this p1ss, I'm hacked off, are you going to stop taking the p1ss and up my rate'.

[Alf W]

If have a notice period then serve notice to the agency and tell them you want the contract re-negotiated on a higher rate for you otherwise you are going to tell the client exactly what they are up to. The client doesn't have to get involved.

[RichardCranium]

Is this usual - I have just found out that my new agency who told me they could not offer me my full rate as the 'customer' was having credit crunch issues... is taking a 50% profit of my daily rate.

As Tom Jones says, it's not unusual.

Nor is it unusual for agents to lie. In this case you have caught the agent out and discovered you have been shafted royally.

So my new employer tells me a I am a dam expensive resource (and probably thinks the full rate or near enough goes in my pocket) -

I think this whole position makes me vulnerable.....

Indeed it does. It might be worthwhile the client replacing you through another agency.

Is this the same across the board or I am just with a particularly greed agency?

They will all get away with what they can. It is that kind of market.

If the agent is indeed taking 50% of your daily rate (i.e a 50% markup = 33.3% margin) that is rather high.

What do you want to do about it?

[ContractorNW]

Hi All...

Is this usual - I have just found out that my new agency who told me they could not offer me my full rate as the 'customer' was having credit crunch issues... is taking a 50% profit of my daily rate.

So my new employer tells me a I am a dam expensive resource (and probably thinks the full rate or near enough goes in my pocket) -

I think this whole position makes me vulnerable.....

Is this the same across the board or I am just with a particularly greed agency?

Cheers all