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Contract in Amsterdam: client to pay for flights, hotel, or both?

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    Contract in Amsterdam: client to pay for flights, hotel, or both?

    Hi all,
    In discussion with a UK-based agency ref contract opportunity in Amsterdam. Agreed rate, then agent emailed back to ask me "does the rate we just discussed include flights, etc?" I'm surprised she was asking me -- but what's the norm here? Is there indeed a norm? The company knows the agent engaged is in UK, and recruiting from UK -- so can it be assumed from that that company is expecting to pay travel and/or hotel expenses? Etc, etc..: please help!

    Btw, my plan is to commute weekly from London to Amsterdam. I have a ltdco, against which I have completed one much-extended contract.

    Many thanks,
    Towcester

    #2
    Are you willing to do it if you have to pay?
    'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by towcester View Post
      what's the norm here? Is there indeed a norm?
      There is no norm, only negotiation and agreement / walking away.

      Originally posted by towcester View Post
      can it be assumed from that that company is expecting to pay travel and/or hotel expenses?
      No.

      When you quoted the rate, what were you expecting it to include? The rate that you give the agency might include flights, accommodation, both or neither - the agency just wants to make sure that when / if they pitch your rate, you aren't suddenly going to turn round and try to sting them for flights and accommodation on top of that.

      For all my contracts, I have set my daily rate based on working in one location. The client is expected to pick up all expenses which arise from them requiring me to be in a different location from the one we agreed on. If I'm feeling nice, then I will only charge the additional costs rather than total costs.
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      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by towcester View Post
        Hi all,
        In discussion with a UK-based agency ref contract opportunity in Amsterdam. Agreed rate, then agent emailed back to ask me "does the rate we just discussed include flights, etc?" I'm surprised she was asking me -- but what's the norm here? Is there indeed a norm? The company knows the agent engaged is in UK, and recruiting from UK -- so can it be assumed from that that company is expecting to pay travel and/or hotel expenses? Etc, etc..: please help!

        Btw, my plan is to commute weekly from London to Amsterdam. I have a ltdco, against which I have completed one much-extended contract.

        Many thanks,
        Towcester
        If the rate is already "agreed" then obv. answer is "no, flights etc. not included". See what they come back with and be ready to negotiate.

        Could be they pay directly for expenses; YourCo pays and re-charges to client at cost; YourCo pays and bills for expenses at a flat rate; or you say it's included in the day rate. If you have a preference then propose it to the agent.

        I don't think there is a norm.

        Comment


          #5
          Contract in Amsterdam: client to pay for flights, hotel, or both?

          Originally posted by northernladuk View Post
          Are you willing to do it if you have to pay?
          Not likely, friend.. :-)

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by towcester View Post
            Not likely, friend.. :-)
            So there is only one answer you are looking for regardless of the norm. Time to negotiate.
            'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

            Comment


              #7
              Contract in Amsterdam: client to pay for flights, hotel, or both?

              Thanks, folks! Got enough of a sense of this now to ask that client pay for travel & accommodation.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by towcester View Post
                Thanks, folks! Got enough of a sense of this now to ask that client pay for travel & accommodation.
                Might be worth a punt quoting two rates: one if they arrange the needful, another if they don't. Assuming they decide to hire you, you end up with two possible outcomes:
                • They take on the costs, and probably put you in a good but sterile hotel designed for accommodating work units on business trips, and possibly miles from anywhere interesting;

                • You take on the costs, whereby you can find some fleapit with character in an interesting district, and pocket the difference.


                So pitch your lower rate at a level that prices them out of the 432-room hotel next to a roundabout adjacent to some godforsaken "business park" near the airport's freight terminal, and your higher rate at a level that still allows you decent city centre accommodation and a good evening meal on those weeks when the fleapit is already fully booked during your sojourn.

                But of course there's always the risk of pricing yourself out of the gig. The only fix for that is making yourself indispensable

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