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How to Find Out What Agency is Charging Client

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    #11
    Originally posted by meridian View Post
    Yes, and I wonder why that may be there? Certainly not to protect the contractor....
    Shock news! Contract protects the one who wrote it!


    Good luck to an agent trying to recover £300pd from a contractor he's only paying £200pd.
    If he leaves and goes direct for 3months that's cost the agent nearly £20k. That seems worth chasing over, if the contract supports it... hardly a few quid.

    Asking the agent and pushing the issue seems reasonable, especially if you've evidence. Drop hints you doubt the client would be happy if they found out, etc. But be prepared to be dropped if you play hardball.
    Originally posted by MaryPoppins
    I'd still not breastfeed a nazi
    Originally posted by vetran
    Urine is quite nourishing

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      #12
      Originally posted by Wanderer View Post

      I don't see why we should be locked in to these agencies for the entire time we work for a client, it's a restraint of trade
      The answer to that is blindingly obvious. Go spend 95% of your time for no income tracking down the gigs for yourself and winning the contract in a competitive bidding war. The agencies are running a retail business that's nothing to do with looking after contractors (or clients either, come to that). There's no point in getting all weepy if they are better at it than you are.

      And how is guaranteeing you work a restraint of trade anyway?
      Blog? What blog...?

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        #13
        The contract I'm currently in is paying ok but not brilliant however it is close to home so I'm prepared to take a bit less for the convenience. After working a weekend I submitted my usual invoice to the agency plus the extra time spent (in hours) rather than my normal day rate.

        The next thing I know I have a guy from client accounts asking me why the agency have billed him £40,000 for a months work. Seems they had not read my contract correctly and had billed my hours as days, hence the uplift in cost.

        The upshot of this was that he was at my desk with all the paperwork from the agency in full view so I could clearly see what the client was being charged.. As it happens 10-12% which is fine in my book.

        So potentially submit a crazy invoice and you might get more info than you bargained for

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          #14
          Originally posted by bsnsintel View Post
          I want to know if the agency is charging a 60% fee as I understand the going rate is 20% to 25%
          Being pedantic, there's more than one way to look at the charges.

          1. You're being charged 150% fee (150% of £200 = £300)
          2. You're receiving 40% of the rate (40% of £500 = £200)

          IF ClientCo are paying £500pd and 25% would be considered almost excessive, then you should be on £375pd
          If it's 25% on top of day rate = £500, then you should be on £400pd.

          Either way, you're getting screwed (royally). Happened to me once and I joined forces with ClientCo PM to get agency to accept a more reasonable 16% on top (after I'd been there 3 months and earned them oodles of bunts already of course).

          Not a lot you can do otherwise though - you've signed up for a rate that you were happy with, until you found out some information that changed your mind. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.
          And on the eighth day God said, "Okay, Murphy, you're in charge!"

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            #15
            Originally posted by badger7579 View Post
            The contract I'm currently in is paying ok but not brilliant however it is close to home so I'm prepared to take a bit less for the convenience. After working a weekend I submitted my usual invoice to the agency plus the extra time spent (in hours) rather than my normal day rate.

            The next thing I know I have a guy from client accounts asking me why the agency have billed him £40,000 for a months work. Seems they had not read my contract correctly and had billed my hours as days, hence the uplift in cost.

            The upshot of this was that he was at my desk with all the paperwork from the agency in full view so I could clearly see what the client was being charged.. As it happens 10-12% which is fine in my book.

            So potentially submit a crazy invoice and you might get more info than you bargained for
            ROFLMAO. Only backs up my assertion that 80% of agencies are incompetent.

            There again, why is the client complaining to you about the agency's behaviour. Not your problem, is it?
            Blog? What blog...?

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