Depends on what you are looking for, quality of services, price or tax savings?
Harry Lee
<admin>Link removed, no advertising</admin>
Harry Lee
<admin>Link removed, no advertising</admin>
Originally posted by wim121
View Post
I can see why you're looking at changing umbrella's then!
I changed umbrellas a while back after being mucked about by a previous umbrella called Paramount, oh the horror stories! Just let me say to any using or considering them, get out now while you can.
I went with Excellium for an assignment, nice, professional, good rates (from £9 net pw), would recommend to anyone. When I spoke to GFK they were very nice as well, over £15 net pw, but the service seems excellent, although I never signed up to them, but they were the nicest umbrella out of about thirty that I spoke to. I’m considering them for in the future, if things don’t work out currently.
Anyway, recently, I have been calling around umbrella companies again, as one contract specifies "preferred umbrellas".
Quite frankly, it doesn’t matter how good or bad Parasol is, quite frankly, they are a deceitful company I wouldn’t touch with a bargepole. I called Parasol. When asked if they had a geographic number they refused to provide one, quite essential if I need to call them from my mobile for instance. They seemed very sketchy and I didn’t get a good feeling from them whatsoever. There is NO reason at all for an umbrella to have an NGN and insulting to contractors not to offer a geographic number.
My advice when looking at an umbrella:
- If the have an NGN (0800, 0845, 0870), ask if they have a geographic number, if not why not? If they refuse to give you one then that isn’t a helpful or open company. Do you really want exorbitant mobile charges, if you need to contact them while out in the field, or struggle to get a 3G connection and go through the palaver of going on the website to request a call-back?
- Be weary of ones that promise to let you claim every expense under the sun. Keep in mind that an umbrella should always tell you to submit AND keep receipts, just because you use an umbrella, doesn’t mean you'll never get audited/quizzed by the taxman.
- Does the umbrella understand very basic concepts and terms. You won’t believe it, but two umbrellas out of a list of sixteen preferred ones on an agencies list got flummoxed at the difference between gross and net and couldn’t give me a simple straight up figure. I had to explain to them how tax relief worked. Not encouraging at all.
- Although you might not always speak to the same person, do they seem professional, helpful? They should, that's what you pay them for! They are there to take the hassle of a LTD company away. Your only responsibility with them should be, getting timesheets signed and expenses submitted.
- The easier they make it to submit expenses, the better.
- What are their terms for payment? What if the client doesn’t pay, do they pursue payments?
- Do they offer advance services? Do they charge a reasonable amount (under £10 for it)? If not, why not?
There are a lot of other questions you may have, but my final recommendation is the best isn’t always the cheapest.
I changed umbrellas a while back after being mucked about by a previous umbrella called Paramount, oh the horror stories! Just let me say to any using or considering them, get out now while you can.
I went with Excellium for an assignment, nice, professional, good rates (from £9 net pw), would recommend to anyone. When I spoke to GFK they were very nice as well, over £15 net pw, but the service seems excellent, although I never signed up to them, but they were the nicest umbrella out of about thirty that I spoke to. I’m considering them for in the future, if things don’t work out currently.
Anyway, recently, I have been calling around umbrella companies again, as one contract specifies "preferred umbrellas".
Quite frankly, it doesn’t matter how good or bad Parasol is, quite frankly, they are a deceitful company I wouldn’t touch with a bargepole. I called Parasol. When asked if they had a geographic number they refused to provide one, quite essential if I need to call them from my mobile for instance. They seemed very sketchy and I didn’t get a good feeling from them whatsoever. There is NO reason at all for an umbrella to have an NGN and insulting to contractors not to offer a geographic number.
My advice when looking at an umbrella:
- If the have an NGN (0800, 0845, 0870), ask if they have a geographic number, if not why not? If they refuse to give you one then that isn’t a helpful or open company. Do you really want exorbitant mobile charges, if you need to contact them while out in the field, or struggle to get a 3G connection and go through the palaver of going on the website to request a call-back?
- Be weary of ones that promise to let you claim every expense under the sun. Keep in mind that an umbrella should always tell you to submit AND keep receipts, just because you use an umbrella, doesn’t mean you'll never get audited/quizzed by the taxman.
- Does the umbrella understand very basic concepts and terms. You won’t believe it, but two umbrellas out of a list of sixteen preferred ones on an agencies list got flummoxed at the difference between gross and net and couldn’t give me a simple straight up figure. I had to explain to them how tax relief worked. Not encouraging at all.
- Although you might not always speak to the same person, do they seem professional, helpful? They should, that's what you pay them for! They are there to take the hassle of a LTD company away. Your only responsibility with them should be, getting timesheets signed and expenses submitted.
- The easier they make it to submit expenses, the better.
- What are their terms for payment? What if the client doesn’t pay, do they pursue payments?
- Do they offer advance services? Do they charge a reasonable amount (under £10 for it)? If not, why not?
There are a lot of other questions you may have, but my final recommendation is the best isn’t always the cheapest.
Comment