Nasa Consulting, any thoughts?

[Yonmons]

I know this is an old thread now but just to add my comments I used NASA for 3 month at the start of the year and had no issue with them I was happy with their service, I would still be with them now on another contract but the Agency does not have them on their "Approved list" (whats all that about anyway ?) I am now with Paystream (touch wood ) no problems with them so far 10 weeks in. So you pays your money !

[Rolex44]

I'm with NASA

Hi

I saw this thread and thought I'd just chime in with a few thoughts. We've been going since March 2006, and currently payroll about 1200 contractors a week. So are (I like to think) reasonably well established.

In terms of one of the posters mentioning 'just go with the big boys', one reason not to is we charge a tenner a week, whilst the two august organisations mentioned above charge around £25 a week. In terms of customer service I feel we punch well above our weight for the price we charge and show that cheap doesn't mean poor service.

But ultimately beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So I will leave to other contractors to judge!

I signed with them 6 months ago and they are better than most others I have used during the last 15 years. No trouble getting intouch with them, although I'm not fond of their online mileage and expenses claims form. They seem to be the cheapest on charges.

[P45]

NASA umbrella

NASA was recently suggested to me as my usual umbrella was not on the agency approved list. I have never come across such a finicky umbrella.

I formed the impression that their payroll department "looked for ways" to reject expenses. It became so frustrating that after the second week and being expected to submit my expense claim for the third time, I informed my agency I wanted a move to my preferred umbrella which co-incidentally was now on their approved list.

They can state they have HMRC requirements to adhere to etc etc, but to reject a £20 petrol expense claim because a £2 lottery ticket and a £1 bar of chocolate were listed on the same receipt, the reason given was "the VAT for each item was not shown". Silly me the actual receipt had a total VAT amount, surely it is not that difficult to calculate what 20% of £20 is, perhaps they are too busy answering calls from candidates that they haven't got time to even use a VAT google calculator. After a wasted phone call, they relented let that one go through, I hope the HMRC don't hunt me down for spending a spending a few extra quid while filing up?

Subsistence rejected due to not listing departure and arrive home times, fair enough I suppose, but I was only claiming the bare minimum for a 7.5hr day as reflective on my timesheet.

Following week mileage again rejected because no home or work post codes were listed, even though they know my home address and place of work. I assumed it is on-file as they asked me for the info when signing up, plus it was on my prior mileage claim. Okay fair enough, I must remember to list relevant post codes even though they don't change every day.

Resubmit, again rejected due to attached petrol receipt being dated after date of expense claim. I can only assume HRMC make no allowance for anybody that may fill the tank prior to starting a new contract?

In the end it seems like an up hill battle and to think I was paying them for all this hoop jumping. When I get home, I want to wind down relax, not have to re-submit expense claims three times, make phone calls to somebody who can't separate and calculate 20% of £20. Sure I could have RTFM they kept sending me with every rejection, something I don't even resort to in my profession unless it's a last resort.

I've been contracting for the last 8 years, a bit long in the tooth and certainly wasn't prepared to pay for the privilege of, as I felt, 'being messed around'. I'd had enough of that with another big umbrella company based in Warrington whose pay slips might as well have been written in hieroglyphics for the sense they made.

Sure like a good obedient contractor I would have "got weekly expense claims" spot on eventually, but not wanting to switch in the first place (since learnt agencies can't dictate who you can or can't go with, despite their approval lists), the constant hassle exacerbated the situation. I don't mind paying £10 per week extra to avoid the pettiness, which they of course they blamed on the HRMC.

Oh, nearly forgot, first week I never got paid, received mid-week txt from agency funds sent to company, NASA claimed they never received anything. Who was right and who was wrong, I don't know, ended up getting paid few days late, overall experience "utter frustration".

[kumarz]

Umbrella fees currently?

Anyone still using Nasa umbrella? How much are they charging (umbrella margin) these days please?

[northernladuk]

Anyone still using Nasa umbrella? How much are they charging (umbrella margin) these days please?

Have you thought about asking them?

[eatenrifles]

Anyone still using Nasa umbrella? How much are they charging (umbrella margin) these days please?

£17.50 a week when I contacted them last month. They will also salary sacrifice into your own existing pension scheme for £5/week.