First post from a long time lurker.
I know there are a fair few contractors/consultants on here so I ask this question with a bit of background information,
Recently after many years of design contracting I was offered a full time position with a pretty good company.Never had a problem in at least 15 years worth of doing 6-9 month contracts

went something like this

Agency/consultant/shark phones me up

I go for interview

Find out company is actually deperate to get me on board due to experience blah blah.

The Friday consultant/shark (who im assuming is less experienced in the underhand tactics some agencies use) cannot get hold of employer so gives them my direct phone number.

Employer directly phone me up asking can I come,do I want to join them etc
Monday get VERY URGENT PLEASE CONTACT ME email from senior consultant who I can only assume is trying to pull back the cock up.

I find out Agency has told me x salary will be what I’m getting paid blah blah constructive excuse after excuse for what’s been said at the agencies end unfortunately for the consultant/agency/shark what I’m told on the phone is no where near the truth and that comes from the horses mouth the employer..not heard a suausage from these agency folks despite them kissing my arse when they though they were going to place me.

Today I ring up potential employer just to verify a few things they told me on the Friday and to be honest its pretty apparent agency have just tried the usual agressive placement techniques (was told as much by the HR head. The company say despite this they would like me to go work for them and after a private negotion they say OK I say Ok.

The so called agency have been ringing non stop on the hour emails text the works since they got wind of this even the main manager got on the blower and guess what its VERY URGENT I CONTACT HIM to discuss my potential employnent..Strange how when they though they had lost the job they couldn’t give a sh”t

On top of this they sent an email saying I must go to their office to meet them for compliance reasons.In 15 years contracting I have never had to go to anyone’s office for compliance

Your experience and advise may prove helpful here contracting folks do I have any legal standpoint or should I tell them to stick it

I would think the agency is after some cash, i would not go now you have a deal with the company anyway.

Do you have a contract with the agency if not tell them to stick it.

tell em to walk. the company have directly employed you after the consultants gave them your personal details.
nothing to do with you at all.

I assume you don’t have a contract of any sort with the agency, but your new employer might. Don’t see any need for you to go and see the agency though. Your new company might owe them a fee but it’s not your problem.

(Not that I know anything about it really.)

Hi chaps just what I thought,I have been looking for the legal implications,They say they introduced me to the company and therefore I cannot approach them in the next 12 months.
No I have no contract with the agency only verbal discussion, I sent them an email stating I didn’t want them representing myself to this company but left the mail short at the fact they were full of SH”T when it came to actually disclosing fact versus what they were hoping was going to happen.

having done some temping last year the compliance thing might be to see your passport. I think a fair few companies are getting twitchy about the law. If it turns out you are not legally allowed to work they are can find themselves in the S***.

As for the rest of your problem, agencies are scum who will promise the earth and shaft you at the first opportunity.

Speak with new employer, tell them your getting hastle of the agency, agency will not want to wind up a client.

Client will owe the agency a fee

Anokdale

I think they already have wound the client off the clock I haven’t had a problem getting in touch with the firms owner where as the agency were not getting any returned calls I’m pretty sure there’s a reason for this,but I am told they have just hounded said company. Not sure if the company are putting me in the picture for a reason they have been very open about it all

I vote with Gordy and Mudshark. The Agency introduced you to the Company and in all probability they were due a fee/commission on placement either at the outset or post your probationary period.

The agencies beef should be with the company and not you. In your original post you did not contact the company the company contacted you.

Anecdotally, agencies never sue clients over breach of contract, cos reputation is everything and no agency wants to look like a bunch of c**ts.

They’re recruitment people. If they are hassling anyone, it is because they want to get some money.

You’ve got no contract with them, assuming you didn’t sign anything with them, or agree that you’d exclusively look for work through them, agree not to talk to employers directly etc.

They’ve got a contract with your new employer, which will probably mean the employer owes them money.

Personally, unless you feel you owe them a favour, I’d just not answer your phone to them, they’ll get the hint at some point.

Before you have a job offer, you tend to need recruitment agencies, and have to jump through their stupid hoops, convince them that yes, you do ‘have MS SQL’ or whatever rubbish they ask that shows they have no idea about the jobs they are trying to fill.

Once you have a job offer, they are out of the picture, and can sort out their fee with the employer, it is nothing to do with you. At least that’s how it’s always been with my jobs, never heard from them, with the exception of the one decent recruitment agency I’ve dealt with (at http://www.ecmselection.co.uk/ ), where they did follow up to check how I was settling in, what the company was like etc. (I guess they had follow on fees to collect after a year or so, but to be fair to them, they were the only efficient and professional recruitment agency I’ve ever dealt with).

Compliance is pretty normal now.

As for dealing with the agency, well they did set the deal up for you.

As for monies due, thats not your problem – the company employing you will have the contract with the agency.

Just play dumb with them.

I struggle with long sentences, although I get the gist of it……..

However, my two penneth – having been in direct employment for 22 years, then become a contractor, there is not a rats ass of a chance I would even consider giving it up for direct employment anytime in the forseeable future.

Do you know what folks after thinking about it a bit longer I might just stay a contractor.It seems to be a right ball ache dealing with these folks and to be honest I want to just say your agency made a right balls of it and that’s the only reason I’m turning down the job.Thanks for all the responces it’s been a great help in reaching a decision