[Finance] Advise with recruitment

[LockStock]

Does anyone work in recruitment or have any experience in this field. Last year around November time I was put in touch with someone via a recruitment agent, we interviewed him and he rejected the job offer.

We then placed an add and he got back in touch via the add and decided to take the job on new terms which he started in January. We then got out of the blue an invoice for the introduction, they have said they hold the rights to him for 6 months and we have to pay £3,600 +vat in their fees and that if we do not pay in the agreed time frame they will put these fees up to 25% which is then around £9,000+vat. The £3,600 is apparently a reduced rate, however I feel like they are just trying to strongarm me into paying it quickly.

I'm not sure where we stand, they say we have agreed terms of business by speaking to him, I have not seen these and they were defiantly not attached to the email with the information on at the start. They have now sent a copy but after sending the invoice. I have not signed anything or verbally agreed any T&C's with them.

Any advise would be greatly apricated.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

@Commander ?

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Does anyone work in recruitment or have any experience in this field. Last year around November time I was put in touch with someone via a recruitment agent, we interviewed him and he rejected the job offer.

We then placed an add and he got back in touch via the add and decided to take the job on new terms which he started in January. We then got out of the blue an invoice for the introduction, they have said they hold the rights to him for 6 months and we have to pay £3,600 +vat in their fees and that if we do not pay in the agreed time frame they will put these fees up to 25% which is then around £9,000+vat. The £3,600 is apparently a reduced rate, however I feel like they are just trying to strongarm me into paying it quickly.

I'm not sure where we stand, they say we have agreed terms of business by speaking to him, I have not seen these and they were defiantly not attached to the email with the information on at the start. They have now sent a copy but after sending the invoice. I have not signed anything or verbally agreed any T&C's with them.

Any advise would be greatly

Edit: Must read posts in full!

 

[LamieRobertson]

Some advice would definitely be useful

 

[Arthur]

I have not signed anything or verbally agreed any T&C's with them.

Sounds like it is your word against theirs then.

 

[Commander]

Does anyone work in recruitment or have any experience in this field. Last year around November time I was put in touch with someone via a recruitment agent, we interviewed him and he rejected the job offer.

We then placed an add and he got back in touch via the add and decided to take the job on new terms which he started in January. We then got out of the blue an invoice for the introduction, they have said they hold the rights to him for 6 months and we have to pay £3,600 +vat in their fees and that if we do not pay in the agreed time frame they will put these fees up to 25% which is then around £9,000+vat. The £3,600 is apparently a reduced rate, however I feel like they are just trying to strongarm me into paying it quickly.

I'm not sure where we stand, they say we have agreed terms of business by speaking to him, I have not seen these and they were defiantly not attached to the email with the information on at the start. They have now sent a copy but after sending the invoice. I have not signed anything or verbally agreed any T&C's with them.

Any advise would be greatly apricated.

The agency will claim you agreed to their terms and conditions by accepting the interview through the CV they sent you- it will probably say something like "accepting this CV is agreement to our terms and conditions' on it. In their actual terms and conditions it will say that any candidate they send you they hold the rights to for a period of time, probably 6 months. Fair enough, they'd go out of business otherwise because clients could just wait a month and then contact them and not pay the fee. But if you definitely never signed the contract then the agency don't really have a leg to stand on. It's pretty astonishing that they've gone down the route of just sending you an invoice without calling you to have a chat about it first, and even more astonishing they are saying it will rise to £9K if you don't pay it in a period of time, like it's a parking fine! They are chancing their arm.

If this situation happened to me I'd call the agency up and say I was happy to work with you previously but now you've behaved like this you can piss off, I'm not paying a penny. It's not worth their time to pursue it for less than £4K. Absolutely no way you have to pay that fee.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Does anyone work in recruitment or have any experience in this field. Last year around November time I was put in touch with someone via a recruitment agent, we interviewed him and he rejected the job offer.

We then placed an add and he got back in touch via the add and decided to take the job on new terms which he started in January. We then got out of the blue an invoice for the introduction, they have said they hold the rights to him for 6 months and we have to pay £3,600 +vat in their fees and that if we do not pay in the agreed time frame they will put these fees up to 25% which is then around £9,000+vat. The £3,600 is apparently a reduced rate, however I feel like they are just trying to strongarm me into paying it quickly.

I'm not sure where we stand, they say we have agreed terms of business by speaking to him, I have not seen these and they were defiantly not attached to the email with the information on at the start. They have now sent a copy but after sending the invoice. I have not signed anything or verbally agreed any T&C's with them.

Any advise would be greatly apricated.

That's the key bit. How were you 'put in touch' with the recruitment agency ?

*edit* and answered above by someone with far more knowledge while I was typing

 

[LockStock]

The agency will claim you agreed to their terms and conditions by accepting the interview through the CV they sent you- it will probably say something like "accepting this CV is agreement to our terms and conditions' on it. In their actual terms and conditions it will say that any candidate they send you they hold the rights to for a period of time, probably 6 months. Fair enough, they'd go out of business otherwise because clients could just wait a month and then contact them and not pay the fee. But if you definitely never signed the contract then the agency don't really have a leg to stand on. It's pretty astonishing that they've gone down the route of just sending you an invoice without calling you to have a chat about it first, and even more astonishing they are saying it will rise to £9K if you don't pay it in a period of time, like it's a parking fine! They are chancing their arm.

If this situation happened to me I'd call the agency up and say I was happy to work with you previously but now you've behaved like this you can piss off, I'm not paying a penny. It's not worth their time to pursue it for less than £4K. Absolutely no way you have to pay that fee.

Pretty much what you said, they've said they hold the rights for 6 months.

To give some clarity on it, they did try to call a few times last week but I was away with the family so they left a message. They have said we agreed the to T&C's which they didn't send, it does say at the foot of the email that it is available on the website, but I have checked and if it is, its very well hidden.

I've also not signed anything.

My view is, if I genuine owe them and I have overlooked something, I will pay but they way they are trying to force me into paying by saying things like 'you don't want this to go legal' and 'our fee will increase if not paid in 24hrs' makes me want to tell them to do one.

 

[LockStock]

That's the key bit. How were you 'put in touch' with the recruitment agency ?

*edit* and answered above by someone with far more knowledge while I was typing

They called from time to time when they have someone they are looking to place, most likely started as a cold call. My trade its not easy to find pre-trained staff, most people are self employed or work for one of the big nationals.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Wow doubling an invoice if it isn't paid in 24 hours like a car parking company. Classy outfit.

 

[Commander]

Pretty much what you said, they've said they hold the rights for 6 months.

To give some clarity on it, they did try to call a few times last week but I was away with the family so they left a message. They have said we agreed the to T&C's which they didn't send, it does say at the foot of the email that it is available on the website, but I have checked and if it is, its very well hidden.

I've also not signed anything.

My view is, if I genuine owe them and I have overlooked something, I will pay but they way they are trying to force me into paying by saying things like 'you don't want this to go legal' and 'our fee will increase if not paid in 24hrs' makes me want to tell them to do one.

From their point of view they will think you've screwed them over by contacting the candidate behind their backs. They will have been annoyed with you and gone and checked to make sure they sent the terms of business and got them signed, then realised they had messed up by not sending it, so are now chancing their arm, hoping that by threatening to double the fee you will just pay it and be done with it.

I genuinely don't understand why some recruitment companies behave like this. For the sake of a small chance of getting £4K they'll have lost a potential client that will now never ever work with them again. It's unbelievably short-sighted.

 

[Nathan]

Worked in recruitment years back. If you haven't signed the T&C's they don't have a leg to stand on, as @Commander said. They might claim you agreed to the T&Cs by interviewing him in the first place and will put pressure on your from that point of view, but in reality thats all they can do.
My guess is they will try and tempt that person out of the job to get their own back on you.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

In a few ways, they seem quite amateur. If you had a proper agreement with them then fair enough. But as you do not I’d suggest you check with HR/legal and then make a polite phone call to explain the reason why you won’t pay.

 

[The Clamp]

Does anyone work in recruitment or have any experience in this field. Last year around November time I was put in touch with someone via a recruitment agent, we interviewed him and he rejected the job offer.

We then placed an add and he got back in touch via the add and decided to take the job on new terms which he started in January. We then got out of the blue an invoice for the introduction, they have said they hold the rights to him for 6 months and we have to pay £3,600 +vat in their fees and that if we do not pay in the agreed time frame they will put these fees up to 25% which is then around £9,000+vat. The £3,600 is apparently a reduced rate, however I feel like they are just trying to strongarm me into paying it quickly.

I'm not sure where we stand, they say we have agreed terms of business by speaking to him, I have not seen these and they were defiantly not attached to the email with the information on at the start. They have now sent a copy but after sending the invoice. I have not signed anything or verbally agreed any T&C's with them.

Any advise would be greatly apricated.

I would very much be inclined to tell them to do one.

 

[LockStock]

I dont want to be a dick but trying to force me into payment and lying to say I've agreed is pushing me to towards just ignoring the emails.

 

[NorthstandRacoon]

Does anyone work in recruitment or have any experience in this field. Last year around November time I was put in touch with someone via a recruitment agent, we interviewed him and he rejected the job offer.

We then placed an add and he got back in touch via the add and decided to take the job on new terms which he started in January. We then got out of the blue an invoice for the introduction, they have said they hold the rights to him for 6 months and we have to pay £3,600 +vat in their fees and that if we do not pay in the agreed time frame they will put these fees up to 25% which is then around £9,000+vat. The £3,600 is apparently a reduced rate, however I feel like they are just trying to strongarm me into paying it quickly.

I'm not sure where we stand, they say we have agreed terms of business by speaking to him, I have not seen these and they were defiantly not attached to the email with the information on at the start. They have now sent a copy but after sending the invoice. I have not signed anything or verbally agreed any T&C's with them.

Any advise would be greatly apricated.

I work in this space. Terms of agreement with regards to recruitment also include candidate ownership up to 6 months. So if we present a candidate to a client, they don’t hire first time of asking, but, hire on the second time within thar 6 month period, it is what we call, a lost fee. It is very standard recruitment terms.

 

[LockStock]

I work in this space. Terms of agreement with regards to recruitment also include candidate ownership up to 6 months. So if we present a candidate to a client, they don’t hire first time of asking, but, hire on the second time within thar 6 month period, it is what we call, a lost fee. It is very standard recruitment terms.

Thank you. Would you usually get something in writing or signed to say terms are agreed. Also do you have any idea if they are allowed to bump the fee up from 10% to 25% if under dispute or not paid within a certain time frame.

 

[Da Man Clay]

if you’ve signed nothing not a world where I’d be paying it. They’re chancing.

 

[brightn'ove]

Have you worked with the agency before?

https://www.menzieslaw.co.uk/blog-recruitment-agency-fee-disputes/ this may help

 

[Commander]

I work in this space. Terms of agreement with regards to recruitment also include candidate ownership up to 6 months. So if we present a candidate to a client, they don’t hire first time of asking, but, hire on the second time within thar 6 month period, it is what we call, a lost fee. It is very standard recruitment terms.

It's a fair clause if the client has signed the terms agreeing to it. But he hasn't, because they didn't follow their own process correctly. No way the agency will get a lost fee here.