Nikki Scott-Despaigne wrote:
This is already a bit suspicious. The agency is being quite cheeky here! If I understand what you have written then :
- the agency asked you to do a test (at a reduced rate), thus paid but poorly;
- when you returned the test problem-free, they decided they would use it, so decided to pay you a full commercial rate.
I am pleased you got some work with this agency afterwards, but they were not very honest with you from the start. I would not feel happy working with an agency that changed conditions this way. Even if the conditions moved in your favour, it is still a very strange way of doing business.
You do understand I'm not the poster...? This was an answer to the poster's question. Several years old experience.
The agency didn't "decide they would use it" - this was a "real" job and they were clear about it, they just weren't sure what quality I provide, so I understand the money they took from my rate was supposed to go to the proofreader. But when the proofreader didn't really have any work with it, they decided to pay me the full rate.
I wish all agencies were this dishonest - paying more than agreed.