Verbal Contract Cancelation Fee with American Mobile?

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My friend is currently experiencing a very unpleasant dispute with American Mobile. We are both relatively new to Travel nursing and aren't quite sure what is or isn't standard practice in this business. She recently started talking with American Mobile because she was about to finish her current assignment and wanted to stay in the same area but her current company did not have any jobs avaliable for her. American Mobile quickly got her an offer with a Kaiser facility.. called my friend and quickly went over the assignment basics (basically told her the name/area of the hospital and the pay rate) and then ask her if she was intersted... my friend said yes... and the recruiter told her that she had just made a "verbal contract." When asked what the "verbal contract" entailed, the recuriter just said that she had to say that in order for the hospital to go ahead and schedule her for orientation, however my friend had not signed the actual written contract yet. Later, due to a family issue (and hearing horrid things about American Mobile from other travelers) she decided not to sign the contract. The recruiter then said that my friend would have to pay cancellation fees that the hospital would charge them. She is still waiting to hear just how much these fee's will be.... Has anyone ever dealt with a situation like this, and should my friend have to pay these fees even though she never signed the contract?

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Specializes in OB.

No way! Without a written signed contract there is no obligation. Remember that when you consider a position the interview with the facility (not just the agency) goes both ways. You are interviewing the facility to see if it suits you as much as they are evaluating you. I never accept a position without interviewing the facility.

I'd suggest your friend make a call to a lawyer who offers initial consultation free and see what they would charge to draft a simple letter to American Mobile. That should end this nonsense once and for all.

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Specializes in Trauma ICU, MICU,Tele. PCU, IMC.

She better not pay a dime! American Mobile always has these ridiculous rules tryna rip people off. I once worked with a traveler that was with AM who had her contract terminated by the hospital because they were not 'fully utilizing her'. AM charged her some kind of 'cancellation fee' and with-held her last week's pay.

There is no such thing as a verbal contract. If she hasn't signed a contract she is free and clear to walk!

I cosign what badladyrn said...get a lawyer involved!

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Specializes in Emergency Medicine.

Another black eye for American Mobile.

They keep screwing their travelers and they won't have anyone left to work for them.

I will not, not ever, recommend ANYONE go work for AMN given their current attitudes toward the actual people working and making them money.

Recruiters, payroll, housing, travel, the "clinical advisors", all overhead... NONE of these departments in the company actually bring in any money for the company. The traveler does!

When will they get in their heads that in order to be a better travel company they need to take care of the people that actually earn them money. They need to take CARE of their travelers not smack them around.

AMN has been going out of their way for over a year now to alienate and demonize their travelers. Why??? To cut costs?

Recent changes in AMN:

Travel reimbursement- less money.

Certifications- no reimbursement.

License renewal- not reimbursed.

Housing- they now charge a surcharge if you have a washer & dryer in your apartment.

The list goes on and on...

Any questions?

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Specializes in ICU, ER.

If it isn't written it isn't valid. It's the same with our charting as nurses! I had a very similar experience with AM. When I declined an offer after a verbal contract I was contacted by many different people within the company who tryed to, in my opinion, bully me back into it. My recruitor became very passionate and argumentative. I definitely did not want to work for them after that fiasco.

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So anyways... my friend ended up working 3 days of the contract because AM said the facility said they would take her "as long as she could stay"... yet three days into the contract the manager sent her home saying they weren't aware of her temporary status. She called her recruiter and her recruiter had no idea of what was going on!

AM has too many people involved which is a perfect set up for miscommunication, and it is their nurses who suffer for it.

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Specializes in ED, Clinical Documentation.

i just started traveling and one of the things i did was start/buy a legal plan. with all the nonsense i've heard from some agencies i wanted to have a lawyer i could send a contract to to check out and also to have someone i could call if needed. worth the money for me, i think.

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