A little background on myself, I have a very diverse working history and have technical aptitude along with soft skills that could put me in sales if I have ever wanted to do that, which I absolutely do not.
I have done a lot of data analyst style work without the actual job title of data analyst or specialist, and due to my lack of secondary education degree, I always end up starting at positions towards the low end and have to consistently work my way up.
I was making $20/hr working as sales support staff, doing customer service over phones and order entry for sales, when I applied for a contract position that had a wage of $25/hr in the ad. It was doing data entry and data reporting for a pharmaceutical plant. I aced the interview and got the offer. On the offer letter and the employment contract I was told the wage was 28.83/hr. I finally felt good. I wasn't going to have to start from the bottom again, my resume and work history was being acknowledged and valued, and I really felt great about my new position.
I started work, and discovered that it was common practice for this company to hire contractors for 6mo-2 yrs and then hire those people on directly. I have no problem with this, having worked contract work and been hired on before. Also pick up a few grumbles and comments from my new team members about pay and it sounds like I am making a considerable amount more than they are.
As we get to Thursday of my 2nd week there, and I assume payroll is being processed, I get a call from my staffing agency letting me know that the pay rate was misrepresented, and instead of the wage of $28.83 that I signed a contract for, the actual pay for the position was $17/hr, and if I wasn't willing to reduce my pay to that amount, it would be my last day on assignment. I told them I signed a contract for 28.83 and would not be reducing my rate to 17 and hung up. I am sitting there stunned, felt like a gut punch, then I get a call back telling it WAS NOT my last day on assignment and that negotiations are ongoing. So, I hear nothing from 11:30 Thursday on. I work on Friday, hearing nothing, and then after I get home, I get a call from my agency, letting me know that the client has chosen to end my contract. Not because of my work, but because of the misrepresented rate of pay.
I never would have even applied for the position if I knew the wage was that low.
TL;DR: staffing agency gave me wrong number for pay, signed contract of that rate, discovered they were losing money by me going to work and my contract was terminated