I worked through Bark Marine Agency and was not charged a fee for departure.
I have worked with Bark Marine Agency for several contracts. They never asked me for money, but the office operators changed frequently and repeatedly requested the same documents, as if they did not communicate with one another. I worked through them with Alberta and had no other problems. Overall, my impression is average, with room for improvement; the quality of the contract depended heavily on the senior officers, and I was lucky with them.
After completing a contract, I was expected to make a small but regular payment. This applied to ratings; I do not know whether officers were treated the same way.
I worked through Bark Marine Agency in 2011, and they charged substantial fees.
Bark Marine Agency sent me to Samos once. Good conditions were promised, but although I was hired as a motorman, I was expected to participate in mooring operations. I questioned the difference between what had been promised and the actual conditions, and after I tried to negotiate the placement fee, the representative asked for a substantial payment and then stopped communicating with me.