I was approached by a representative of the agency while I was working on bulk carriers. I was told that the agency's services were paid, with a commission of 1.5 months' salary plus another $1,000 for an intermediary, and that the money had to be paid immediately. I attended an interview and was approved, but decided not to proceed because the arrangement seemed highly questionable.
I visited the agency seeking employment. During the conversation, they proposed adding two voyages to a seaman's book electronically using Photoshop, while the actual book would remain blank, and suggested making excuses later about the document being lost. They quoted a $1,500 commission and demanded $500 upfront before starting work. I decided not to proceed.
I paid $5,000 to be sent to an offshore job. I was sent back before reaching the vessel, and the money was not returned. They did not arrange another job for me.
I paid a $500 upfront fee. For about four months they claimed to be trying to place me, but no company contacted me after my CV was circulated. They also expected me to call the companies myself while charging a fee for arranging the job. In my experience, the service was ineffective and the upfront payment was not justified.