From the pricing page alone, write down the earliest date you could stop paying. A page passes if it states the minimum term and how to leave. 19 of 39 UK agency pricing pages failed.
The number: The fees UK agencies don’t quote.
What it means in practice
The mistake is comparing retainers on the monthly price. A minimum term, a notice period and a setup fee each change what the retainer really costs, and none has to sit near the headline price.
The move is to run the test before the first call. If you cannot write the date down, ask by email for three things in writing: any setup fee, the minimum term, and the notice period with the date it runs from.
Whito stage: Build. Run it before you sign any monthly marketing contract.
The numbers to hold onto
- 12 of the 39 agencies carry a minimum term somewhere, and five of those keep it off the pricing page entirely. The fees UK agencies don’t quote.
- Exactly one of the 39 publishes a setup fee. The fees UK agencies don’t quote.
- At 2 of the 20 pages that passed, the agency’s own terms document gave a different answer. The fees UK agencies don’t quote.
Where to go next
Related: Agency retainer, The month-seven price, The who-you-sue test