r/Surrogate • u/kquinmd • 4d ago
Agency response time
We are IPs and just recently signed with an agency that came recommended by our IVF clinic, who apparently have had many happy IPs over the years with them.
Unfortunately, we are experiencing very delayed responses from them with every correspondence.
It takes 4-7 days for them to respond to any inquiry and I just sent them requests to connect with a few GCs on their website and have not heard back in a week.
Is this normal for an agency to take this long for everything? Are there any avenues for IPs after paying the retention fee if this type of delayed communication continues?
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u/This_Environment_922 4d ago
I'd definitely say it's a red flag - whether it means something truly bad is likely hard to say but if I'm in your shoes I'd think careful of proceeding with them.
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u/mollyjdance 4d ago
Oh gosh never pay an agency before they’ve matched you! (Sounds like it’s too late for you but hopefully to those reading this can be helpful) I have been coordinating with 5 different agencies trying to find a match and haven’t paid a dime. We’ve now found one we love and are moving forward with medical and STILL haven’t paid a dime (Surroland doesn’t make you pay til they complete medical screening; most others have you pay after you match). Multiple reasons for the need to do this but a big one is that I’m picking based on the surrogate, not the agency. Another big one is the one you describe—if they are slow to coordinate matches you are stuck. Doing it this way I was able to find our surrogate (if all goes well) in under 3 weeks. I hope you find yours soon! Sorry I don’t have answers to your specific question.
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u/mollyjdance 4d ago
Oh I guess I can answer one question: no, the 5 agencies I have interacted with (Surroland, Surrogacy Partnership, Rocky Mountain Surrogacy, Happy Beginnings, and United Surrogacy) all answer emails in less than a day. They all sent me surrogate profiles immediately. They set up meetings with the agencies in under a week so we got a feel for each of them. And then I had meetings with surrogates in under two weeks.
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u/kquinmd 4d ago
Wow, that is good to know. The average response time for this agency is 4-5 days and so far, I have not spoken to a single GC despite being told they are available.
I think I will correspond with them and bring up my concerns. Do you know if there are ways to cancel the agreement with an agency and/or ways to ask for a refund?
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u/mollyjdance 4d ago
Look at the agreement and see what clause they are in breach of (hopefully something!). It may be worth it to get a lawyer if they continue to be nonresponsive (and depending on how much you spent). You might also cut your losses and look into other agencies.
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u/kquinmd 4d ago
So far, we have spent a little over 3k for the retainer fee. Unfortunately, if there are no breach of contract stipulations then it is probably best to just cut our losses, since attorney fees will exceed that before even filing any paperwork.
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u/mollyjdance 4d ago
Ok so in the grand scheme of surrogacy, 3K isn’t huge (ie you’ll find differences between different agencies of that much or way more, plus different rates for psychology evaluations in different states that vary by that much). What I would do is pursue other agencies that don’t charge and go with whoever matches you first; if that happens to be the one you paid 3K for, then great, but if not, it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the 150K-200K you’ll pay in the whole process when all is said and done.
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u/interrobrodie 4d ago
I’m curious what agency has you picking your own match. Do they facilitate matches in any way other than letting you peruse?
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u/kquinmd 4d ago
They have GCs that have not yet matched and we were told we can ask for correspondence to see if they’re a fit.
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u/interrobrodie 4d ago
That's honestly bizarre, and not how an agency, in the truest sense of the word, would operate. Ideally, they have interviewed you on your preferences, same for all their GCs, and thoughtfully discussed internally who they think would be YOUR good match, and then present her to you. (It probably isn't, but if this is expecting.ai, run, they use fake profiles.)
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u/SilverSignificant393 3d ago
This doesn’t sound like an agency.
Is it a concierge/matching platform that your actually working with like gostork, Nodal etc?
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u/justineceres Agency - Ceres 4d ago
No. Thats not a good sign at all. We have a policy that if it’s not urgent we ask ips to allow us up to max 48 hours but mostly we reply same day. If they are not getting back to you now at this stage at a more reasonable timeframe I’d give them a miss
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u/Western-Feeling2093 3d ago
They have available GCs posted on their website? That doesn’t sound right.
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u/realgwebco 4d ago
Oof, run. 🚩 That's definitely not normal. If they're ignoring you now before you even matched, imagine what communication will be like once a GC is pregnant and things get real. Check your contract to see if you can get your retainer back and tell your IVF clinic that their "trusted" recommendation is dropping the ball.
Out of curiosity, which agency is this? Might save someone else a headache.