Sure, but my theory is that the legal cover they provide is also not worth as much as what they charge; so if the legal cover isn't good, and they aren't any g

Sure, but my theory is that the legal cover they provide is also not worth as much as what they charge; so if the legal cover isn't good, and they aren't any good at picking people, then nobody would use them. But many companies use them, which means one (or both) of my assumptions are wrong. One theory is that at some companies, the hiring managers/screening process they have is even worse than what most recruiters use. That would be consistent with my observation that standards seem to be lower when I get a job through a recruiter than through a contact. But yeah, uh, I guess my continued shock is more a product of incorrect assumptions, then. But man.