> The second is that they can claim to have introduced a candidate to you and can try to sue. Often a company will just roll over especially if it turns out to be a good candidate.
If they have no recruitment contract, how does this hold water? They're suing because you (allegedly) used some unsolicited advice they gave you?
> They're suing because you (allegedly) used some unsolicited advice they gave you?
You seem to be confusing the American legal system with justice and it being free to innocent parties!
The recruiter will claim they sent the candidate details and represented the candidate and now you owe them. If you don't they will take you to court. It will cost the innocent company a fair bit of cash to defend even though they are in the right. So faced with a bill from a scummy recruiter for $10,000 or potential legal costs (not to mention time) of $25,000 they end up picking the former.
The same kind of crap goes on with domain names where squatters will set their price a little below that of following the legal route to get your domain. You either pay them in order to get the domain right now, or you spend several months and even more in legal fees in order to get it via the ICANN rules.
If they have no recruitment contract, how does this hold water? They're suing because you (allegedly) used some unsolicited advice they gave you?