Managed Services and RPO - the debate

So I've been having a bit of a debate recently with some people on a forum I visit. The debate was about managed services and Recruitment Process Outsourcing, essentially whether it's a good thing or not. Some of the contributors were agencies who had a few horror stories about their experiences. There was quite a negative atmosphere about the whole process to be honest and this was a bit of a surprise to me.

The transcript of the debate is here and as you can see a number of the people who posted had a very set view on things. No amount of counter-argument or reasoned debate would change their mind; they believe managed services and RPO are bad things for recruitment, end of story. This is obviously disappointing but i don't think it's the most common view. Without wanting to trivialise their experiences I think these people represent the exception, not the rule.

I'm open to having my mind changed though! Maybe I've misread things and the agencies I work with aren't behind the idea of RPO. Maybe my perception of this as a forward step for the recruitment industry is mistaken. I'd love to hear what people thought so comment away!

N.B. We're an independent RPO and it's an important distinction. I have no doubt that a number of the managed services out there who claim to be both RPO and independent aren't and will mistreat their agencies. I've got a feeling that it's these orgs that the contributors on the forum have encountered and it's unfortunate for them if that's the case; organisations who treat suppliers, candidates and ultimately clients poorly are bad news for the industry as a whole.