I would guess that the number 1 "bad agency behaviour" is intimidation! Interestingly enough, the intimidation has been self-perpetuating....and by that, I mean parents often back down because of fear of losing a referral or the agency stalling their case. The more it works, the more a less than steller agency will attempt to use this technique to distract or shoot down parents with questions or concerns. Certainly, these agencies have tainted the industry. It seems rather difficult to keep them in check!!! But lets focus for now on the things that you can do.
My first bit of advice is to UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS. I could easily say that 40%+ of the complaints/questions that we receive stem from parents not understanding the process or misinterpreting the information they were given. If you need clarification, ask your agency for a written explanation FIRST. Keep all correspondence whether it is a question about the process or a question about your case (your emails, as well). It also helps to keep a log on when you received calls and what was said.
You need to know that most states have some sort of licensing policies for adoption agencies. You can contact the Department of Human Resources to get more information. But if you have a complaint to file:
1 - Contact the Attorney General's Office in the state of operation (where the agency is located and licensed)
2 - Contact the Better Business Bureau
3 - Document your experience fully (including those emails)
Many folks are fearful of reporting their agency DURING the process. But did you know that when you pick up your child, the Embassy will probably ask you about your experience with the agency??? Well, words are sometimes hard to express with your child sitting on your lap...so, PREPARE a written statement. Document the problems, include an email or contact information and give this to the Embassy on the pickup trip.
I can tell you that it is VERY difficult to get governments to take complaints seriously. But too often, families don't pursue filing a complaint. It is my hope that with the Hague being implementing in the US, that there will be a more accountable entity to report unethical behaviour (as opposed to redtape)...but as with most every other industry, the victims need to be dilligent in filing civil and criminal complaints.