I've always felt that agencies were at least somewhat exploitative (as many employers can be) because of how large of a cut they take when the provider is the one doing all of the physical work and incurring all of the physical risk. I think that alone is good enough reason to try and support Indys.
However, post COVID, there appears to have been an explosion in demand amongst Indys for screening, references, deposits, personal information, advance booking requirements, exorbitant last minute booking fees, and cancellation fees that can sometimes be the cost of the entire meeting. This is sadly an adaptation from the American market and would not be tolerated anywhere else in the world (I.E. Asia, Europe, Latin America) and of course only applies to the client and never the provider.
In fact, a recent thread where a member complained about a last minute cancellation despite having to travel across an international border was essentially met with "haha too bad" by both providers and clients alike on this message board. I can't blame people for sticking with agencies. This isn't even into taking into consideration the much higher rates amongst Indys and there inclination towards being older and having more body modifications.