Is it normal for a mother agency of 4 years to never send a contract up until now?

I have been searching on the internet for an answer but sadly couldn’t find any, so I have chosen to ask in here.

I recently got offered commercial representation in another country and before signing, I was asked to check my own agency’s contract in my country.

We have kind of a passive relationship, I will hear very rarely from them, and book around 4 jobs pr year only in my country, so I was excited to hear from another agency outside of my country, which wants to represent me global, excluding my own country for the sake of my own agency.

I then chose to contact my own agency which I have been with for 4 years and asked them in a simple way if I had a signed contract with them. They then replied that I have had a contract laying in my mails ready to be signed..

I checked my mails and it was sent today right when I asked if I had one. My agent even first signed it today. And when I read it, I was shocked..

It said that when signing this contract, I would get a penalty of **** pounds if I ever worked with an agency abroad, they own me in my country and the whole earth, and they decide what agency I can join abroad and for how long. It also said that they can sue me for talking about my salary with another person or friend, I am not allowed to speak with other agencies, and if I get the penalty of the big price, it doesn’t terminate my contract with them, so I’m stuck in a loop where it is difficult to quit and I can keep on getting this penalty pr job i have done outside. It also said that I can first expect payment pr job 6 months after and sometimes longer. They will take a % of everything.

I have not signed this contract, and every job I have done for them was local. But what worries me is that I have been with them for 4 years, I have paid them to register and kept on paying to update my profile. As far as I know, I shouldn’t owe them anything..

I wrote to my agent saying that I do not accept the contract, and that I have been grateful for the relationship I have with them. I said that I am open to still take the few local jobs I get from them as long as it is not exclusive or binding to the contract.

I’m currently waiting for an answer, but I feel so nervous and I’m scared that they are going to call, shouting at me or threatening me to sign.

Is this something many mother agencies do? Its like a trap…

TLDR: my agency of 4 years has first today given me a contract that is extremely binding (I have not signed it), after I asked if I had a contract with them because of an offer of representation from a foreign agency.