| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Off topic: Rates: Does this letter deserve an answer? Thread poster: mónica alfonso
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Yesterday I wrote an e-mail to a person who posted a bid here in ProZ.com (http://www.proz.com/job?id=36195). The page said the price had to be \'discussed\'.
Read the answer I got:
Dear Translator
Thankyou so much for replying!
We have 1 million words and we need to deliver on May 24th the latest, the deadline is NOT NEGOTIABLE. We are not looking for native eng... See more Yesterday I wrote an e-mail to a person who posted a bid here in ProZ.com (http://www.proz.com/job?id=36195). The page said the price had to be \'discussed\'.
Read the answer I got:
Dear Translator
Thankyou so much for replying!
We have 1 million words and we need to deliver on May 24th the latest, the deadline is NOT NEGOTIABLE. We are not looking for native english speaker, but with acceptable quality. We will need a team of translators, so we can give 40,000 - 50,0000 words to
each translator. To avoid working with several translators and creating a mess, we can only give batches of 45,000 - 50,000 words per translator, no less, but of course, a lot more if you have the
capability.
We are doing this into several languages, and need to offer our client a large volume discount. Payment is 0.02 USD.
Transit, the software, is REQUIRED for this project.
It\'s a free program that you can download from the
internet. We will provide all the instructions for it\'s use, the place where you can download it from, as well as all the necesary instructions. There will be
several sentences and many times, several pages repeteating.
If you agree with our terms, and are interested in going to the second stage (we will provide you a sample of the material, for reference only, you don´t need to translate it), please reply ASAP and let me
know.
I hope to hear from you soon! The project has already started. All the instructions will be given for the use of the software and other instructions.
Kind regards
[ This Message was edited by: alfpach on 2003-05-12 13:14] ▲ Collapse
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No comment, just decline!
silvina
| | | | MJ Barber 
Spain
Local time: 08:49
Spanish to English
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I think you should reply and tell him what a cheapskate he is, in your own words of course.
Here is another job he has posted recently:
http://www.proz.com/job/36194
Also note that he wants NON-native translators, preferably from Latin America.
This guy is famous. One of our colleagues here had a bit of a run in with him recently, where... See more I think you should reply and tell him what a cheapskate he is, in your own words of course.
Here is another job he has posted recently:
http://www.proz.com/job/36194
Also note that he wants NON-native translators, preferably from Latin America.
This guy is famous. One of our colleagues here had a bit of a run in with him recently, where she replied to a letter such as the one quoted from here. He told her that he could get lots of GOOD South American translators, who would be happy to work for his one or two cents a word.
He is going to find his translators, although I very much doubt they will be good, but I think we should all make our dissatisfaction known with this type of cheapskate.
My tuppence, MJ ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jeannie Graham
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:49
German to English
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| it will keep you busy | May 12, 2003 |
If you want to be kept busy working on 3-4 K words a day for just over 1 pence (UK ) a word then answer - but you will be blocking yourself for other potential projects where you would earn a decent rate with less time pressure. The way I look at it is that you could take on a normally paid project that took say two or three days to complete and earn the same as working on this for eleven days.
The choice is entirely yours, but personally I would not even look twice at something like t... See more If you want to be kept busy working on 3-4 K words a day for just over 1 pence (UK ) a word then answer - but you will be blocking yourself for other potential projects where you would earn a decent rate with less time pressure. The way I look at it is that you could take on a normally paid project that took say two or three days to complete and earn the same as working on this for eleven days.
The choice is entirely yours, but personally I would not even look twice at something like this.
Jeannie ▲ Collapse
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tazdog (X)
Spain
Local time: 08:49
Spanish to English
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If you mean is it worth pointing out to the poster that the rate is a mere pittance, then no, don\'t bother. He already knows. All you\'ll get is a rude answer in return (I speak from experience). From what I\'ve seen, this is this individual\'s usual M.O.--post a job saying the price is \"to be discussed,\" then send out the e-mail with further details, including the abysmal rate (I was offered the princely sum of 3 cents a word for a very specialized Spanish>English insurance job).
... See more If you mean is it worth pointing out to the poster that the rate is a mere pittance, then no, don\'t bother. He already knows. All you\'ll get is a rude answer in return (I speak from experience). From what I\'ve seen, this is this individual\'s usual M.O.--post a job saying the price is \"to be discussed,\" then send out the e-mail with further details, including the abysmal rate (I was offered the princely sum of 3 cents a word for a very specialized Spanish>English insurance job).
Apparently, though, there are \"excellent translators in Latin America\" who find this rate quite acceptable--or so this guy told me. Must be true since this other job posting by the same person says that translators from Latin America are preferred: http://www.proz.com/job/36194 ▲ Collapse
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Forty to fifty thousand words per translator?
Almost 15 pages a day
Working non-stop for 11 days
At 0.02 cents per word
I think you do need to reply to them and tell them that perhaps quality isn\'t important for them but it is for you, right?
Pamela
| | | | Ino66 (X)
English to Greek
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| no, nope, no-can-do | May 12, 2003 |
Agree with previous comments. Been there, haven\'t done that, refused to do that. Unless you have time to kill for less than pittance, stay away.
| | | | A. Deb
Spain
Local time: 08:49
Member
Spanish to English
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| A waste of time. | May 12, 2003 |
I must say that when I read this job posting, I immediately suspected something fishy when they mentioned that they weren\'t looking for native translators.
If I were you, I\'d invest my time in something more worthwhile.
Good luck.
Ana
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| Just pray... | May 12, 2003 |
that you won\'t be asked to edit some of this translation from one of your best customers... unless you are paid by the hour.
And don\'t waste your precious time replying to such a proposal!
| | | | Pilar T. Bayle (X)
Local time: 08:49
English to Spanish
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| Totally misleading... | May 12, 2003 |
I answered the job posting, got the same answer and then things changed: nothing to be discussed about the price and the translation is INTO English... Come on!
Un saludo,
P. 
| | | | Rick Henry
United States
Local time: 01:49
Italian to English
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| Really makes you wonder... | May 12, 2003 |
what the final client thinks. I really can\'t imagine a client coming up and saying \"Hey, I have this document... about a million words. I need it translated, but it really doesn\'t have to make that much sense. Thanks in advance.\"
And all the agency is doing is portraying itself as unprofessional (the quality\'s not good, but it\'ll do).
If the client were really of that mindset, you\'d think it\'d turn to automatic translation.
| | | | SimplyMe (X)
English to German
| Just stop it. | May 12, 2003 |
Just stop this idiotic kind of postings.
It\'s more than annoying.
If you don\'t like a job - simply don\'t apply for.
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mónica alfonso
Local time: 03:49
English to Spanish
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TOPIC STARTER | Yeah, pals, I agree with you | May 12, 2003 |
My question was sort of ironic. Does he deserve my devoting even a second to reply NOOOOOO!?
Of course, this is kind of slavish work, ain\'t it?
I\'d rather stay knitting or watering my plants...
| | | | Rick Henry
United States
Local time: 01:49
Italian to English
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Why not post a \"heads up\" on something that is misleading for the benefit of other translators? Nowhere in the original job posting was it stated that the rate was 0.02 a word. It said \"negotiable\". Letting others know what the rate actually is will ultimately save time for both the (potential) applicant and the outsourcer.
R.
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Quote:
On 2003-05-12 14:32, SimplyMe wrote:
... See more
Why not post a \"heads up\" on something that is misleading for the benefit of other translators? Nowhere in the original job posting was it stated that the rate was 0.02 a word. It said \"negotiable\". Letting others know what the rate actually is will ultimately save time for both the (potential) applicant and the outsourcer.
R.
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Quote:
On 2003-05-12 14:32, SimplyMe wrote:
Just stop this idiotic kind of postings.
It\'s more than annoying.
If you don\'t like a job - simply don\'t apply for.
▲ Collapse
| | | | | Keep it friendly, please. | May 12, 2003 |
Quote:
On 2003-05-12 14:32, SimplyMe wrote:
Just stop this idiotic kind of postings.
It\'s more than annoying.
If you don\'t like a job - simply don\'t apply for.
Most topics are always of concern to someone.
Thanks for your understanding,
Evert Deloof-Sys
[addsig]
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