Agencies not wanting to pay? Thread poster: Stéphanie Denton (X)
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Stéphanie Denton (X) 
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:01
French to English
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Dear all
Just wondering if anyone else is having issues with agencies not willing to pay at the moment?
I have had two out of fifteen jobs deemed 'poor' or 'not native' in the past month. When I request their 're-done' version, it differs very slightly from my own (one or two words...) and yet they are not willing to pay. If it was of my own fault, I wouldn't complain, but it seems that agencies are just trying to rip people off. The most recent one that I had was a $40... See more Dear all
Just wondering if anyone else is having issues with agencies not willing to pay at the moment?
I have had two out of fifteen jobs deemed 'poor' or 'not native' in the past month. When I request their 're-done' version, it differs very slightly from my own (one or two words...) and yet they are not willing to pay. If it was of my own fault, I wouldn't complain, but it seems that agencies are just trying to rip people off. The most recent one that I had was a $40 job, which they are willing to pay me no more than $10 for, if the quality was really that bad, why are they willing to pay me anything at all...?
I've spoken to a few translator friends who have also been encountering similar issues in their respective countries. Is this something to do with the current economic climate? It's seriously starting to make me doubt myself, when it really shouldn't!!
Sorry for my rant! Had to get it off my chest and make sure I'm not alone!
Thanks in advance for your input.
Stéph ▲ Collapse
| | | | Christophe Lefrancois (X)
Local time: 09:01
French
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| add a comment | Mar 31, 2011 |
Hi Stéphanie,
If an agency refuses to pay i recommend you add a comment on their Blueboard (or equivalent according to the website). It should make them react since the blueboard is visible to all translators.
Christophe
| | | | Stéphanie Denton (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:01
French to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Blueboard or equivalent | Mar 31, 2011 |
totof72 wrote:
Hi Stéphanie,
If an agency refuses to pay i recommend you add a comment on their Blueboard (or equivalent according to the website). It should make them react since the blueboard is visible to all translators.
Christophe
Hi Christophe
Thanks for your comment, unfortunately (and just my luck), the agencies in question are not (or no longer) on the Blueboard. I'm positive that I contacted them directly through their websites when I sent my Cv to countless agencies...you know the score!
Thanks again though.
Stéphanie
| | | | | Certain agencies give agencies a bad name | Mar 31, 2011 |
Dear Stephanie,
It is a sad fact of life that a number of agencies use all sorts of excuses to postpone or never make payment. Having first set up in business in 1994 (France), it was par for the course that agencies pay at the end 30 days after the month in which the job was returned. It often turned into 60 days. If the agent had not been paid by the end client, that was often raised as an excuse not to pay, quite illegal of course as the translator has privity of contract with th... See more Dear Stephanie,
It is a sad fact of life that a number of agencies use all sorts of excuses to postpone or never make payment. Having first set up in business in 1994 (France), it was par for the course that agencies pay at the end 30 days after the month in which the job was returned. It often turned into 60 days. If the agent had not been paid by the end client, that was often raised as an excuse not to pay, quite illegal of course as the translator has privity of contract with the agent not the end client.
I have had 2 or 3 excellent agent clients, yes, just a couple in all that time. I quickly wrote agencies off my client list and worked with direct clients only. The nature of my specialities made that possible, but that is not always the case. Some translators I know work with agencies and have healthy business relations.
There are agencies and agencies!
Nikki
My advice : don't throw good money after bad. If you are having a hard job prizing 40 USD out of a client's pocket, you cannot afford to accept a 400 or 4 000 USD job. Forget them. Spend the phone time searching for good clients.
Stéphanie Denton wrote:
totof72 wrote:
Hi Stéphanie,
If an agency refuses to pay i recommend you add a comment on their Blueboard (or equivalent according to the website). It should make them react since the blueboard is visible to all translators.
Christophe
Hi Christophe
Thanks for your comment, unfortunately (and just my luck), the agencies in question are not (or no longer) on the Blueboard. I'm positive that I contacted them directly through their websites when I sent my Cv to countless agencies...you know the score!
Thanks again though.
Stéphanie ▲ Collapse
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Yolanda Broad
United States
Local time: 03:01
Member (2000)
French to English
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MODERATOR | Please create a Blue Board record for the agency | Mar 31, 2011 |
Hello Stephanie,
If there is no Blue Board record, please create one. Once it has been vetted, please add your LWA (Likelihood to Work Again) to the new record.
| | | | | Create the Blueboard record! | Mar 31, 2011 |
And help others avoid these firms.
As for your question: No, in my case everybody has been reliable so far, and I see no change in my regular customer base. Everybody pays on time.
| | | | golf264
United States
Local time: 03:01
English to Dutch
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| Therefore I ask for deposits | Mar 31, 2011 |
I always ask for a deposit ahead of time, foreall if it is a large volume project.
The deposit is refundable and through Paypal so it is safe. The employer actually has no reason not to pay. It is a sort of 'security deposit' just as when you move to a new apartment. To make sure you are going to pay.
Usually I ask 200 USD flat for big projects, for the smaller 20%.
| | | | | Just avoid such jobs | Apr 1, 2011 |
Stéphanie Denton wrote:
Dear all
Just wondering if anyone else is having issues with agencies not willing to pay at the moment?
I have had two out of fifteen jobs deemed 'poor' or 'not native' in the past month. When I request their 're-done' version, it differs very slightly from my own (one or two words...) and yet they are not willing to pay. If it was of my own fault, I wouldn't complain, but it seems that agencies are just trying to rip people off. The most recent one that I had was a $40 job, which they are willing to pay me no more than $10 for, if the quality was really that bad, why are they willing to pay me anything at all...?
I've spoken to a few translator friends who have also been encountering similar issues in their respective countries. Is this something to do with the current economic climate? It's seriously starting to make me doubt myself, when it really shouldn't!!
Sorry for my rant! Had to get it off my chest and make sure I'm not alone!
Thanks in advance for your input.
Stéph
Hello Stéph,
You should just avoid working with companies without any track record.
Always check the blueboard records as they give a pretty good idea of the agency.
Kind regards,
Moh
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Stéphanie Denton (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:01
French to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you everyone for your input.
Things seem to be looking up, got some good clients, who pay on time (and even before!) so shall just stick to that.
It's such a difficult industry to be in. Sometimes you just get fed up of it, don't you?
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