| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Translation agency refuses to send source file before accepting Thread poster: Alexandre Chetrite
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Balasubramaniam L. 
India
Local time: 03:02
Member (2006)
English to Hindi
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SITE LOCALIZER | There are enough signs here that point to a potential disaster | Nov 24, 2014 |
So you will be well-advised to refuse outright, unless you are one of those macabre/adventurous types who delight in venturing into territories scrupulously avoided by angels.
| | | | | Very bad deal | Nov 24, 2014 |
Alexandre Chetrite wrote: Frankie JB wrote:
The translation industry, the only industry in the world where India subcontracts to Europe!!!
(It's not off-topic; just a way of saying "why the hell are you working for India in the first place?") And why wouldn't I be working with them? I don't have any preconceived ideas about Indians. They are hard-working people and I respect that. We are in a global economy. A French freelance translator working with (and not for!) an Indian translation agency is not sub-contracting I believe.Its a business relationship like any other.
This is about experiences many of us had with agencies, not (all) people from India per se.
As Grace wrote above
Grace Shalhoub wrote:
No Indian clients for me
Have they even agreed to pay a decent rate? I usually get offers of $0.01 for Hebrew-English and it used to drive me crazy. Today I simply ignore them and wish no translator would accept these projects.
And even though you are not the one subcontracting, it is quite likely that projects with 200 000 words are given to such agencies because they offer a very low rate. However, then offering such a job to a translator like you (= subcontracting to YOU) who does not reside in India, it would very likely mean you are offered what many will regard as an inadequate rate/compensation and unprofessional business offer. I would never recommend accepting such offers.
Furthermore, late or non-payment are also very likely when you deal with unprofessional offers.
And yes, we are in a global economy. But there is a difference between "professional" business practices and "fly-by-night" dealings. And I also regard my own practices as an integral part of keeping the professional sector of our profession professional. That means charging adequate rates for your language combination and working at professional terms, no matter where the order comes from or where you live. 200 000 words - the number is so high that it warrants the strictest adherence to best practices from both, the client and the service provider (= you). Not that we shouldn't always apply best practices. But imagine how much you will lose if you do the job and not get paid, get paid an unprofessional rate, or get paid less than was agreed (also something often pointed out with such agencies) or get paid how little as and whenever they feel like.
It's quite understandable that many professionals will not want to work with such agencies at all.
I don't think what you might have here is a business relationship like any other. It might be a very bad deal.
Are there exceptions to the rule, are there professional agencies and translators in India? I am sure there are. But from what you have told us, I very much doubt that this here is one of those exceptions.
[Edited at 2014-11-24 15:53 GMT]
| | | | Tina Vonhof (X)
Canada
Local time: 15:32
Dutch to English
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| Agree with Alexandre | Nov 24, 2014 |
Don't judge an entire country by only a few of its people (or agencies). I have worked with several clients in various Asian countries, who are great to work with, reliable, and pay well and on time. But this one definitely doesn't look like one of those. In this I agree with everyone else: don't work with them and never accept work without seeing the source file.
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Tina Vonhof wrote:
Don't judge an entire country by only a few of its people (or agencies). I have worked with several clients in various Asian countries, who are great to work with, reliable, and pay well and on time. But this one definitely doesn't look like one of those. In this I agree with everyone else: don't work with them and never accept work without seeing the source file.
Did I make a judgement? No. Please re-read and don't put words in my mouth.
If you know any other industry where a country whose GDP per capita is 5,500 USD p.a. is hiring service providers in a country whose GDP per capita is 40,000 USD p.a., please let me know!
True, India is big and the cost of living is not quite the same everywhere, but the gap is way too large for a translation company, even operating in a "quality segment", to offer sustainable rates to Europe-based translators.
I understand the literati are not math brains, but still... it's puzzling.
And this has nothing to do with disrespecting a country or people, for forked tongues. And saying that other Asian countries pay well is completely irrelevant. You can't compare Hong Kong or Japan or even China with India...
Alexandre is free to do what he fancies, including underpaid hackwork. It's been a long time I've tried to fathom this conundrum of Indian agencies offering work to Europe-based translators (do they really manage to find translators? what are the driving forces behind those who accept?), that's why I used the opportunity to ask the question.
[Edited at 2014-11-24 19:05 GMT]
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| What else do you need? | Nov 24, 2014 |
Alexandre Chetrite wrote:
Please note that the company has bad LWA on the Proz.com forums (non-payments, late payments mainly).LWA's of 1 ,2. Interestingly enough this agency had good ratings but miore than 5 years ago.
Do we really need to keep reading? What else do you need to know before you reject the job altogether? It is always best to remember that when people publicly post a low LWA for an agency, they did so very consciously indeed. Let's be humble: we are not necessarily smarter than those who definitely do not want to have any other dealings with the agency.
| | | | Daniele Heinen
Canada
Local time: 17:32
Member (2006)
English to French
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| Du temps à perdre | Nov 25, 2014 |
Je ne sais même pas pourqoui vous perdez votre temps à exposer en détail une longue liste d'indicateurs négatifs. maso ou suicidaire ? Si vous voulez faie de la traduction gratuite et en tirer au moins quelque satisfation, inscrivez-vous sur la plateforme Translators Woihtout Borders, justement appuyée par PROZ...et justement j'y retourne.
Au passage comme j'ai aussi été dans deux vies antérieuresresponsable de service de traduction, il ne me serait jamais venu à l'idée de NE PAS... See more Je ne sais même pas pourqoui vous perdez votre temps à exposer en détail une longue liste d'indicateurs négatifs. maso ou suicidaire ? Si vous voulez faie de la traduction gratuite et en tirer au moins quelque satisfation, inscrivez-vous sur la plateforme Translators Woihtout Borders, justement appuyée par PROZ...et justement j'y retourne.
Au passage comme j'ai aussi été dans deux vies antérieuresresponsable de service de traduction, il ne me serait jamais venu à l'idée de NE PAS envoyer le texte source et je n'ai jamais demandé à un fournisseur potentiel de faire un test. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 23:32
Member (2009)
English to German
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| The "one bad apple..." story | Nov 25, 2014 |
Tina Vonhof wrote:
Don't judge an entire country by only a few of its people (or agencies). I have worked with several clients in various Asian countries, who are great to work with, reliable, and pay well and on time. But this one definitely doesn't look like one of those. In this I agree with everyone else: don't work with them and never accept work without seeing the source file.
Indeed, one cannot - and should not - state that all agengies in any given country on the globe are bad just because there are a few who believe they can get away with anything, especially displaying a non-professional attitude. I, too, have worked (and still am) with Asian agencies.
This is a two-bladed sword. If a service provider agrees to ridiculously low rates and extremely long payment terms, to then complain about it, then who started the disappointing business relationship? And who's to blame for it? The agency for trying to make as much profit as possible? Or the translator for accepting a rate that won't even pay the electricity needed to complete a translation?
This is a free market. Consequently, both LSP's and agencies are free to state their terms. And both parties are at just the same liberty to take it or to leave it. It always takes two to tango.
If an agency finds no one to work for pennies, then they either raise their rates offered to translators, or go out of business. And if a translator accepts to work for pennies, then it's his or her decision. Frankly, it is really that simple.
[Edited at 2014-11-25 16:21 GMT]
| | | | Jeff Whittaker
United States
Local time: 17:32
Member (2002)
Spanish to English
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| I may provisionally accept a project... | Nov 25, 2014 |
However, no acceptance is EVER binding until I have seen the entire project. If they refuse to send me the entire project, then they run the risk of me dropping out once I do.
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