| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Working with an agency - how many projects before getting paid? Thread poster: cloudhunter (X)
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cloudhunter (X) 
Germany
Local time: 13:32
English to German
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Hello all,
I have been working for one particular agency for about a month now. I have checked them thoroughly and they seem to be allright. There are no BB entries but they do show up in other directories. We signed a contract. The contarct only specifies the payment deadline.
Their payment policy is 21 days after receiving an invoice. The first invoice is due on Sunday (so actually today). They keep sending me orders and I do complete the translations, there are never... See more Hello all,
I have been working for one particular agency for about a month now. I have checked them thoroughly and they seem to be allright. There are no BB entries but they do show up in other directories. We signed a contract. The contarct only specifies the payment deadline.
Their payment policy is 21 days after receiving an invoice. The first invoice is due on Sunday (so actually today). They keep sending me orders and I do complete the translations, there are never quality issues. They owe me a nice total sum of money with deadlines being Sunday, then 24.07 and then 09.08. I have accepted one more project yesterday, they asked about one more today.
My point is - is it allright if I deliver the project and tell them I won't accept any further ones until the first invoices have been paid? Or should I just believe they're allright and work further? I must say I like the agency, they are uncomplicated and the communication is perfect.
Thank you for your suggestions. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | I wouldn't worry just yet | Jul 25, 2016 |
The fact they don't have a BB rating doesn't necessarily mean they won't pay. You say you have a contract, so you seem to have all the bases covered. In theory they should pay today, so I wouldn't worry just yet.
wordsfactory wrote:
My point is - is it allright if I deliver the project and tell them I won't accept any further ones until the first invoices have been paid?
Of course it is! And this would be the sensible option if they do prove to be unreliable in terms of payment.
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 13:32
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
| Any word from them yet? | Jul 25, 2016 |
Fiona Grace Peterson wrote: wordsfactory wrote:
My point is - is it allright if I deliver the project and tell them I won't accept any further ones until the first invoices have been paid?
Of course it is! And this would be the sensible option if they do prove to be unreliable in terms of payment.
Have you received the money for the first invoice yet? You said that the first payment was due on the 24th - which was Sunday, that is yesterday - and not on the 22nd. So hopefully, the money has arrived.
In case it hasn't (meaning they are 1 day late), you can go ahead and inform them that you are unable to accept more translations until payment has been made.
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Thayenga wrote:
In case it hasn't (meaning they are 1 day late), you can go ahead and inform them that you are unable to accept more translations until payment has been made.
I agree. For new clients, I mostly ask for up-front payment for the first project unless it is really large, then a sizeable down-payment would be in order; especially when there's little feedback from translators on the agency. It's very risky to just trust without any information. Even if they sign a contract.
[Edited at 2016-07-25 13:08 GMT]
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cloudhunter (X)
Germany
Local time: 13:32
English to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Nothing from them yet except for them asking me to complete another assignment
After asking about the payment they told me to contact their payment people (this is what they call them), which I did just now. I'll wait and see what happens...
It would be my second late/non-payer since I joined Proz 2 months ago. Never had such issues bef... See more
| | | | | No delayed payments | Jul 25, 2016 |
It depends on the terms you agreed on, but where I live, if the date when payment falls due is a Sunday, then a sub-clause will say it is in fact due on the last bank day before that date - i.e. the previous Friday.
I usually do small jobs for new clients, and check them out where I can. The BB is not the only place, and most pay without problems. As the risk is small, I do not ask to be paid in advance, unless I have heard from colleagues that it is advisable for that particular cl... See more It depends on the terms you agreed on, but where I live, if the date when payment falls due is a Sunday, then a sub-clause will say it is in fact due on the last bank day before that date - i.e. the previous Friday.
I usually do small jobs for new clients, and check them out where I can. The BB is not the only place, and most pay without problems. As the risk is small, I do not ask to be paid in advance, unless I have heard from colleagues that it is advisable for that particular client.
However, I send them a reminder and do not accept any more work from them until the issue is sorted.
Occasionally there have been problems with registering payment details, or I have sent the invoice to the PM instead of the accounts department, or there is some other technical hitch. Check politely, if you are not paid, and give them the benefit of the doubt the first time.
But otherwise, don't work for clients who don't pay... and don't let them accumulate large debts to you. That only makes it more difficult for them to pay!
It may (or may not) be practical to collect invoices to send once a month, but whatever you agree on, insist on getting paid on time! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 12:32
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| It's really got to be a personal decision | Jul 25, 2016 |
wordsfactory wrote:
The first invoice is due on Sunday (so actually today).
So they were due to pay on Friday and didn't? Some thoughts:
- Are they in your country, and if not have you checked whether Friday is a normal working day there? Of course, they should advance payment, but it doesn't always happen. Here in Spain it's difficult to keep track of them all but the banks never miss one!
- How are they paying? Is there a lead-time involved? Again, clients don't always think ahead but pay on the last day. If it takes two days to arrive then it will be late from your perspective (and from the legal perspective).
- Are you sure you're talking about the right payment date? 21 calendar days, or 21 working days? You wouldn't be the first person to be caught out by that!
My point is - is it allright if I deliver the project and tell them I won't accept any further ones until the first invoices have been paid? Or should I just believe they're allright and work further? I must say I like the agency, they are uncomplicated and the communication is perfect.
Well, each of us has to set our own risk limits. It seems that you regard them as a decent agency - all the vibes are good. So you just need to keep the risk financially acceptable. That's normal and they should respect that. It's something you can discuss with them without sounding as though you're desperate for the money (i.e. putting yourself in the position of begging).
It depends an awful lot on the amounts involved but I would certainly give them a day or two (not more) to get the money to you before politely reminding them. Whether I'd refuse to do more work would depend on two things: how much else is already outstanding in invoices raised but not yet paid (I have an absolute maximum credit limit); and how much is likely to be outstanding when I've done all the jobs I've committed to. Of course, any job that is due tomorrow needs to be completed. It's very bad for business to let any client down at the last minute - if you have any desire to work for them again (the exception is if you're pretty sure they're insolvent). But I personally would tell a client that jobs due in the longer-term future will only be started if payments are up-to-date by then, and the total amount due is not too large.
If they're going to be asking for your services very frequently and running up very large bills, then perhaps they should agree to shorter payment periods, or pay two or more invoices together. That also is something a sole trader can discuss with a good agency. They will understand that you have very little flexibility, few alternative income streams, and can't risk too much.
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 13:32
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
| A good source | Jul 26, 2016 |
wordsfactory wrote: Nothing from them yet except for them asking me to complete another assignment After asking about the payment they told me to contact their payment people (this is what they call them ), which I did just now. I'll wait and see what happens...
Have you checked Zahlungspraxis.de? They are a reliable source of information (unless someone "hates" a customer) when it comes to other translators' experiences with any given agency. You can also ask our colleagues, stating the agency's name, address, etc.
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| It's different with a longstanding customer or a new customer | Jul 26, 2016 |
I have arrangements with three or four clients where the invoices accumulate for a month and they're all paid at once. It makes the paperwork easier for them. But I know for sure that they always pay. I'm not sure that I would do tons of projects for a new client hoping that eventually I'll be paid, but having no experience with them yet. Terms of payment should be set by you, or both of you, and not unilaterally by them. They are your customer.
| | | | cloudhunter (X)
Germany
Local time: 13:32
English to German
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TOPIC STARTER | Really no idea what to think | Jul 26, 2016 |
So I managed to get a reply. They are still very friendly and claim to have paid. However, nobody can tell me when, since the boss is on vacation and only he can check the details.
I have found one site more where you can find thousand of agencies listed (it takes ages to get accepted there, I waited a week for a confirmation) and to my utter horror I read that the agency did seem to have problems. The last post is from 02.2015 but the boss seems to have been on vacation ever since... See more So I managed to get a reply. They are still very friendly and claim to have paid. However, nobody can tell me when, since the boss is on vacation and only he can check the details.
I have found one site more where you can find thousand of agencies listed (it takes ages to get accepted there, I waited a week for a confirmation) and to my utter horror I read that the agency did seem to have problems. The last post is from 02.2015 but the boss seems to have been on vacation ever since...
I am now definitely going to wait with accepting more work. The last assignment is due on Thursday. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 13:32
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
| Yes. you should | Jul 27, 2016 |
wordsfactory wrote:
So I managed to get a reply. They are still very friendly and claim to have paid. However, nobody can tell me when, since the boss is on vacation and only he can check the details.
I have found one site more where you can find thousand of agencies listed (it takes ages to get accepted there, I waited a week for a confirmation) and to my utter horror I read that the agency did seem to have problems. The last post is from 02.2015 but the boss seems to have been on vacation ever since...
I am now definitely going to wait with accepting more work. The last assignment is due on Thursday.
I'm sorry to read this. You should definitely not accept any more work from them.
If they paid you already, then an accountant (or the boss' alternate) should be able to check the payment date. Did they tell you when the boss would return? Depending on his return date and action, you can then send them a reminder with a late payment fee, being nice about it, but leaving no doubt about it that you will take further action.
| | | | Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 13:32
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
| That's one long vacation. | Jul 27, 2016 |
wordsfactory wrote:
So I managed to get a reply. They are still very friendly and claim to have paid. However, nobody can tell me when, since the boss is on vacation and only he can check the details.
I have found one site more where you can find thousand of agencies listed (it takes ages to get accepted there, I waited a week for a confirmation) and to my utter horror I read that the agency did seem to have problems. The last post is from 02.2015 but the boss seems to have been on vacation ever since...
I am now definitely going to wait with accepting more work. The last assignment is due on Thursday.
I suggest that you:
1. immediately stop taking on new assignments until you see your due payment amount
2. remain professional and polite, but firm in correspondence
3. send your first official payment reminder (you should always do this on the date after the due date, eg. on July 29 for July 28 as the due date)
4. inform the Blue Board if they are more than a week overdue
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| Why do they use a new translator? | Jul 27, 2016 |
Established agencies have their usual translator who do everything for them in a certain language pair. Agencies may indeed hire a new translator occasionally when their usual translator is on vacation or swamped with work, or perhaps when they feel that there is good potential for growth and they want to widen their options.
It would be unusual for an established agency to suddenly order a lot of work from a different translator. There could be legitimate reasons for it, like a fal... See more Established agencies have their usual translator who do everything for them in a certain language pair. Agencies may indeed hire a new translator occasionally when their usual translator is on vacation or swamped with work, or perhaps when they feel that there is good potential for growth and they want to widen their options.
It would be unusual for an established agency to suddenly order a lot of work from a different translator. There could be legitimate reasons for it, like a fall in the older translator's quality, new skills needed that the old translator does not have, or retirement of the old translator, but it would not be the first time an agency changes translators because the previous one(s) got fed up with bad payment practices.
As others have advised, stop further work (be terribly sorry about, but become "terribly busy" with a big unexpected job from another client). If payment does not take place, insist on it. Do not let them get away with lame excuses like "the boss is on vacation" (a responsible manager makes arrangements before going away) or "our client has not paid" (none of your business). ▲ Collapse
| | | | cloudhunter (X)
Germany
Local time: 13:32
English to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Poor quality of their former translator, I guess | Jul 27, 2016 |
Tomás Cano Binder, CT wrote:
It would be unusual for an established agency to suddenly order a lot of work from a different translator. There could be legitimate reasons for it, like a fall in the older translator's quality, new skills needed that the old translator does not have
The cooperation started with a proofreading. They won a new important client and the translator used google translate. So I re-wrote the whole thing and so it began.
@Thayenga - no, they did not specifiy anything. The boss is somewhere on holiday, he claims to have paid so they asked him when. Still waiting for his reply. I suggested that the remaining invoices be paid via paypal. No reply to this one, either.
| | | | Mervyn Henderson (X)
Spain
Local time: 13:32
Spanish to English
+ ...
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