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Amazon freelance translator
Thread poster: d8701a
d8701a
d8701a
Spain
Sep 10, 2019

Hi everyone

I've taken the Amazon tests for the freelance translator and yesterday they emailed me back saying I passed the test. They sent me two documents to sign - NON disclosure agreement and a service agreement.

However, they didn't give me much information regarding the whole billing process and with me being a law graduate, the scepticism kicked in within seconds of course.

First of all, I wanted to ask if there's anyone with a similar experience of
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Hi everyone

I've taken the Amazon tests for the freelance translator and yesterday they emailed me back saying I passed the test. They sent me two documents to sign - NON disclosure agreement and a service agreement.

However, they didn't give me much information regarding the whole billing process and with me being a law graduate, the scepticism kicked in within seconds of course.

First of all, I wanted to ask if there's anyone with a similar experience of working for Amazon. I read the contract and it required VAT invoices in order to get paid. So how does this work, I have to be a registered freelancer or? Also another company could "hire" me so that they could give them VAT invoices instead of me? What does the VAT invoice mean specifically?

Also they didn't say much about paying so I take it varies depending on a project but after signing this contract, am I able to refuse an assignment in case I'm busy and can't make it on time?

I'm working different jobs so I wouldn't want to put myself in a position where I sign a contract and oblige myself to do work for someone and then find myself in a situation where I just can't make it on time.

Sorry for so many questions, I'm lacking experience here

And thanks
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Kevin Fulton
Kevin Fulton  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 17:29
German to English
Ask the potential client Sep 10, 2019

Assuming this is a legitimate offer of a contract from Amazon (or their representative), you are entitled to ask as many questions as you desire in order to understand what your obligations / benefits are under the contract. Sign nothing until you have all the clarifications you need. And sign nothing unless you fully understand the contract!

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Oksana Weiss
Georgi Kovachev
Philippe Etienne
Elena Aclasto
Yaotl Altan
Merab Dekano
 
d8701a
d8701a
Spain
TOPIC STARTER
I was expecting a specific name of a representantive or someone to contact Sep 10, 2019

I absolutely agree with you, Kevin! The thing is, I didn't want to sound too paranoid since I see people are normally talking about signing these contracts and no one expressed any doubts.

I take it it's a valid offer which came from an email [email protected] but the thing is, the email itself looks weird.
I don't know, maybe I expected more from Amazon, but at the end they signed it "Your outsourc
... See more
I absolutely agree with you, Kevin! The thing is, I didn't want to sound too paranoid since I see people are normally talking about signing these contracts and no one expressed any doubts.

I take it it's a valid offer which came from an email [email protected] but the thing is, the email itself looks weird.
I don't know, maybe I expected more from Amazon, but at the end they signed it "Your outsourcing team", no specific name, no specific representantive, nothing. Is this normal?

They sent me a link where I could access the contract but I guess I was expecting more security measures against counterfeit and scam.
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Christine Wenzel
 
Andrzej Mierzejewski
Andrzej Mierzejewski  Identity Verified
Poland
Local time: 22:29
Polish to English
+ ...
Exactly Sep 11, 2019

Kevin Fulton wrote:
Sign nothing until you have all the clarifications you need. And sign nothing unless you fully understand the contract!


As simple as that.


Nurettin Ceylan
 
Fiona Grace Peterson
Fiona Grace Peterson  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 22:29
Italian to English
It may well be normal Sep 11, 2019

d8701a wrote:

at the end they signed it "Your outsourcing team", no specific name, no specific representantive, nothing. Is this normal?



Amazon is such a huge enterprise, it may well be normal. I would worry less about that and more about the contract itself. Write and ask for answers to all the questions you have, then base your judgement on the quality of communication you receive.


Joe France
Maria Hansford
 
Sam Tattam
Sam Tattam  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:29
Member (2015)
Italian to English
+ ...
You do not need to be VAT-registered Sep 11, 2019

Hi there,

I have worked with Amazon for a few years now and apart from the fact that the relationship is pretty one-sided (they can be very non-responsive and impersonal), I treat them just like any other agency.

They will send you an assignment and you have 24 hours to either reject or accept it. You can also request to extend the deadline, which is sometimes possible.

They pay 60 days end of month and I just have to add a disclaimer that I am not VAT-regi
... See more
Hi there,

I have worked with Amazon for a few years now and apart from the fact that the relationship is pretty one-sided (they can be very non-responsive and impersonal), I treat them just like any other agency.

They will send you an assignment and you have 24 hours to either reject or accept it. You can also request to extend the deadline, which is sometimes possible.

They pay 60 days end of month and I just have to add a disclaimer that I am not VAT-registered due to the amount I earn on the invoice. They will provide instructions about that anyway when they send you your pro-forma invoice.

Hope that helps!
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philgoddard
Ernestina Ubal Munoz
 
d8701a
d8701a
Spain
TOPIC STARTER
VAT ID for EU contract parties Sep 11, 2019

Sam Tattam wrote:

Hi there,

I have worked with Amazon for a few years now and apart from the fact that the relationship is pretty one-sided (they can be very non-responsive and impersonal), I treat them just like any other agency.

They will send you an assignment and you have 24 hours to either reject or accept it. You can also request to extend the deadline, which is sometimes possible.

They pay 60 days end of month and I just have to add a disclaimer that I am not VAT-registered due to the amount I earn on the invoice. They will provide instructions about that anyway when they send you your pro-forma invoice.

Hope that helps!


Thanks Sam, this is very helpful to me.
The thing is that EU regulations regarding taxes are pretty confusing and hard to understand, so I found places where they told me that WAT ID was mandatory if one EU citizen/company was to provide services to another EU citizen/company.

So to be more precise, let's put it like this: I am not VAT registered, I am not registered neither as a company nor a freelancer. I have another job and I thought this would be a chance to earn some money extra. That was before I saw the billing procedure. So my question would be - is it even possible for me to sign such contract or I need to be registered somewhere?

If I'm a non-registered individual, how will I issue them an invoice? And I don't have any intentions of avoiding the tax, I just don't know who pays it

[Edited at 2019-09-11 14:04 GMT]


 
B D Finch
B D Finch  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 22:29
French to English
+ ...
VAT registration Sep 11, 2019

[quote]d8701a wrote:

Sam Tattam wrote:


So to be more precise, let's put it like this: I am not VAT registered, I am not registered neither as a company nor a freelancer. I have another job and I thought this would be a chance to earn some money extra. That was before I saw the billing procedure. So my question would be - is it even possible for me to sign such contract or I need to be registered somewhere?

If I'm a non-registered individual, how will I issue them an invoice? And I don't have any intentions of avoiding the tax, I just don't know who pays it

[Edited at 2019-09-11 14:04 GMT]


I had to get a VAT registration number (in France) in spite of not being liable for VAT. It's just a number that I quote on my invoices and it shows that I am VAT exempt. It was quick and free.


Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 21:29
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
When you say they... Sep 11, 2019

do you mean this?

https://www.amazon.jobs/en/teams/translation-team


 
Margherita Beltrame
Margherita Beltrame
English to Italian
+ ...
only in-house positions? Sep 11, 2019

Teresa Borges wrote:

do you mean this?

https://www.amazon.jobs/en/teams/translation-team


I checked this link and I couldn't find any freelance positions. Am I missing something?
Also, those who have experience working with Amazon, how are rates?
Thanks so much in advance


 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 21:29
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
@Margherita Sep 12, 2019

That’s exactly why I asked the poster! As Amazon has a dedicated translator team in Luxembourg I wondered if they were also looking for freelancers (probably while those in-house places are not filled)…

 
akemi33
akemi33
United States
Local time: 14:29
Japanese to English
+ ...
re Dec 3, 2019

At the moment amazon has 30 something opened jobs for translators, but only in Spain, Slovakia, Singapore and India
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At the moment amazon has 30 something opened jobs for translators, but only in Spain, Slovakia, Singapore and India
https://www.amazon.jobs/en/teams/translation-team?offset=0&result_limit=10&sort=relevant&category=editorial-writing-content-management&distanceType=Mi&radius=24km&latitude=&longitude=&loc_group_id=&loc_query=&base_query=&city=&country=��ion=&county=&query_options=&
But I usually look for jobs at upwork. There I started collaborating with TWP on video subtitling and since then I majorly work for them
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Merab Dekano
Merab Dekano  Identity Verified
Spain
Member (2014)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Amazon-related projects Dec 3, 2019

I too passed a test for amazon-related projects with an agency. I then received a project to carry out. There was no PO, no payment-related information, nothing. When I asked the PM, she replied “just do the project and the client will let us know what the exact payment is for this particular job”.

It goes without saying I politely declined to take part in that or any other similar “indeterminate” projects.


 
Andy Watkinson
Andy Watkinson
Spain
Local time: 22:29
Member
Catalan to English
+ ...
VAT Dec 3, 2019

Your profile gives no information other than that your native language is Croatian and that you appear to be located in Spain.

If this is the case, you are subject to VAT and have to charge it even if you bill only a few thousand EUR a year.


 
Anne Brackenborough (X)
Anne Brackenborough (X)  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 22:29
German to English
Very odd email Apr 7, 2020

I've got the same e-mail from [email protected]; no Amazon logo, not addressed to me by name, asking generally for my capacity.
So are others saying that this sender is legitimately Amazon?


 
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