Glossary entry

Deutsch term or phrase:

unverbindliches Angebot

Englisch translation:

no-obligation quote/quotation (or "non-binding" in legal context)

Added to glossary by Dr Andrew Read
Sep 20, 2004 14:25
20 yrs ago
6 viewers *
Deutsch term

unverbindliches Angebot

Deutsch > Englisch Wirtschaft/Finanzwesen Wirtschaft/Handel (allgemein) + semi-legal
This is one we see all the time and IMHO are tempted to translate lazily by "non-binding quotation", for example. If, however, you google on "non-b* q*" you get only a few hundred hits, most of them on non-native English-speaking sites.

Much more common is "no-obligation quotation", but checking this on google, it does seem that 80% plus of the hits are from the UK. My problem is that I am translating an agency's website and need something that will sound okay to US and other English-speakers. What would you suggest?

I suspect North American speakers use "no obligation quote" as opposed to "quotation". Am I right? Is "quotation" wrong there?

Here's the sentence:
"Gerne erstellen wir Ihnen ein für Sie unverbindliches Angebot."

Proposed translations

2 Min.
Selected

quote without obligation

*

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Note added at 5 mins (2004-09-20 14:30:45 GMT)
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or: (free) no obligation quote

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Note added at 5 mins (2004-09-20 14:31:25 GMT)
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http://www.best-uk-mortgages.co.uk/
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "I'm going to stick with Wenke's answer here to show that just as I'm *not* a google slave (Richard!), I'm also capable of avoiding picking the most popular answer where I disagree with others. Having reviewed this further, I still think "non-binding" sounds overly formal and a bit foreign in most English contexts - "no-obligation quote/quotation" is much more common generally, though if this had been in the Ts and Cs I probably would have gone for non-binding. I'd also say that I disagree with "offer" being used to translate "Angebot" in this context - I think it shows "language interference" coming through from the German, something that can easily happen to us all if we spend a long time translating. If you google (something that can be a useful process sometimes for all sorts of reasons!) on "non-binding offer", it's pretty clear that most of the hits are translated or from foreign (mainly Gmn sites), and if you try "no-obligation offer", the word "offer" is being used in quite a different sense from "quote"/"quotation".(Sorry Chris, disagree with you on this one.)"
+4
17 Min.

non-binding quote

see e.g.
Peer comment(s):

agree Richard Benham : Trouble is, that suggests it's not binding on the offeror. But here it's "ein für Sie unverbindliches Angebot".
10 Min.
Thanks Richard, but this is *Floskulator* to suggest that it's non-binding for *you* but I very much doubt that it is binding for offeror IMO.
agree Orla Ryan
32 Min.
agree Trudy Peters
3 Stunden
agree Terence Ajbro : or quotation
16 Stunden
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+3
24 Min.

obligation-free quote/quotation

I have no idea how many Google hits this gets, and I don't care. Use it or not, as you wish.

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Note added at 29 mins (2004-09-20 14:54:38 GMT)
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PS \"obligation-free-quote\" gets over 38,000 Googlies. Included for the benefit of those who think these figure mean something.
Peer comment(s):

agree Sarah Downing
20 Min.
Thanks Sarah.
agree Neil Hunter : I also thought of "no-obligation quote/quotation"
6 Stunden
agree Clare Forder : this is the one i'd go for
20 Stunden
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1 Stunde

(We would be happy to prepare) an offer with no obligation on your part.

Just about covers it.
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1 Stunde

freely-quoted offer

We'd be glad to furnish you with a freely-quoted offer (or forward or submit a... etc)

In the US, that's saying 'non-binding' in a less formal way and usually appears in case of ordinary consumer staples. Now, if you were on the lookout for an ocean liner, 'non-binding' would be the word of choice.

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Note added at 2004-09-20 15:57:49 (GMT)
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should have said \'consumer durables\' (like TVs, refrigerators, cars, where tethe buyer always dickers about the final price)
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3 Stunden

non-binding offer

Angebot is listed manywhere as "offer" And "non-binding offer" pulls 102,000 Googlies, not a few of which are Stateside ones.
(although these might include hits for constipation remedies ;-)

And remember - an offer can go into much more detail than just a price quotation.
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3 Tage 7 Stunden

budget quote

Sorry I took so long.
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