Is this particular payment due by an agency reasonable?
Thread poster: ejprotran
ejprotran
ejprotran
Local time: 21:24
English to Japanese
Feb 15, 2003

I am working for an agency on a regular basis. The payment due for the regular assignment for the agency is due AFTER 30 days from the invoice date. Given the fact that I usually get paid by other clients of mine WITHIN 30 days from the invoice date. I am wondering if this agency\'s payment practice is really reasonable/slow based on the industry standard. Is this something that any freelance translators must accept in order to have a good relationship with them?



satnii
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I am working for an agency on a regular basis. The payment due for the regular assignment for the agency is due AFTER 30 days from the invoice date. Given the fact that I usually get paid by other clients of mine WITHIN 30 days from the invoice date. I am wondering if this agency\'s payment practice is really reasonable/slow based on the industry standard. Is this something that any freelance translators must accept in order to have a good relationship with them?



satnii

[ This Message was edited by:on2003-02-15 21:53]
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Mario Cerutti
Mario Cerutti  Identity Verified
Japan
Local time: 21:24
Italian to Japanese
+ ...
Try with Italian (but also Japanese) agencies Feb 15, 2003

3 months is the standard term in Italy, plus any possible and likely delay. But in Japan as well, albeit a few, there are Agencies that pay 3 months from the end of the month. Most of the Agencies pay after 2 months, and only a few ones do it earlier. Only direct Customers usually pay after 30 days.



I do not see your situation particularly serious, but perhaps Agencies in the USA are usually far more generous in terms of payment terms.



Mario Cerutti


 
Monika Coulson
Monika Coulson  Identity Verified
Local time: 06:24
Member (2001)
English to Albanian
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
I do not really see any huge difference here... Feb 16, 2003

IMO, \"AFTER 30 days from the invoice date\" and \"WITHIN 30 days from the invoice date\" do not make a big difference. I also work for companies that pay me 45 days after I submit my invoce. And I do not have any problem with it, as long as they pay me when they say.

Working for direct clients is best, they pay me as soon as I deliver the job/

Monika

[ This Message was edited by:on2003-02-17 05:35]


 
JKB
JKB
United States
Local time: 08:24
English to German
+ ...
it depends Feb 16, 2003

I think the success or unsuccess of payment practices really depends on the communication involved. As long as agency and translator are on good communication terms, all is well. I just went through a very irritating experience with an agency that did not get back to me, never answered my emails, ignored the messages on their voice mail for weeks, no, months. They had stated on their contract that they would pay after 30 days. Meanwhile 90 days have passed. Finally, after sending them the follow... See more
I think the success or unsuccess of payment practices really depends on the communication involved. As long as agency and translator are on good communication terms, all is well. I just went through a very irritating experience with an agency that did not get back to me, never answered my emails, ignored the messages on their voice mail for weeks, no, months. They had stated on their contract that they would pay after 30 days. Meanwhile 90 days have passed. Finally, after sending them the following article, I got a response. They are going to pay in two weeks. That\'s really all I wanted. I understand that in the current economical situation, more and more agencies have to wait to get paid by the client, and also have good intentions to pay their translators. But, as the author of the article I\'d like to share with you, states: We don\'t pay our bills with good intentions!

Anyway, I can\'t stand pushy agencies who are only in touch with you until you deliver (in my case a day before the deadline!)

I don\'t mind waiting for my money, but I\'d like to be kept informed, especially if I have never worked with a particular translation agency. Here\'s the link to the article. It\'s a good read!

Stay warm ...

Julia



http://accurapid.com/journal/23crisis.htm
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Michael Bastin
Michael Bastin  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 13:24
English to French
+ ...
many agencies are 60 days end of month Feb 16, 2003

I work with different agencies and those in France and Belgium, for instance generally pay after 60 days end of month. I don\'t like this practice very much, but as long as they pay as they say, this is ok.



Of course, I am always looking for agencies which pay Net 30 days. When you have no work, you sometimes have to accept other conditions, but when I feel the agency needs me really bad, I give my conditions.


 
horse
horse
Local time: 21:24
English to Japanese
+ ...
I would think that's quite normal... Feb 16, 2003

For clients I work for on a regular basis, that\'s about the pattern of payment. Invoice them by their designated date once a month and get payed the next month on their pay day.

I have had a case of being payed 2 months later recently, also.

People who hire me directly (not agents) seem to pay quicker but sometimes they will not indicate the exact payment date.


 
AAAmedical
AAAmedical  Identity Verified
Belgium
Local time: 13:24
English to Dutch
+ ...
this seems ok Feb 16, 2003

Hello,



Some agencies pay WITHIN 30 days, other \'30 days end month\' which means that if you issue an invoice ex. 5th February 2003, you\'ll get paid the 30th of March. Some companies/agencies even apply \'90 days end month\' so you could only get your money after 4 (!) months.



Regards



Ann





 
Williamson
Williamson  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:24
Flemish to English
+ ...
Very much ok Feb 16, 2003

Unlike some Belgian agencies who pay end of month +60 days and Italian agencies who pay end of month +90-136 days, you get a very good payment-term.

 
Arthur Borges
Arthur Borges
China
Local time: 20:24
English
+ ...
Extreme example Feb 16, 2003

I had one client who paid at 90 days reckoned from the 10th day of the month AFTER the date of the purchase order.



All purchase orders I received were dated the 11th or 12th. So for a job turned in on the 5th, that was 25 days before they even started the 90-day countdown.



On Day 115, I would wait another seven before ringing to learn that it had just been sent for payment.



The check would come two weeks later. We are now at Day 136
... See more
I had one client who paid at 90 days reckoned from the 10th day of the month AFTER the date of the purchase order.



All purchase orders I received were dated the 11th or 12th. So for a job turned in on the 5th, that was 25 days before they even started the 90-day countdown.



On Day 115, I would wait another seven before ringing to learn that it had just been sent for payment.



The check would come two weeks later. We are now at Day 136 and this Paris-based agency had sent me a check drawn on a bank outside Greater Paris, such that it took seven days to clear instead of two.



Total time to payment: about 143 days.



No foolin\'!



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ADDAM Translations (X)
ADDAM Translations (X)
Local time: 12:24
Swedish to English
+ ...
It's honesty that counts. Feb 16, 2003

We have had experience of being paid anything from 3 weeks after submitting a job to almost three months. We don\'t mind this, as long as we know when, based on what the client says (e.g. end of invoice month + 30 days). It only becomes a problem when a client explictly says one thing in a contract, etc., then takes longer. We personally find the uncertainty/dishonesty to be the real problem.

 
CarmenB (X)
CarmenB (X)
French to Spanish
+ ...
and agencies who never pay... Feb 16, 2003

Quote:


On 2003-02-16 07:51, ManuPro wrote:

Unlike some Belgian agencies who pay end of month +60 days and Italian agencies who pay end of month +90-136 days, you get a very good payment-term.



longer is the term more dangerous it is to be payed.

 
ejprotran
ejprotran
Local time: 21:24
English to Japanese
TOPIC STARTER
I did not mean Feb 16, 2003

that I was so much frustrated by the agency, as their payment term seemed to be slower than other agencies I work. In fact, I do not have any complaints about their professionalism. Anyway, now I feel better informed than before I posted this question. I would really appreciate everyone\'s inputs here. Thank you all!



satnii





[ This Message was edited by:on2003-02-17 16:44]


 
Matthew Kinnersly
Matthew Kinnersly  Identity Verified
Local time: 21:24
Japanese to English
Delayed payment terms Feb 17, 2003

I just started working with an agency which said payment is 2 months and 5 days after invoice (i.e. the invoice for the end of Feb gets paid on 5th May). When I grumbled about waiting nearly 3 months for the first ever payment from them, I was told their policy used to be 1 month and 5 days, but they extended it due to \"adverse business conditions\". The agency\'s reputation is good, (thank you Blue Board) so I\'m waiting. Once I\'ve seen the colour of their money once I won\'t mind the delay f... See more
I just started working with an agency which said payment is 2 months and 5 days after invoice (i.e. the invoice for the end of Feb gets paid on 5th May). When I grumbled about waiting nearly 3 months for the first ever payment from them, I was told their policy used to be 1 month and 5 days, but they extended it due to \"adverse business conditions\". The agency\'s reputation is good, (thank you Blue Board) so I\'m waiting. Once I\'ve seen the colour of their money once I won\'t mind the delay for later invoices.



Matt
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Is this particular payment due by an agency reasonable?







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