Any experience with foreign marketing research companies?
Thread poster: Cristina Polanski
Cristina Polanski
Cristina Polanski  Identity Verified
Local time: 06:11
English to Spanish
+ ...
Aug 4, 2013

Hello,
We got an interesting proposal on a very small job. How do we protect ourselves to make sure we are going to get paid? The company is abroad, a member of Proz but has nothing on its profile. Their website looks legit, although not very explanatory.

They offer to pay 2 weeks after 1 day job is finished, Is this standard? Are there any legal issues that we
have to be aware of when using Skype to do the job? We know that the other party HAS to give an authorization
... See more
Hello,
We got an interesting proposal on a very small job. How do we protect ourselves to make sure we are going to get paid? The company is abroad, a member of Proz but has nothing on its profile. Their website looks legit, although not very explanatory.

They offer to pay 2 weeks after 1 day job is finished, Is this standard? Are there any legal issues that we
have to be aware of when using Skype to do the job? We know that the other party HAS to give an authorization to be recorded.

We are used to get a percentage before we start, but this job is only for two-three hours and the deadline is Monday. (was contacted yesterday)
Any input will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Patagonia Language Solutions



[Edited at 2013-08-04 15:10 GMT]

[Edited at 2013-08-04 15:11 GMT]

[Edited at 2013-08-04 15:11 GMT]
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Josephine Cassar
Josephine Cassar  Identity Verified
Malta
Local time: 14:11
Member (2012)
English to Maltese
+ ...
BY SKYPE Aug 4, 2013

Hi Cristina,
seeing no one answered your post yet, I will give you my 2 cents worth. If agreement is by SKYPE, see you have something in writing, as confirmation, even via SKYPE, but preferably by email and pay attention if profile is not complete as you do not know why job was posted; there might be various reasons-e.g the person might not have been able to it himself/herself so you were contacted (I ha one such job once). Make sure you have something in writing to show as confirmation fr
... See more
Hi Cristina,
seeing no one answered your post yet, I will give you my 2 cents worth. If agreement is by SKYPE, see you have something in writing, as confirmation, even via SKYPE, but preferably by email and pay attention if profile is not complete as you do not know why job was posted; there might be various reasons-e.g the person might not have been able to it himself/herself so you were contacted (I ha one such job once). Make sure you have something in writing to show as confirmation from both sides in case payment issues arise. Good luck.

[Edited at 2013-08-04 07:57 GMT]
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Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 13:11
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
Is there any real difference in this job? Aug 4, 2013

I didn't even know what seminal research was. But I don't see that payment issues differ at all between this job and a 2-3 hour interpreting job. The company isn't going to be any more or any less trustworthy, I wouldn't imagine. As you've been in the interpreting business for a long while (as I gather from your profile), you must already have in place a system of checks and pointers that help you decide whether a job is legit, an... See more
I didn't even know what seminal research was. But I don't see that payment issues differ at all between this job and a 2-3 hour interpreting job. The company isn't going to be any more or any less trustworthy, I wouldn't imagine. As you've been in the interpreting business for a long while (as I gather from your profile), you must already have in place a system of checks and pointers that help you decide whether a job is legit, and you'll have your T&C determining what payment terms you see fit.

The Skype issue, and recording of the session, is something that I would have thought was fairly standard practice for interpreters. Not for translators, so I have no idea. But surely if you get authorisation in writing before the call (just an email or a Skype message should suffice), and then state at the beginning of the call that it is being recorded, and get their acknowledgement, I don't see it being an issue.
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Any experience with foreign marketing research companies?







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