Shorter version:Translator lied about price and how should I pay her?
Thread poster: Anna Muntean Stacanova
Anna Muntean Stacanova
Anna Muntean Stacanova
United States
Local time: 07:46
Russian to English
+ ...
Dec 20, 2008

Hi again everybody! Happy holidays!!!

This is the same post but shorter. I would ask for any advice you can give.

A translator E... submitted me a very very poor job with missing words, sentences making no sense.

She lied in her invoice to me about word count (1000 more than actually it was) and about original price per word we agreed on.

I agreed to pay as soon as she submitted the job, 30-45 days and did not check her word count or quality b
... See more
Hi again everybody! Happy holidays!!!

This is the same post but shorter. I would ask for any advice you can give.

A translator E... submitted me a very very poor job with missing words, sentences making no sense.

She lied in her invoice to me about word count (1000 more than actually it was) and about original price per word we agreed on.

I agreed to pay as soon as she submitted the job, 30-45 days and did not check her word count or quality because I was sick.

The client did ot accept the job, but i though I must pay to her anyway since i promised

Now the translator lied and did bad job, I do not want to be bad and make her wait 45 days and not pay anything

But I cannot pay the full price

What would you do in this situation? Please advice...
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Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:46
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Apologies Dec 20, 2008

On behalf of all good professional translators, apologies. It's too bad you were unwell, because perhaps before entrusting this work to that person, you ought to have checked her true competence and reliability.

At this stage it's probably too late to refuse payment but I do think you should insist on correcting the word count. A word count is an objective number people can't argue about.

If I were you I would pay her for the actual words, and then move on - but in futu
... See more
On behalf of all good professional translators, apologies. It's too bad you were unwell, because perhaps before entrusting this work to that person, you ought to have checked her true competence and reliability.

At this stage it's probably too late to refuse payment but I do think you should insist on correcting the word count. A word count is an objective number people can't argue about.

If I were you I would pay her for the actual words, and then move on - but in future I suggest you be very selective in who you hire to do translation work.
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Selcuk Akyuz
Selcuk Akyuz  Identity Verified
Türkiye
Local time: 14:46
English to Turkish
+ ...
I didn't read the longer version but... Dec 20, 2008

First of all, you say the translation was unacceptable. Well, it is the responsibility of the agency to find a good translator but ... who says the translation is not good enough, the revisor, client or you (agency)? Hope, the translation was revised (edited) and proofread before delivery to the client. If it was revised and proofread but still unacceptable, then the problem is with the agency. IMHO, an agency must find good translators, editors and proofreaders (and project managers of course).... See more
First of all, you say the translation was unacceptable. Well, it is the responsibility of the agency to find a good translator but ... who says the translation is not good enough, the revisor, client or you (agency)? Hope, the translation was revised (edited) and proofread before delivery to the client. If it was revised and proofread but still unacceptable, then the problem is with the agency. IMHO, an agency must find good translators, editors and proofreaders (and project managers of course).

We all know about the competition out there but what is the role of a translation agency, delivering low quality translations to the client? Simply NO! Agencies employ or work with project managers, terminologists, translators, editors, proofreaders, DTP experts, and so on.

And about the word count, AFAIK it is the responsibility of the project manager.


Selcuk

--------------------------------

After reading the longer version ...
http://www.proz.com/forum/money_matters/123550-translator_lied_about_word_count_and_how_should_i_pay_her.html

Do not make any payment!



[Edited at 2008-12-20 20:03 GMT]
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Abba Storgen (X)
Abba Storgen (X)
United States
Local time: 06:46
Greek to English
+ ...
Ahem... Dec 20, 2008

Since you are in the US, you should be a bit more familiar with the general concepts of the Uniform Commercial Code.

1) First of all, since the product was not "reasonably satisfactory", you can ask the translator to revise the translation and give you a "reasonably satisfactory" product.
Otherwise, you are in no obligation to pay the translator, since the quality was below "reasonably satisfactory" or "reasonably complete".

2) You can also ask the translator to r
... See more
Since you are in the US, you should be a bit more familiar with the general concepts of the Uniform Commercial Code.

1) First of all, since the product was not "reasonably satisfactory", you can ask the translator to revise the translation and give you a "reasonably satisfactory" product.
Otherwise, you are in no obligation to pay the translator, since the quality was below "reasonably satisfactory" or "reasonably complete".

2) You can also ask the translator to revise her invoice in order to reflect the correct word count.
This applies to all products.

3) STOP SUBCONTRACTING JOBS IF IT VIOLATES THE AGREEMENT YOU HAVE WITH THE AGENCY.
If you subcontracted this job, and the agency to which you sent the job has entered into a written agreement with you, there's a good chance that they do not allow you to subcontract jobs to others. Check your contract...

I have heard many stories of horrible results with this subcontracting mania through Proz.com. In most cases, it's forbidden by the agreement between translator and agency. Proz has become a field for massive inappropriate activities, especially subcontracting.

Your profile states "Reliable good quality translation". Why jeopardize this? The agency knows you, not the other translator.

(Not to mention that by subcontracting jobs, you are artificially lowering the translation prices in your country).
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Anna Muntean Stacanova
Anna Muntean Stacanova
United States
Local time: 07:46
Russian to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
I must pay something I think Dec 20, 2008

I do not want to refuse payment at all. I feel bad for this translator and it was my responsibility to check the quality before.

Dear Selcuk, I said in this case the quality is bad, the agency sadi it before me but I was not sure. If translated sentences make not sense, they makes no sense and there is nothing I can do about it. If sentences are missing they are missing. and Would you agree it is not a good quality?

Thank you for your comment it is helpful

... See more
I do not want to refuse payment at all. I feel bad for this translator and it was my responsibility to check the quality before.

Dear Selcuk, I said in this case the quality is bad, the agency sadi it before me but I was not sure. If translated sentences make not sense, they makes no sense and there is nothing I can do about it. If sentences are missing they are missing. and Would you agree it is not a good quality?

Thank you for your comment it is helpful

I will pay her for actual words count, I cant pay for what is not there or never was

Thank you so much everybody Again i feel obligated to pay her, but I was not sure how...

Thank you Tom. I am well now, but I put aside the translation for a while.


I had no contract with the agency, it was emergency job, I know I should be more professional..
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Nicole Schnell
Nicole Schnell  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 04:46
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam
Eleftherios is right. Dec 20, 2008

Please see my reply to "the longer post".

Addendum:

I preferred to reply to the longer and unedited post for a reason.

[Edited at 2008-12-20 20:11 GMT]


 
Anna Muntean Stacanova
Anna Muntean Stacanova
United States
Local time: 07:46
Russian to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
me too.. Dec 20, 2008

But I thought people are very busy to spend time for long posts

 
Anna Muntean Stacanova
Anna Muntean Stacanova
United States
Local time: 07:46
Russian to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you Dec 20, 2008

Thank you Nicole for this post too.

 
Ralf Lemster
Ralf Lemster  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 12:46
English to German
+ ...
Closing the topic. Dec 20, 2008

Please continue the discussion in the other thread.

Thanks, Ralf


 


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Shorter version:Translator lied about price and how should I pay her?







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