Low rates offered by a Canadian company Thread poster: Steffen Pollex (X)
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Steffen Pollex (X) Local time: 07:27 English to German + ...
http://www.proz.com/job?id=25839 http://www.proz.com/job?id=25840
I expressed my interest, of course. The amount would be ok and the languages fit.
This is what I got back:
\"Please take note that we are a Canadian based company and we do NOT accept rates sub... See more http://www.proz.com/job?id=25839 http://www.proz.com/job?id=25840
I expressed my interest, of course. The amount would be ok and the languages fit.
This is what I got back:
\"Please take note that we are a Canadian based company and we do NOT accept rates subjected to US dollars, Euro dollars or any foreign currency denomination. Your quotes must be in Canadian dollars. Currently we are receiving quotes for translation for a low as Cdn 5 cents per word. We would appreciate your rates at lower and competitive price.\"
This is what I replied:
\"Dear Mr. Karimi, to expect people to work at a rate of CDN Doll. 0.05 per word (which is approx. EUR 0.03) or even lower must be a lausy joke. Maybe, we should pay you for the unique opportunity to get shamelessly exploited and suffering a loss instead of you paying us for decent translations?!!!! I told you my rates below which I won\'t go in the mail I sent you today! Thanks, I am not interested anymore.\"
No further comment required. Does anyone have experience in working with them. Do they really pay this poorly?
Thanks to all
Steffen
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I wouldn't want to be in his shoes... | Aug 27, 2002 |
As I also went for Mr. Karimi\'s job posting and got the same ridiculous reply as you Steffen, I tried decline via email only to get this: \"Remote host said: 554 delivery error: dd Sorry, your message to [bla bla bla] cannot be delivered. This account is over quota. - mta515.mail.yahoo.com\"
It looks like he\'s in for a good telling off - hopefully. It would be terrible if it was because his mail box was full of cv\'s!
Regards Chri... See more As I also went for Mr. Karimi\'s job posting and got the same ridiculous reply as you Steffen, I tried decline via email only to get this: \"Remote host said: 554 delivery error: dd Sorry, your message to [bla bla bla] cannot be delivered. This account is over quota. - mta515.mail.yahoo.com\"
It looks like he\'s in for a good telling off - hopefully. It would be terrible if it was because his mail box was full of cv\'s!
Regards Christina
[ This Message was edited by: on 2002-08-27 09:54 ] ▲ Collapse | | |
Developing instinct. | Aug 27, 2002 |
I am glad to hear the information you have given because when I read the posting \"something\" told me not to take the time to apply for that job offer. I had the feeling that something smelt bad, i.e. ridiculous rates, bad payment terms, etc. It seems I am slowly developing an instinct to detect what job offers are not interesting. I only wish Proz.com would start developing the same instinct.
Best regards to all. | | |
Parrot Spain Local time: 07:27 Spanish to English + ... I DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING | Aug 27, 2002 |
The combinations being advertised are not the same as (quote):
\"Text is in English and will need to be translation into 67 languages which are as follows:
Afrikaans, Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Basque, Belorussian, Bengoli, Bulgarian, Burmese, Cambodian, Chinese-Simplified, Chinese-Traditional, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Farsi (Persian), Finnish, French (Canada), French (France), Georgian, German, Greek, Gujarati, Haitian-Cre... See more The combinations being advertised are not the same as (quote):
\"Text is in English and will need to be translation into 67 languages which are as follows:
Afrikaans, Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Basque, Belorussian, Bengoli, Bulgarian, Burmese, Cambodian, Chinese-Simplified, Chinese-Traditional, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Farsi (Persian), Finnish, French (Canada), French (France), Georgian, German, Greek, Gujarati, Haitian-Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Ilocano, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Javanese, Kashmiri, Kazakh, Khmer, Korean, Lao, Latin, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Malay, Mongolian, Nepali, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Latin America), Spanish (Mexico), Swahili, Swedish, Tagalog (Phillipines), Thai, Tibetan, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uzbek, Vietnamese, Yiddish.\"
Almost half of these languages are considered exotic/ideogrammatic/category D-E (the highest-paying), not to mention they have a highly institutionalized market, and he expects 5 Canadian cents? At that price, will he even get someone who works with a computer?
I can only draw one conclusion: this is not about translation (maybe it is about photocopying) and it certainly does not come from an experienced translator who has been on the market for years. Bidders (27+11) please be forewarned, solvency cannot be guaranteed.
[ This Message was edited by: on 2002-08-27 10:42 ] ▲ Collapse | |
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Steffen Pollex (X) Local time: 07:27 English to German + ... TOPIC STARTER Here is what I got back... | Aug 27, 2002 |
and now the account is \"over quota\", as stated above:
\"Dear Mr.Steffen Pollex,
I read the context of your email and I have to say you don\'t sound at all like a professional to me. Your tone is not only strong but extremely rude.
You are not taking at all from a business point of view. You are in Europe and you definatey have a market range where your prices may be suitable to you. Over ... See more and now the account is \"over quota\", as stated above:
\"Dear Mr.Steffen Pollex,
I read the context of your email and I have to say you don\'t sound at all like a professional to me. Your tone is not only strong but extremely rude.
You are not taking at all from a business point of view. You are in Europe and you definatey have a market range where your prices may be suitable to you. Over here in Canada, it is extremely competitive. Prices are not set by me or you but by market factors and as an experience banker you should be well aware of it. Europe has gone through with such market factors quite often.
If the price is not suitable then don\'t deal. It is fine with me. You are not the only translator available. If it is not you then it is someone else.
I did print your resume to work on it but now it just ended into the trash can.
I wish you good luck with the kind of attitude you have just shown to me.
Best regards,
Murad.\"
I am just curious whether the market in Canada is really so \"competitive\" that one can\'t earn \"the butter for the bread\", as we say in German (in English, sure, it will sound somewhat different, may be, somebody will tell me?).
Canadian colleagues, have you ever worked for 5 cents a word or lower? Just for information.
Furthermore, it is highly suspicious to me that it is an hotmail account, although he advertises himself as \"Karimi enterprises\" with supposingly a properly registered office. And the mailbox would not be able to receive even the amount of messages to be necessarily expected when calling for translators in, at least, 30 languages?
Last not least, what kind of magazine/multimedia stuff would be translated at once in such a huge number of langiages. As for here in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan etc. (Central Asia), none of this stuff would have a market for people either don\'t buy it (they don\'tfell it being necessary or just don\'t have the income to buy things just for pleasure. I know what I am talking about, have been living here for 3 years, not like all the foreigners sent here employed by foreign companies but as all ordinary people). I am quite convinced that between the indicated \"exotic languages\" there are numerous countries where the situation is similar.
Hands off, I would say.
[ This Message was edited by: on 2002-08-27 11:18 ]
[ This Message was edited by: on 2002-08-27 11:26 ] ▲ Collapse | | |
Beth Kantus United States Local time: 02:27 German to English you asked for this saying in English | Aug 27, 2002 |
Hi Steffen, Don\'t know anything about this agency, but am sorry you and others had such a negative experience. The saying you asked about is called earning one\'s/your \"bread & butter\" in English. Best regards, Beth
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Karin Adamczyk (X) Canada Local time: 02:27 French to English The exact opposite is true | Aug 27, 2002 |
While there is of course competition, the market in Canada is *very* good. Rates to direct clients range from 0.18 to 0.35 per word (including government clients). The lowest I charge agencies in Canada is 0.16 (I work from French into English).
FWIW,
Karin Adamczyk
\"I am just curious whether the market in Canada is really so \"competitive\" that one can\'t earn \"the butter for the bread\", as we say in German (in English, sure, it... See more While there is of course competition, the market in Canada is *very* good. Rates to direct clients range from 0.18 to 0.35 per word (including government clients). The lowest I charge agencies in Canada is 0.16 (I work from French into English).
FWIW,
Karin Adamczyk
\"I am just curious whether the market in Canada is really so \"competitive\" that one can\'t earn \"the butter for the bread\", as we say in German (in English, sure, it will sound somewhat different, may be, somebody will tell me?).\" ▲ Collapse | | |
just a scam... | Aug 27, 2002 |
to fill up his database with lots of translators willing to work for those rates... as you know, the \"calling for translators in all languages\" trick doesn\'t work anymore... who bothers? If there is a possible big job at stake, people do apply and send their CVs, don\'t they? Maybe I\'m just an old cynic, me.
Giovanni | |
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Nathalie M. Girard, ALHC (X) English to French + ... I agree with Karin - Rates in Canada are good! | Aug 27, 2002 |
I work mainly in EN > FR and generally my fees for direct clients go between CAD$0.015 to $0.25 (slightly less for agencies).
The job poster is most likely \"b/s-ing\" (forgive the language!!!) in order to try to milk the system and get the work done for as little as possible (higher profit for him).
My 2 Canadian cents!!! Nathalie
[ This Message was edited by: on 2002-08-27 17:14 ] | | |
Wonder of wonders, the offer is still open! | Dec 23, 2003 |
And 70 bids have been made so far! Any comments? In the FAQ I remember to have read that potential jobs may be advertised for the first time. But is this first time to persist for more than a year? Regards, N.Raghavan | | |