| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Off topic: Talk about a client with nerve! I dare you to top this. Thread poster: Luisa Ramos, CT
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CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 17:47
French to English
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| OK it's dumb but.... | Jun 27, 2006 |
My brother's father-in-law is a big entrepreneur and one of his customers had difficulty paying his bills, so he offered a superb 25-metre yacht instead.
Well, since the guy was clearly not able to pay otherwise, the father-in-law cut his losses and took the yacht.
My brother and his family (and ourselves on a family visit) really appreciated it.
Bargaining is as old as the hills. It still exists today. It is all a question of relative values. Obviously a free meal (especially... See more My brother's father-in-law is a big entrepreneur and one of his customers had difficulty paying his bills, so he offered a superb 25-metre yacht instead.
Well, since the guy was clearly not able to pay otherwise, the father-in-law cut his losses and took the yacht.
My brother and his family (and ourselves on a family visit) really appreciated it.
Bargaining is as old as the hills. It still exists today. It is all a question of relative values. Obviously a free meal (especially if you're on a diet) will not pay your gas or electricity bills but it is a perfectly honest way of doing business.
Let's to be too naive ! The word 'no' still exists to save us! ▲ Collapse
| | | | PAS 
Local time: 17:47
Polish to English
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| Barter trade | Jun 27, 2006 |
CMJ_Trans wrote:
Bargaining is as old as the hills.
Barter trade, you mean...?
Sure - barter trade is fine as long as you are sensibly able to use the stuff you're offered (or if you would have or want to buy it anyway - see my post).
But offering lunch and having you pay for half of it... That reminds me of an old Calvin & Hobbes cartoon, where one of them says to the other: "Hey, if you lend me a dollar, I'll buy you a comic book."
P.A.S.
[Edited at 2006-06-27 11:39]
| | | | CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 17:47
French to English
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| bartering.... | Jun 27, 2006 |
ooppsss - slip of the finger....(or was it Freudian)?
But my point remains valid - if a big car manufacturer offered me a new car in lieu of payment.... or the SNCF offered me free rail tickets for life... dream on...
| | | | Irene N
United States
Local time: 10:47
English to Russian
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| About lending a dollar:-) | Jun 27, 2006 |
A poor guy comes to a rich villager to borrow a dollar untill next fall.
- OK, - says the lender, - but you'll have to pay back 2.
- Well, I must get through the winter, so I have no choice
and he take a dollar and approaches the door to leave.
- Listen, I understand how hard it will be on you to pay a whole 2 dollars in fall, right?
- Sure it will be...
- I'll help you - why don't you give me a dollar now so you'll ... See more A poor guy comes to a rich villager to borrow a dollar untill next fall.
- OK, - says the lender, - but you'll have to pay back 2.
- Well, I must get through the winter, so I have no choice
and he take a dollar and approaches the door to leave.
- Listen, I understand how hard it will be on you to pay a whole 2 dollars in fall, right?
- Sure it will be...
- I'll help you - why don't you give me a dollar now so you'll only have to pay 1 in fall!
- Oh, thank you so much!
 ▲ Collapse
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JackieMcC
Local time: 17:47
French to English
| a sack of potatoes ! | Jun 27, 2006 |
Many years ago when I was starting out as a freelancer and happy to get any type of client I agreed to help a local farmer with a few phone calls and faxes to the UK.
I was pretty taken aback when he asked me whether I preferred cash or a sack of potatoes as payment !! (I took the cash)
Jackie
| | | | Özden Arıkan
Germany
Local time: 17:47
Member
English to Turkish
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| Once did a barter job - didn't regret | Jun 27, 2006 |
It was a DVD player in return for a short user guide.
Still working!
| | | | tazdog (X)
Spain
Local time: 17:47
Spanish to English
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| another user of the barter system | Jun 27, 2006 |
I once offered my translation services (on an as-needed basis) in exchange for a sizeable (40%) reduction in tuition fees. Best deal I ever made: the work I actually ended up doing was valued in the hundreds while the tuition discount added up to thousands...a lot better than a free lunch
| | | | | Barter, barter everywhere | Jun 27, 2006 |
I proofread a document for a client of mine for a large jar of coffee flavor ice-cream (don't laugh, I am very fond of the stuff).
Alas, I am still waiting for the ice-cream. It has been a month now. They might still need to produce it.
We all learn. Maybe I should not complain. My waistline surely thanks me.
Lucinda
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Luisa Ramos, CT
United States
Local time: 11:47
English to Spanish
TOPIC STARTER | My point exactly | Jun 27, 2006 |
PAS wrote:
Sure - barter trade is fine as long as you are sensibly able to use the stuff you're offered (or if you would have or want to buy it anyway - see my post).
[Edited at 2006-06-27 11:39]
I was willing to consider it; after all, I cut my rates 50% for the translations I do for a church and I do pro bono work for an attorney that represents immigrants. It must not be all about money, and I have my soft spot. But lunch with a perfect stranger? What sort of barter is that? What makes this person believe that I would benefit or experience any "pleasure" out of having lunch with her or, for that matter, that having lunch with her would equal the value of the effort, knowledge and work that I would put into her translations?
| | | | | I just want to add to Luisa's post above | Jun 27, 2006 |
Perfectly right. But to top it off, the client offers HALF a lunch. It comes down to paying for your own lunch.
So, here's basically what you get: lunch where you pay for your own food and meeting up with a stranger.
HAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAAAAAAAAAA!
| | | | BelkisDV
United States
Local time: 11:47
Spanish to English
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Welcome to the world of professional translators Luisa. Congrats on passing the ATA exam.
Belkis
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