Reputable company being acquired by a disreputable one Thread poster: Lincoln Hui
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Lincoln Hui 
Hong Kong
Local time: 13:08
Member
Chinese to English
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I just received an email from a company banned from posting jobs on ProZ, which I shall call Company T, which claims they have acquired a reputable agency that I have worked with for a few years, which I shall call Company G.
You may already know, but we are happy to official communicate to you that Company G has formed an affiliated partnership with the Company T family of companies!
Since you are already part of our Company T freelance community, we wanted to inform you about this partnership and inform you that effective November 1st, invoice processing through Company G will be phased out and moved to the Company T HUB. You already know how to work with and bill to Company T, so you will not have to learn a new process.
As a part of our freelance community, let me remind you that you have access to our work platforms and systems, as well as to the training for freelancers, news and blogs, billing system and much more.
Now, I should note that I have no relationship with Company T. Furthermore, I do not intend to have a relationship with Company T now or ever unto the end of time. They are banned from posting jobs on ProZ and I have rejected their email advances last year and this year. I have never been part of the Company T freelance community, and I don't know how to work with and bill to Company T.
I have not heard from anyone representing Company G on this matter, although I'm currently doing a project for them. My intention is to finish the project, bill everything outstanding before the end of the month, then never do business with them again.
Would you do the same in this situation? Perhaps more importantly - are you currently in this situation?
[Edited at 2019-10-25 18:10 GMT]
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I think you should complete the project anyway.
And wait for feedbacks from this Company T: any late in payment ? any argue about a bad job of yours ? any other cases from this company before the payment of this project in progress ?
And then, I would decide: if the Company did not meet the international business standards, I will stop to collaborate forever.
[Edited at 2019-10-25 18:51 GMT]
| | | | Mihai Badea (X)
Luxembourg
Local time: 06:08
English to Romanian
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| Unusual business behaviour | Oct 25, 2019 |
A company that doesn't have money to pay the translators, but has money to acquire another company. That's an interesting situation.
***
Let's look at this from a different perspective: someone approaches you and lets you know he/she will marry a person that is very close to you (perhaps even a brother or a sister). Pretty strange, isn't it? Why would you not learn about this from your brother/sister? / Would you ask your brother/sister about this?
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I’m not in that situation nor have I ever been, but had I been working with a reputable agency for years (Company G) and received a similar email from a different agency (Company T) claiming they acquired Company G I wouldn’t hesitate to ask someone in Company G directly what’s going on and even forward the email to them.
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Angela Malik
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:08
German to English
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| Yes, this has heppened to me | Oct 25, 2019 |
Lincoln Hui wrote:
I just received an email from a company banned from posting jobs on ProZ, which I shall call Company T, which claims they have acquired a reputable agency that I have worked with for a few years, which I shall call Company G.
Now, I should note that I have no relationship with Company T. Furthermore, I do not intend to have a relationship with Company T now or ever unto the end of time. (...)
I have not heard from anyone representing Company G on this matter, although I'm currently doing a project for them. My intention is to finish the project, bill everything outstanding before the end of the month, then never do business with them again.
Would you do the same in this situation? Perhaps more importantly - are you currently in this situation?
Yes, this has happened to me in the past. I replied stating that I did not have any desire to work with "Company T" (or my equivalent thereof, anyway) and would be ending the business relationship once the takeover was in effect. For me, this was not a huge deal because I was hardly doing much business with Company G anyway.
By the way, it was very hard to get myself removed from Company T's books -- I ended up having to submit a data protection complaint to them in order to get them to stop trying to send me job requests, newsletters, and updates on their latest web-based CAT tool platform blah blah blah. You know, all the ridiculous corporate stuff that these huge crappy translation companies tend to send out to just EVERYBODY, ugh.
Anyway. I think your approach is a good one. Finish out the project, invoice before the takeover date and then do whatever you want in terms of continuing business or ending the relationship.
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 06:08
French to English
The upmarket, top-notch company I was working for as an in-house translator was bought out by another agency. It suited me as it was larger and so I was no longer obliged to double up as PM, and could concentrate only on translation. However the pool of excellent translators that I had carefully built up were not given as much consideration. One by one they all sent me desperate emails telling me that they were being bullied into dropping their rates, that the PMs systematically tried to shave t... See more The upmarket, top-notch company I was working for as an in-house translator was bought out by another agency. It suited me as it was larger and so I was no longer obliged to double up as PM, and could concentrate only on translation. However the pool of excellent translators that I had carefully built up were not given as much consideration. One by one they all sent me desperate emails telling me that they were being bullied into dropping their rates, that the PMs systematically tried to shave the wordcount, and that they didn't get paid for at least six months and only after badgering the accounts department and could I please do something - which of course as a mere translator I couldn't. So exactly the same situation: an agency that has no money to pay people for honest work but does have money to buy out other agencies. I was appalled at how the translators were treated, but at least I learned that as a freelancer I would have to look out for such people. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 05:08
Member (2007)
English
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| Sad news, Lincoln | Oct 26, 2019 |
I don't recall being in that situation but it sounds a real shame. I hope you aren't working on too big a project as you might struggle to get paid within a reasonable time. What a cheek starting off with a fistful of lies!
It would be helpful to others to ensure that the BB records get linked the moment it happens.
If the company is in the EU -- or stays in the EU long enough -- you can demand your rights in accordance with GDPR to get them to delete all trace of you f... See more I don't recall being in that situation but it sounds a real shame. I hope you aren't working on too big a project as you might struggle to get paid within a reasonable time. What a cheek starting off with a fistful of lies!
It would be helpful to others to ensure that the BB records get linked the moment it happens.
If the company is in the EU -- or stays in the EU long enough -- you can demand your rights in accordance with GDPR to get them to delete all trace of you from their records. I've found it works quite well. ▲ Collapse
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Similar thing happened to me with a UK agency I'd done a lot of work for. They were taken over and my last pre-takeover invoice wasn't paid. A few months later, now taken over, they were desperate to find someone for a rush job. I said I'd think about it as soon as they paid my outstanding invoice. They paid instantly. I had a think about it for a couple of seconds...
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Lincoln Hui
Hong Kong
Local time: 13:08
Member
Chinese to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Just to note that I did terminate the relationship and made abundantly clear my reasons to both companies. It's a shame because I really did enjoy working with Company G, up to and including their acknowledgement of the reasons, but there was good reason to believe I would regret more if I put my livelihood in the hands of Company T.
Those in the same situation may already know what G and T are, but please feel free to contact me in private for full names.
| | | | conejo
United States
Local time: 23:08
Japanese to English
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| Sometimes bad companies acquire good companies | Mar 7, 2020 |
I agree with your strategy. Unfortunately if you already promised to do a project for them, then you promised it. So complete the project and be done, don't work for them again.
I have seen this happen before. There was a really good company that was acquired by a bad one. After the bad company took over, everything changed completely within a short period of time, and it was clear that the old good company's ways no longer existed.
Finish the project and be done... goo... See more I agree with your strategy. Unfortunately if you already promised to do a project for them, then you promised it. So complete the project and be done, don't work for them again.
I have seen this happen before. There was a really good company that was acquired by a bad one. After the bad company took over, everything changed completely within a short period of time, and it was clear that the old good company's ways no longer existed.
Finish the project and be done... good luck
[Edited at 2020-03-07 04:35 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Know the feeling | Mar 7, 2020 |
During my career as a translator I have seen several good (small) agencies going down the drain after they were taken over by big companies.
Sometimes they still operate under their own (old/original) name, but personal contact and fast/good payments changed into automated platforms and peanuts.
It is really a shame.
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