Everything Has Changed, So Must the Abusive 30-Day Post-Translation Delivery Pay Method Thread poster: Reza Delavari
|
|---|
Hi,
What surprises me is that I have been a professional translator/interpreter and have done all sorts of linguistic services for nearly 25 years, but have seen everything concerning translation rates either the same old school, getting dull, or going down! I joined online translation websites like Proz 20 years ago. The translation average rates were $0.08 Euros back then while Prices and life expenses have been skyrocketing in the past two decades, however not only translation ra... See more Hi,
What surprises me is that I have been a professional translator/interpreter and have done all sorts of linguistic services for nearly 25 years, but have seen everything concerning translation rates either the same old school, getting dull, or going down! I joined online translation websites like Proz 20 years ago. The translation average rates were $0.08 Euros back then while Prices and life expenses have been skyrocketing in the past two decades, however not only translation rates have seen no increase or anything, I have seen increasingly numerous instances in which translation job posters were either setting their own desired rate or were offering really lower rates and in numerous other cases they were offering such rates not only damn low, yet so humiliating and low as even lower than editing/proofreading for translations which conventionally used to be half the translation rates. And yet, there are more to come! unlike in the past, where translators used to be respected, privileged, and given the option to make their own primary estimates, agencies or individuals offering translations have long begun to offer(read imposed!) their own rates pretending they are on a budget or it is that of their clients' etc.
Lastly, what has always been intriguing my mind as for translation industry is that who on earth first initiated the idea of translation payment +30 days after delivery and what on earth the reason and sense behind this was! How many businesses or services do you know of with all due hardships, command, education, and expertise translators go through and possess that accept to be paid +30 days aft ▲ Collapse
| | | |
Reza Delavari wrote:
How many businesses or services do you know ...that accept to be paid +30 days aft
I used to work in credit insurance. I still translate in the field. Credit is how businesses trade. On this particular point, while not common, I've seen credit terms of 180 days and longer. I broadly agree with your other points, but credit is a fact of life in B2B transactions.
| | | |
I don’t mind the 30 day delay if the agency is punctual and trustworthy. Most of them are.
It’s less fun when they insist on using some payment platforms that I don’t use – or if issuing an invoice involves lots of faffing around (esp. if the task and payment are tiny).
[Edited at 2024-05-30 20:26 GMT]
| | | | Reza Delavari
Local time: 19:46
English to Persian (Farsi)
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Been Credit-Based to Benefit Agencies, ok Let's Change Direction in Reverse | May 31, 2024 |
When it comes to money and business, there is apparently all sorts of justification for anything businesses come up with. Credit-based trade has been there for ages and it works based on freelance translators and individuals supposed to trust agencies, spend hours behind the screen doing translation services and wait to get paid after +30 days. OK, perfect, talking about trust, why do we not change the entire course-Agencies make advance deposits/payments to the trusted translators and assign th... See more When it comes to money and business, there is apparently all sorts of justification for anything businesses come up with. Credit-based trade has been there for ages and it works based on freelance translators and individuals supposed to trust agencies, spend hours behind the screen doing translation services and wait to get paid after +30 days. OK, perfect, talking about trust, why do we not change the entire course-Agencies make advance deposits/payments to the trusted translators and assign them translation works for which translators have already been paid, how about that? Why should freelancers trust agencies all the time but agencies can't? ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
MagnusRubens (X)
Local time: 00:46
| Writing on the wall | May 31, 2024 |
Reza Delavari wrote:
When it comes to money and business, there is apparently all sorts of justification for anything businesses come up with. Credit-based trade has been there for ages and it works based on freelance translators and individuals supposed to trust agencies, spend hours behind the screen doing translation services and wait to get paid after +30 days. OK, perfect, talking about trust, why do we not change the entire course-Agencies make advance deposits/payments to the trusted translators and assign them translation works for which translators have already been paid, how about that? Why should freelancers trust agencies all the time but agencies can't?
30 days used to be most common as I recall. Nowadays it seems to be the exception, at least as far as I can see.
In the last 4-5 years or so, several of my agencies (notably the larger ones) have stretched out the payment terms from 30 days to 60 days. Then they pay a bit later than 60 days. Then the bank holds on to the money for another few days, and the resulting cashflow problems end up with the small contractor.
A couple of agencies have tried to get 90 days payment terms and I have said "then you have to find a supplier with considerably larger financial resources than I can provide". At that point I must be prepared to walk away from the job. I am a translator - I am most definitely not a bank.
Two of my most trusted agency contacts recently told me that many of their end clients have recently got their own DeepL packages and that these end clients are doing 90 percent of their translations using DeepL instead of human translators. So some agencies are feeling the pinch too.
This is just my own experience.
Others have other viewpoints I'm sure.
| | | |
I have one very dear long-standing customer who for over 20 years has been paying like clockwork the day after receiving my invoice, the others pay at 30 days. Of course I had occasionally to chase payment. I must say though that I’ve been noticing that most clients in Europe are paying faster than before: could it be a positive effect from the EU Late Payment Directive?
| | | |
It's standard business practice. You're never going to change it. Pick your clients wisely and it's not a problem.
| | | | Zea_Mays 
Italy
Local time: 01:46
English to German
+ ...
Apart from the fact that 30 days from the date of invoice (not the date of completion of the service, and actually it means _by_, not in 30 days) has been the standard for decades and has even become the maximum period considered acceptable by EU law, there is a practical aspect involved: accounting and cash flow planning. This is particularly the case when invoices are issued at the end of the month. I do this with my own invoices, this makes also checking payments easier.
Payment terms c... See more Apart from the fact that 30 days from the date of invoice (not the date of completion of the service, and actually it means _by_, not in 30 days) has been the standard for decades and has even become the maximum period considered acceptable by EU law, there is a practical aspect involved: accounting and cash flow planning. This is particularly the case when invoices are issued at the end of the month. I do this with my own invoices, this makes also checking payments easier.
Payment terms can be agreed freely though, so this depends mainly on the clients you work with. ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
Kevin Fulton
United States
Local time: 19:46
German to English
| A lot of translators would be happy ... | Jun 1, 2024 |
... with getting paid 30 days after invoicing. Even some otherwise reliable payers have been trying to extend payment terms.
| | | | Steven Ritchie
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:46
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
+ ...
| 30 days and 45 days | Jun 7, 2024 |
If you work with US or Asian agencies, the payment terms can be 45 days.
[Edited at 2024-06-07 09:23 GMT]
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 01:46
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
+ ...
I don't reallly understand the fuss about 30 days. To me that's fast. I also accept 45 and 60 days, which is no problem at all if you have timely paying customers and a more or less constant workflow (and I would suppose most "healthy" freelancers have a more or less constant workflow). The only downside is that you risk losing a significant amount of money if your client would go bankrupt. But that hasn't happened to me yet after 19 years of freelancing (touching wood), so it would be at least ... See more I don't reallly understand the fuss about 30 days. To me that's fast. I also accept 45 and 60 days, which is no problem at all if you have timely paying customers and a more or less constant workflow (and I would suppose most "healthy" freelancers have a more or less constant workflow). The only downside is that you risk losing a significant amount of money if your client would go bankrupt. But that hasn't happened to me yet after 19 years of freelancing (touching wood), so it would be at least rare. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Reza Delavari
Local time: 19:46
English to Persian (Farsi)
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Let's not to turn this platform into another cheap social media and a battlefield | Jun 7, 2024 |
Lieven Malaise wrote:
I don't reallly understand the fuss about 30 days. To me that's fast. I also accept 45 and 60 days, which is no problem at all if you have timely paying customers and a more or less constant workflow (and I would suppose most "healthy" freelancers have a more or less constant workflow). The only downside is that you risk losing a significant amount of money if your client would go bankrupt. But that hasn't happened to me yet after 19 years of freelancing (touching wood), so it would be at least rare.
The fuss is exactly where my point is: Do not be a sycophant.
I am not here to argue with anyone at all, but the fact is everywhere you look around the world, injustice is growing-a minority is always abusing a majority thanks to sycophants who are always out there.
| | | | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Everything Has Changed, So Must the Abusive 30-Day Post-Translation Delivery Pay Method | Wordfast Pro | Translation Memory Software for Any Platform
Exclusive discount for ProZ.com users!
Save over 13% when purchasing Wordfast Pro through ProZ.com. Wordfast is the world's #1 provider of platform-independent Translation Memory software. Consistently ranked the most user-friendly and highest value
Buy now! » |
| | TM-Town | Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business
Are you ready for something fresh in the industry? TM-Town is a unique new site for you -- the freelance translator -- to store, manage and share translation memories (TMs) and glossaries...and potentially meet new clients on the basis of your prior work.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
Translation news
