Poll: How thoroughly do you research a new client before accepting their job offer? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
|
|---|
This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How thoroughly do you research a new client before accepting their job offer?".
View the poll results »
| | | | | As thoroughly as I can! | Aug 15, 2015 |
I always check: Blue Board, Translators Scammer Directory, LinkedIn, Translation Agencies Blacklist (Translation Ethics), Blacklisted Translation Outsourcers (Translation Directory) etc., unless the new client is a well known international organization or comes from a trustworthy source…
| | | | Sheila Wilson 
Spain
Local time: 04:04
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| Fairly to very | Aug 15, 2015 |
It depends on the size of the first job. If it's very small then I'll do basic checks then decide whether it's worth the small risk. I don't often accept large jobs from new clients but if I am tempted to then I'll go to great lengths to (a) ensure they exist physically and legally, and (b) to track down any non-payment or scam issues connected with them. The latter is important as it may be that a perfectly respectable company has had their identity stolen.
And to be honest, I do s... See more It depends on the size of the first job. If it's very small then I'll do basic checks then decide whether it's worth the small risk. I don't often accept large jobs from new clients but if I am tempted to then I'll go to great lengths to (a) ensure they exist physically and legally, and (b) to track down any non-payment or scam issues connected with them. The latter is important as it may be that a perfectly respectable company has had their identity stolen.
And to be honest, I do sometimes take quite big risks with start-ups etc who have virtually no presence, just because it all smells right. But I wouldn't encourage beginners to do that. It takes years before you can smell out rats.
Thankfully, in over 15 years freelancing I've never failed to get payment from a company in a position to pay, and I've never been scammed. There have just been two companies who went bankrupt and one private individual whose life was such a mess I preferred to break contact and wave goodbye to €12.50. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Muriel Vasconcellos (X)
United States
Local time: 20:04
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Other - not thoroughly enough | Aug 15, 2015 |
I've been too trusting in the past. Since my first clients were all reliable, I didn't realize for a long time that there are some bad ones out there - like: "Who would want to take advantage of a poor hard-working translator?"
| | |
|
|
|
Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 23:04
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Not very thoroughly | Aug 15, 2015 |
I mainly look at the Blue Board. If there is no record there, and no website for the requesting party, I require payment up front. If there is a minimal Blue Board record and a website, I would agree to payment after completing the work but prior to delivery. In other circumstances in which there is less than an extensive and impeccable Blue Board record, I request payment within 15-20 days for a first collaboration.
I did not know about some of the resources Teresa mentions in her... See more I mainly look at the Blue Board. If there is no record there, and no website for the requesting party, I require payment up front. If there is a minimal Blue Board record and a website, I would agree to payment after completing the work but prior to delivery. In other circumstances in which there is less than an extensive and impeccable Blue Board record, I request payment within 15-20 days for a first collaboration.
I did not know about some of the resources Teresa mentions in her post. I will look into these....
[Edited at 2015-08-15 15:36 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 01:04
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
| Exaclty, Teresa | Aug 15, 2015 |
Teresa Borges wrote:
I always check: Blue Board, Translators Scammer Directory, LinkedIn, Translation Agencies Blacklist (Translation Ethics), Blacklisted Translation Outsourcers (Translation Directory) etc., unless the new client is a well known international organization or comes from a trustworthy source…
Same here, plus our page in FB, where we can refer to the colleagues (you should be there!).
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 01:04
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
| Good hint, Triston, | Aug 15, 2015 |
It's one more protection tool/method to help us. Thank you.
| | |
|
|
|
| Another one... | Aug 15, 2015 |
Robert Forstag wrote:
I did not know about some of the resources Teresa mentions in her post. I will look into these....
[Edited at 2015-08-15 15:36 GMT]
http://translationpayments.com/
| | | | Balasubramaniam L.
India
Local time: 09:34
Member (2006)
English to Hindi
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER | Not so thoroughly as Teresa | Aug 16, 2015 |
I am rather trusting. No Linked-In or Facebook for me. I just look up the Blue Board here. I also see the location of the agency (I don't mean its website's location, but its physical location) and if it is from one of those cheap regions of the globe, I don't even respond.
Fortunately, touch wood, my trust has not been belied too often.
[Edited at 2015-08-16 07:01 GMT]
| | | | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Poll: How thoroughly do you research a new client before accepting their job offer? | 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 » |
| | Pastey | Your smart companion app
Pastey is an innovative desktop application that bridges the gap between human expertise and artificial intelligence. With intuitive keyboard shortcuts, Pastey transforms your source text into AI-powered draft translations.
Find out more » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
