Where can I leave a feedback about this agency?
Thread poster: Dr JM Chen, PhD
Dr JM Chen, PhD
Dr JM Chen, PhD  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:44
Chinese to English
+ ...
Feb 24, 2010

The agency and I agreed on a rate, therefore, I took time to carry out their translation test. They were happy with my translation, but she came back to me and told me that she 'has been instructed' to change the rate we agreed on. If I had known they could not pay me my rate, I would not have spent time to do their translation test; if every time she agree on something with me then she will be 'instructed' by another entity in her agency to change our agreement, why should I waste my time to ne... See more
The agency and I agreed on a rate, therefore, I took time to carry out their translation test. They were happy with my translation, but she came back to me and told me that she 'has been instructed' to change the rate we agreed on. If I had known they could not pay me my rate, I would not have spent time to do their translation test; if every time she agree on something with me then she will be 'instructed' by another entity in her agency to change our agreement, why should I waste my time to negotiate with her?

But hang on, the new rate she proposed is higher than the rate we agreed on earlier(??) To be certain, I asked her to confirm the rate and volume by email, which she did.

After the job is confirmed, the PO arrived, but there is a problem. She must have a different concept about decimals and digits. Where I come from (some numbers here as an example): '$0.10 per word x 1,000 words' & '$0.01 per word x 10,000 words' are not the same, even both work out total amount of $100. I wrote back and pointed out her mistakes, no apology from her whatsoever.

After numerous email exchanges with this agency (signing term agreement, getting their sample document for quoting, giving them a quote, negotiating rates, carrying out translation test, confirming the rate...), a total waste of my time.

The agency is either dishonest or inapt. Yet, according to Blue Board Rules '"Entries are allowed only when commissioned work has been completed in full ...", I am not allowed to warn other freelancers about them there. (That's probably how they got 14 x score 5's?) So where can I leave a feedback about this agency?

JM Chen
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Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 07:44
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
A total waste of time Feb 24, 2010

Dr JM Chen, PhD wrote:
After numerous email exchanges with this agency (signing term agreement, getting their sample document for quoting, giving them a quote, negotiating rates, carrying out translation test, confirming the rate...), a total waste of my time.


I understand your frustration, but isn't 90% of time (and money) spent trying to get new clients a total waste of time (and money) anyway? This is why new clients are so precious when we manage to hook them -- the work they give must made up for the 90% of time and money wasted on other commissions that did not realise.


 
Dr JM Chen, PhD
Dr JM Chen, PhD  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:44
Chinese to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
That was not my point Feb 24, 2010

Samuel Murray wrote:

Dr JM Chen, PhD wrote:
After numerous email exchanges with this agency (signing term agreement, getting their sample document for quoting, giving them a quote, negotiating rates, carrying out translation test, confirming the rate...), a total waste of my time.


I understand your frustration, but isn't 90% of time (and money) spent trying to get new clients a total waste of time (and money) anyway? This is why new clients are so precious when we manage to hook them -- the work they give must made up for the 90% of time and money wasted on other commissions that did not realise.



If I don't get a project because an agency and I can't agree on something, that's fair enough. But my point was this agency withdrew our agreement and they were totally unprofessional. Therefore, I would like to leave them a feedback somewhere to warn other translators, if possible?

JM Chen


 
Oleg Osipov
Oleg Osipov  Identity Verified
Russian Federation
Local time: 09:44
English to Russian
+ ...
It's... Feb 24, 2010

Dr JM Chen, PhD wrote:
But my point was this agency withdrew our agreement and they were totally unprofessional.


It is annoying, indeed.


 
Sandra Emberger
Sandra Emberger
Germany
Local time: 07:44
English to German
+ ...
Entries only after completed projects? Feb 24, 2010

Hi

Where did you find that you can only post comments if you worked for this company?

When you make an entry, you can actually choose if you worked from the or not!

Sandra

[Edited at 2010-02-24 16:00 GMT]


 
Dr JM Chen, PhD
Dr JM Chen, PhD  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:44
Chinese to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Their rules... Feb 24, 2010

Sandra Cochanski wrote:

Hi

Where did you find that you can only post comments if you worked for this company?

When you give a feedback you can actually choose if you worked from the or not!

Sandra



I know, Sandra, it is puzzling and somewhat unfair, but it is stated in ProZ Blue Board Rules:

http://www.proz.com/siterules/blue_board_bb_blueboard/2#2

2 Certain conditions must be met before Blue Board entries can be made. Entries concerning willingness to work again with given outsourcers are allowed only when (1) commissioned work has been completed in full and delivered on time, and (2) there have not been complaints related to quality shortly after delivery. Entries may not be made on the basis of negotiations, test translations, or other preliminary or non-commissioned interactions.


 
jyuan_us
jyuan_us  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 02:44
Member (2005)
English to Chinese
+ ...
You are partically right Feb 24, 2010

Sandra Cochanski wrote:

Hi

Where did you find that you can only post comments if you worked for this company?

When you make an entry, you can actually choose if you worked from the or not!

Sandra

[Edited at 2010-02-24 16:00 GMT]


Even if you have never worked for a company, you can still enter a comment but that comment must be a positive one with a score of 5. The reason is that a positive comment doesn't trigger investigation by the moderator.

I tried a couple of times to give a negative comment to a compay that is disgusting but it never went through. The moderator said my negative comments were over-generalised.

[Edited at 2010-02-24 16:51 GMT]


 
Jared Tabor
Jared Tabor
Local time: 03:44
SITE STAFF
Clarification on the LWA feedback system Feb 24, 2010

Hello all,

jyuan_us wrote:

Even if you have never worked for a company, you can still enter a comment but that comment must be a positive one with a score of 5. The reason is that a positive comment doesn't trigger investigation by the moderator.



This is incorrect. All LWA entries are subject to vetting, and the rule JM Chen quotes, http://www.proz.com/siterules/blue_board_bb_blueboard/2#2 applies to any LWA entry. The form for submitting an LWA entry requests confirmation that the entry-maker worked for the outsourcer, in line with this rule.

At the moment there is not a feature allowing for feedback on outsourcers based on work that was not commissioned and completed in full.

Best regards,

Jared


 
Laurent KRAULAND (X)
Laurent KRAULAND (X)  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 07:44
French to German
+ ...
Other possibilities Feb 24, 2010

Dr JM Chen, PhD wrote:
So where can I leave a feedback about this agency?

JM Chen

This may answer your question only partially, but comments are allowed on other sites as well as in mailing lists. Believe me, they also have a significant impact.


 
jyuan_us
jyuan_us  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 02:44
Member (2005)
English to Chinese
+ ...
This doesn't sound easy to believe Feb 24, 2010

[quote]Jared wrote:

Hello all,

jyuan_us wrote:

All LWA entries are subject to vetting, and the rule JM Chen quotes, http://www.proz.com/siterules/blue_board_bb_blueboard/2#2 applies to any LWA entry.


Best regards,

Jared


Suppose I gave a 5 to a friend of mine who runs an agency which I've never worked with. Also suppose you ask that agency to confirm that I have worked with it, he also lies to you. What would you do?

Some companies have "won" hundreds of 5's. Do you all think none of them are fake?


 
Andrea Riffo
Andrea Riffo  Identity Verified
Chile
Local time: 03:44
English to Spanish
+ ...
. Feb 24, 2010

jyuan_us wrote:

Some companies have "won" hundreds of 5's. Do you all think none of them are fake?



To be honest, where there are hundreds or a couple dozen WWAs, I am more prone to trust an agency with a 4.5 than one with a perfect 5. Seeing hundreds of 5s without a single 4 in between tends to set off alarm bells in my head. More so if I see that a couple of those 5 have all been entered on the same date.

Greetings

[Edited at 2010-02-24 18:51 GMT]


 
Jared Tabor
Jared Tabor
Local time: 03:44
SITE STAFF
Emphasis is placed on keeping records accurate Feb 24, 2010

Hello jyuan_us,


Suppose I gave a 5 to a friend of mine who runs an agency which I've never worked with. Also suppose you ask that agency to confirm that I have worked with it, he also lies to you. What would you do?


If I found out about it, take action-- starting with removal of the false entry.


Some companies have "won" hundreds of 5's. Do you all think none of them are fake?


Dishonesty is always possible, sure. Tools have been put in place, and a good amount of time is spent on, ensuring records are as accurate as possible. Reports of abuse or fraud are taken very seriously and are investigated. It may also be reasonable to believe that an agency will receive poor feedback from translators who have worked for it, if it has earned it, regardless of high ratings it has received.

Regards,

Jared


 


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Where can I leave a feedback about this agency?






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