Translation agency has no way of keeping track of my word count : scam? Thread poster: Lucie Roulland
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Dear Community,
I have just started working on a fairly large MTPE project. 3000 words per day, for the next 2 weeks.
I am concerned I might have entered into a scam. Here is why: I have been given access to an online translation platform, where I review automatically translated strings. Once I am done with a string, I click on "done", and it takes me to the next string.
On this platform, I cannot find my word count anywhere. So I cannot know how many wor... See more Dear Community,
I have just started working on a fairly large MTPE project. 3000 words per day, for the next 2 weeks.
I am concerned I might have entered into a scam. Here is why: I have been given access to an online translation platform, where I review automatically translated strings. Once I am done with a string, I click on "done", and it takes me to the next string.
On this platform, I cannot find my word count anywhere. So I cannot know how many words I review per day. Nor can I copy paste the source text onto a word document in order to keep track of the word count.
I contacted the project manager to ask him how I could keep track of my word count. He told me this was impossible, but that the end-customer would know at the end of this two weeks project how many words I have translated. This is his answer:
"Hello,
Since this is a "hit" based project, it is not possible to accurately track the amount at this stage. You can get an average by counting the amount of one "hit" and keeping the track of the "hits" you reviewed. For the payment, however, client will provide us with details of words reviewed in each account (as you may realized, there are multiple people working on the same project with different accounts) and we will let you know the exact amount and make the payments accordingly".
I understand that I have no other choice but the blindly trust the end-customer on my word count and this scare me a little.
I'd like to mention I have not received a PO for this job, but only an access to a platform. I have no way to know if this access is shared with other translators.
Could you please share with me your opinion on this situation? Are my fears justified?
Thank you!
Lucie ▲ Collapse
| | | | IrinaN
United States
Local time: 09:34
English to Russian
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| You do have only one choice indeed | Dec 5, 2020 |
Hit the road:-) and make sure they remove you from their database.
I understand that it may be hard to get work these days but their practices are borderline illegal. It's hard even to wrap one's head around their method of pay calculation - 3000 words/day but paid by "hits" added up by the client? This is absurd. You are already their vendor but they didn't even bother to address you by name, replying to your personal message. It wasn't a global mail that clients sometimes send to... See more Hit the road:-) and make sure they remove you from their database.
I understand that it may be hard to get work these days but their practices are borderline illegal. It's hard even to wrap one's head around their method of pay calculation - 3000 words/day but paid by "hits" added up by the client? This is absurd. You are already their vendor but they didn't even bother to address you by name, replying to your personal message. It wasn't a global mail that clients sometimes send to their vendors, addressing them as Team or something like that. Run, Forrest, run!
If you've just started, you won't lose much but trust me, you'll lose much more in the long run with them. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Sadek_A 
Local time: 19:34
English to Arabic
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| hit-based? That's new! | Dec 5, 2020 |
hehehehe. Walk into the supermarket, grab everything, go to cashier and say "you don't need to know how many; it's enough that I know, I'll tell how much I'll pay".
| | | | Andriy Yasharov
Ukraine
Local time: 17:34
Member (2008)
English to Russian
+ ...
Is there a reason for starting work without a PO?
In fact, a risk of nonpayment is significantly higher if a translator has not received a PO before starting a project.
Most of the time checking an agency on the Blue Board helps assess credibility. It may turn out that the agency has been banned from posting jobs on ProZ.
Did you check the Blue Board?
[Edited at 2020-12-05 19:51 GMT]
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Michael Newton
United States
Local time: 10:34
Japanese to English
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| Keeping track of word count | Dec 6, 2020 |
Never ever start work without a PO. The only exceptions I make are for clients I have had for years and trust completely.
| | | | | Walk away from trouble if you can | Dec 6, 2020 |
Lucie Roulland wrote:
I understand that I have no other choice but the blindly trust the end-customer on my word count and this scare me a little.
Scares you "a little"? It should scare you a lot! This is a formula for all kinds of arguments come payment time. Listen to your gut and walk away while you can.
| | | | María C Turri
Argentina
Local time: 12:34
Member (2019)
English to Spanish
| The wordcount CAN be tracked | Dec 7, 2020 |
Hi, Lucille. If you're not sharing the account with someone else, on the upper right corner there's an option "Work reports" where you can select the date you started and the current date, and it'll tell you how many words you completed.
I'm not saying you should trust the person who assigned this to you, just that there is a way to check your progress, because I worked on the same project for an agency I do trust.
| | | | Barbara Carrara
Italy
Local time: 16:34
Member (2008)
English to Italian
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Lucie Roulland wrote:
Dear Community,
I have just started working on a fairly large MTPE project. 3000 words per day, for the next 2 weeks.
I am concerned I might have entered into a scam. Here is why: I have been given access to an online translation platform, where I review automatically translated strings. Once I am done with a string, I click on "done", and it takes me to the next string.
Hi, Lucie.
Some of the info you shared in your post are very similar to those appearing in another thread, which I'd suggest you to follow, if you haven't already.
https://www.proz.com/forum/scams/348247-three_translation_agencies_contacted_us_for_mtpe_and_ht_projects_all_the_same_requirements.html
Keep your eyes peeled on this one, as the red flags keep popping up at an alarming pace!
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Lucie Roulland
Romania
Local time: 17:34
English to French
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TOPIC STARTER | Thank you for your replies - will not work for them! | Dec 8, 2020 |
Dear colleagues,
Thanks you for sharing your opinion on this topic. This was my first post on ProZ and I have been amazed at seeing so many replies.
I have decided not to work on this project: no word count, no PO, and a project manager unwilling to cooperate in order to provide me with either of the PO/ word count.
I verified thi... See more Dear colleagues,
Thanks you for sharing your opinion on this topic. This was my first post on ProZ and I have been amazed at seeing so many replies.
I have decided not to work on this project: no word count, no PO, and a project manager unwilling to cooperate in order to provide me with either of the PO/ word count.
I verified this post: https://www.proz.com/forum/scams/348247-three_translation_agencies_contacted_us_for_mtpe_and_ht_projects_all_the_same_requirements.html - I can confirm that we are taking about the same topic.
Better projects will come from trustworthy companies soon, I am sure!
All the best,
Lucie ▲ Collapse
| | | | | On the subject of POs and word counts | Dec 8, 2020 |
I can’t opine on this particular case, but the absence of a PO or word count is far from unusual.
A PO can make life easier, as you know exactly where you stand. But an email asking you to do a translation of unspecified length is every bit as much of a contract as a PO.
None of my direct clients has ever sent me a PO or word count.
I work for four agencies. Two never send POs. One routinely issues a PO where the price and word count are left blank. The ... See more I can’t opine on this particular case, but the absence of a PO or word count is far from unusual.
A PO can make life easier, as you know exactly where you stand. But an email asking you to do a translation of unspecified length is every bit as much of a contract as a PO.
None of my direct clients has ever sent me a PO or word count.
I work for four agencies. Two never send POs. One routinely issues a PO where the price and word count are left blank. The fourth sends a PO only after the job is delivered.
My wife works for a company in an online system where she has no way of knowing how much she has translated. They simply send her a word count at the end of each month. She has to trust them. It’s not ideal, but the amounts they come up with tally with the time she puts in.
These aren’t ideal systems, no, but they go to show that POs aren’t the be-all-and-end-all that some people here like to make out.
If you haven’t got any other work, you have nothing to lose from doing a bit and seeing if you get paid. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Hanneke Budianu
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:34
Member
Dutch to English
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| I just had a message from Gisela Schwarz (or perhaps, someone acting like her) | Dec 9, 2020 |
Thank you for this thread, guys. It potentially saves me a lot of trouble!
Gisela (or someone posing as her) confused two different jobs in one email trail, did not send me a PO and additionally, her English is very bad which seems to be off for a translation agency.
I am also surprised she got in touch after being quiet for about a week after I applied for it. Now that I see at least one or two of you backed out, it makes sense why she came to me. They're looking for n... See more Thank you for this thread, guys. It potentially saves me a lot of trouble!
Gisela (or someone posing as her) confused two different jobs in one email trail, did not send me a PO and additionally, her English is very bad which seems to be off for a translation agency.
I am also surprised she got in touch after being quiet for about a week after I applied for it. Now that I see at least one or two of you backed out, it makes sense why she came to me. They're looking for new recruits
I have asked her I need to see a PO and more info on the company for my own reference.
I suspect I won't hear anything.
But it could be worse and I hope you guys are spared your time and effort!
Hanneke ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Post removed: This post was hidden by a moderator or staff member for the following reason: Removal requested by poster. |
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Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 16:34
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
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If it's a scam, you can tell us the name of the "client".
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It is indeed looking more like a scam as all the hits have suddenly disappeared, we didn't get any warning, the info seems meddled, and while they used to answer me quickly they haven't answered at the end of last week (I wrote again today). The thing is there are several different agencies (apparently very many different agencies) so it's hard to know if they're all one big scam, if the client is the scam, or whatnot. All the same it seems complicated, there seems to be a lot of translator on t... See more It is indeed looking more like a scam as all the hits have suddenly disappeared, we didn't get any warning, the info seems meddled, and while they used to answer me quickly they haven't answered at the end of last week (I wrote again today). The thing is there are several different agencies (apparently very many different agencies) so it's hard to know if they're all one big scam, if the client is the scam, or whatnot. All the same it seems complicated, there seems to be a lot of translator on this and what seems to be the end client posted another ad looking for more translators on LinkedIn, which looks pretty daring. ▲ Collapse
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