| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Yet again, more paperwork Thread poster: Paula Hernández
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(Not sure if this post should be here)
Earlier this year, I completed a test for a translation company with an "oversized vocable". I had to do interviews, a test and fill in a large amount of documents, even "research" the way their cloud system works.
After that, as I would say in Spanish: "cri cri cri" (the sound of crickets, as I never hear back from them), at least for a while.
A few months later, they contacted me, asking if I would be interested in taking ... See more (Not sure if this post should be here)
Earlier this year, I completed a test for a translation company with an "oversized vocable". I had to do interviews, a test and fill in a large amount of documents, even "research" the way their cloud system works.
After that, as I would say in Spanish: "cri cri cri" (the sound of crickets, as I never hear back from them), at least for a while.
A few months later, they contacted me, asking if I would be interested in taking yet another test for another project. Since I was free at the time I agreed to the test, but never received it.
Now I get another e-mail where they inform me that they have changed some clauses of their provider's agreement (exactly 20 points in the agreement) and they expect me to read it, sign it and send it back...again.
Being one of the leading translation companies (I wonder, according to whom?), it is funny (or not) how little jobs they provide and still expect to have so much paperwork done on my side...
Anyway, just ranting, because I have a little time. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | My reply would be as follows | Nov 10, 2011 |
"Dear XY,
thank you for your updated version of your NDA (or SLA or whatever it is). I will sign it as soon as I receive a serious project from you.
Best regards
etc."
| | | | | Nothing signed until a real job comes | Nov 10, 2011 |
For some time already, I do my best to avoid signing anything until a real job arrives. PMs of course want to have the paperwork all solved in case something comes around, and I understand that, but they also have to understand that we cannot have dozens of contracts and agreements signed with a customer until actual work is involved.
| | | | Thayenga 
Germany
Local time: 23:30
Member (2009)
English to German
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| Pre-mature signing of contracts | Nov 10, 2011 |
Tomás Cano Binder, CT wrote:
For some time already, I do my best to avoid signing anything until a real job arrives. PMs of course want to have the paperwork all solved in case something comes around, and I understand that, but they also have to understand that we cannot have dozens of contracts and agreements signed with a customer until actual work is involved.
I agree with Tomás and Stanislav
Thus far I have signed 3 contracts (when I first started as a freelancer) with agencies... I have never heard from since.
Today I will only sign a contract with an agency when they do send me a paid job, including PO, because then my signature on their contract is required. Other than that, especially for potential jobs, the rule is, no work, no signature.
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| But the contract is still valid... | Nov 10, 2011 |
Thayenga wrote:
Thus far I have signed 3 contracts (when I first started as a freelancer) with agencies... I have never heard from since.
One of the things I want to do when I have a spare morning --i.e. never, apparently-- is to go through my contracts to pinpoint customers who never ordered anything (there must be some in there) and those who haven't ordered anything in two years, and write a letter cancelling the contract. Until I do, I reckon the contract is still valid! :-/
| | | | Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 17:30
Spanish to English
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| Casting off dead weight | Nov 10, 2011 |
Taking the time to read, sign, scan, and send NDAs is an imposition, in the absence of an offer of real work. I therefore agree with the main points made thus far in this thread.
It is, after all, easy enough for PMs to make a notation to the effect that an individual on an agency's contact list "will complete paperwork immediately upon accepting a project."
I also agree with Tomas re prompting contacts who have offered no work for more than two years. There really is ... See more Taking the time to read, sign, scan, and send NDAs is an imposition, in the absence of an offer of real work. I therefore agree with the main points made thus far in this thread.
It is, after all, easy enough for PMs to make a notation to the effect that an individual on an agency's contact list "will complete paperwork immediately upon accepting a project."
I also agree with Tomas re prompting contacts who have offered no work for more than two years. There really is no point in continuing to be on the mailing list of "providers" that provide you nothing! Thus, sending such outsourcers requests to remove you from their mailing lists is a "win-win" situation: Either they realize they don't want to lose you and thus prioritize you for future projects or they acquiesce, in which case you are liberated from both false expectations and what amounts to nothing more than a series of junk mails (i.e., cattle call work offers, e-Christmas cards, news of management changes, etc.).
I am not interested in being dead weight on an agency's list of providers, nor in having agencies as dead weight on my list of potential clients.
[Edited at 2011-11-10 13:49 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Heinrich Pesch
Finland
Local time: 00:30
Member (2003)
Finnish to German
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| The more hassle, the less work | Nov 10, 2011 |
As a rule of thumb this has proven true in my experience. Serious partners just phone you to make sure you are real and provide jobs right away.
| | | | nordiste
France
Local time: 23:30
English to French
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| My experience too | Nov 10, 2011 |
Heinrich Pesch wrote:
As a rule of thumb this has proven true in my experience. Serious partners just phone you to make sure you are real and provide jobs right away.
And I never sign a contract without a serious job offer.
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Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 23:30
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
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Paula Hernández wrote:
Earlier this year... After that... A few months later...
These earlier events are not relevant to your current situation.
Now I get another e-mail where they inform me that they have changed some clauses of their provider's agreement (exactly 20 points in the agreement) and they expect me to read it, sign it and send it back... again.
Fourteen pages of it?
| | | | Paula Hernández
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:30
English to Spanish
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TOPIC STARTER
Samuel Murray wrote:
Fourteen pages of it?
I guess, but it doesn't matter anymore, as I told them that I am not available and that will not be spending time reading that document again.
I rather communicate with those clients that actually bring some real work.
| | | | | Something is rotten in... | Nov 10, 2011 |
An agency I've worked for quite regularly for 5 years or so now approaches me asking about my rates.
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Vidmantas Stilius wrote:
An agency I've worked for quite regularly for 5 years or so now approaches me asking about my rates.
Another wave of economic crisis is knocking on the door, so we can expect another wave of "there's this global crisis, so you should drop your rates" requests. Silly, my electricity or gas providers somehow fail to understand this argument...
[Upraveno: 2011-11-10 21:57 GMT]
[Upraveno: 2011-11-11 08:59 GMT]
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Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 23:30
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Stanislav Pokorny wrote: Vidmantas Stilius wrote:
An agency I've worked for quite regularly for 5 years or so now approaches me asking about my rates. Another wave of economic crisis is knocking on the door, so we can expect another wave of "there's this global crisis, so you should drop your rates" requests.
Neither of these points have anything to do with the original post.
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Samuel Murray wrote:
Neither of these points have anything to do with the original post.
Better now?
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 23:30
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Stanislav Pokorny wrote: Samuel Murray wrote:
Neither of these points have anything to do with the original post. Better now?
I just find it sad that it is impossible to talk in the forums about ONE SINGLE problem when it comes to agencies. For every thread about a specific agency-related problem, before the first page is full, it will have turned into a gripe list with comments about all kinds of *other* problems with agencies.
No doubt the two posters whose posts I quoted think that their posts are "on-topic" because they are "agency problem" related. What do you think?
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