| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | 60+ days after invoicing Thread poster: Erik ERIKSEN
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Loreta Saddi 
United States
Local time: 18:47
English to Portuguese
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| 60 days is crazy, 100 + days is ridiculous! | Jan 16, 2017 |
I wait at the most 2 to 3 weeks!
| | | | Kevin Fulton
United States
Local time: 21:47
German to English
| Not just the translation industry | Jan 16, 2017 |
The automotive industry has long set the standard for mistreatment of its suppliers. For years paying 60 days after receiving an invoice was the norm in the United States. Then it moved to 90 days, and 120 days is becoming common. At General Motors, Jose Ignacio Lopez instituted harsh payment methods and delivery terms that put many vendors out of business. Lopez only lasted a year before he was hired by VW, but price squeezing continued. Failing cheaply-produced ignition switches and the conseq... See more The automotive industry has long set the standard for mistreatment of its suppliers. For years paying 60 days after receiving an invoice was the norm in the United States. Then it moved to 90 days, and 120 days is becoming common. At General Motors, Jose Ignacio Lopez instituted harsh payment methods and delivery terms that put many vendors out of business. Lopez only lasted a year before he was hired by VW, but price squeezing continued. Failing cheaply-produced ignition switches and the consequent deaths and resulting litigation may have made GM aware that saving a dollar or two could be very costly.
With respect to translation, GM had the goal of "1-1-1": pay one cent for one word, paid only once. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Don't put up with it! | Jan 16, 2017 |
I tend to send invoices out all together at the end of the month, so for work I do early in the month, the client has already had a couple of weeks extra credit. After that it is 30 days from the invoice date, and I send reminders if payment has not been made when due. Just because we are small businesses does not mean we should be pushed around.
We are actually the foundation that all the others depend on. We may let ourselves depend on agencies, and the good ones earn their share, but wi... See more I tend to send invoices out all together at the end of the month, so for work I do early in the month, the client has already had a couple of weeks extra credit. After that it is 30 days from the invoice date, and I send reminders if payment has not been made when due. Just because we are small businesses does not mean we should be pushed around.
We are actually the foundation that all the others depend on. We may let ourselves depend on agencies, and the good ones earn their share, but with no translation, they would have nothing to pass on to end clients anyway.
I have occasionally agreed on different terms, usually for direct clients with big jobs. (Anything over 10 000 words in my world!) Like a book, where I may ask for monthly instalments, and on one occasion where I agreed to 60 days, because the client really was struggling herself.
Most of my clients are fine with that, and their cash flow should not be so tight that they can't pay you within 30 days. What about YOUR cash flow???
Come on folks, leave banking and money lending to the banks. You have to save up for mortgage payments, pensions, educating your children, whatever. Why should clients collect interest at your expense? Say you will charge interest on late payment and remind the late payers about the EU directive anyway.
I have no trouble with Scandinavian or German clients - perhaps you should find some better clients! ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Country is not the problem... kind of client is | Jan 16, 2017 |
Christine Andersen wrote:
I have no trouble with Scandinavian or German clients - perhaps you should find some better clients!
Like I said I DO NOT accept payments longer than 45 net, I mainly work with France, Italy, Spain and Holland.
There are Italian clients paying at 30 days, one just needs to find clients with decent cash flow.
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| I do agree entirely with you! | Jan 17, 2017 |
Angie Garbarino wrote: Christine Andersen wrote:
I have no trouble with Scandinavian or German clients - perhaps you should find some better clients! Like I said I DO NOT accept payments longer than 45 net, I mainly work with France, Italy, Spain and Holland. There are Italian clients paying at 30 days, one just needs to find clients with decent cash flow.
Poor payment practices have always been around and have nothing to do with nationality. In principle, I do not accept payments longer than 45 days net, but I must say that I have occasionally agreed on different terms. In my experience, some large organizations with complex accounting procedures are slow in paying, but they are high-payers and have very interesting projects…
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The risk of agreeing to long payment terms is that the longer you have to wait before payment is "due", the greater the danger that the company might go bankrupt or into liquidation before the due date arrives.
I'm not exaggerating here. Companies can go into liquidation suddenly and without warning - to their creditors, at any rate.
| | | | Erik ERIKSEN
Denmark
Local time: 03:47
Member (2005)
English to Danish
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TOPIC STARTER | Thank you, all, for your fine comments | Jan 17, 2017 |
I am going to leave this conversation. You installed the courage in me to pursue shorter deadlines for payment. The one issue/bother which started me off has now suddenly paid invoices less the 45 days. Splendid!
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Teresa Borges wrote: Angie Garbarino wrote: Christine Andersen wrote:
I have no trouble with Scandinavian or German clients - perhaps you should find some better clients! Like I said I DO NOT accept payments longer than 45 net, I mainly work with France, Italy, Spain and Holland. There are Italian clients paying at 30 days, one just needs to find clients with decent cash flow. Poor payment practices have always been around and have nothing to do with nationality. In principle, I do not accept payments longer than 45 days net, but I must say that I have occasionally agreed on different terms. In my experience, some large organizations with complex accounting procedures are slow in paying, but they are high-payers and have very interesting projects…
I only accept payments within 30 days from date of invoice, and 45 days under certain conditions. 60, 90 or more is out of the question, and even if they pay your rate and is an honest agency, I still try to avoid it like a plague.
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| Jenny Forbes, you have said it all | Jan 17, 2017 |
Jenny Forbes wrote:
The risk of agreeing to long payment terms is that the longer you have to wait before payment is "due", the greater the danger that the company might go bankrupt or into liquidation before the due date arrives.
I'm not exaggerating here. Companies can go into liquidation suddenly and without warning - to their creditors, at any rate.
We are outsiders, and we don't know the internal affairs of clients/agencies. They could go bust without any warning. That is one of the reasons why I don't accept longer payment terms than 30 days, regardless of the amount they owe me.
| | | | MK2010
United States
Local time: 21:47
French to English
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| "It's because of the holidays" | Jan 17, 2017 |
I particularly love that excuse. There are countries in Europe notorious for their vacation practices: everybody leaves for la plage or le ski at exactly the same time, including the entire accounting department and anyone with the authority to greenlight a payment, so guess what? Sorry, freelance translator, you'll just to wait ha ha! For most Americans, this is impossible to comprehend...
...expect that I just got the same excuse from a major U.S. publisher. I guess I'm supposed t... See more I particularly love that excuse. There are countries in Europe notorious for their vacation practices: everybody leaves for la plage or le ski at exactly the same time, including the entire accounting department and anyone with the authority to greenlight a payment, so guess what? Sorry, freelance translator, you'll just to wait ha ha! For most Americans, this is impossible to comprehend...
...expect that I just got the same excuse from a major U.S. publisher. I guess I'm supposed to be so grateful for the honor of working for such a prestigious organization that I shouldn't mind.
The truth is, if we did what our clients do, i.e. deliver on promises weeks behind schedule, we'd be out of a job in about a week. For them, it's just business as usual.
[Edited at 2017-01-17 17:49 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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