Poll: How thoroughly do you research a new client before accepting their job offer? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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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: 03:37
Member (2007)
English
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| 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
| | | | | 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?"
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Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 22:37
Spanish to English
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| 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: 23:37
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
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| 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: 23:37
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
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| Good hint, Triston, | Aug 15, 2015 |
It's one more protection tool/method to help us. Thank you.
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| 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: 08:07
Member (2006)
English to Hindi
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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]
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