Outrageously low rates offered by "translators"

Adam Łobatiuk wrote:

Also, I understand how a part-time translator might care less about rates - after all, it is unplanned extra money, and not the only source of income. If someone asked me to, say, help their kid with English, I would probably charge less than professional tutors (not that I would want or need to do that).

Chris Dawe wrote:

That is probably called gazumping. The fact of the matter is most "loyal" agencies don't give a damn whether we stay on their payrolls or not. They look after their own interests first and foremostly. I have worked for some 45 agencies in my freelancing career and have yet to find an honest and scrupulous one amongst them. In other words, if they can make a better buck using a new service provider, be assured, they will! Having said that, they are of course at perfect liberty to use whichever service provider[s] they deem fit to use, so there may not be a lot you can do about it, but I fully empathise with your predicament, believe me, I've been there. I was dumped by a "trusted" Finnish agency in just the same way in 2008!

IT Bizz Ltd wrote:

I am also offering translation for such low rates - I hear some people shouting already.

There are various resons for this as well, there are different factors of costs and different qualities/quantities of translations.

My reasons:

- Working, but as a small company, we are optimal work load balanced
- We do offer "only" so called "native translations" , ideal for a low cost common content (letters, low level web content)
- staff have to be paid, so better a low rate job, which covers 50% of the cost is better than pay 100% an no income

Circumstances, to counter some of the cost arguments:

- Location: Vietnam
- monthly rents can be a low US 0.20 but also easy USD 5000/sqm (as property owned, property tax somewhere between USD 1.00 and 25.00 per year
- a decent power bill - USD 15.00 per month (office with 10 staff + household)
- DSL connection - as low as USD 5.00 per month
- with about USD 40.00 I can pay a full time staff a whole month, well above the legal minimum wage
- medical insurance - is for foreigners not possible, for natives, it is part of the legal deductions of their salary (about USD 1.50 per month)
- Staff have a taxable income - only, if they above 4 times the national average on income
- Our company taxes (as example): first 2 years 0, after there 10% of the corporation per year (makes for us about 20 USD !!!!! a year) + a 10% on none re-invested profits (which is somehow only calculated on inland invoices on paper, a comparison between customer outgoing and our incomings has to exist). As we are a pure software & service company, we also have the right, for an additional 2 years without tax.
- in theory, a personal incomes tax is due (this only works, if you are employed - someone can live on "foreign savings")

Even a translation for USD 0.50 per page (if a member of staff is doing that), is already a decent for the company (3 pages a working day times 6) - and in longer terms, a more secure job and, more balanced work load. Our core business are not translations.

A charge of USD 0.03 per word, when working only 4 hours a day-5 days a week + 8 weeks holiday - someone would be earning 12-15 times the countries average income - to at least 99% tax free.


In most countries in Europe or America you can't work on such rates, I agree. Just be aware, that there are truly thousands and more people not working from Europe or North America and that are not only Indians, Vietnamese or Chinese.

Michał Szcześniewski wrote:

It might be true in the case of someone who is not a translator. If my in-house position is that of a translator, why should I charge less for the translations that I do in the evenings? Or, if I am an English language teacher currently employed doing something else, why would I be charging less for the lessons given in the evenings?

IT Bizz Ltd wrote:


A charge of USD 0.03 per word, when working only 4 hours a day-5 days a week + 8 weeks holiday - someone would be earning 12-15 times the countries average income - to at least 99% tax free.

Michał Szcześniewski wrote:

Could be, even though I find it highly unlikely that a doctor would be willing to work for a rate that low. Anyway, we're just guessing:)

I hope Dominika will get to know the quality of that translation.

Rifraf wrote:



Wow; what a crude reaction. If you were on "our payroll" so to speak, you weren't any longer, after having read your post. But perhaps it sais more about the 45 "agencies" you worked with in the past?

I'm truly baffled about your reaction. There are agencies out there that (prefer to) have good, long-term relations with freelance professional (and highly educated) translators and pay them accordingly! Not everything is about the money you know!

Nicole Schnell wrote:

If you have to buy software or computers, or a new car, does it cost less, too?

A decent doctor does not need to take any additional jobs because he gets more than enough at his main job! Moreover, what a normal doctor needs in his free time is rest and normal doctor will not be willing to get any translations even at 20 cents per word!

Adam Łobatiuk wrote:



The lives of a recent graduate and an experienced doctor are apparently very different. Translating in the comfort of your home could be a compelling alternative to night duty at the hospital.