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Why would sub-agencies "accept" low offers outside of ProZ
Thread poster: Anmol
Anmol
Anmol
Local time: 02:19
May 21, 2010

From a job posting today offering EUR 0.05/EUR 0.06 from an agency with a Blue Board entry:

"Da die Agentur uns einen sehr geringen Preis zahlt, können wir für Russisch 0,05 Euro pro Wort und für Englisch 0,06 Euro pro Wort zahlen."

Translated:

"Since the agency is offering us a very low price, we can pay EUR 0.05 per word for Russian and EUR 0.06 per word for English."

I am exceedingly grateful for the fact that the posting acknowledges tha... See more
From a job posting today offering EUR 0.05/EUR 0.06 from an agency with a Blue Board entry:

"Da die Agentur uns einen sehr geringen Preis zahlt, können wir für Russisch 0,05 Euro pro Wort und für Englisch 0,06 Euro pro Wort zahlen."

Translated:

"Since the agency is offering us a very low price, we can pay EUR 0.05 per word for Russian and EUR 0.06 per word for English."

I am exceedingly grateful for the fact that the posting acknowledges that the prices offered are low. Nevertheless, it does raise a few questions:

a) Why would a sub-agency post a job directly on ProZ? I would think almost all translation agencies are aware of ProZ and could post directly.

b) Why is the agency accepting a low "offer" from another agency instead of setting its own terms, as freelancers have been frequently (and rightly, I might add) exhorted to do on these forums?

c) Are not agencies also contributing to the decline in rates in this manner?

Sorry for flaming in public, but I had to get this out of my system! ▲ Collapse
 
Fiona Grace Peterson
Fiona Grace Peterson  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 22:49
Italian to English
Disagree May 21, 2010

I do not think the second agency admits that ITS rates are low at all, it almost seems to think they are perfectly reasonable.

How do we actually know this job comes to the agency through another agency? It sounds suspicious to me; why would they compromise their own profit margins in this way? I suspect it is an excuse for offering low rates.

And while agencies continue to offer low rates, we as translators continue to shoot ourselves in the foot by accepting them. I t... See more
I do not think the second agency admits that ITS rates are low at all, it almost seems to think they are perfectly reasonable.

How do we actually know this job comes to the agency through another agency? It sounds suspicious to me; why would they compromise their own profit margins in this way? I suspect it is an excuse for offering low rates.

And while agencies continue to offer low rates, we as translators continue to shoot ourselves in the foot by accepting them. I think we have a responsibility as translators to educate clients and agencies that certain tariffs are unacceptable.

[Edited at 2010-05-21 15:32 GMT] ▲ Collapse
 


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Why would sub-agencies "accept" low offers outside of ProZ







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