Quite insulting. Especially considering the fact that you are not registered as an agency and your native language isn't Danish.

Not that you are taking bread out of my mouth, for the rate is just not...

Nanna

The job they offered is from English-Lithuanian (my native), I think they gave the instructions as the copied and pasted template, which had English-Danish on it.

But still...

Karolina

Okay, I stand corrected. But still...

Do you really master all these source and target languages? From your profile: 

LANGUAGE COMBINATION OFFERED:

FROM GERMAN TO LITHUANIAN TRANSLATION

FROM LITHUANIAN TO GERMAN TRANSLATION

FROM ESTONIAN TO LITHUANIAN TRANSLATION

FROM LITHUANIAN TO ESTONIAN TRANSLATION

FROM LATVIAN TO LITHUANIAN TRANSLATION

FROM LITHUANIAN TO LATVIAN TRANSLATION

FROM POLISH TO LITHUANIAN TRANSLATION

FROM LITHUANIAN TO POLISH TRANSLATION

FROM UKRAINIAN TO LITHUANIAN TRANSLATION

FROM LITHUANIAN TO UKRAINIAN TRANSLATION

FROM ROMANIAN TO LITHUANIAN TRANSLATION

FROM LITHUANIAN TO ROMANIAN TRANSLATION

FROM SWEDISH TO LITHUANIAN TRANSLATION

FROM LITHUANIAN TO SWEDISH TRANSLATION

FROM DANISH TO LITHUANIAN TRANSLATION

FROM LITHUANIAN TO DANISH TRANSLATION

FROM NORVEGIAN TO LITHUANIAN TRANSLATION

FROM LITHUANIAN TO NORWEGIAN TRANSLATION

FROM SPANISH TO LITHUANIAN TRANSLATION

FROM LITHUANIAN TO SPANISH TRANSLATION

FROM PORTUGUESE TO LITHUANIAN TRANSLATION

FROM LITHUANIAN TO PORTUGUESE TRANSLATION

FROM ITALIAN TO LITHUANIAN TRANSLATION

FROM LITHUANIAN TO ITALIAN TRANSLATION

FROM FINNISH TO LITHUANIAN TRANSLATION

FROM LITHUANIAN TO FINNISH TRANSLATION 

Dear Ed

Thanks for raising this issue. I can se an increasing amount of shameless "job offers" coming my way lately ( I translate English-Norwegian), and have also discussed this with other translators. I know the ecomomic situation also affect us translators, however, it is still a high skill profession. My advise: respond back, in direct, still professional way

keep up the good work, guys!

Of course not ...

I myself work in English-Lithuanian-English, French-Lithuanian, Russian-Lithuanian-Russian....

It says in my profile that on other combinations I collaborate with my colleagues working in combinations with Lithuanian languages.

don't think it's TC's role (or any other site for translators) to dictate which rates are reasonable and which rates are not. It should be common sense instead.

Patrick, it's not a matter of dictating, and it's not as simple as that.

Because of places like TC, ProZ, maybe Aquarius and others I don't know about, those who wish to find translators now have one central place.  They come to the gathering hole of where hundreds of translators come to drink, like lions in an African water hole.  They can attract translators willing to work at such rates via the Internet, of course, but they would be scattered.  Here all the translators have been corraled and collected for them.  Not only that, but job notifications are sent out for them, reaching hundreds of people possibly, and they will always find somebody.

There are only so many jobs in existence.  These folks usually get massive jobs:50,000 words, 100,000 words.  We hear tales of slave labour, 5,000 words per day @ .03/word. This means some customer is getting fast turnaround at low rates.

This work then does not come our way, or reach agencies that deal with translators in a professional manner allowing them to work toward quality at a decent pay for service.  My agency-regulars have been telling me for 5 or more years that work is trickling to almost nothing.  Where is it all going, do you think?

Last week I got a phone call from overseas in regards to doing a small remaining portion of a large job of 50,000 words.  The regular rates were less than half of mine, this was the usual rate, and this agency was getting huge contracts on a regular basis.  Meanwhile my customers (agencies) don't have much coming in, in comparison to before.

When we approve cheap job offers we are saying that it is ok, and we are playing a part in creating trends that affect our own livelihood!

Maxi

That's why I would never approve them. I don't care about that kind of high, fast, traffic either here or at TCT, although I perfectly understand that there is demand for that.

BTW, I liked your image of a gathering hole for animals in Africa, Maxi!

Jacek

I understand that people are frustrated by what they perceive as low prices, but you need to understand that one person's low price is another person's well-paid job.  For someone who feels "insulted" by a job price, consider whether when you hire a plumber, you poll everyone in the world to see if someone would be insulted by what you're willing to pay.  Customers are not obligated to pay anymore than they need to.  It is a basic principle of economics, supply and demand.  If you are a services provider and find yourself at the high end of the price market, that is not a customer's problem, and you should not feel insulted by his legitimate attempts to pay a price that someone else is eager to accept.  A customer has every right to seek the best deal, and you have every right to refuse his offer.  This is how a free market works.

As for attempts to set minimum rates, this would almost certainly be unlawful under the anti-trust laws of the United States, the European Union, and many other jurisdictions.

Slightly off topic, but still dealing with the 'This is the price - pay it or find someone else' approach.

The price for glasses is very high in Denmark. A pair of great looking bifocals (reading and computer) came in at DKK 6,368.- and a pair of long distance glasses cost DKK 2,824.00 for a total of DKK 9,192.00, which is close to US$ 1600.00 for two pair of glasses. Pricey eh?

Working for a pwr of US$ 00.03, I would have to translate approx. 53,333 words to make US$ 1600.00, which would mean working 27 days straight if I translated 2000 words per day. I would be making approx. US$ 60.00 per day. I would have to pay at least 40 percent in income tax on that money.

I also have to pay for shelter, food, heat and electricity etc. I need approx. DKK 9000.00 to cover my running expenses. When will I be able to buy those glasses? Not until the cows come home...

Nanna