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Poll: Have you ever overcharged a client by mistake?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Jan 21, 2021

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Have you ever overcharged a client by mistake?".

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Aftab Alam
 
matt robinson
matt robinson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 15:26
Member (2010)
Spanish to English
Both Jan 21, 2021

I occasionally make a mistake when issuing an invoice, but this is, as far as I know, always picked up during the clients' accounting procedures.

Samuel Murray
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 14:26
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
No, never Jan 21, 2021

Since many years ago I almost forgot to charge a client (a beginner’s mistake), I always prepare my invoices immediately after completing a job, whether the invoice will be send with the translation or at the end of the month. These days, the whole process is pretty streamlined: I have an Excel template for each customer and I bill as I go when things are fresher in my memory…

Josephine Cassar
 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:26
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Never Jan 21, 2021

ProZ.com Staff wrote:

"Have you ever overcharged a client by mistake?".


Never - but I have sometimes UNDERcharged by mistake.


Mervyn Henderson (X)
Noni Gilbert Riley
 
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
Yes but.. Jan 21, 2021

... I generally overcharge them on purpose

Mervyn Henderson (X)
Noni Gilbert Riley
Zibow Retailleau
IrinaN
 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 15:26
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
I have sent some hefty quotes! Jan 21, 2021

I know I am hopeless at figures, so all my invoices are checked by my economist husband before they are sent out. He finds quite a lot of errors, and they go both ways.

He does not check my quotes, however. Normally that is not a problem, because I quote a rate per word or per thousand words, and even I can usually see when they are out of the normal range.

I was once asked to quote for half a book, and came to quite an exorbitant figure for the amount of words involve
... See more
I know I am hopeless at figures, so all my invoices are checked by my economist husband before they are sent out. He finds quite a lot of errors, and they go both ways.

He does not check my quotes, however. Normally that is not a problem, because I quote a rate per word or per thousand words, and even I can usually see when they are out of the normal range.

I was once asked to quote for half a book, and came to quite an exorbitant figure for the amount of words involved, but how much is 'half a book'? I thought I had even given some good discounts for repeats (it was a recipe book, so there were a fair number of standard phrases). We ended up having a good laugh and agreed on a rate that the client and I were both happy with!
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Maria Silvestri
Maria Silvestri  Identity Verified
United States
Member (2010)
Italian to English
+ ...
The premise of this question is wrong Jan 21, 2021

The way the question is framed, putting the onus on the linguist, deflects the conversation away from discussing what fair and/or reasonable offers from clients are and/or should be.

Sadek_A
 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 15:26
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
With all due respect Jan 21, 2021

I think the onus is definitely on the linguist/translator to set a fair rate.
Even then, once you have agreed on a rate per word, page, thousand words or whatever, it still has to be calculated for the specific job, and I always do that myself, or at least check the agency's calculations. They can make mistakes too!

It is the translator who knows how much work is involved and has to make a living from it. Even those who, like me, find it all too easy to put a decimal point in
... See more
I think the onus is definitely on the linguist/translator to set a fair rate.
Even then, once you have agreed on a rate per word, page, thousand words or whatever, it still has to be calculated for the specific job, and I always do that myself, or at least check the agency's calculations. They can make mistakes too!

It is the translator who knows how much work is involved and has to make a living from it. Even those who, like me, find it all too easy to put a decimal point in the wrong place, convert from the wrong currency, or whatever.

Agencies often try to dictate a rate, and good agencies aim at fair rates, but no one can be surprised at rates spiralling down if translators do not assume responsibility for insisting on being paid properly and promptly.
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Christopher Schröder
Platon Danilov
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Liena Vijupe
 
Platon Danilov
Platon Danilov  Identity Verified
Ukraine
Local time: 16:26
English to Russian
+ ...
Only once Jan 21, 2021

It has happened recently. But since the project is ongoing, the overcharged amount will be offset in the next payment run.

 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 15:26
Spanish to English
+ ...
Other Jan 21, 2021

Not that I recall…

 
IrinaN
IrinaN
United States
Local time: 09:26
English to Russian
+ ...
Tut-tut, Christina Jan 21, 2021

Christine Andersen wrote:

I know I am hopeless at figures, so all my invoices are checked by my economist husband happy with!


Husbands are not supposed to know about every nickel their wives make. $300 for a jar of facial cream shouldn't be their business, especially if the wives care about their hearts and mental health

Christine, I apologize for misspelling your name.

[Edited at 2021-01-21 21:04 GMT]


 
Min Xuanping
Min Xuanping  Identity Verified
China
Local time: 22:26
Member
English to Chinese
+ ...
Not at all. Jan 22, 2021

I didn't but my customers might did for my customers prepared invoices for me automatically and I didn't verify it before submitting it.

 
Min Xuanping
Min Xuanping  Identity Verified
China
Local time: 22:26
Member
English to Chinese
+ ...
Not at all. Jan 22, 2021

I did not but my customers might did for they prepared invoices automatically and I submitted without verification. I trust my customers and so do they because we have a long-term relationship.

 
Thayenga
Thayenga  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 15:26
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
No Jan 22, 2021

As far as I remember I never overcharged a client. But it did happen once that I accidentally undercharged, but fortunately the client informed me as soon as he received my invoice. A priceless client indeed.

Ornella Parodi
 
Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 07:26
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
No, but... Jan 22, 2021

I have been overpaid on a number of occasions.

 
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Poll: Have you ever overcharged a client by mistake?






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