Unpaid invoice / Reminder to the USA?!
Thread poster: Isabella Becker
Isabella Becker
Isabella Becker
Germany
Local time: 20:16
English to German
+ ...
Jul 4, 2019

Hi everybody,

I'm living in Germany and have been working with an agency in the US for some years now.

They've always been paying in time... A few months ago I didn't get my money. I found out that they made a mistake and send it to some other translator in Brazil.

It's been a while now and they haven't solved the problem yet.

Does anybody have some advise for me what to do now?

I've been writing to them over and over again an
... See more
Hi everybody,

I'm living in Germany and have been working with an agency in the US for some years now.

They've always been paying in time... A few months ago I didn't get my money. I found out that they made a mistake and send it to some other translator in Brazil.

It's been a while now and they haven't solved the problem yet.

Does anybody have some advise for me what to do now?

I've been writing to them over and over again and always been told to wait, as they're waiting for their bank to find out what is going on.

Anyway... Within Germany I would just send a reminder (first and maybe second one), usually companies end up paying then. I don't think this works that easily as a reminder doesn't have any legal value...

Thanks!

Isabella
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Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 19:16
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
Final demand? Jul 4, 2019

It sounds as though this has gone on long enough. I do believe we should allow our clients time to sort out mistakes, but they seem to have exhausted what's reasonable. There must come a time when they need to unlink your payment from the money they sent somewhere else. As it's now presumably well overdue, I'd be inclined to send a final demand.

Although the wording is up to you, there are many suggested wordings online. Make sure you send it by registered post (the old snail mail)
... See more
It sounds as though this has gone on long enough. I do believe we should allow our clients time to sort out mistakes, but they seem to have exhausted what's reasonable. There must come a time when they need to unlink your payment from the money they sent somewhere else. As it's now presumably well overdue, I'd be inclined to send a final demand.

Although the wording is up to you, there are many suggested wordings online. Make sure you send it by registered post (the old snail mail) to their registered office, and also make it clear to the post office that you want to pay to receive proof of delivery in the form of a signature - or proof that they've refused to accept it. That's supposed to constitute evidence before pretty much any court that the client was aware of the debt. If they don't pay by the stipulated payment date, you're entitled to take legal steps to recover your money. What action you follow up with depends on many things.

In addition - or alternatively, as they appear to be a good client in general, they will probably be most unhappy at the prospect of this problem being aired in places where their suppliers and/or clients hang out.
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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
 
Kay-Viktor Stegemann
Kay-Viktor Stegemann
Germany
Local time: 20:16
English to German
In memoriam
Two different things Jul 4, 2019

That they allegedly have misdirected the payment to someone else, and the fact that they owe you the money, are two entirely different things. That they are looking where the money went is their problem only, not yours, and they need to pay you anyway without delay.

I don't know what would be the legal path here, but you should simply stop accepting assignments from them until they paid up. This works for me, in most cases...
See more
That they allegedly have misdirected the payment to someone else, and the fact that they owe you the money, are two entirely different things. That they are looking where the money went is their problem only, not yours, and they need to pay you anyway without delay.

I don't know what would be the legal path here, but you should simply stop accepting assignments from them until they paid up. This works for me, in most cases
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IrinaN
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Josephine Cassar
 
Isabella Becker
Isabella Becker
Germany
Local time: 20:16
English to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you:-) Jul 4, 2019

I feel like I should have made this post a loooong time ago. Good to get some support. My frustration is growing bigger and bigger, but at least it's big enough now to fight more aggressively (strange enough having to fight for the money I was working for).

 
IrinaN
IrinaN
United States
Local time: 14:16
English to Russian
+ ...
Not quite clear Jul 4, 2019

Isabella Becker wrote:

they're waiting for their bank to find out what is going on.



Hi Isabella,

What is there to find out from the bank if, from the bank standpoint, the bank wired the money exactly where it was supposed to go? If I understand correctly, somehow you found out that "they [the agency] made a mistake" and provided Brazilian vendor's requisites to the bank instead of yours? Did the agency tell you that? Then they contradict themselves. Confirmation of the payee address should take about 45 seconds both on the bank and the agency side. Can you request a copy of the payment transaction confirmation?

If another translator in Brazil received your money, than... if he is an honest colleague, he should return it but needs to ensure that the trouble will be reimbursed. After all, it's a taxable income from the foreign country and, if the money is serious, even a dishonest person would think twice. A bank transfer from a business cannot be "overlooked" like 50 bucks by Paypal.

Still, it's hard to imagine that a regular vendor of the same agency would simply retain the money.


Liviu-Lee Roth
 
Isabella Becker
Isabella Becker
Germany
Local time: 20:16
English to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
I'll let you know how it is going Jul 4, 2019

Well, it took them forever to realize that the money is in Brazil (when they send me the confirmation of the payment transaction and I told them I'm not in Brazil) - at first it was not clear to me that the bank they were talking to was not mine.


I wrote to two PMs and called the Berlin office (they only have a sales department there, otherwise I would have walked by and kicked their butts). I will let you know how it is going.


 


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Unpaid invoice / Reminder to the USA?!







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