Seeking recommendations for Chinese legal firm, preferably Beijing-based Thread poster: Simin Tan
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Simin Tan 
Local time: 23:10
Chinese to English
Dear all --
As stated in the subject line, I am seeking recommendations for a Chinese legal firm, preferably Beijing-based. A client in the city has stopped paying punctually since 2018, with the delays getting longer and longer. A 30+ credit cycle was also unilaterally extended to 60+ with zero notification early this year.
As things currently stand, the company is in arrears of roughly USD1,700 for work done in July, which would have been paid on Sep 1 under the old ... See more Dear all --
As stated in the subject line, I am seeking recommendations for a Chinese legal firm, preferably Beijing-based. A client in the city has stopped paying punctually since 2018, with the delays getting longer and longer. A 30+ credit cycle was also unilaterally extended to 60+ with zero notification early this year.
As things currently stand, the company is in arrears of roughly USD1,700 for work done in July, which would have been paid on Sep 1 under the old cycle and Oct 1 with the new cycle. A smaller sum for work done in Aug will also come due on 1 Nov by this reckoning. I no longer accept work from this client in the meantime, and the PM is evidently no longer responding queries re: payment dates.
I have, of course, also posted on the Blue Board and filed a report of non-payment with Proz.
I have been advised by a lawyer working for a charity organization that the lack of response re: payment dates constitutes grounds for legal action. As I am certainly not the target population of this organization, I am looking for right now is a legal firm in Beijing that I can contract to send out a Demand Letter, and in the worst-case scenario, represent me in court for arrears and costs.
Your recommendations will be highly appreciated.
[Edited at 2019-10-18 06:20 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 16:10
Member (2007)
English
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| Do they have potentially terminal problems? | Oct 18, 2019 |
Simin Tan wrote:
As things currently stand, the company is in arrears of roughly USD1,700 for work done in July, which would have been paid on Sep 1 under the old cycle and Oct 1 with the new cycle. A smaller sum for work done in Aug will also come due on 1 Nov by this reckoning. I no longer accept work from this client in the meantime, and the PM is evidently no longer responding queries re: payment dates.
I have, of course, also posted on the Blue Board and filed a report of non-payment with Proz.
What does the Blue Board tell you about them? Are there problems recorded there by other translators? If so, have you contacted them to see exactly how much they're owed? Have you done all you can to research the current financial status of the company?
I'm thinking it sounds as though they could be in serious financial trouble, possibly terminal trouble. If that's the case, your best route to payment might be a debt recovery company in Beijing. The debt is probably large enough to interest them, but if they could act for several translators then they might be more pro-active. Of course, they'd take their cut (often around 30%), but if your (ex)client is having real problems then the chances are that you'll get nothing through the courts if/when they file for bankruptcy.
Meanwhile, I strongly recommend that you send a final demand for the July invoice by registered post and pay your postal service to return a copy of the proof of acceptance/rejection to you. That really will constitute proof of refusal to pay; I'm not sure that non-reply to emails would, as they could claim they never received them and totally forgot about the invoice being due.
I'm afraid I can't help with contacts. Good on you for stopping working with them. It amazes me when translators keep throwing good money after bad.
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Simin Tan
Local time: 23:10
Chinese to English
TOPIC STARTER
All very good pieces of advice for others in a similar situation, Sheila, thank you.
I am unable to find out if they have cashflow issues (one other 1-star review on BB recently), but given that the delays started last year, the delays have gotten longer, the poor faith in unilaterally extending the credit cycle with zero notification, and the general state of the Chinese economy, I'm not hanging around to find out.
(I also see that the company is posting increasingly... See more All very good pieces of advice for others in a similar situation, Sheila, thank you.
I am unable to find out if they have cashflow issues (one other 1-star review on BB recently), but given that the delays started last year, the delays have gotten longer, the poor faith in unilaterally extending the credit cycle with zero notification, and the general state of the Chinese economy, I'm not hanging around to find out.
(I also see that the company is posting increasingly desperate job ads of late, for high-volume work with fairly high rates for China, and I can only assume that I am not the only one who has abandoned ship.) ▲ Collapse
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LIZ LI
China
Local time: 23:10
French to Chinese
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I know it might sound weird for peers at proz, as I read in other posts that a debt collector or a law firm is, in most cases, first choice for translators.
Well...things maybe..."SLIGHTLY" different here in PRC.
This is what I'm going to do if I were Simin:
(I believe I don't need to translate those pages for you since you are Singaporean)
1)Track this agency here in the State Administration of Commerce and Regulation, ... See more I know it might sound weird for peers at proz, as I read in other posts that a debt collector or a law firm is, in most cases, first choice for translators.
Well...things maybe..."SLIGHTLY" different here in PRC.
This is what I'm going to do if I were Simin:
(I believe I don't need to translate those pages for you since you are Singaporean)
1)Track this agency here in the State Administration of Commerce and Regulation,
http://www.gsxt.gov.cn/index.html
2) Threat them that you are going report it through your Ambassy or Consulate and show them what you get from the link above.
3) Name it at Sina Weibo or WeChat then @several medias for help
4) Contact Beijing Arbitration Center for advice
http://www.bjac.org.cn/
5) Skip the second step if it's one of those big agencies.
I have just finished a fee note from a lawyer by odds.... I can't imagine what you may have left if you choose to go through a law firm...
As for a debt collection company, I am not sure if it is legitimate in my country or not. ▲ Collapse
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Simin Tan wrote:
Dear all --
As stated in the subject line, I am seeking recommendations for a Chinese legal firm, preferably Beijing-based. A client in the city has stopped paying punctually since 2018, with the delays getting longer and longer. A 30+ credit cycle was also unilaterally extended to 60+ with zero notification early this year.
As things currently stand, the company is in arrears of roughly USD1,700 for work done in July, which would have been paid on Sep 1 under the old cycle and Oct 1 with the new cycle. A smaller sum for work done in Aug will also come due on 1 Nov by this reckoning. I no longer accept work from this client in the meantime, and the PM is evidently no longer responding queries re: payment dates.
I have, of course, also posted on the Blue Board and filed a report of non-payment with Proz.
I have been advised by a lawyer working for a charity organization that the lack of response re: payment dates constitutes grounds for legal action. As I am certainly not the target population of this organization, I am looking for right now is a legal firm in Beijing that I can contract to send out a Demand Letter, and in the worst-case scenario, represent me in court for arrears and costs.
Your recommendations will be highly appreciated.
[Edited at 2019-10-18 06:20 GMT]
Hi Simin,
I would tell them that if the amount due (I would say all that is still outstanding) is not paid within 3 days, you will post a negative review on Blueboard. Hope they still care about that. If, not, it can't hurt. You can still escalate after that. Proz.com used to intervene for some members in the past as well. Not sure if they still do. You can ask them through support.
B
[Edited at 2019-10-18 18:02 GMT]
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