| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Seeking feedback on new rates format Thread poster: Jason Grimes
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Heinrich Pesch 
Finland
Local time: 20:02
Member (2003)
Finnish to German
+ ...
| Also on bidding? | Apr 19, 2008 |
I notice this rate form sets the right valuta according to the user's defaults. That's a big improvement.
I wish this feature would finally be applied also to the bidding form. Last week it still had USD as default, though the majority of members do not bid in USD and the vast majority of jobs is non-US.
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 19:02
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Jason Grimes wrote:
If you have any feedback of your own to share, please do so by posting below.
I like the fact that I can enter different rates in multiple currencies for exactly the same service.
What I would like to see also, is this:
1.
Users can also enter an additional list of currencies they might accept. For example, I list my rates in USD and EUR, but I also accept payment in ZAR and GBP, even though I don't have specific rates in those currencies because I don't want to peg myself to a certain exchange rate.
2.
I only charge a minimum rate for clients who don't use Moneybookers.com. This is because my minimum charge is meant to defray the cost of bank charges, but if the client pays via Moneybookers.com, the banking charges are substantially less and I'm able to accept a much lower minimum rate.
So my suggestion is that translators should be able to write a comment about when a minimum rate applies. This means that I should be able to add different minimum rates in the same currency for the same service, as long as the comments written in the minimum rate comment line are different. It should therefore also be possible to either type "0" as your minimum rate (with a comment) or to have an additional field that specifies when minimum rates are not applied.
3.
It might be good IMO if translators can specify certain aspects of payment terms. I'm not talking here about how many days a client has to pay, but things like who is responsible for paying banking fees or currency conversion fees. Being able to specify the number of days before payment is due, might also be a good thing, however. The idea is not to replace the translator's contract with the client, but to give an indication of his expectations.
| | | | gianfranco
Brazil
Local time: 14:02
Member (2001)
English to Italian
+ ...
| Rates conversion and Payment terms | Apr 20, 2008 |
Samuel Murray wrote:
I like the fact that I can enter different rates in multiple currencies for exactly the same service.
Samuel Murray wrote:
What I would like to see also, is this:
1.
Users can also enter an additional list of currencies they might accept. For example, I list my rates in USD and EUR, but I also accept payment in ZAR and GBP, even though I don't have specific rates in those currencies because I don't want to peg myself to a certain exchange rate.
Hi Samuel,
regarding your two points above, please note that the complete plan is to integrate in this site a complete set of currency exchange rates, so that any tariff expressed in a currency can be displayed, automatically, in another currency, on request.
I hope that these plans are implemented, as they would be very useful and provide an excellent service to all parties, on top of simplifying our rates structure.
In that case, it would not be necessary for us to enter rates in various currencies, or keep track of the exchange rate fluctuations.
If I enter my rates, lets say in EUR, a US customer should be able to see them in both currencies, EUR and USD. And so forth, for any other combination.
Samuel Murray wrote:
3.
It might be good IMO if translators can specify certain aspects of payment terms. I'm not talking here about how many days a client has to pay, but things like who is responsible for paying banking fees or currency conversion fees. Being able to specify the number of days before payment is due, might also be a good thing, however. The idea is not to replace the translator's contract with the client, but to give an indication of his expectations.
I agree. It all will depend on the final layout of the page or space where our rates will be displayed.
As this new rates structure is largely inspired to a page in my profile (see my RATES tab), I hope there will be a free space to describe our payment terms, as I did at the bottom of my page.
We, as the persons selling a service, should be able to set our own terms, as you correctly said. And our terms include not only our rate, but also general payment terms and conditions to provide our service.
bye
Gianfranco
[Edited at 2008-04-20 13:23]
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 19:02
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
| Some might want automatic currency calculation... | Apr 20, 2008 |
gianfranco wrote:
...the complete plan is to integrate in this site a complete set of currency exchange rates, so that any tariff expressed in a currency can be displayed, automatically, in another currency, on request. ... on top of simplifying our rates structure.
Some might think automatic currenty conversion is a good thing, but... I wouldn't like to have it. Here's why:
Suppose my rates are EUR 0.09 and USD 0.12. I would have chosen these two rates because at the time when I chose them, they are roughly equivalent, and they are easy for me and my clients to remember. Times have changed, however, and these days EUR 0.09 is closer to USD 0.14, and USD 0.012 is closer to EUR 0.0769.
I prefer to charge my US clients the rate even though the US currency is weaker, and I wouldn't want my European clients to see a rate of 0.0769 because that is just too hard to remember! Of course, there is the risk that European clients might pay me in USD... but I think it is worth it if it makes my life less complicated.
In this scenario it would be important to me to state an EUR rate and a USD rate that are not tied to each other in terms of actual currency conversions.
... If I enter my rates, lets say in EUR, a US customer should be able to see them in both currencies, EUR and USD. And so forth, for any other combination.
The other danger of this would be that the client might see the USD rate and then make a note of it, not realising that the rate is actually not a USD rate but a EUR rate that has been converted to USD using a specific date's currency exchange rates.
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gianfranco
Brazil
Local time: 14:02
Member (2001)
English to Italian
+ ...
| Possible solution | Apr 20, 2008 |
Samuel Murray wrote:
Some might think automatic currency conversion is a good thing, but... I wouldn't like to have it. Here's why:
Suppose my rates are EUR 0.09 and USD 0.12. I would have chosen these two rates because at the time when I chose them, they are roughly equivalent, and they are easy for me and my clients to remember. Times have changed, however, and these days EUR 0.09 is closer to USD 0.14, and USD 0.012 is closer to EUR 0.0769.
Samuel,
earlier I was reflecting about this issue, and your position confirms some of my concerns.
As these features are still on the drawing board, not yet fully implemented, a possible solution could be the following:
Convert in the currency preferred by the client when we have not specified our rate in that currency
Do not convert (apply the rate as we specify it) when we specify it in that currency.
As we now can specify a different currency/rate for each service, to have our value respected (not converted) we could simply indicate a rate for each currency that we do not want to have automatically converted.
It would respect your wishes and provide the same service for anyone else not having specified that currency. If the programmers are reading this forum they may take on board this aspect.
bye
Gianfranco
| | | | | Will include this in the quote form in the future | Apr 22, 2008 |
Heinrich Pesch wrote:
I notice this rate form sets the right valuta according to the user's defaults. That's a big improvement.
I wish this feature would finally be applied also to the bidding form. Last week it still had USD as default, though the majority of members do not bid in USD and the vast majority of jobs is non-US.
Hi Heinrich,
In the future we will include the new rates format in place of the old throughout the site. First we want to make sure that the new system is complete and accurate, and then we will upgrade the old rates system.
Thanks for your comments.
Best regards,
Jason
| | | | | Good ideas, thank you | Apr 22, 2008 |
Thanks, Samuel and Gianfranco, for your suggestions. In the short term we might add a free-text field for describing your payment terms in more detail, and a simple list of the currencies in which you will accept payment. When we move on to implementing currency conversion features we will revisit your other suggestions.
Thanks!
Jason
| | | | | New thread for further discussion | Apr 22, 2008 |
Thank you everyone for your feedback so far. To continue the discussion, please visit this forum topic.
Best regards,
Jason
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