| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Is it possible to delete a Blueboard comment? Thread poster: Lesley Clarke
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I have just gone back to look at the blueboard entries for a translation agency that ripped me off big time, only to realize that having them a mark of 1 gave them the perfect opportunity to libel me outrageously with no right of reply on my part.
Considering that this agency owes me 5,000 US dollars for more than two months work at ridiculous fee of 0.03 cents a word that I was foolish enough to agree to but did never was paid, it is adding insult to injury that if one were to judg... See more I have just gone back to look at the blueboard entries for a translation agency that ripped me off big time, only to realize that having them a mark of 1 gave them the perfect opportunity to libel me outrageously with no right of reply on my part.
Considering that this agency owes me 5,000 US dollars for more than two months work at ridiculous fee of 0.03 cents a word that I was foolish enough to agree to but did never was paid, it is adding insult to injury that if one were to judge by the blueboard I was the one who did wrong and not they.
So, is it at least possible to delete my score for this agency in the blueboard? ▲ Collapse
| | | | Yolanda Broad 
United States
Local time: 15:03
Member (2000)
French to English
+ ...
MODERATOR | Please submit a support request | May 4, 2009 |
Please ask Site staff to look into this.
| | | | Kristina Radziulyte
Lithuania
Local time: 22:03
Member (2006)
English to Lithuanian
+ ...
MODERATOR
Hi, Lesley. I am sorry to hear your sad experience.
It is possible to delete your score for this outsourcer, but first you will have to contact the outsourcer asking to retract their reply. After/if they do so, then you'll be able to ask the Proz Staff to remove your feedback.
I am adding an original reply from Proz Staff regarding the procedure:
If the outsourcer has not yet responded to the comment, yes. Just supply the Blue Board record (page url preferably) and indic... See more Hi, Lesley. I am sorry to hear your sad experience.
It is possible to delete your score for this outsourcer, but first you will have to contact the outsourcer asking to retract their reply. After/if they do so, then you'll be able to ask the Proz Staff to remove your feedback.
I am adding an original reply from Proz Staff regarding the procedure:
If the outsourcer has not yet responded to the comment, yes. Just supply the Blue Board record (page url preferably) and indicate the entry to be removed if more than one has been made by you on that record. If the entry has already received a reply, you will need the agreement of the outsourcer to remove it, which can be expressed by the outsourcer via support request as well.
[Edited at 2009-05-04 09:13 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jessica Noyes
United States
Local time: 15:03
Member
Spanish to English
+ ...
| A better solution must be found | May 4, 2009 |
I wonder if this is the first time that this has happened. The repercussions are frightening. If translators give an agency a low rating, the agency has the opportunity to react aggressively by slandering the translator. The translator's only option in response, it appears, is to persuade the agency to agree to having the offending entries removed.
The danger is obvious. Translators will hesitate to give ones and twos in fear of being counter-attacked. Agencies will realize that if t... See more I wonder if this is the first time that this has happened. The repercussions are frightening. If translators give an agency a low rating, the agency has the opportunity to react aggressively by slandering the translator. The translator's only option in response, it appears, is to persuade the agency to agree to having the offending entries removed.
The danger is obvious. Translators will hesitate to give ones and twos in fear of being counter-attacked. Agencies will realize that if they are vicious enough in their comments, the translator will ask their permission to have the entire negative entry removed. The result, of course, is that there will be no more low scores for unreliable agencies, and the value of the Blue Board will slide precipitously. ▲ Collapse
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Lesley Clarke
Mexico
Local time: 14:03
Spanish to English
TOPIC STARTER
It is catch 22
I thought I was doing a community service in warning other translators.
| | | | | Submit a non-payment complaint | May 4, 2009 |
Leslie,
I think it would not be the best solution to delete your entry from their BB record, for obvious reasons. On the other hand, I think there is a way to submit a non-payment complaint about clients that do not pay. I think there is a button available at the time you submit your BB entry, but it may not be available after that.
Definitely contact staff about it. If the agency is a non-payer, they may be banned from ProZ, and a warning would be displayed on their BB record. If th... See more Leslie,
I think it would not be the best solution to delete your entry from their BB record, for obvious reasons. On the other hand, I think there is a way to submit a non-payment complaint about clients that do not pay. I think there is a button available at the time you submit your BB entry, but it may not be available after that.
Definitely contact staff about it. If the agency is a non-payer, they may be banned from ProZ, and a warning would be displayed on their BB record. If their comments are slanderous, I think staff can deal with that, too.
Good luck
Katalin ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Contesting an LWA entry or a reply to an entry | May 4, 2009 |
Hello all,
I'd like to clarify a few points in this discussion.
You may request removal of an LWA entry you have made at any time. If the entry has been replied to by the outsourcer, both parties must be in agreement for removal to take place.
But this is different from a valid LWA entry which is replied to in this manner. If you delivered commissioned work on time... See more Hello all,
I'd like to clarify a few points in this discussion.
You may request removal of an LWA entry you have made at any time. If the entry has been replied to by the outsourcer, both parties must be in agreement for removal to take place.
But this is different from a valid LWA entry which is replied to in this manner. If you delivered commissioned work on time, and without quality complaints, and the reply you receive alleges that this is not the case, you should contest the reply. Submit a support request with the link to the Blue Board record in question and any relevant details. Note that both you and the outsourcer may be asked to substantiate the situation. If the reply is found to be invalid, it will be removed.
Outsourcers may also contest LWA entries which do not meet the conditions for valid LWA entries in a similar fashion.
I hope this helps clarify.
Best regards,
Jared ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:03
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| Word your comments carefully | May 4, 2009 |
If you are posting a negative comment you should carefully rehearse what you want to say before posting it. The permitted number of words is small so some skill is required.
Some important points to cover are:
1. You delivered on time.
2. Your delivery was complete.
3. There were no complaints about your work.
4. If your work was praised, say so.
5. The outsourcer did not pay you within the agreed timeframe.
6. It was impossible to communic... See more If you are posting a negative comment you should carefully rehearse what you want to say before posting it. The permitted number of words is small so some skill is required.
Some important points to cover are:
1. You delivered on time.
2. Your delivery was complete.
3. There were no complaints about your work.
4. If your work was praised, say so.
5. The outsourcer did not pay you within the agreed timeframe.
6. It was impossible to communicate with the outsourcer.
Even then, a non-paying outsourcer will probably still find some way of slandering you 
Never agree to change a negative comment into a positive one, just because you've been paid !
Don't forget to also post positive comments about good outsourcers. ▲ Collapse
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| Same happened to me | May 4, 2009 |
Thank you, Lesley, for posting this topic.
I went through the same situation and regret having done nothing about it (didn't know something could be done, to be honest).
I've been reading your advice, but now I wonder if I still can do something, since my BB post dates back to November 2006. After having worked full time for an agency for almost two years, I decided not to accept any more projects due to their extremely low rates, and ranked the agency with a three. T... See more Thank you, Lesley, for posting this topic.
I went through the same situation and regret having done nothing about it (didn't know something could be done, to be honest).
I've been reading your advice, but now I wonder if I still can do something, since my BB post dates back to November 2006. After having worked full time for an agency for almost two years, I decided not to accept any more projects due to their extremely low rates, and ranked the agency with a three. They replied by saying that my translations were extremely poor!! No true!! They had always praised my work and my dedication. Besides, if this had been the case (which was not), they would have had enough time to let me know (two years working for them!). Totally unfair...
[Edited at 2009-05-04 15:22 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lesley Clarke
Mexico
Local time: 14:03
Spanish to English
TOPIC STARTER
I am talking about a situation that happened three or four years ago now.
At the time I did try to get some support from Proz. However this agency caught me out on all the Catch 22s existing in Proz.
You have a rule about there not being any complaint about quality, how subjective is that!
When I sent the work in, and we are talking about two months work, in this case approximately 230,000 words, I received a reply ten minutes later from the owner of the ... See more I am talking about a situation that happened three or four years ago now.
At the time I did try to get some support from Proz. However this agency caught me out on all the Catch 22s existing in Proz.
You have a rule about there not being any complaint about quality, how subjective is that!
When I sent the work in, and we are talking about two months work, in this case approximately 230,000 words, I received a reply ten minutes later from the owner of the agency complaining about the quality. This person who is a lawyer, neither speaks Spanish nor deals in the subject in question (some international electrical standards). Anyone can complaint about quality. To this day, I am proud of the quality of that job, but Proz is obviously not in the position to get involved in disputes about quality.
She also claims that I did not finish the job. That was when, three days before the date of payment arrived, two months after the job had been handed in and she had confirmed full receipt, she suddenly demanded that I should do another 100,000 words.
As translators we have to work on trust. I am glad to say this the only time anyone has ever taken advantage of that trust and I am very fortunate in my other clients.
But please Jared, on the blueboard I am not allowed to say anything to defend myself from her libel and you expect me to write to this person and ask her nicely if she will give me permission to at least remove my mark of 1? ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lesley Clarke
Mexico
Local time: 14:03
Spanish to English
TOPIC STARTER
Tom
I actually don't have any comment beside my mark. If I remember correctly I was not allowed to even mention the non-payment because of this instant complaint about quality.
Gabriela
I am really sorry this happened to you.
I understand that outsourcers have to be allowed to respond to our comments. However there is no comment on my part. And I certainly have no intention of upgrading her, I just want to remove myself as this whole situation ... See more Tom
I actually don't have any comment beside my mark. If I remember correctly I was not allowed to even mention the non-payment because of this instant complaint about quality.
Gabriela
I am really sorry this happened to you.
I understand that outsourcers have to be allowed to respond to our comments. However there is no comment on my part. And I certainly have no intention of upgrading her, I just want to remove myself as this whole situation is just like salt on a wound. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lesley Clarke
Mexico
Local time: 14:03
Spanish to English
TOPIC STARTER
All I asked for was the facility of removing my comment because it has given someone who has already done my considerable harm the opportunity to libel me.
And what do you do? You repeat the libel in an even more public forum.
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Jeff Whittaker
United States
Local time: 15:03
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Contact the client | May 4, 2009 |
First of all, I am astonished that you did US$40,000 worth of work for $5,000. They should have happily paid you in advance and laughed all the way to the bank.
Secondly, you should have contacted the agency and informed them that until you are paid for your work, their client is prohibited from using your translation because you have not been paid and it still belongs to you and if necessary, you will contact the client directly.
[Edited at 2009-05-04 19:20 GMT]
| | | | Lesley Clarke
Mexico
Local time: 14:03
Spanish to English
TOPIC STARTER | Jeff, you are so right | May 4, 2009 |
I am a translator and not much of a businesswoman, from the looks of it but I am mortified to have to acknowledge in a public forum that I once accepted a job at such a low rate.
It was one of my first experiences working for a client outside Mexico and I was quoted a lump sum that for the job that dazzled me.
It is a shame that you were not around when I first sought advice on this problem as I did not realize I had that option.
However live and l... See more I am a translator and not much of a businesswoman, from the looks of it but I am mortified to have to acknowledge in a public forum that I once accepted a job at such a low rate.
It was one of my first experiences working for a client outside Mexico and I was quoted a lump sum that for the job that dazzled me.
It is a shame that you were not around when I first sought advice on this problem as I did not realize I had that option.
However live and learn.
The problem with Proz is that I cannot see the reason for a rule that says I cannot remove my blueboard rating without the outsourcer's permission. In what way does it affect the outsourcer if I remove my rating? Could someone explain? ▲ Collapse
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