I started working for Lexicon Services for Japanese to English translation assignment from 2nd March 2015. And the whole project was completed by 26th March 2015 which was within the given timeline. A PO was sent by them on 13th April 2015 saying "We have not counted auto-translated and repetitive words as client is also not paying us on it." which was never mentioned earlier but still I agreed to it considering the quantity of the project. And as per their instructions I sent them invoices by 28th April 2015. As per their policy payment is supposed to be made within 45 days from the date of invoice via net banking. So I sent them email on 12th June inquiring about the payment since it was not paid till then. After that they sent me following email on June 13th:- Well, let me tell you the exact story. We have received feedback from client in regards to quality. We have done around 4 lakhs characters for client and yet to get a single penny. They got all the files proofread by some other resource and now they are deducting 40% of the entire bill. However, if you want I can show you the revised files we have received from client. We are still under discussion with them and trying our best to settle this. Please give us sometime. As soon things get settled will let you know. Thank you for your patience. Kind Regards! Raj Project Manager Lexicon Services D-98, Beta-1, Greater Noida, India - 201308 |Email: [protected]@lexiconservice.com Tel: +91-[protected]|Skype ID: lexicon.services | Website : www.lexiconservice.com NOW AS MENTIONED IN THE ABOVE EMAIL; FIRSTLY I WAS NEVER INFORMED ABOUT THE QUALITY ISSUE. SECONDLY OUT OF 4 LAKH I HAVE ONLY WORKED FOR 50, 000 CHARACTERS AND THESE PEOPLE HAVE NEVER BOTHERED TO CLARIFY WHICH FILES WERE NOT PAID (THAT'S WHAT THEY SAY) WHICH IS A COMPLETE FRAUD. I ALSO REQUESTED THEM SEND ME CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN THE CLIENT AND THEMSELVES AND EVEN THE FILES WHICH CLIENT SENT ON THE BASIS OF WHICH THEY ARE NOT READY TO PAY. BUT I HAVE RECEIVED NONE OF IT. After receiving this email from them I tried to talk over phone with for several times; but I was told that the person is on holiday and the conversation was postponed. And the person never bothered to call himself but I only had to get back in touch with him. So I could finally reach him on 6th July 2015. (You can note the time they let go between this for no reason). After discussing for over 30 minutes over phone he was ready to transfer 40% of the total invoice of Rs. 76, 651.50. And I received the 40% of the amount on 7th July 2015. After this we had a discussion over phone and I was assured that some of the remaining funds will be transfered in some time after resolving their issue with client; however when I emailed them on 22nd August 2015. They simply informed me that the matter is closed and they will not pay me anymore saying that 60% of the payment is the penalty deduction. Which is baseless. As no company charges 60% as penalty deduction. I am pasting the email conversation in past two days I had with them; and you can see the kind of language they have used in the email while replying and them getting angry when I expressed my feelings about filing a legal complaint against them; As you can also read in the email that they are not at all bothered about the legal complaint. Email by me:- Hello It is very very disappointing to know this. However I do not wish to let this go so easily because I have put my efforts way beyond my limitations for this project. Translating 10, 000 characters a day is not a simple cup of tea. And that too accurately and with excellent quality. When a freelancer is working for a project at a particular time that person is preparing certain funds for future. And the working is only dependent upon the trust and coordination between freelance and the opposite translation agency. I understand about the penalty deduction but it cannot be more than max to max 15%. And the 60% deduction in this case is outrageous. And as I mentioned earlier that I have waited way too long for the payment. And even informed you in our telephonic conversation that my present time is dependent upon the funds of this particular project. And it comes as a very shocking and a disrespectful thing to me that you are simply closing this topic here; which correctly implies that you do not understand the value of Rs. 40, 000 for a freelancer. I do not wish to let go of this amount at any cost at any time since I have given my day and night for this project. Since your agency is the one I am directly dealing with I am left with no other option but file a legal complaint against you. Reply from Lexicon Services:- First of all, I don't like the way you menace. If you think filing a legal complaint will resolve the issue and you'll get remaining funds, that's ain't gonna happen. Go ahead and try whatever you feel like. We have received feedback from client that quality was not good enough, hence they'll not pay us. Client got the entire text re-translated from some other vendor without informing us and their is nothing a damm we can do about it. You are not the only resource who is into this. We have done nearly 4 Lakhs characters for this client and only received 20% of the funds. Still after that we have at-least paid 40% funds to you from our own pocket reason we understand your problem. You have worked hard and you deserve every penny of it, but we are helpless in this case now. You'll never understand how much efforts we have put into this. We've tried a lot from our end and client is not ready to pay any more funds. You're seeking 40k funds, but did you imagine how big loss we are in? You don't give a damm of what we have gone through, didn't you? Only thing you care about is you're remaining funds that's all. You have paid 40% to all the resources and got nothing from client. I've explained you everything over call so many times and never treated you as a vendor or just a resource. We always took you as an extended part of our working family. This fact still hurt us a lot that we were robbed by someone. All other resources have accepted the fact and they've adjusted to it and if you still feel filing a legal complaint against us solve the concern, I don't have any more words left to explain. Kind Regards! Raj Project Manager Lexicon Services D-98, Beta-1, Greater Noida, India - 201308 |Email: [protected]@lexiconservice.com Tel: +91-[protected]|Skype ID: lexicon.services | Website :www.lexiconservice.com Email from me:- Hello, Greetings for the day!!! First of all; it is not my problem whether you like what I wrote in the email or not. Secondly; to begin with you never informed me about the quality issue on your own. When I sent an email regarding payment you replied with non payment of funds giving the reason of quality. So that correctly implies that if I would have not asked about payment you would have never bothered to let me know neither pay the amount which you paid. Then I would have really appreciated if you would have shown some professionalism and sophistication while replying to my email since using the phrases like "their is nothing a damm we can do about it.", "You don't give a damm" which clearly shows what kind of translation agency or as a person you are. Another thing; it depends upon individual translator how much importance to give to a particular payment and also it depends upon a person how important the amount for them. If 40, 000 is equal to 4 lakh for me; for another person it might be equal to 400 rupees. It seems you do not understand this difference. And of course as a freelancer everyone will care about their own share only. We are not working here to do the charity to the translation agencies like you. I would have been really happy if you would have at least paid 75% of the leftover amount. Which would have played way more important role in my present since I was totally dependent upon these funds as I spent those days for today. But your reply clearly indicates that you just do not wish to pay at all. Even I would have been happy to be associated with you as an extended family member; but this kind of non payment of funds is absolutely not acceptable. I would still like to request you to consider this as a special case and pay at least 75% of the rest of the amount. I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY REPLY FROM LEXICON SERVICES OVER THIS TILL NOW. I WISH TO GET MY MONEY PAID BY THESE NON PAYING AGENCY. BUT IT SEEMS THEY ARE THERE TO CHEAT AND NOT PAY THE MONEY ANYMORE. AND AS YOU CAN SEE IN ABOVE CONVERSATION THEY ARE LEAST BOTHERED ABOUT ANY LEGAL COMPLAINT BEING FILED AGAINST THEM. AS IF THEY HAVE ALREADY ARRANGED TO COME OUT OF IT.