This I probably should write in response
Thread poster: Heinrich Pesch
Heinrich Pesch
Heinrich Pesch  Identity Verified
Finland
Local time: 14:19
Member (2003)
Finnish to German
+ ...
Feb 20, 2016

...to all those agencies that contact me these days and want me join there translation team for an EU-tender:

"Dear X,

I refuse to join your team, because I doubt very much that it would be of any use to me. Even if your agency would finally get the contract with the EU, it would mean you have delivered the cheapest offer. In that case you cannot afford my rates. Instead the jobs would go to a cheaper freelance translator. So I do not see any point in sending you my dip
... See more
...to all those agencies that contact me these days and want me join there translation team for an EU-tender:

"Dear X,

I refuse to join your team, because I doubt very much that it would be of any use to me. Even if your agency would finally get the contract with the EU, it would mean you have delivered the cheapest offer. In that case you cannot afford my rates. Instead the jobs would go to a cheaper freelance translator. So I do not see any point in sending you my diplomas and CV and fill in your questionaires etc.

Regards"

Instead I press the delete-button of my mail program.

[Bearbeitet am 2016-02-20 06:40 GMT]
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564354352 (X)
564354352 (X)  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 13:19
Danish to English
+ ...
Or not... Feb 20, 2016

I know the feeling, but...

Why burn your bridges entirely?

Those same agencies may find themselves in need of someone with your particular skills some day, because they have settled for less qualified people. They may seek you out and contact you directly with a serious offer... Who knows?

A simple, 'No thank you, I don't participate in EU tenders' would suffice, and you have still left the door open.


 
DLyons
DLyons  Identity Verified
Ireland
Local time: 12:19
Spanish to English
+ ...
Set up a canned response in Gmail Feb 20, 2016

Along the lines that Gitte suggests "No thank you, I don't participate in EU tenders"

http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Canned-Responses-in-Gmail

You may be able to combine that with an auto-delete filter and then you have the best of both worlds.


 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 12:19
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Or not... Feb 20, 2016

Gitte Hovedskov, MCIL wrote:

I know the feeling, but...

Why burn your bridges entirely?

Those same agencies may find themselves in need of someone with your particular skills some day, because they have settled for less qualified people. They may seek you out and contact you directly with a serious offer... Who knows?

A simple, 'No thank you, I don't participate in EU tenders' would suffice, and you have still left the door open.


That’s what I do. I always explain why I don't participate in EU tenders but I leave the door open for further collaboration and... that’s exactly how I got my best agency client (good rates, regular projects, timely payments).


 
Peter Shortall
Peter Shortall  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Romanian to English
+ ...
Professional courtesy and image Feb 20, 2016

Although your suspicions are probably correct in many cases, there are a few decent agencies out there that bid for these contracts and don't adopt the bait-and-switch approach. So instead of deleting the email or sending an accusatory reply, I send a diplomatic email saying that I receive many requests like this each year and simply don't have time to do all the paperwork for everyone, so I limit myself to participating with just one agency that I have worked with for many years. That sort of r... See more
Although your suspicions are probably correct in many cases, there are a few decent agencies out there that bid for these contracts and don't adopt the bait-and-switch approach. So instead of deleting the email or sending an accusatory reply, I send a diplomatic email saying that I receive many requests like this each year and simply don't have time to do all the paperwork for everyone, so I limit myself to participating with just one agency that I have worked with for many years. That sort of reply looks more professional, and I believe that if you want to be treated like a professional, it helps if you act like one. It can even lead to unexpected offers of work, as Gitte and Teresa have said.Collapse


 
Dani Karuniawan
Dani Karuniawan  Identity Verified
Indonesia
Local time: 19:19
English to Indonesian
+ ...
Too few Feb 20, 2016

Peter Shortall wrote:

...there are a few decent agencies....


I don't agree this clause. The truth is too few.

Talking about a "bridge" or third-party service, I have collaborated with an individual translation broker, not agency, for more than 5 years. He always transfers full payment in advance into my bank account. Bickers are normal, but they are always recovered.

Evidence shows that not all third-party services are shitty, two or three middle services are normal.

[Edited at 2016-02-20 20:13 GMT]


 


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This I probably should write in response







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