Defining terms and conditions within a 'devis'
Thread poster: Chopkins
Chopkins
Chopkins  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 14:05
French to English
Jan 12, 2017

Hello fellow colleagues,

I should first say that I originally made another post concerning the same issue in French. I hope I will get more replies in English

I have recently started contacting companies/individuals directly and offering my translation services. I have a semi-serious inquiry but was asked to first submit a 'devis.'

I have almost finished completing it but I am in a particular
... See more
Hello fellow colleagues,

I should first say that I originally made another post concerning the same issue in French. I hope I will get more replies in English

I have recently started contacting companies/individuals directly and offering my translation services. I have a semi-serious inquiry but was asked to first submit a 'devis.'

I have almost finished completing it but I am in a particular situation where I would like to trust this potential client, but too often I hear stories of freelancers completing assignments and not being properly paid for their services. Aside from possibly stating that I would like to use the text as a future reference and payment penalties (for extreme tardiness), I would like to know what other 'conditions' do you think are necessary in order to ensure a stable pact (without scaring off a potential client).

Do I need to provide a terms and conditions agreement that goes along with the devis, or would simple and compact phrases within the devis be sufficient?

Thanks for your input!!!

-Courtney
Collapse


 
philgoddard
philgoddard
United States
German to English
+ ...
Surely devis... Jan 12, 2017

...just means price? They want to know how much it will cost and how long it will take. One sentence should be enough.



[Edited at 2017-01-12 18:15 GMT]


 
philgoddard
philgoddard
United States
German to English
+ ...
Jan 12, 2017



[Edited at 2017-01-12 18:20 GMT]


 
Chopkins
Chopkins  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 14:05
French to English
TOPIC STARTER
At times... Jan 12, 2017

philgoddard wrote:

...just means price? They want to know how much it will cost and how long it will take. One sentence should be enough.



[Edited at 2017-01-12 18:15 GMT]


For example, certain quotes have binding words towards the end in case a potential client decides to take on the services. I've come across devis which state at the end:

"Ceci est un devis des biens nommés, soumis aux conditions indiquées ci-dessous : (Décrivez toutes les conditions liées à ces prix
et toutes les conditions supplémentaires de l’accord. Il est conseillé d’inclure les dépenses imprévues qui affecteront le devis.)
Pour accepter ce devis, signez ici et renvoyez-le :"


 
Michael Beijer
Michael Beijer  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:05
Member (2009)
Dutch to English
+ ...
@Chopkins: Jan 12, 2017

Is "devis" a French word? What does it mean?

Michael


 
Michael Beijer
Michael Beijer  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:05
Member (2009)
Dutch to English
+ ...
aha, googled it Jan 12, 2017

you mean a quote/quotation

Hmm. Depends. I never use 'em myself, and neither do I have any T&Cs. Never had a problem in 20 years, but I'm sure many people would be horrified to work like this.

Wait a minute, I have made a quote a few times, using the facility in TO3000. I made one as an example:

Example quote created with TO3000

Michael


 
Chopkins
Chopkins  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 14:05
French to English
TOPIC STARTER
Seems pretty standard Jan 12, 2017

Maybe it's always best keeping things simple without getting technical. It is after all a quote/quotation. Thanks for your help and sample template. I think I may integrate some of your elements into mine.

 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 13:05
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
All sorts of possibilities if it's a massive job Jan 13, 2017

I never bother with a special document unless the client insists. It can just be the price or it can cover all sorts of other things, particularly for a big job:

Penalties for late payment
Terms for accepting complaints/queries
Cancellation by client
Inability to complete the job
...
In other words, your T&C. Mine are very simple as I prefer it that way. I avoid clients I don't trust.


 
John Holland
John Holland  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 14:05
French to English
There are rules in France Jan 13, 2017

If you haven't done so already, it would probably be worthwhile to take a look at the official information:
https://www.service-public.fr/professionnels-entreprises/vosdroits/F31144
That page discusses when a formal devis is required, what information it should contain and the possible penalties for not following the rules.

There'
... See more
If you haven't done so already, it would probably be worthwhile to take a look at the official information:
https://www.service-public.fr/professionnels-entreprises/vosdroits/F31144
That page discusses when a formal devis is required, what information it should contain and the possible penalties for not following the rules.

There's also a page on CGV, with a link to an example:
https://www.service-public.fr/professionnels-entreprises/vosdroits/F33527

[Edited at 2017-01-13 11:39 GMT]
Collapse


 
Chopkins
Chopkins  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 14:05
French to English
TOPIC STARTER
Though worthy in its respects, sometimes things would be a lot easier if they were shorter. Jan 13, 2017

Sheila Wilson wrote:

I never bother with a special document unless the client insists. It can just be the price or it can cover all sorts of other things, particularly for a big job:

Penalties for late payment
Terms for accepting complaints/queries
Cancellation by client
Inability to complete the job
...
In other words, your T&C. Mine are very simple as I prefer it that way. I avoid clients I don't trust.


Thank you very much for your input, Sheila!


 
Chopkins
Chopkins  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 14:05
French to English
TOPIC STARTER
Ah, the good old service-public page! Jan 13, 2017

John Holland wrote:

If you haven't done so already, it would probably be worthwhile to take a look at the official information:
https://www.service-public.fr/professionnels-entreprises/vosdroits/F31144
That page discusses when a formal devis is required, what information it should contain and the possible penalties for not following the rules.

There's also a page on CGV, with a link to an example:
https://www.service-public.fr/professionnels-entreprises/vosdroits/F33527

[Edited at 2017-01-13 11:39 GMT]


Firstly, thank you John for providing me with the two links. Coincidentally, I went through the service-public's page last evening and was able to get a clearer picture of what should be included in the quote/quotation. Worth noting though, you've helped me enormously by providing me the CGV link. Now back to formatting. Thanks again!


 
John Fossey
John Fossey  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 09:05
Member (2008)
French to English
+ ...
Jan 13, 2017



[Edited at 2017-01-13 13:41 GMT]


 
Romina Pérez Escorihuela
Romina Pérez Escorihuela  Identity Verified
Argentina
Local time: 10:05
Member (2010)
English to Spanish
+ ...
I always ask for an upfront payment! Jan 13, 2017

Chopkins,

Whenever a potential direct client contacts me for the first time, I always request a 30% or 50% upfront payment to begin working, depending on the assignment, and the pending balance upon completion of the job. It always works; if te client is not to trust, he won't reply (which means we would not be willing to pay even less than half of the total price). Fortunately I always receive the upfront payment and the remainder on time!


 


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:


You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

Defining terms and conditions within a 'devis'







TM-Town
Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business

Are you ready for something fresh in the industry? TM-Town is a unique new site for you -- the freelance translator -- to store, manage and share translation memories (TMs) and glossaries...and potentially meet new clients on the basis of your prior work.

More info »
Wordfast Pro
Translation Memory Software for Any Platform

Exclusive discount for ProZ.com users! Save over 13% when purchasing Wordfast Pro through ProZ.com. Wordfast is the world's #1 provider of platform-independent Translation Memory software. Consistently ranked the most user-friendly and highest value

Buy now! »