Debt collection agency in United Arab Emirates: Ling A**ch and Hugo Ca**e
Thread poster: Bruno Depascale
Bruno Depascale
Bruno Depascale  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 17:31
Member (2009)
English to Italian
+ ...
Feb 14, 2018

Hi everybody,
I am looking for a debt collection agency in the United Arab Emirates.
An agency named "Ling A**ch" (managed by Hugo Ca**e) is making up excuses for not paying me (fake bank receipts and excuses).
Thank you for your help,
Bruno

[Edited at 2018-02-15 07:46 GMT]


 
Michael Newton
Michael Newton  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 12:31
Japanese to English
+ ...
debt collection Feb 14, 2018

I think you are out of luck. Please be more picky about the countries you do business with.

 
Bruno Depascale
Bruno Depascale  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 17:31
Member (2009)
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
So sad Feb 15, 2018

Michael Newton wrote:

I think you are out of luck. Please be more picky about the countries you do business with.


Thank you Michael,
do you mean that I have lost my money (and my hours of work)?
I performed the job for this outsourcer because the blueboard rating was 4.7.
In the future, I will be more careful with non-European countries, as many project managers are really thieves..they stole more than 600 € euros from me..


 
Álvaro Espantaleón Moreno
Álvaro Espantaleón Moreno  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 17:31
Member (2015)
English to Spanish
@Bruno Feb 15, 2018

I was approached by that character in November or so (I don't remember). Then I saw they were banned from posting jobs in ProZ and asked for full payment in advance, which they refused. And that was it. So, you are right about the 4.7, but ProZ had banned them (I use them/they when this is probably just one guy in a room, Hugo was his name).

[Edited at 2018-02-16 09:56 GMT]


 
Michael Newton
Michael Newton  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 12:31
Japanese to English
+ ...
debt collection Feb 16, 2018

Unfortunately you have lost your time and money. After having been stiffed in several foreign countries, I only accept jobs from US
agencies as it is easy to take legal action should they refuse to pay.


 
Daryo
Daryo
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:31
Serbian to English
+ ...
Not worth the risk Feb 16, 2018

Michael Newton wrote:

Unfortunately you have lost your time and money. After having been stiffed in several foreign countries, I only accept jobs from US
agencies as it is easy to take legal action should they refuse to pay.


I received few direct enquiries from big agencies with offices all over the world - the first thing I requested was to get a purchase order from their London branch, if and when we agree a contract. Strangely enough never heard of any of them again ... Somehow, I don't think I've lost anything, except the opportunity to waste my time.


 
Bruno Depascale
Bruno Depascale  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 17:31
Member (2009)
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Solved? Feb 16, 2018

Thank you for your answers
In the end, the client finally paid the invoice via paypal (and I hope there won't be other bad surprises). They keep saying that there was a mistake and they had made the payment via wire transfer. But they couldn't provide me a readable bank receipt, and the first bank receipt they sent me also contained a wrong IBAN number. They had changed a 1 with a 0.
I followed the advice of a fellow translator, and threatened them to contact the final client as the
... See more
Thank you for your answers
In the end, the client finally paid the invoice via paypal (and I hope there won't be other bad surprises). They keep saying that there was a mistake and they had made the payment via wire transfer. But they couldn't provide me a readable bank receipt, and the first bank receipt they sent me also contained a wrong IBAN number. They had changed a 1 with a 0.
I followed the advice of a fellow translator, and threatened them to contact the final client as the copyright of the translation was still mine.
This seems to have worked, but I know that they can still request a reimbursement via paypal..so I don't really know if the issue is really settled..
Collapse


 
Woodstock (X)
Woodstock (X)  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 17:31
German to English
+ ...
Here's something you might want to try if there continues to be a problem Feb 16, 2018

I have no idea if this could be an avenue for you or would even worth the effort, but if you wish to pursue it at some point, you might write to the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the UAE with a complaint/request for advice: https://iicuae.com/

Many years ago I worked at the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany, which was an extremely multi-faceted, interesting job, though I don't recall whether or n
... See more
I have no idea if this could be an avenue for you or would even worth the effort, but if you wish to pursue it at some point, you might write to the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the UAE with a complaint/request for advice: https://iicuae.com/

Many years ago I worked at the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany, which was an extremely multi-faceted, interesting job, though I don't recall whether or not we handled these specific types of inquiries. However, it might be worth a try - and send a cc: to the translation agency while you're at it. If nothing else, you can give the CoC a heads up about this sketchy character and his so-called "business practices" to warn off other potential victims.
Collapse


 
Kardas Tradu
Kardas Tradu  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 17:31
Member (2011)
Italian to Polish
+ ...
Good job! Feb 16, 2018

Bruno Depascale wrote:

Thank you for your answers
In the end, the client finally paid the invoice via paypal (and I hope there won't be other bad surprises). They keep saying that there was a mistake and they had made the payment via wire transfer. But they couldn't provide me a readable bank receipt, and the first bank receipt they sent me also contained a wrong IBAN number. They had changed a 1 with a 0.
I followed the advice of a fellow translator, and threatened them to contact the final client as the copyright of the translation was still mine.
This seems to have worked, but I know that they can still request a reimbursement via paypal..so I don't really know if the issue is really settled..


Great job Bruno. Now just transfer your money from your paypal wallet (saldo paypal) into your bank account and you're done
They paid you the money you deserved...Caso archiviato


 
Álvaro Espantaleón Moreno
Álvaro Espantaleón Moreno  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 17:31
Member (2015)
English to Spanish
@Bruno Feb 16, 2018

Bruno Depascale wrote:

Thank you for your answers
In the end, the client finally paid the invoice via paypal (and I hope there won't be other bad surprises). They keep saying that there was a mistake and they had made the payment via wire transfer. But they couldn't provide me a readable bank receipt, and the first bank receipt they sent me also contained a wrong IBAN number. They had changed a 1 with a 0.
I followed the advice of a fellow translator, and threatened them to contact the final client as the copyright of the translation was still mine.
This seems to have worked, but I know that they can still request a reimbursement via paypal..so I don't really know if the issue is really settled..


Payment received after 6 months should be a 1, not a 3. They've paid only because you scared them. Their intention from the beginning (even before they contacted you) was to steal your money. This is fraud and deserves 1 point, not 3.


 
Dan Lucas
Dan Lucas  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:31
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
The core issue Feb 16, 2018

Álvaro Espantaleón wrote:
Payment received after 6 months should be a 1, not a 3. They've paid only because you scared them. Their intention from the beginning (even before they contacted you) was to steal your money. This is fraud and deserves 1 point, not 3.

Indeed. If people work with agencies that are so bad that they are banned from posting on ProZ.com, almost get swindled, and still give a non-committal score to the would-be swindlers, things will never change.

Bruno, I'm glad you got your money and I applaud your perseverance. Nevertheless, I think it not unfair to point out that you have made many posts about your dissatisfaction with the state of the translation industry as you see it. And yet your own actions not only indicate a very poor understanding risk management, but are directly contributing to the problems you have often described in this very forum. You're enabling these people. You must be the change that you want to see. That means not dealing with the rogues at the bottom of the industry.

Regards,
Dan


 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 17:31
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
The points have meaning, though Feb 16, 2018

Álvaro Espantaleón wrote:
Payment received after 6 months should be a 1, not a 3.


The points have meaning, and if the OP chose to award "3" then it is because the meaning of "3" reflects his opinion. If the OP is not "very unlikely to work again" (which is what "1" means), then awarding a "1" would be a lie, don't you agree?


 
Bruno Depascale
Bruno Depascale  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 17:31
Member (2009)
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
blueboard Feb 16, 2018

Dan Lucas wrote:

Bruno, I'm glad you got your money and I applaud your perseverance. Nevertheless, I think it not unfair to point out that you have made many posts about your dissatisfaction with the state of the translation industry as you see it. And yet your own actions not only indicate a very poor understanding risk management, but are directly contributing to the problems you have often described in this very forum. You're enabling these people. You must be the change that you want to see. That means not dealing with the rogues at the bottom of the industry.

Regards,
Dan


Dear Dan,
thank you for your reply.
I think a flaw of me is that I am too trustful about people. It is true that maybe the behavior of such client was planned from the beginning, but I haven't got a proof of it. In my evaluation in the BlueBoard I wrote that I have been paid after six months, but I don't know if this behavior was intentional or not. Maybe they really had problems with their bank (even if I don't think so).
However, I won't work with this outsourcer again, but I don't feel at ease in leaving a 1 point evaluation after I have received the money..
The reason I decided to work with this outsourcer is because the feedback of fellow translators for the last year was all 5 points. So I thought that maybe the outsourcer had changed his bad payment practices, but I was wrong. However, I think that I have warned fellow translator in my comment where I say "payment received after 6 months"..


 
Dan Lucas
Dan Lucas  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:31
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
Forewarned is forearmed Feb 17, 2018

Bruno Depascale wrote:
I think a flaw of me is that I am too trustful about people.

A general tendency to be trustful of others is a fine thing in a person, but may be a problem in a business context, where arguably one's trust should not be given so easily.

So I thought that maybe the outsourcer had changed his bad payment practices, but I was wrong. However, I think that I have warned fellow translator in my comment where I say "payment received after 6 months"..

Yes, that certainly helps, I think. The mere fact that the rating is not a 5 should give people pause for thought - if they are thinking at all.

Regards,
Dan


 
Álvaro Espantaleón Moreno
Álvaro Espantaleón Moreno  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 17:31
Member (2015)
English to Spanish
1 Feb 17, 2018

If you won't work with that client again (your own words), then the right rating is 1: No way (I would definitely refuse to work again with this outsourcer).

The Blue Board is not about your feelings (a 3 makes you feel better).


 


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Debt collection agency in United Arab Emirates: Ling A**ch and Hugo Ca**e







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