Translator Agreement

Personal information

All information provided by the users (Clients and Translators) shall be true, accurate and up-to-date at all times. Translators are required to upload an identification document, which affirms the data entered. Users may not upload misleading, partial or inaccurate documents.

 

OnTheGoSystems reserves the right to sign up any user based on its own discretion. Furthermore, OnTheGoSystems reserves the right to suspend or terminate any user account.

OnTheGoSystems prohibits the disclosing of personal information on its website.

Translators are forbidden to disclose any type of personal contact details (phone or mobile number, email, physical address, Skype, facebook, twitter, Linkedin ID, etc.) anywhere on the web portal, in project chats, in section Work experience and fields of interest, etc.

Neither is it permitted to offer one’ services nor accept any client’s offers to work on projects outside of OnTheGoSystems portal.

Any translator found in breach of this clause may see his/her account closed.

 

Translation skills

Translators need to select languages in which they are qualified to translate. Normally, translators may translate into mother tongue languages and translate from languages in which they are fluent. In any case, translators must supply a scanned document which proves their translation skills for each language.

For every language you add to your profile, you need to include the following:

 

Description of your background in this language

A scanned translation examination result (in that language)

Scanned language examination documents must not be edited in any way, including paper editing or digital editing. Each uploaded document must also include a title, indicating what the document is.

OnTheGoSystems reserves the right to decline any request to translate in any language on its sole discretion.

 

Translation categories

Translators should select categories in which they possess special skills. OnTheGoSystems does not review this list, as we cannot test the individual background of every translator.

You agree to only enter categories in which you have done translation work in the past, and in which you are proficient. You understand that OnTheGoSystems may remove categories from your list on its sole discretion.

 

Your resume

Translators must enter a resume, showing other users (clients and translators) their background and experience. You agree to only enter correct and up-to-date information in your resume and to not disclose any personal contact information of any kind.

 

Practice project(s)

Translators may be asked to complete a practice project before being able to bid on live projects by paying clients. These practice projects are intended as a learning tool. The output of these projects is not used in any way by OnTheGoSystems, or any other party. The only usage of practice projects is to introduce translators to the different aspects of the system.

You understand that no payment shall be made for your translation on practice projects. Furthermore, doing a practice project does not guarantee being qualified to work on live projects. OnTheGoSystems will review your work on the practice project and will decide if you are qualified to translate. This decision is not done only on the basis of your language and translation skills but also based on your skills in the translation software and website.

 

Projects

Clients post translation projects and seek translators to complete them. It is your responsibility to find, review and negotiate projects. To assist you in locating projects that match your profile, the site includes a project search tool and other notification mechanisms for translators.

Every translation project includes the following required elements:

 

  1. The material to be translated.
  2. A detailed description of the project, including any:
    1. Website’s purpose
    2. Special requirements regarding the entire project (sentence level requirements must be included in the uploaded project)
  3. Selection of the source language and one or more target languages for translation.
  4. Deadline by which the project must be completed.

Please note that if client has requested his project to be translated and reviewed, stated deadline on any such project indicates the overall timely completion of both tasks, translation AND review. As such, the translator MUST leave enough time for the reviewer to work accordingly.

 

Communicating with clients

Every project has a private chat between you, the reviewer if selected and the client. This chat is not viewable by any other user.

You MUST use the project chat in order to clarify any requirements, needs to requests made by the client.

If the client raises project requests in the chat, which you do not understand or cannot comply with, you must address these problems. You understand that bidding on a project implies your complete understanding and ability to comply with the project’s requirements, including any requests made by the client in the chat with you.

Any correspondence appearing in the project chat is considered an integral part of the project’s requirements. Other communications between you and the client and not documented on OnTheGoSystems, are strictly forbidden and cannot be used to resolve conflicts.

 

The official language of the chat is always English. You understand that any communication in other languages cannot be considered in case of dispute.

 

Ownership of translation

 

The translation work is defined as “Work for hire”. It means that the client, not the translator, is considered the legal author and sole owner of the text issued for translation and the translated text.

 

Bidding on projects

Before bidding on any project, you MUST download the file to localize if available, read and make sure that you completely understand the project’s description and all requirements set by the client. You also understand that the project may include other instructions, appearing in the project body itself, in the form of sentence comments. These comments are considered to be part of the project’s requirements and must be implemented.

 

Making changes to bids

The site may block you from making changes to your bids, once they are placed. There are different circumstances to this, such as when the client may be in the process of accepting bids.

You understand and agree that any bid you make may be accepted – in which case you will be obliged to complete the work at the bid’s rate and in compliance with the full project’s terms.

 

Translating

For some projects, you may be asked to use our proprietary translation software WebTA, in order to translate projects that you will be contracted for on the website. You agree not to try and reverse engineer the translation software, its interface to the website or the project format.

 

You should use WebTA as-is. If you encounter any problems or need assistance, you must contact OnTheGoSystems, and not try to make any modifications yourself to neither the program nor the project files.

 

During the project, you must acknowledge and comply with all requirements included in the project in the form of sentence-level comments and requirements. If you encounter requirements that you do not understand, or cannot comply with, you must contact the client and request clarifications. If you and the client cannot come to an agreement, well documented in the project chat, you must contact us.

 

Responding during the work

The client may communicate with you during the work. You must reply in a responsive manner. Failure to do so may be a basis for the client to cancel the project on grounds of insufficient progress.

 

Uploading your work

You are encouraged to make frequent uploads of your work using WebTA. This will protect you against data loss in case your computer suffers from damage.

 

When your work is complete you must upload the project for the client to review. The client may only accept your work when all translation is complete and when WebTA indicates so.

 

Work completion and payment

You must not make requests for payment from the client, either for partial completion, advance payment, or when the project is complete. Doing so will be considered inappropriate. The client is notified when you complete all the work on the project and needs to review the work before finalizing the project and releasing your payment.

 

Your credit and our fee

Your account will be credited when the work is complete and accepted by the client. The credit amount will be calculated as:

 

YOUR_CREDIT = WORD_COUNT * BID (USD/Word) * (1 – COMMISSION RATE)

The commission rate is 0.2 (20% of the payment).

 

Your credit will be available in your ICanLocalize account.

 

Withdrawing money

You can withdraw money from your ICanLocalize account to your PayPal account. You cannot make withdrawals to PayPal accounts of third parties, under any circumstances.

 

Any fees imposed by PayPal, related to withdrawing money from your ICanLocalize account will be paid by you. Please note that PayPal deducts different fees, depending on the type of account to deposit in (your account).

 

Arbitration

An arbitration process occurs whenever a project does not progress according to the normal flow, as described in Project progress and payments. An arbitration may be initiated due to:

 

  1. Client or translator’s request.
  2. Translator does not complete the project within the timeframe calculated.
  3. Client does not finalize the work within a week from the project’s deadline (not from the time it was actually completed, in case the translator completed the work).

There are two types of arbitrations, as described below.

 

Mutual arbitration

A mutual arbitration is carried out between a client and a translator. During this process, both can come up with offers to complete the work for a full or partial payment. When one side makes an offer and the other side agrees, the work completes and the project is finalized.

During a mutual arbitration both the client and/or the translator may request the assistance of a member of our support team.

If the two parties cannot come to an agreement in a mutual arbitration, within a reasonable time frame, the arbitration may become a supporter assisted arbitration, even if neither the client nor translator requested it.

 

Supporter assisted arbitration

A supporter assisted arbitration is managed by a support staff member (referred to as Supporter). During this process, the supporter raises questions and asks for clarifications from both parties involved in the arbitration (the client and translator). Each party must answer within three (3) working days, or the arbitration is automatically awarded to the other party.

During this process, neither the client nor translators may make offers. The supporter will gather all the required information and will make a decision regarding the work. This decision will include how much of the escrowed funds are released to the translator and how much are refunded to the client.

You agree that if your projects enter a supporter assisted arbitration, you will reply to the supporter within three (3) working days. You also agree that if you fail to do so, the supporter may, at his/her sole discretion make a ruling on the arbitration to the other side, regardless of other circumstances.

You also agree that the results of this arbitration process are final and that neither of the parties involved has any rights to make claims regarding the work in question.

 

Taxes

You are solely responsible for complying with tax reporting and payment. OnTheGoSystems cannot assist you in making reports and payments on your behalf.

 

Abandoned accounts

You must log in to your account once every 180 days. Failure to do so may list your account as abandoned and may be closed. OnTheGoSystems will send notifications to your registered email address before your account is considered as inactive.

When an account remains inactive for over 180 days, OnTheGoSystems may terminate it.