Have you been asked by a Chinese trade company to translate a book?
Thread poster: Monika Rozwarzewska
Monika Rozwarzewska
Monika Rozwarzewska  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:26
Member (2006)
English to Polish
+ ...
May 10, 2017

I have been recently contacted by a Chinese company which asked me to translate a book of Mao Tse Tung (selected works) - as an agency as I also have a translation agency. During our email exchange, the person who's been in touch with us agreed to our price which was not very low, and also agreed to a contract draft, insisting we meet in China in his office. Now, here's the fishy part: although we asked several times for it, he never replied to our request to present company registration papers,... See more
I have been recently contacted by a Chinese company which asked me to translate a book of Mao Tse Tung (selected works) - as an agency as I also have a translation agency. During our email exchange, the person who's been in touch with us agreed to our price which was not very low, and also agreed to a contract draft, insisting we meet in China in his office. Now, here's the fishy part: although we asked several times for it, he never replied to our request to present company registration papers, he contacts us from his private email (free provider), the website he sent us a link to is only in English and looks strange, etc.
I wonder if there are more of you who have been contacted by such a "client"? And what do you think? What I completely don't understand is why he insists on our visit?
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Darius Sciuka
Darius Sciuka  Identity Verified
Lithuania
Local time: 13:26
English to Lithuanian
+ ...
Drop it May 10, 2017

Hi Monika,

I was in exactly the same situation some ten years ago. The Chinese party ordered a translation of a large book (all the texts were available online). They would accept all your terms and the draft contract, and insist on meeting in China. After you agree to meet them there they would tell you that you should organize a party for "the people from the authorities" and give "expensive gifts" [sic] to them to obtain required permissions to sign the contract because that's th
... See more
Hi Monika,

I was in exactly the same situation some ten years ago. The Chinese party ordered a translation of a large book (all the texts were available online). They would accept all your terms and the draft contract, and insist on meeting in China. After you agree to meet them there they would tell you that you should organize a party for "the people from the authorities" and give "expensive gifts" [sic] to them to obtain required permissions to sign the contract because that's the way all business is done in China. We've never got to the part where we actually go to China so I can only assume you'd part with a considerable amount of cash for the tickets, party, and God knows how much for the bribes, and that would be it - there would be no actual order or contract of course. Your Chinese friends would count their earnings once they've gotten over a hangover after their free party and would start working on another chump, I guess.

After we insisted on getting more details during a phone conversation, the Chinese gentleman got all indignant and started telling us we should just trust them because they could not have business with us otherwise. At that point we decided to end our budding relationship and part ways. Our beautiful friendship was never meant to be...

So my advice is to drop it and don't waste any more time. Hope this helps. Oh, by the way, if you were contacted by the Chinese gentleman who called himself Andy, you can say hello for me

Regards,
Darius
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Paulinho Fonseca
Paulinho Fonseca  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 08:26
Member (2011)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Possible scam May 10, 2017

The way you have described it, they were setting the scene to scam you.

Darius is right: 'Drop it'

Good luck.


 
The Misha
The Misha
Local time: 07:26
Russian to English
+ ...
A company from China? May 10, 2017

Translating Chairman Mao? Go to China to sign a contract? What else do you need to know to see it for what it is?

 
Monika Rozwarzewska
Monika Rozwarzewska  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:26
Member (2006)
English to Polish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Payment issues May 11, 2017

Darius Sciuka wrote:

After you agree to meet them there they would tell you that you should organize a party for "the people from the authorities" and give "expensive gifts" [sic] to them to obtain required permissions to sign the contract because that's the way all business is done in China.

Actually they never asked us for any payments nor gifts Or maybe we didn't get that far.
Thank you for your detailed answer. I had my Chinese colleague call that person to learn that "he does it for his friend". That was all I needed to be sure it is a scam.


 
Mervyn Henderson (X)
Mervyn Henderson (X)  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 12:26
Spanish to English
+ ...
Little Red Flag May 11, 2017

I'm with The Misha here, and I said as much on another scam thread recently. Why does it even have to get this far? I think it was neilmac who said on the same thread that it's not the manifestly implausible scammers you have to worry about - it's the scammers who DO seem plausible. And another thing - gifts? bribes? Maybe, but I don't think that's all there is to worry about. If someone's daft enough to actually go there, they might not be coming back.

 
Katarzyna Slowikova
Katarzyna Slowikova  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 12:26
English to Czech
+ ...
1234567890 May 11, 2017

I like the total lack of imagination these guys mostly seem to exhibit.
A translation request from China? Of course, what else then the Selected Works by Chairman Mao. LOL.
But I'd also like to know what exactly was their plan.... I remember reading somewhere (on wikipedia...?) about the type of scams targeted at interpreters where they were also tricked into making a useless trip where nobody awaited them (nothing more sinister than that). But don't remember what the scam part was..
... See more
I like the total lack of imagination these guys mostly seem to exhibit.
A translation request from China? Of course, what else then the Selected Works by Chairman Mao. LOL.
But I'd also like to know what exactly was their plan.... I remember reading somewhere (on wikipedia...?) about the type of scams targeted at interpreters where they were also tricked into making a useless trip where nobody awaited them (nothing more sinister than that). But don't remember what the scam part was.... I'd suggest to try research some scams directed at interpreters, maybe it will yield some clue. The trip part is imho most suspicious and I'd expect the trick has something to do with this.

PS. Trying to find that interpreters scam thing, I stumbled across this website: http://www.419eater.com/html/letters.htm
If you have time, read some of those stories, they're real jewels! Just as an appetizer: a guy managed to convince a scammer to hire a boat and search in the ocean for a box allegedly filled with a wast amount of $$$. (http://www.419eater.com/html/SkeletonCoast/index.html) Priceless! (now I'm awaiting a reaction from one of those boring patrons warning everybody to NEVER answer scam emails.)

[Edited at 2017-05-11 14:50 GMT]
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Vanda Nissen
Vanda Nissen  Identity Verified
Australia
Local time: 21:26
Member (2008)
English to Russian
+ ...
I second Mischa May 11, 2017

Chinese company looking for an overseas service provider to translate Mao? For me would be enough information not to engage into this negotiation.

 


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Have you been asked by a Chinese trade company to translate a book?







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