Terms of sale for individual translation projects and for certified translation
Index:
- Prepayment and Deposits
- Online quote
- Beginning the translation process
- Format
- Legibility – Handwritten documents
- Delivery times
- Document shipment
- Special cases concerning sworn translations
- Applicable Student Discount
- Sponsorship
- Complaints
- Order Cancellation
- Professional liability and Act of God
- Sales Tax
Prepayment and Deposits
All express translation is subject to full payment before the beginning of the translation process.
For all certified translations, full payment must be received before translation of the document begins. Unless agreed otherwise beforehand, delivery times are calculated from the moment payment is received
Since January 1st 2017, and except in special cases, the acceptance of any order, for any individual translation, of less than or equal to $1000 (before tax) is subject to immediate payment (prior to the carrying out of the service) of the full amount of the total invoice, which is to be paid via electronic transfer to our bank account upon receipt of our invoice and bank details.
Except in special cases, any order in excess of $1000 (before tax) is subject to immediate payment of a deposit of 50% of the total amount of the invoice by electronic bank transfer to our bank account upon receipt of our invoice and bank details.
Non-compliance with the deposit payment releases 001 Translation from any commitment to the translation project.
The balance due will be paid one week after the completion of the project by bank transfer, following the electronic sending of our invoice. Any delay in payment will be subject to application of a default interest rate of 5% per month, and a of $30 per reminder notice.
By default, a customer’s payment is equivalent to accepting the terms and conditions or indicating “signed and accepted for” with a requisite signature.
Online quote
The automatic quote is for information only. All quotes must first be validated by one of 001 Translation’s advisers. The quote can be modified due to the complexity of the document or the specificity of its presentation and layout.
Beginning the translation process
Our quotes are valid for orders placed between 8 am and 5 pm EST. We do not work on weekends or holidays.
Format
Each document must be presented in a usable format, which does not require the purchase of any specific software in order to perform the translation. Scanned documents must be presented individually (one document per page) and not be cut in any way whatsoever. It is not possible to fit two scanned documents onto one page.
If your documents are too large compared to the usual format, you must first make a smaller copy, so you can then scan them in standard format.
Our estimate is based exclusively on the texts available. Therefore, the translation of texts inserted in images, descriptive bubbles, or screenshots, is not included in this estimate.
Legibility – Handwritten documents
To ensure the best possible service, the customer must provide legible documents, with no erasures, corrections, or handwritten additions. We may not be held liable for any errors of transcription of proper names which have been handwritten on the documents provided to us.
Delivery times
For certified translations, delays are indicated for reference only. Because official translators may be called upon at any moment by government bodies and services (law courts, police, customs), it is not possible to guarantee delivery times with absolute certainty.
Document shipment
Our rates for shipments by mail or by USPS, FEDEX or DHL concern domestic shipments only.Any request to send to another destination abroad should be indicated in advance, as it may require a specific quote.
Special cases concerning sworn translations
Some specific situations require the completion of further formalities. Under no circumstances may 001 Translation provide you with information regarding these supplementary steps. It is your own responsibility to check with the relevant authorities or administrations concerning the steps to take.
In these cases, our quote may be revised and the translation’s cost would thus be increased. Processing times may also be somewhat longer as the steps to take require traveling, and also depend on the responsiveness of the relevant administrations.
001 Translation disclaims all responsibility if you do not provide us in advance with all the information necessary for the proper conduct of the proceedings. The same holds true for languages written in an alphabet other than the Latin alphabet. You must give us the spelling, in Latin characters, of all names and surnames appearing on your original documents. Once the translation is completed and delivered, there will be no refund of your order if you did not provide us with this correct information in advance.
Moreover, the official translation might not be recognized by the relevant authorities.
The competent authorities may require two procedures from the translator:
1) Notarization:
Whatever country you are going to, you must always check with that country’s authorities and let us know in advance if you require a notaization of our certified translation. This formality of checking the authenticity of the translator’s signature means that the translator must travel to a town hall or local government agency, and this may take time. In this case, this step will be charged extra.
2) Apostilles :
You must tell us in advance if your translation needs to be submitted to the U.S. Department of State, and/or to foreign consulates in the United States.
If you ask for an apostille to be affixed to the translation, you MUST in this case let us know by return email as the original documents will need to be sent to the translator who will then need to notarize it and proceed with other time-consuming formalities.
Above all, do not run the risk of obtaining an apostille for a translation yourself: this will not always be possible, especially if the certified translator is not in your area. It is the translator who performs this process at your request and ONLY if you have asked us for an apostille on the translation at the time of your order.
WARNING: For the apostille, the processing time can vary, and typically takes between one and three weeks. Our translation is fast, but we cannot set a definite time limit on the administrative processing of the apostille. In case of administrative delay, we may not be held liable.
For your own well-being, check with other agencies or with other translators to see if they are able to process your request more quickly before you leave.
Applicable Student Discount
The discount applies only to student academic papers or certificates upon presentation of a current student card.
Sponsorship
The amounts transferred may not exceed the initial cost of the translation paid for by the client. The amounts transferred by the 001 Translation are limited to $10 per successfully completed sponsorship.
Complaints
Any complaint about the quality of services delivered will only be considered if it is addressed by registered mail, with acknowledgment of receipt, within 7 days of delivery of the translation. Complaints will in no case delay the payment of the invoice or the outstanding balance.
In all cases, the 001 Translation recommends discussion before any action is taken, and believes that its service is to be understood as being in a spirit of partnership with its clients. Thus, in the common interest, and in case of dispute over the quality of its services, the customer must provide clear and unambiguous evidence. The Agency will then carry out a free verification of the initial translation.
In no case may the claim be supported on grounds of style or nuances of lexical connotation. The claim will also be unfounded if the editorial quality of the source text does not provide good conditions in which to understand the original text.
Order Cancellation
Translation orders are neither exchangeable nor refundable.
The customer understands and agrees that if the order is cancelled within two hours of payment, a 50% cancellation fee will be charged.
After two hours of payment, no refund will be possible and 100% of the amount will be retained.
Professional liability and Act of God
001 Translation’s liability is limited to the amount of the invoice. The Agency may never, under any circumstances, be the object of a customer claim for damages or for any harm suffered.
001 Translation goes to all possible lengths to ensure the success of each translation project in the briefest of possible delays. Irrespective of the circumstances, 001 Translation may not be held responsible or professionally liable in the event of intervention from external and independent factors (strike, internet breakdown, inclement weather, accident).
Sales Tax
Tax at the applicable rate will be charged on all indicated rates and will be mentionned upon payment.