Blacklist K



Non-payer and crook, she actually plans not to pay you
 
Translator's report:
"First of all thank you so much for your blog which represents a great contribution for those of us who make a living out of our hard-earned credentials.
Here's the name and details of an Italian agency and related owner who is totally nuts. The owner, Paola Martinenghi, recruits translators offering somewhat fair rates yet when it comes to paying she totally disappears - no payment whatsoever-so some of us who had the disgrace to work with this agency are spreading the word in the attempt to save other translators (and clients as well, as I'm told they're increasingly dissatisfied especially with deadlines never met).
Here's the details.
Paola Martinenghi
Kernel Quality Translations
Email: p.martinenghi@kernel-translations.com"
Thanks for sharing, I recommend you to report this person to the local authorities as soon as possible.




Very late (8 months) or non-payment

"Some time ago I accepted an emergency job from this outfit for a fixed fee. I delivered well within the time allotted. On my next billing cycle I invoiced them, and have heard nothing since despite a reminder. I gather that this outfit doesn't usually purchase translation services, so there's a good chance that no colleague will be stiffed by them, but just in case, here are the contact details
" WARNING: Damian Pajnkiher (KONSUL - PAJNKIHER & PARTNER) Also in my case he proofed untrustworthy: the invoice is now 5 months overdue!
Payment received on 19/10/2012 - Invoice date 15/02/2012, so 8 months late.


Non payer!! Please report if you've been scammed

Email 30/10/14: 
Other name to join your unfortunately very useful list:
"Hi all, I want to name and shame a non-payer and warn everyone not to work with her. About six months ago I received a request to do a translation from Evelina Kravina in Switzerland (she has various so-called agencies, but in reality she's a one-woman shop). Because she said she was referred to me by a colleague, I accepted the project (stupidly) without a purchase order. I simply trusted her to make payment, which in the end was for nearly $2,000. More than six months later, I still have not received any payments from her, despite her repeated assertions that payment would come today, or tomorrow, or next week. I don't hope to collect the money she owes me at this point, but I hope you will tell everyone you know not to work with her. She is a liar and a fraud and she will not pay you for the work you do. I hope others can at least learn from my experience and avoid her and her so-called agencies like the plague."
Email 1/1/15:
"This horrible woman is the worst outsourcer I ever met in 37 years of my translator’s life. She NEVER EVER pays and has lots of victims in lots of countries. She is very talkative, convincing, an ice cold business woman without any human feelings, she promises and promises, excuses herself, promises again, but does not keep her word. Btw, she is a one woman outfit, no staff, no office space. She changes names, addresses, countries, she creates and closes companies as need be (when it gets too hot for her). Eventually, she asks her dear friend Ms Giada Pappalardo in Italy to officially distribute the work under yet another name, both women are the same kind of cheats. You work for her if you want to be absolutely sure to work for nothing. I researched her thoroughly." 



(Skype name Katia Reed, PM) non-payer :
 
Email received 2/11/13: 
"I am Proz member and I got cheated by kwintessential. I am a LinkedIn member and posted a discussion on this topic. You can see the link here 
I am attaching some documents along with the NDA that I signed.
-- Regards Parvathi.Pappu
Skype conversation (from delivery of the translation)
[11/5/2013 6:07:51 PM] Katia Reed: thank you
[11/7/2013 6:02:43 PM] Paru: Can you provide feedback on proz..only if you are happy with my work
[11/13/2013 7:11:07 PM] Paru: Katia, feedback and PO
[11/21/2013 7:32:09 PM] Paru: Katia, waiting for the PO and the payment...
No need to mention that the PO or feedback never arrived, Miss Katia Wickens vanished.
This is a lesson for whoever still accepts to start a translation without a PO, this is exactly the risk you take. NEVER DO ANYTHING WITHOUT A PO (state it too!! that's also your job, educating your client) or don't deliver the translation until you get that PO : that will teach them.
It doesn't matter who you are dealing with, even if you know the collaborator well, they will very easily forget about you and your little PO and you'll end up having to harass them many times. Once you give away your work like this, you have no guarantee left you'll get paid. That is sad but true, many PMs out there will just choose to forget all about you.

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