We wanted to quoting to be open in order to allow for full transparency - let the market control the price! When you, as a freelancer have completed some jobs then your feedback score will rise (hopefully) together with your credibility, thus increasing your chances of getting a job with a higher quote.
We also didn't want to set a minimum on the quote because the job may be a small one. However, come to think of it, maybe we should add a new budget range called "tiny project" (€10-25) for small jobs eg. translation of some banner ads. What do you think?
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Oh, I don't mean to limit minimum or maximum budget, I would just like to see a limit when we, the freelancers, are quoting for jobs. For example, if a job has a budget 30-400, then the minimum quote a freelancer should be able to post should be limited to 30. Those people who want to go below (like the ones posting 7 or 9 € right now) should then find another job - one that has such a low minimum available.
If we let them keep posting such low prices, some buyers will choose them just to get a cheap deal, regardless of their lack of quality.
Having a dynamic market is a good idea as it is, it shouldn't be changed in any way, and I have no doubt translators will be hired. It's the buyers I'm worried about, and them not paying us - since there's no legal obligation for them to do so.
Translation is like a woman. If it is beautiful, it is not faithful. If it is faithful, it is most certainly not beautiful.
Swader: Oh, I don't mean to limit minimum or maximum budget, I would just like to see a limit when we, the freelancers, are quoting for jobs. For example, if a job has a budget 30-400, then the minimum quote a freelancer should be able to post should be limited to 30. Those people who want to go below (like the ones posting 7 or 9 € right now) should then find another job - one that has such a low minimum available.
Yes, a new budget range of 10-25 would solve that. Currently the smallest budget range a buyer can choose is the 25-250 range so they have not option to post a particular job to fit that range (thats why we have no minimum atm).
If you goto "post a job" you can see the different budget ranges at the bottom (just before the submit button). We wanted to have every job be of minimum €25 of value, but do you believe it would benefit the site to have a lower budget range (tiny project)?
No, I think you misunderstood me again :)
I don't want to shrink minimum budgets - I want to stop the freelancers from offering 9€ on a job with a minimum budget of 40€. The buyer should be able to post whatever budget he wants, even 5€ for all I care, but the freelancer should not be able to offer BELOW that minimum amount (1,2,3 or 4€).
For example, your Email Template job has a minimum budget of 30€. But the user mattalla posted a quote of 7€. That's not fair to other, more serious freelancers, and such a behavior, if it spreads, could lure serious buyers into hiring very bad translators.
I think we agree. Buyers currently has an option to select €30-250 as the smallest budget range. If we lock quotes to the budget range then we currently wouldn't see any jobs in the budget range of €10-30 (eg. banner translation) because its not possible to post such a small job or receive quotes that fit the job size.
So this is what we could try:
1. Add another budget range 10-30
2. Fix quotes to the budget range (as you suggest)
What do you think about that?
I think the second option is the only way to go. Offering a new price range from 10€-30€ won't stop people from offering 5€ even on those jobs. The freelancers need to be limited, not the buyers. Also, a 10€ reward would be kind of pointless unless paid via paypal - Moneybookers take a provision for every payment and another 2€ for withdrawing cash. The freelancer who got 10€ would be left with 5€, barely. Western is even worse, so I think the only way to approach this is to simply limit the freelancer's minimum quote to the job's minimum budget.
Ohh I meant doing both the suggestions above (1 and 2). I can see how it could be misunderstood.
Oh, I see :) Yeah, that'll do :)
See, this is what I mean:
Personally, when I see a quote that low I start to question the quality and skills of the freelancer. Usually experience and skills follow the cost of the service supplied :)