Terms and conditions

1. Introduction

The terms “Refiner”, “we”, “us” and “our” all refer to the company Refiner Translations OÜ, business registry code 10894180, whose registered business address is Pärnu mnt 10, Tallinn 10148, Estonia.

The term “service(s)” refers to any of the services provided by Refiner described in the Services section of our website.

The terms “client(s)” and “you” refer to any person or entity that inquires about the services provided by Refiner or makes an agreement with Refiner for Refiner to carry out a job for them.

The term “job” refers to the one-time provision by Refiner to the client of one or more of Refiner’s services.

The term “provider(s)” refers to professional linguists or other service providers employed by Refiner on a permanent or freelance basis for the purpose of carrying out jobs.

The term “original text” refers to any documents or material submitted by the client to Refiner for processing according to one of Refiner’s translation or editing services or for the purpose of making an inquiry about a possible editing or translation job.

The term “completed work” refers to the documents and material that Refiner will return to the client once we have completed the job according to the brief.

“Working hours” are defined as the hours between 9:00 and 17:00 Eastern European Time.

These terms and conditions apply to all translation and editing services provided by Refiner. By ordering any of these services from Refiner, the client agrees to be bound by these terms.

Refiner offers a range of services in addition to translation and editing. Sections 1 and 3-11 of this document apply to those services.

2. Services

2.1. Editing services

Editing (more specifically, copyediting) involves reviewing and amending a text to improve clarity, readability and overall quality, ensuring consistency in style and formatting, and correcting grammar, punctuation and spelling while maintaining the text’s original tone and intent. We offer four levels of editing services: (1) light edit, (2) premium edit, (3) substantive edit and (4) deep edit.

As we go up each service level, we consider more features of the text, as described in the service descriptions below. All the elements of lower service levels are included in higher service levels.

With all levels, you are allowed unlimited reviews of the completed work within 14 days of delivery, as outlined in Section 5 of this document, unless otherwise stipulated in the quote or agreement for us to carry out the job.

There are two methods that we can use to deal with possible issues in the text:

Resolving. We make corrections or other changes to the text to fix the issues.
Flagging. We add a comment to the text to describe the possible issues.

2.1.1. Light edit

For all light editing jobs, we correct grammar and spelling and flag parts of the original text that we believe could be refined to increase clarity.

While individual providers may work at different speeds, the average rate of a light edit is 10,000 words per day.

2.1.2. Premium edit

Our premium edit service includes all the features of the light edit service. Additionally, for any premium edit job, we may make minor changes where doing so will improve clarity, tone and register. We flag possible factual errors, logical inconsistencies or incorrect use of technical terms, as well as passages where sentences or passages could be rewritten to improve the overall quality of the completed work.

While individual providers may work at different speeds, the average rate of a premium edit is 5,000 words per day.

2.1.3. Substantive edit

Our substantive edit service includes all the features of the premium edit service. Additionally, we resolve possible factual errors, logical inconsistencies and incorrect use of technical terms. Where doing so will improve the overall quality of the completed work while retaining the original text’s tone and intent, we may make minor changes to individual sentences and flag where passages could be rewritten or where the original text could be restructured.

While individual providers may work at different speeds, the average rate of a substantive edit is 3,000 words per day.

2.1.4. Deep edit

Our deep edit service includes all the features of the substantive edit service. Additionally, we may add to or remove content from the text and change or restructure the text where doing so will improve the overall quality of the completed work while retaining the original text’s tone and intent.

While individual providers may work at different speeds, the average rate of a deep edit is 2,000 words per day.

2.2. Translation services

Professional translation is the process of changing text from one language (“the source language”) to another (“the target language”) while making sure that the translated content preserves the meaning of the original text and has a coherent style and tone. We provide four levels of translation services: (1) basic translation, (2) premium translation, (3) adaptation and (4) transcreation.

As we go up each service level, we consider more features of the text, as described in the service descriptions below. All the elements of lower service levels are included in higher service levels.

There are two methods that we can use to deal with possible issues in the text:

Resolving. We make corrections or other changes to the text to fix the issues.
Flagging. We add a comment to the text to describe the possible issues.

2.2.1. Basic translation

For any basic translation job, we translate the original text from the source to the target language(s), keeping the meaning of the original text intact and ensuring a neutral tone and coherent style. We make sure that the completed work has no grammar, spelling or punctuation mistakes.

While individual providers may work at different speeds, the average rate of our basic translation service is 2,500 words per day.

2.2.2. Premium translation

Our premium translation service includes all the features of the basic translation service. Additionally, we ensure that the completed work preserves the tone and intent of the original text while also sounding natural in the language it is translated into. We also ensure that any technical terminology is rendered in its correct form in the target language. We flag possible factual errors or logical inconsistencies, as well as passages where the style or tone of the completed work could be improved, given its genre and intended use.

While individual providers may work at different speeds, the average rate of our premium translation service is 1,250 words per day.

2.2.3. Adaptation

Our adaptation service includes all the features of the premium translation service. Additionally, we resolve possible factual errors or logical inconsistencies and make changes to improve the style or tone of the completed work, given its genre and intended use. We also flag sections where content could be added or removed or the text could be restructured to improve the overall quality of the completed work, given its genre and intended use.

While individual providers may work at different speeds, the average rate of our adaptation service is 750 words per day.

2.2.4. Transcreation

Our transcreation service includes all the features of the adaptation service. Additionally, we may add to or remove content from the text and change or restructure the text where doing so would improve the overall quality of the completed work, given its genre and intended use.

While individual providers may work at different speeds, the average rate of our transcreation service is 500 words per day.

2.3. Style guides

For any editing and translating services, you may request that we format the draft and revised texts according to a style guide of your choice. If we do not have access to the guidelines for the style requested, we will ask you to supply us with those guidelines. If you do not request that another style guide be used, we will format the draft and revised texts according to our house style.

3. Ordering process

3.1. Initial contact

3.1.1. When making an initial inquiry about a potential job, we ask you to provide us with the details of the job and the general service required (e.g. editing or translation). For editing and translation jobs, this includes details about the text, its nature and purpose. For translations, you will indicate the source language(s) and the target language(s).

3.1.2. You will propose a deadline by which we shall send you the completed work. When suggesting a deadline, we recommend that you allow enough time to complete the review process outlined in Section 5 of this document before you need to use the completed work.

3.1.3. We strongly recommend that you give us access to any other materials required for the job to be completed with your initial inquiry. For editing and translation jobs, this especially includes the original text. Not doing so may delay us in offering a quote for the proposed job or require subsequent revisions to the quote.

3.1.4. If you submit an inquiry through the contact form on our website and fill out all relevant fields correctly, we will send you a quote; if not, we will ask you for more information.

Please note that while we seek to reply to inquiries made through the contact form within one to three hours, circumstances may affect our ability to do so. Circumstances that may affect our response time include public holidays in Estonia, staff holidays and illness, and queries that are submitted outside working hours or within three hours of the close of working hours.

3.2. Quotation

3.2.1. In order to give a realistic quote, we need you to give us access to any materials required to complete the job. For editing and translation jobs, this especially includes the original text. If you are unable to give us access to the necessary materials at this stage, an alternative arrangement for providing a quote may be agreed on. However, this may result in us quoting a higher price and a longer deadline.

Once we receive the required materials, we will evaluate how much work is needed to complete the job based on the brief and suggest the appropriate service level. Based on this suggestion, we will provide you with a quote and propose a preliminary deadline. We might also give you a quote for a different service level or other relevant services with an explanation of the pros and cons of each.

3.2.2. If you require the job to be completed faster than the average working speed listed in the Services section of our website, we may issue a quote based on rush rates. We apply rush rates on a case-by-case basis as a surcharge of up to 50%. However, a 50% surcharge will always apply to any part of a job that requires us to work between the end of the business day on Friday and the beginning of the business day on Monday.

3.2.3. Quotes and deadlines are not binding until a job has been ordered (see Clause 3.3.5. in this document).

Please note that our ability to work to a preliminary deadline depends on when you confirm a job and when you send us all the details and materials necessary to complete that job.

3.3. Placing an order

3.3.1. Once we have issued you a quote, you may accept it, request a different level of service (resulting in a new quote) or reject the quote.

3.3.2. If you request a lower service level than we deem appropriate, we will explain why we do not recommend that service level and what a higher service level would add. If you still wish to request the lower service level, we may accept the job, but we cannot guarantee that the completed work will satisfy all the requirements of the brief to the level of a competent native speaker of the language of the completed work.

3.3.3. All our services guarantee at least a basic quality standard. For our editing and translation services, this means delivering texts that accurately convey the meaning of the original text, meet the level of a competent native speaker of the target language, and are free from spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes. If at the time you place an order, we determine that we cannot meet this basic standard, we will inform you that we cannot accept the job.

3.3.4. If you accept a quote, we will agree with you on a delivery deadline and any other terms according to which the job will be carried out.

3.3.5. The job is considered ordered once both sides have confirmed that they agree to be bound by the terms under which the job will be carried out.

4. Delivery and deadlines

4.1. When you order a job, you will give us access to any materials required to complete it that you have not already shared with us during the ordering process.

4.2. If you are unable to give us access to the original text or any other materials required for us to complete the job when you order the job, we will agree with you on a deadline by which you will give us access to those materials.

4.3. We will deliver the completed work by the delivery deadline unless we are unable to do so due to your actions as a client (e.g. if you do not give us access to the original text by an agreed-upon deadline for you to do so).

4.4. If, due to your actions as a client, we are unable to complete the job according to the terms of the agreement for us to carry out the job, we reserve the right to revise the terms of that agreement or cancel the job. If you do not agree to the revised terms, we will consider you to have cancelled the job (see Section 6 of this document). Details of the agreement that may be revised include, but are not limited to, the deadline, the price and the service level.

4.5. We may ask you for additional information or materials if we think this is essential to completing the job. If we do so, we will specify a time limit in which we need to receive this information or materials to complete the job by the delivery deadline. If we do not get such information or materials within that time limit, we reserve the right to revise the terms of the agreement for us to carry out the job.

4.6. We are responsible for carrying out the job to the best of our knowledge and abilities.

4.7. If, for any reason, we are unable to deliver the completed work by the deadline, we will notify you as soon as we become aware of the delay.

5. Review and revisions

5.1. While we never deliver an unfinished draft, all of our editing and translation services allow you the opportunity to review the completed work and request revisions or ask us about any aspect of it without additional cost. Unless otherwise indicated in the quote or agreement for us to carry out the job, you are entitled to unlimited questions and requests within 14 days of delivery of the completed work.

5.2. For the purposes of the review process, the term “revision” refers to a change to some section of the completed work on the basis that it contains errors, fails to convey the meaning of the original text, removes information that was included in the original text, adds information that was not included in the completed work or falls below the level of a competent native speaker of the language of the completed work.

5.3. The scope of your right to review completed work is limited to the content of the original text and completed work (i.e. you do not have the right to request that we add, edit or revise any text that was not a part of the original text or completed work).

5.4. Having reviewed any request for revisions from you, we will either amend the completed work according to your request, offer an alternative revision or provide an explanation of why the suggested revisions would not improve the work.

5.5. We will answer any questions about the completed work to the best of our knowledge.

5.6. If you do not request a review, and do not submit a complaint according to the terms described in Section 7 of this document, you will be deemed to have accepted the completed work.

5.7. While we typically aim to resolve all questions and requests for revisions within one to five business days (including delivering a text revised to your satisfaction where necessary), we cannot guarantee a specific timeframe. Factors that may influence the speed with which this process can be carried out include reviews sent outside of working hours, the number and length of revisions requested, and requests for additional reviews.

5.8. Requesting revisions to or asking questions about the completed work does not entitle you to delay payment beyond the payment deadline (see Section 9 of this document).

6. Cancellation

You may cancel a job after you have ordered it. If you cancel a job, you are obliged to pay us for the amount of work completed by the time of cancellation.

7. Complaints

7.1. If you are unhappy with the quality of our work, you have the right to make a complaint and request a price reduction. You may also request that parts of the job or the entire job be redone, or that the agreement for us to carry out the job be annulled. We may request that you submit the complaint in writing.

7.2. You have the right to submit a complaint within two years of receipt of the completed work.

We respond within 1 to 5 working days if you submit a complaint before we issue an invoice or within 30 days after the invoice deadline.
We respond within the legal limit of 15 days if you submit a complaint more than 30 days after the invoice deadline.

7.3. If you lodge a complaint before the review process described in Section 5 of this document has been completed, we reserve the right to cease work on the job until the complaint is resolved.

7.4. For us to best assess the legitimacy of your complaint, we ask you to provide an explanation of the grounds of the complaint.

7.5. Legitimate grounds for complaint include but are not limited to the following:

We failed to deliver the completed work by the delivery deadline
The completed work does not meet the requirements of the brief
The completed work does not meet our basic quality standards as described in Clause 3.3.3 of this document

7.6. We do not consider the following as legitimate grounds for complaint:

Differences between the original text and the completed work that do not alter the meaning, tone or intent of the original text
Unaddressed issues with the original text that do not fall within the scope of the service ordered (e.g. uncorrected factual errors are not grounds for complaint if the job is for a light edit, which does not include correcting factual errors)

7.7. If you submit a complaint in accordance with Clauses 7.2 and 7.4 of this document, our management team will assess the complaint, taking into account the details of the complaint, the job brief, the service ordered and any work already done.

7.8. If the management team deems the complaint legitimate, we will suggest a possible resolution, which may include redoing parts or all of the job, a revised price, revising the agreement to carry out the job in some other way, or annulling the agreement.

7.9. For any complaint we deem legitimate, we reserve the right to suggest a resolution other than that requested. For example, if you submit a complaint with a request to annul the agreement, we may suggest a price reduction instead, even if we deem the complaint legitimate.

7.10. If we agree with you that we will redo parts or all of the job, we will also agree with you on a deadline by which we will deliver the redone work.

7.11. If we agree on a revised price with you, we will issue a revised invoice for the job. You must pay us the amount specified on the revised invoice within the payment deadline on the revised invoice according to the payment terms described in Section 9 of this document.

7.12. If we agree with you to annul the agreement for us to carry out the job, neither we nor you will continue to be bound by the terms of that agreement.

7.13. If we cannot agree on a resolution to your complaint, we will suggest an alternative dispute resolution entity. The dispute will either be directed to that entity or some other entity acceptable to both you and us.

8. Liability

8.1. Any content created by us as part of a job will become your copyright from the moment that you accept the completed work and have paid us the invoice in full.

8.2. You are responsible for ensuring that querying about, ordering, carrying out or completing a job does not violate any copyright laws.

8.3. You are responsible for ensuring that no confidential information is disclosed to us, other than information that you have the authority to disclose to us.

8.4. Where such content was a part of the original text, we will not be responsible for any threatening, libellous, obscene, harassing or offensive content in the completed work.

8.5. We are not responsible for any use you make of the completed work.

9. Payment terms

9.1. You must pay for any services we have provided you in accordance with an invoice. This invoice will be prepared based on one of three sources, in order of prevalence: the agreement between you and us for us to carry out the job, a price quote provided by us or our standard price list.

9.2. Unless agreed otherwise, payments are to be made via bank transfer. We reserve the right to request advance payment or instalment payments.

9.3. The payment deadline is determined by the date specified on the invoice, issued either upon order delivery or in accordance with terms agreed on by you and us. This deadline remains enforceable regardless of whether you have retrieved the completed order.

9.4. If you fail to provide payment by the payment deadline, we reserve the right to suspend the processing of any subsequent orders. Additionally, we may extend the delivery deadline for any existing orders by the length of the payment delay.

9.5. If you fail to provide payment by the payment deadline, you must pay interest at the rate outlined in the agreement for us to carry out the job or as indicated on the invoice.

10. Confidentiality

10.1. You may disclose certain confidential information to us about you, your clients, your employees or other entities mentioned in materials sent to us for the provision of services.

10.2. We undertake to process confidential information you disclose to us only as is necessary for the purposes for which you have given us prior written consent or where we are legally obliged to do so.

10.3. We will not disclose confidential information to any person, institution or entity without your prior written consent, unless we are legally obliged to do so.

10.4. We undertake to apply appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure that we, our providers, or any other person, institution or entity to whom it is necessary for us to transmit confidential information you disclose to us will keep that information confidential.

10.5. We will erase or destroy at your first request any confidential information you have disclosed to us unless legally required to do otherwise.

10.6. We will return any media containing confidential information that you have shared with us at your first request, unless we are legally required to retain it.

11. Data use and privacy

We collect and process personal data according to our Privacy Policy to provide our services.

Last updated on 31 May 2024