How it works FAQs

For a full list of FAQs about all aspects of our service, visit our support area

• ›Why is myGengo’s word count different from my software?

  myGengo uses a proprietary word and character count system designed from the ground up to produce an accurate count for translation purposes. This means that the word count you see in your desktop software (like Microsoft Word) might be different.
  How our word-counter differs from some other software:

  We do not count punctuation and special characters like dollar signs ($).

  We do not count spaces.

  We do not count formatting characters or tables, bullets, lines etc

  We count characters and words in unexpected languages differently. For instance, we count each English words within a Japanese document as one Japanese character, as it takes an equivalent time for the translator to work with.

  The result is that our word count can often be 10-20% lower than that provided by Google or Microsoft, especially for a document with a high level of formatting. However the effective work required by the translator is accurately reflected in the count.

• ›Will my money added ever expire?

  If you do not use myGengo for 6 months, the money added during this period will expire. By 'use' we mean: ordering jobs, or adding money. After expiry, your balance will be reset to zero. To avoid this, simply order translations within the expiry date. You will receive an email warning 30 days from expiry, and a further warning 7 days from expiry. Expiry is non-reversible.

  This does not mean that your added money will expire after 6 months. It means your added money will expire 6 months from when you last added money or ordered a job. So if you top up $100 in January, and you order $5 of translation every month, this added money will last you 20 months as normal. Basically if you use myGengo more than once every 6 months, you will never have added money expire.

  As a goodwill gesture to our existing customers, money expiry will start 6 months from now, i.e. the 10th February 2011.

• ›Will my notes and comments in Microsoft Office files be translated too?

  No. Any "Notes" or "Comments" that are added to your Microsoft Office files are not included in the word count and will not be translated.

• ›Can I delete jobs afterwards so that my data is kept private?

  After you approve a job, you are able to delete it if you wish. Deleting removes all the original content and the translated content from a job that you have approved. The main reason you would do so, would be to maintain the long-term privacy of your content.

  To delete a job, visit the job details page of an approved job. Please note that deleting a job is final! There is no undo. We retain information about the price of the job, the word count and the date of the order for your records.

• ›What are “preferred translators”?

  Our system will not allow you to choose a specific translator, but you can have one of your "preferred translators" do your translation job. These are a list of translators you have selected on the feedback form as translators you would like do one of your translations in the future. If you're placing your first order, you will not see this option as you will not have any "preferred" translators yet.

  If you would like one of your preferred translators to do your translation, click on the "Advanced options" button on the order form and select "use only my preferred translators." Please note that you must have at least 2 preferred translators before you can make the request, and based on availability, it may increase the time required to complete your job.

• ›Can I choose translators?

  myGengo is a service that tests and continually evaluates translators so that you receive a consistently good result, every time. You cannot choose a specific translator to do your job. All jobs at myGengo operate on a first-come first-serve basis, so as to give you a fast turnaround time, and we cannot guarantee that your translator is available to work at the time you place your order.

• ›What do you mean by “estimated time”?

  The estimated time is calculated by taking into account the pickup time (which varies depending on translators' availability) and completion time.

  We show an estimate to give you an indication - but it isn't a guarantee. Why? We're great at everyday translations, but we're not a specialist agency. Complex jobs can take much longer than simple ones, and we can't tell before you order how difficult your translation is. Contact us if you have something complicated and you're not sure - or indicate in the comment box if you only need a quick, simple translation and not a specialist.

• ›Can I get an invoice for my order?

  If you need a record of your purchases, please go into your PayPal account and download it there. myGengo invoices are in the works, and will be available in the upcoming weeks.

• ›How do I exclude words or phrases from the word count?

  If you have certain words or phrases you don't want translated, please place these brackets "[[[ ]]]" around the words to exclude them from the word count. Your translation will be returned back to you with the words in the brackets unchanged. This can also be useful for code comments.

• ›How do I add some reference material to complement my translation order?

  You can add reference material, context, background, etc. to your order by adding a comment. You can add a comment before, during and after you've gotten your translation. Please also use comments to communicate with translators with any questions or concerns. To learn more about the comments feature, scroll down to the commons section. You may also link to other documents (for example webpages, or public documents uploaded to Google Docs) in this space. However you may not add extra text for translation in the comment area.

• ›Is there a way I can set a deadline for my translation order?

  Not at this time. You can see an estimate of the time a job will take, on the order form - however this is not a guarantee. Once you submit your order, translators are immediately notified of your translation job and will start working. The amount of time the translator has to complete your job depends on the word count. If the translator fails to submit the translation on time or chooses to cancel the job, it will be passed on to another worker.

• ›Do you provide proofread-only services?

  Currently we do not. The only proofreading service we provide is a Pro level translation + proofreading one, which we call Ultra. We may offer a separate proofreading service in the future.

• ›Can I place my order into multiple languages?

  No. You can order multiple jobs at once, but only into one language. If you would like to order the same text into multiple languages, please place separate orders.

• ›If I place a grouped order, does one translator work on all of them?

  By default, we allow a team of translators to work on multiple jobs, as this provides a very fast turnaround. However, on some occasions you may wish to have one translator work on a group of jobs for consistency. Please click on the "advanced option" button to choose between using a team of translators, or just one.

• ›Why was my job flagged?

  If a translator finds a problem with the job (such as the word count being off, the wrong language pair having been ordered, or the content of the job being unsuitable according to our Quality Policy), they will flag the job. The translator's comments will be added to job, and an email notification will also be sent to you. Please take the appropriate action to address the issue, and click the "This issue has been resolved. Remove this flag" button once it's been resolved.

  myGengo Support will be notified of the flag, however we will only intervene directly when neither customer nor translator can fix the problem.

• ›Can I order multiple jobs at once?

  Yes, you can add as many texts or documents to your order as you like.

• ›How long will my translation take?

  We don't have any time guarantees, but the turn-around time depends on how long the job is, what service level you chose, if you want one of your preferred translators to do the work (see below) and whether it's a grouped order (see below). But here are some recent stats:

  • 78% of translations are completed within 8 hours
  • 99% of all Standard jobs are completed within 21 hours
  • Average time for Standard translations under 250 words is less than 4 hours