TERMS & CONDITIONS
VA Translations
Professional English–Spanish Translation Services
Service Provider: Verónica Alvarado
Tax Identification (RUC): 1313142315001
Location: Portoviejo, Manabí, Ecuador
Email: vatranslations.ec@gmail.com
Website: www.vatranslations.com
Last updated: October 10, 2026
1. Scope and Acceptance
These Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) govern translation and related services provided by Verónica Alvarado, operating under the name VA Translations (“Translator”), to individuals, businesses, law firms, publishers, institutions, and other clients (“Client”).
VA Translations is based in Ecuador and provides English–Spanish translation services to clients in Ecuador and internationally.
These Terms apply to services arranged through the website, email, WhatsApp, or other agreed communication channels.
Before accepting a quotation, the Client will be given access to these Terms and the relevant service information.
A project is accepted when the Client expressly confirms the quotation in writing and satisfies the agreed initial payment requirement, unless a different acceptance procedure is expressly established.
Receipt or opening of a quotation does not, by itself, constitute acceptance.
The accepted quotation and any separate written Project Agreement form part of the contract. Where a Project Agreement expressly addresses a matter differently, its provisions govern that matter, subject to applicable law.
Nothing in these Terms limits rights or remedies that cannot legally be waived.
2. Services
VA Translations provides professional translation of legal, immigration, official, academic, corporate, business, literary, and other accepted materials.
Additional services may include translator certification, coordination of notarization, formatting, and related document preparation, when expressly agreed.
Translations accepted by VA Translations are personally prepared by Verónica Alvarado.
Requests for interpreting or other services outside the regular translation offering may be considered individually. No such service is included unless expressly accepted in writing.
The Translator may decline a proposed assignment before acceptance when its subject matter, requirements, or deadline cannot reasonably be accommodated.
3. Quotations
Quotations are free of charge and without obligation.
Each quotation is based on the source materials and requirements provided by the Client.
The quotation will specify the agreed scope, total price, payment conditions, delivery arrangements, and any additional services or expenses.
A quotation is valid for the period stated in it. If no validity period is specified, availability and pricing must be reconfirmed before acceptance.
If the documents or requirements materially differ from those originally submitted, the Translator may issue a revised quotation before the affected work begins.
No additional fee will be charged without the Client's prior approval.
4. Translation Fees and Billable Pages
The regular reference price for standard document translation is USD 32.61 per billable source page, including applicable taxes under the standard domestic pricing arrangement.
A standard billable page contains up to 250 words from the original document.
Each separately quoted document is subject to a minimum charge of one billable page, even if it contains fewer than 250 words.
For documents exceeding 250 words, the total source-word count is divided into groups of up to 250 words. Any remaining fraction counts as an additional billable page.
For example, a document containing 400 source words is ordinarily billed as two pages.
Translatable text appearing in headings, tables, footnotes, stamps, annotations, and other relevant sections may be included in the word count.
Where the source document is not reliably machine-readable, the word count may be reasonably assessed before the quotation is confirmed.
Unusually dense documents, handwritten or illegible content, complex formatting, specialized terminology, and other requirements may be quoted individually.
Continuous works and extended projects may be priced per word, by project, or using another method expressly stated in the quotation.
The final accepted quotation determines the fee payable.
5. Regular Prices and Payment Discounts
VA Translations establishes regular prices and may offer discounts for payment by bank transfer or cash.
For standard document translation, the currently offered discounted price is USD 30.00 per billable page, including applicable taxes under the standard domestic pricing arrangement.
The regular price is not increased solely because the Client chooses to pay by card.
Any available discount, its conditions, and the final amount payable will be clearly communicated before acceptance.
Discounts are not cumulative unless expressly stated.
Individually quoted projects may have different pricing arrangements.
All prices are expressed in United States dollars unless otherwise agreed.
6. Taxes and Invoicing
The quotation will identify the final amount payable, including applicable taxes.
The general Ecuadorian VAT rate is currently 15%. However, the applicable tax treatment may differ for transactions that legally qualify for zero-rated or other treatment.
VAT and other applicable taxes will be calculated and reported in accordance with the law governing the transaction.
VA Translations will issue the corresponding invoice or authorized tax document in accordance with Ecuadorian requirements.
The Client's residence outside Ecuador does not, by itself, determine the applicable tax treatment.
7. Certified Translations
VA Translations may provide a signed certification statement concerning the completeness and accuracy of a translation personally prepared by Verónica Alvarado.
This is a professional translator's certification and does not constitute a government appointment, judicial accreditation, or sworn-translator designation.
VA Translations certifies only translations personally prepared by Verónica Alvarado.
Translations prepared by clients, other translators, agencies, or automated translation systems will not be certified or signed as the Translator's own work.
Reviewing or correcting a third-party translation does not automatically make it eligible for certification.
A Client who already possesses a translation may request a quotation for a new translation prepared by VA Translations.
8. Notarization
Where applicable, VA Translations may coordinate recognition of the Translator's signature before an Ecuadorian notary.
The regular reference price is USD 38.05 per document, including applicable taxes under the standard arrangement.
A discounted price of USD 35.00 per document may be offered for payment by bank transfer or cash, subject to the conditions disclosed before acceptance.
The fee applies separately to each document requiring its own procedure, unless a different arrangement is expressly quoted.
Verónica Alvarado must personally complete the applicable signature-recognition procedure before the notary.
The Client cannot independently obtain notarization of her signature merely by presenting a translation or certification statement.
Notarial recognition of the signature does not constitute independent verification of linguistic accuracy by the notary.
Notarization is subject to applicable requirements and notarial availability.
9. Additional Services and Expenses
Additional charges may apply to substantial formatting, reconstruction of tables or layouts, transcription, extra copies, unusual document preparation, or other services beyond the accepted scope.
No automatic surcharge applies merely because a document is provided as a PDF, scanned image, or other non-editable file.
Physical delivery, domestic or international courier services, shipping, and related expenses are not included in standard translation or notarization prices unless expressly stated.
Any requested physical delivery will be quoted separately according to the destination, delivery method, and applicable charges.
The Client must approve additional services or expenses before they are incurred.
10. Expedited Services
An expedited service surcharge of up to 50% may apply when the requested deadline requires prioritization over previously scheduled work or work outside ordinary business hours.
Rush service is subject to availability and is not guaranteed.
The applicable surcharge and delivery date must be expressly accepted before work begins.
11. Payment Terms
Standard document translation projects require 100% payment in advance, unless expressly agreed otherwise.
Work may begin immediately after payment confirmation and receipt of the necessary materials.
Extended projects may be subject to an installment schedule established in a separate Project Agreement.
That agreement will specify the total project fee, installment amounts, due dates, and any relevant milestones.
An installment arrangement does not automatically divide a single accepted project into separate contracts.
If an installment remains unpaid after its due date, the Translator may send a written reminder.
If payment remains outstanding for five (5) calendar days after the due date, the Translator may suspend the affected work upon written notice, to the extent permitted by law.
Any resulting adjustment to the delivery schedule will be communicated.
Resumption may be subject to settlement of the outstanding amount and the Translator's current availability.
The Translator may pursue legally available remedies for overdue amounts.
Any contractual interest or late-payment charge must be expressly agreed in the applicable Project Agreement and comply with legal limits. These general
Terms do not impose an automatic fixed late fee.
12. Commencement and Delivery
The delivery date will be confirmed in the accepted quotation or Project Agreement.
Unless otherwise agreed, the delivery schedule begins when the required payment, complete source materials, and necessary instructions have been received.
The Translator may begin work immediately, even if delivery is scheduled for a later date.
Incomplete materials, delayed clarifications, or changes to the agreed scope may require an adjustment to the delivery schedule.
The Translator will promptly communicate any material delay.
Where a deadline was expressly agreed as essential, any proposed extension requires the Client's agreement. The Client retains all remedies available under applicable law.
13. Source Documents and Client Responsibilities
The Client must provide complete, legible source documents and disclose relevant instructions and institutional requirements before accepting the quotation.
The Client confirms that the documents have been lawfully obtained and that the Client is authorized to provide them for the agreed translation services.
The Client is responsible for the authenticity and factual accuracy of the original documents.
The Translator is responsible for faithfully translating the materials provided but does not independently authenticate them or verify the truth of their contents unless expressly agreed.
The Translator may request clarification where ambiguity, inconsistency, or illegibility materially affects the translation.
Errors in Official Documents
Names, dates, identification numbers, places, and other factual information appearing in official documents must be faithfully reproduced in the translation, even if the original appears to contain an error.
The Translator will not independently correct, replace, or alter factual information in an official document based on the Client's instructions or supporting information.
If a possible error or inconsistency is identified, the Translator may notify the Client and recommend obtaining a corrected document from the issuing authority.
The Translator is not responsible for obtaining such corrections unless a separate service has been expressly agreed.
Where a corrected original is necessary to proceed, the affected work may be suspended pending receipt of the corrected document.
If a corrected document is provided before translation work begins, the Translator will assess whether the original quotation and delivery schedule remain applicable.
If a corrected document is provided after work has begun or after delivery, any necessary retranslation, replacement certification, notarization, or additional preparation may be quoted separately.
The revised fee and delivery date must be communicated and accepted before additional work begins.
No additional fee will apply where the need for correction results from an error attributable to the Translator.
14. Changes to the Agreed Scope
Changes to source documents, content, terminology, formatting, certification requirements, or other instructions after acceptance may affect the fee or delivery schedule.
The Translator will explain any proposed adjustment before undertaking additional work.
No additional fee or service becomes binding without the Client's approval.
15. Client Inactivity
If the Client fails to provide information, documents, or approvals necessary to continue the project for fifteen (15) consecutive calendar days after a written request, the Translator may suspend the affected work.
Written notice will be provided before administrative closure.
Administrative closure does not automatically result in forfeiture of payments or extinguish contractual or statutory rights.
If the Client subsequently requests resumption, the remaining scope, payments already made, and current availability will be assessed.
Any revised schedule or additional fee must be agreed before further work begins.
16. Cancellation and Refunds
Cancellation requests must be submitted in writing.
For standard document translations, VA Translations offers a voluntary cancellation window of two (2) hours after payment confirmation, provided the agreed work has not begun.
When both conditions are satisfied, a full refund will be provided under this voluntary policy.
Because work may begin immediately after payment, the two-hour period does not guarantee that the project will remain unstarted.
This voluntary policy does not replace or restrict any statutory withdrawal, cancellation, or refund rights.
In particular, where Ecuadorian consumer law grants a right of withdrawal or return for a service contracted remotely, that right will be respected according to its applicable conditions, including the nature and performance of the service.
Outside the voluntary cancellation policy, any refund or amount lawfully retained will be assessed according to the services actually performed, the agreed pricing method, authorized non-recoverable expenses, valid project-specific terms, and applicable law.
The Translator will provide a reasonable explanation of any amount retained.
A Client's decision not to use a properly completed translation does not, by itself, establish an additional contractual entitlement to a refund.
Nothing in these Terms excludes remedies for defective services, nonperformance, or other rights protected by law.
17. Extended Projects and Termination
Literary, editorial, and other extended projects may be governed by a separate Project Agreement.
The agreement may establish the complete scope, total fee, installment schedule, milestones, editorial review, cancellation arrangements, and intellectual property rights.
Any compensation relating to completed work, committed resources, reserved availability, or termination must be expressly agreed and legally enforceable.
These Terms do not impose automatic forfeiture of all payments or automatic liability for the entire unpaid balance in every termination scenario.
If the Translator cannot complete an accepted project, the Client will be informed promptly.
The parties may agree on a revised schedule or terminate the remaining services, with refunds and other remedies determined according to the agreement and applicable law.
18. Institutional Requirements and Acceptance
The Client must communicate all known requirements of the receiving institution before project acceptance.
These may include certification language, translator qualifications, notarization, original signatures, document format, or delivery method.
VA Translations will assess the communicated requirements and confirm which can be fulfilled.
Acceptance by a receiving institution cannot be guaranteed where the decision depends on matters outside the Translator's control.
This provision does not exclude responsibility for errors or failure to meet requirements expressly accepted as part of the agreed scope.
Requirements communicated after acceptance may require additional services and a revised quotation.
19. Delivery and Working Files
Completed translations will ordinarily be delivered electronically through the agreed communication channel.
The accepted quotation determines the delivery format.
Unless expressly agreed, translation memories, terminology databases, internal drafts, and other production materials are not included among the deliverables.
Physical copies, original signatures, notarized documents, and courier services must be separately arranged.
The Client must provide accurate delivery details and retain copies of completed files.
20. Review and Correction of Translation Errors
The Client is encouraged to review the completed translation within fourteen (14) calendar days after delivery.
The expiration of this period does not automatically eliminate the right to request correction of a demonstrable translation error attributable to the Translator.
A Translation Error includes an omission, unjustified addition, mistranslation, incorrect transcription, or other demonstrable inaccuracy assessed against the original source materials and agreed instructions.
A difference in stylistic preference or an alternative valid wording is not automatically a Translation Error.
The Client should identify the passage concerned and explain the alleged error.
The Translator will assess the request using the available source materials, agreed instructions, and delivered translation.
Verified errors attributable to the Translator will be corrected without additional translation fees.
Where correction requires replacement certification or notarization, responsibility for the associated costs will be determined according to the cause of the error and applicable law.
Errors already present in the original document, subsequently corrected source documents, new instructions, additional content, and purely preferential revisions are not automatically included as free corrections.
This procedure does not exclude remedies available under applicable law.
21. Literary and Editorial Review
Literary and editorial projects may include a separately agreed review process addressing voice, style, rhythm, terminology, and consistency.
The Project Agreement will specify the number of included revision rounds, review periods, the method for submitting consolidated feedback, and any applicable milestones.
Substantial rewriting, additional editorial rounds, changes to the original manuscript, or revisions to previously agreed stylistic decisions may require a separate quotation.
Demonstrable errors attributable to the Translator remain subject to the correction provisions of these Terms.
Editorial review or approval does not automatically suspend valid payment obligations already due.
22. Confidentiality
VA Translations treats clients' documents and information as confidential and uses them only for the agreed services and other lawful purposes described in the Privacy Policy.
Appropriate digital tools may be used to support professional work, subject to applicable confidentiality and data protection requirements. VA Translations does not intentionally authorize confidential client information to be used for training artificial intelligence models.
Information may be disclosed to service providers or other parties only where necessary for the agreed services, legally required, or otherwise permitted by applicable law.
Additional information about data processing, third-party providers, international transfers, and data subject rights is available in the VA Translations Privacy Policy.
23. Personal Data and File Retention
Personal data will be processed in accordance with the VA Translations Privacy Policy and applicable data protection legislation.
The Privacy Policy provides further information about the purposes and legal bases of processing, service providers, data retention, international transfers where applicable, and the rights of data subjects.
VA Translations does not provide a document storage or archiving service. Clients are responsible for retaining their own copies of source documents and completed translations.
Copies of project files may be available upon request for up to twelve (12) months after completion, but their availability is not guaranteed. After this period, VA Translations is under no contractual obligation to retrieve or provide replacement copies, except where required by law.
Project files and related correspondence may be retained internally for contractual, administrative, legal, or other lawful purposes, subject to applicable data protection requirements. Personal data will not be retained longer than necessary for those purposes.
Accounting, contractual, and tax records may be retained for the periods required by law.
Requests concerning personal data may be submitted to vatranslations.ec@gmail.com.
24. Intellectual Property and Authorized Use
The Client retains any rights the Client lawfully holds in the original materials and confirms that the materials may be provided to VA Translations for the agreed translation services.
For ordinary document translation, full payment of lawfully due fees permits the Client to use the completed translation for the purpose for which it was commissioned, subject to applicable law.
For literary, editorial, and other works intended for publication, copyright ownership, publication rights, permitted uses, territory, formats, duration, translator credit, and any royalties or additional compensation will be governed by the Project Agreement.
Payment of the translation fee does not automatically constitute an unrestricted assignment of intellectual property rights where such an assignment has not been expressly agreed or established by law.
Where translator credit is agreed or legally required, it must be provided in the agreed manner.
Routine copyediting does not eliminate the agreed translator credit.
A version materially modified in meaning, voice, style, terminology, or other substantive respects may not be published or distributed under the Translator's name without her prior approval.
If the Translator does not approve the materially modified version, the Client may not attribute that version to Verónica Alvarado.
Nothing in these Terms limits moral rights protected by law.
25. Professional Responsibility
The Translator will perform the agreed services with appropriate professional care, accuracy, and diligence.
The Translator is responsible for errors and failures attributable to the agreed services in accordance with applicable law.
The Translator is not responsible for factual inaccuracies contained in original documents when faithfully reproduced in the translation, or for errors introduced through subsequent modifications by the Client or third parties.
This does not exclude responsibility for errors already present in the translation as originally delivered.
No provision excludes or restricts liability where prohibited by law.
26. Circumstances Beyond Reasonable Control
Where recognized by applicable law, neither party will be automatically responsible for failure or delay caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control that materially prevent performance despite appropriate precautions.
The affected party must inform the other as soon as reasonably possible.
The parties may agree on a revised schedule or another appropriate resolution.
Termination, refunds, and outstanding payment obligations will be determined according to the agreement and applicable law.
27. Complaints and Dispute Resolution
Complaints may be submitted in writing to vatranslations.ec@gmail.com or through another agreed contact channel.
The Client should identify the project, describe the concern, and indicate the requested resolution.
The Translator will assess the complaint in good faith and may request information reasonably necessary for its evaluation.
The parties are encouraged to seek a mutually acceptable resolution through direct communication.
This process does not prevent either party from exercising statutory rights or accessing competent authorities or courts.
Mediation may be agreed voluntarily. These Terms do not impose mandatory arbitration or require waiver of legal remedies.
28. Applicable Law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Ecuador, except where mandatory provisions of another applicable jurisdiction require otherwise.
Disputes may be submitted to the competent courts or authorities in accordance with applicable law.
Nothing in these Terms restricts mandatory consumer protections or jurisdictional rights.
29. Written Communications and Records
Written communications may include email, WhatsApp messages, and other agreed electronic communications capable of being retained and reproduced.
The Client must provide accurate contact information and communicate material changes affecting the project.
Changes to the agreed scope, price, or delivery schedule must be expressly accepted before becoming binding.
The parties should retain copies of accepted quotations, instructions, payment confirmations, and relevant communications.
30. Updates to These Terms
VA Translations may update these Terms.
The version applicable to an accepted project will ordinarily be the version made available when that project was accepted.
Later website updates do not automatically modify previously agreed prices, deadlines, or other material obligations.
Any modification to an existing agreement must be validly accepted, except where mandatory law provides otherwise.
31. Severability
If a provision is determined to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue to apply to the extent legally permissible.
An invalid provision will not be interpreted as authorizing waiver of mandatory rights.
32. Contact Information
VA Translations — Verónica Alvarado
RUC: 1313142315001
Portoviejo, Manabí, Ecuador
Email: vatranslations.ec@gmail.com
Website: www.vatranslations.com
Questions concerning quotations, projects, corrections, complaints, or these Terms may be submitted through the contact channels provided above.