# When translation programs can get you into trouble



## MangoTango (Feb 8, 2020)

Recently I purchased a new keyboard for my aging laptop (the 'n' key is not working).
I purchased it on ebay and ebay has a relationship with estafeta who will bring it to my home in Mexico.
The seller ships the item to a warehouse address in Laredo and estafeta will send me a shipping bill to proceed.

So this week I translated their message which in part read :
"Estafetamember: Recibimos tu mercancía sin precios, envía el comprobante de compra de EBAY a la cuenta [email protected] indicando el número de pedido a la que pertenece para continuar con la importación "

My translation program did a pretty good job with that :
"Estafetamember: We receive your merchandise without prices, send the proof of purchase from EBAY to the account [email protected] indicating the order number to which it belongs to continue with the import. "

Do you see the problem ?


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

Not at first I didn't! Google ought to know better than that. (I don't know what you're using, but I tried google and got the same translation)


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## timmy45 (Mar 22, 2021)

I read it several times in Spanish and I don't see the problem with the translation. My Spanish is fair but I can usually get by, especially with written items. So, what is the problem?


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## Jreboll (Nov 23, 2013)

The Estafeta address should have remained the same.


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## MangoTango (Feb 8, 2020)

Jreboll said:


> The Estafeta address should have remained the same.


Right - now since obviously estafeta owns the domain it would be nice of them to forward the email to its intended destination - but they don't...


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

So they want a factura or a commercial invoice to proceed with the importation , so what is the problem? ouare going to pay import duties twice?


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

They may have a site for English and a site for Spanish.. SO send it to bth addresses and see what happens


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## MangoTango (Feb 8, 2020)

The point - Citali - was that google translated the email address to use into an email address which will never receive any attention. An unknowing person would wait a long time to get a response...


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

I suspect that their mail server will be set to bounce anything addressed to an email address that they haven't defined. And if they've defined it, they are probably monitoring it. If they have addresses they have defined but aren't monitoring, they will set them to bounce too, to keep them from filling up uselessly. 

Probably.


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## MangoTango (Feb 8, 2020)

In the spirit of honesty - I've done this with them in the past. (I am an old man). They will take no action until the correct email address is used. Nothing got bounced either.
I responded to the correct address this morning, they sent the bill. I've paid it and the item is now with Aduana.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

I get the point , but I do not think about it. One I do not use translator so that cuts out at least one screw up and if I have 2 different addresses I sent to the two, one is probably correct,,,


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

When using a translator I would assume any address I needed I would automatically use the original Spanish words not any English words from the translation. How else would you know where to go?


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

On a related question: why even bother with estafeta for something like this? I just looked at Amazon (US) and you can get a wired USB keyboard for ten bucks and the shipping is $8.29, with no import fees it says. They of course have decent keyboards as well for higher prices, and the shipping is about the same but the import fees go up with the price above a certain point.

So unless you are pining for a certain model that Amazon doesn't have, why not save the hassle?

An aside: for anyone that loved the old IBM keyboards (the kind that were heavy enough to be a deadly weapon) with clicky super-tactile keys. They were called "series M keyboards" and used a patented buckling spring design that you can't find today - except in one place I know of. A company called Unicomp bought the tooling and licensed the patent for the buckling spring design from Lenovo when they decided to stop producing the keyboards. They are still made in the USA (Kentucky) but they're expensive (around a hundred bucks). But they'll last forever, or at least until you spill something on them.


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## MangoTango (Feb 8, 2020)

eastwind said:


> On a related question: why even bother with estafeta for something like this? I just looked at Amazon (US) and you can get a wired USB keyboard for ten bucks and the shipping is $8.29, with no import fees it says. They of course have decent keyboards as well for higher prices, and the shipping is about the same but the import fees go up with the price above a certain point.
> 
> So unless you are pining for a certain model that Amazon doesn't have, why not save the hassle?
> 
> An aside: for anyone that loved the old IBM keyboards (the kind that were heavy enough to be a deadly weapon) with clicky super-tactile keys. They were called "series M keyboards" and used a patented buckling spring design that you can't find today - except in one place I know of. A company called Unicomp bought the tooling and licensed the patent for the buckling spring design from Lenovo when they decided to stop producing the keyboards. They are still made in the USA (Kentucky) but they're expensive (around a hundred bucks). But they'll last forever, or at least until you spill something on them.


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## MangoTango (Feb 8, 2020)

What I purchased on ebay is an 'exact' drop in replacement for my dell laptop. It will take me about 2 minutes to swap it out (and when I know I have a replacement in hand it will allow me to take apart the keyboard which is not working and attempt to fix it). I paid $13 for the item and $12 to estafeta for shipping. (There are no duties for a $13 item).

I already have replacement USB keyboards (but they lack touchpads) and I already have a wireless Logitech keyboard (with touchpad) but it is not QUERTY (and it is in Spanish). 

Sometime when I have more time I will share with you exactly how familiar I am with the IBM PC, its components, its growth (from the whiteboard stage) and demise, the personalities involved etc. The PC (and the software involved) were a huge part of my career.


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## timmy45 (Mar 22, 2021)

Jreboll said:


> The Estafeta address should have remained the same.


Ahhhhh, hiding in plain sight. Thanks


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## MangoTango (Feb 8, 2020)

MangoTango said:


> What I purchased on ebay is an 'exact' drop in replacement for my dell laptop. It will take me about 2 minutes to swap it out (and when I know I have a replacement in hand it will allow me to take apart the keyboard which is not working and attempt to fix it). I paid $13 for the item and $12 to estafeta for shipping. (There are no duties for a $13 item).
> 
> I already have replacement USB keyboards (but they lack touchpads) and I already have a wireless Logitech keyboard (with touchpad) but it is not QUERTY (and it is in Spanish).
> 
> Sometime when I have more time I will share with you exactly how familiar I am with the IBM PC, its components, its growth (from the whiteboard stage) and demise, the personalities involved etc. The PC (and the software involved) were a huge part of my career.


Sorry - QWERTY.


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