Posted by MelissaCT on 9/29/06 9:27pm
Msg #149391

MD joining the bandwagon...

In telling NSA's what to charge for edoc printing...anyone else get this message? They even figure out how much to print on a $1000 printer!!

Reply by TRG_wy on 9/29/06 9:44pm
Msg #149396

Got it.
Sure like to stress the point of "conservative" estimates. The $15 fee is Laughable!!!
Now if they buy me a new $1,000.00 printer I might think about it. My printer cost me $899.00 three years ago and my toner cartridge costs $149.00 and is advertised to do 4,000 pages. Now, 4,000 pages isn't taken into account loan documents that are 90% full of ink (toner).

I'm not lowering my printing fee. It still takes time to collate, check docs, e.t.c... Time is still money and my fees haven't even kept up with inflation over the past seven years. Perhaps a base fee of $250.00 to close and $60.00 to print should be the going rate. That's still cheaper then having them send the package to Kinkos and them ready for me to pick up on my way to the borrower's.

Reply by sue_pa on 9/29/06 9:50pm
Msg #149398

my toner is advertised at 10,000 copies and I can generally get it for around $109, on sale, with a coupon and w/a quantity of 2 or 3 cartridges, depending on what the special is at the time.

Reply by TRG_wy on 9/29/06 10:10pm
Msg #149403

I refill my cartridges with toner. Usually good for about four refills before the drum wears to the point of streaking. Toner refills cost about $25 each. I have a professional HP dual tray 100,00 copy per month printer and it still isn't as good as they suggest.

Paper, even by the case is going up big time, especially legal size.

I ran my own cost figures earlier this year and $30-$35 is a break-even cost. It's wear and tear too. Somebody at MD was drinking too much Kool-Aid while they were crunching their numbers trying to make it look good for a $15 fee. NO WAY!

Reply by MelissaCT on 9/29/06 10:17pm
Msg #149406

Re: My point exactly

Their estimates of what it takes to get the job done in the field are off. I don't have a $1000 printer. A case of legal still costs me close to $50. From experence with edocs, most companies can't even get the proper amount of RTC & TIL's into their overnight packages, we're supposed to babysit the printer & computer to make sure we print enough copies to avoid a 2 year RTC period for $15!!! I think they've been hangin out with Ricky Williams!!

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 9/29/06 10:30pm
Msg #149414

I got that message too and have no intention of accepting $15 to print e-docs - they can just keep overnighting far as I'm concerned..or meet my print fee

Reply by JanelWI on 9/30/06 11:33am
Msg #149530

Ya know, aside from the part time SA or notary that uses their "day job" equipment, we have actual business expenses. We fax and print not only for assignments but for other things like sign up packages, business promotion etc...

Not to mention the other SE costs it takes to do this business with the professional manner in which they continually instruct. As mentioned the edoc fee does not just cover printing. It covers review of the loan docs etc. I wish I had a dime for every time I was late to a signing because the docs some companies send were cut off or text overlapping or just plain unreadable. That is a waste of my money and time that I don't get paid for. This is the nature of the beast sometimes yes, but we incur real costs and we need to meet those costs and make a profit, we don't work for free. I became self employed so that I could have a bit left over after business expenses. I don't think that is too much to ask.

What about time and travel? They sure didn't mention that one. To me that email was pointless, they ask us what we will charge and then tell us what they are willing to pay and then tell us basically that if we are above the $15 we are not going to get any work from them. How much are they paying their employees an hour to write pointless e-mails?

News flash for MD, we don't set out to charge outrageous fees. We set out to charge a fair fee for what we do. It is my opinion that you are paying too much for the part-time notary who is charging the same base fee for not using their own equipment and incurring actual "Business Costs". (Do you know what it costs you to have to send another SA out to fix those? Have you added that one up?)

I suggest you just continue to overnight your documents, make sure all docs are included, make sure the necessary additional copies are all there such as RTC and TIL requirements and WE will facilitate and send it back per your enclosed return envelope.

A personal note to all the TC and SS's that do pay fair fees and understand the importance of a good SA or CNSA NO MATTER WHAT! I personally can't thank you enough for making this industry worth every minute.