Posted by Sherry_CA on 6/23/08 3:18pm
Msg #252620

NNA Membership

Hello all, Just wondering if any of you guys find it really helpful, necessary, etc ... in staying enrolled with NNA?? Not sure if I should continue the membership.

Reply by Negrete on 6/23/08 3:19pm
Msg #252621

RUN and RUN far and fast.

Anthony J Negrete
Negrete's Notary Service Inc.

Reply by Sherry_CA on 6/23/08 3:23pm
Msg #252623

They said I have to remain a member to keep my E&O insurance that I had bought from them too. Is this true? Anyone have E&O ins?

Reply by CopperheadVA on 6/23/08 3:36pm
Msg #252628

I purchased my E&O from NNA two years ago and I was no longer an NNA member at that time. There was no discount on the E&O for being a member, so therefore no incentive for me to even consider joining. Maybe they've changed things since then, but I still have one more year left on my policy and I am still not a member of the NNA.

Reply by Sherry_CA on 6/23/08 3:40pm
Msg #252631

This is all very helpful info, keep it coming I will read them all....Thank you!

Reply by Glenn Strickler on 6/23/08 3:39pm
Msg #252629

Check to see who underwrote the policy, then

call them to see if they will still honor the policy if you don't renew your NNA membership. NNA is not an insurance company. They just farm out the policies to regular E & O insurance carriers and that is who you would want to contact to ask that question. Get the answer in writing. JMHO. I did not renew a couple of years ago. If you want a notary association to join try :

http://www.asnnotary.org/

There are plenty of E & O carriers out there. You can buy it and the bond right from this site.

Reply by CaliNotary on 6/23/08 6:53pm
Msg #252660

Re: Check to see who underwrote the policy, then

"call them to see if they will still honor the policy if you don't renew your NNA membership."

E&O is a prepaid insurance policy. It has nothing to do with NNA membership. If you paid for the entire term up front, it's good for the entire term. It would be illegal to issue coverage that required you to purchase an additional product for the coverage to stay active.

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 6/23/08 4:12pm
Msg #252642

Re: E&O insurance

Check out NotRots prices on E&O insurance. I am going to get mine here when my current policy expires in October.

Reply by Charles_Ca on 6/23/08 5:48pm
Msg #252656

Re: E&O insurance, I bought mine here and I sell E&O! n/m

Reply by mobitary on 6/23/08 3:25pm
Msg #252624

Do not support the ANA (AntiNotaryAssociation) The less support this institutions has the better the Notary Public profession will be.

Reply by Lee/AR on 6/23/08 3:27pm
Msg #252625

It probably is true that you need to keep your membership as they own the insurance co, too. Go down this page and READ the posts. Then get out as soon as you can.

Reply by LisaWI on 6/23/08 3:41pm
Msg #252632

Re: Unless they have......

changed their policy, I dont believe you have to be a member to get the e & o thru them. You stated they told you, you HAVE to in order to get the e & o??? I dont think so, but it wouldnt surprise me at all if they changed their policy on this.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 6/23/08 3:51pm
Msg #252634

Is this true?

"It probably is true that you need to keep your membership as they own the insurance co, too"

I ask because I initially got my E&O through the NNA, then last year bought a 4-year policy here through NotRot...issued through the same company, Merchant Bonding Co.

Reply by MikeC/NY on 6/23/08 5:29pm
Msg #252652

I'm not sure that's true...

"It probably is true that you need to keep your membership as they own the insurance co, too."

The E&O policy I purchased here on NotRot is from the same company I had when I initially purchased it from the NNA - Merchants Bonding. Also, there's nothing in the policy that stated you had to be a member for the policy to remain in force. It's possible they may own the company (or a large share of the company), but if so the E&O policies are clearly not restricted to NNA members.

My NNA membership expires at the end of this month and I don't intend to renew. I'm really not concerned about this whole "evil empire" thing. For me, it's a simple financial decision - if I can justify the cost of membership with the amount of work I receive from the listing that comes with that membership, it makes sense to spend the money. I'm not getting any calls at all from that listing, so the decision is an easy one.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 6/23/08 5:32pm
Msg #252654

Ditto - my NSA listing expires 7/08 - won't be renewed

I can't remember the last time someone said they got my name from that website.

Reply by CaliNotary on 6/23/08 6:59pm
Msg #252662

Re: I'm not sure that's true...

"I'm really not concerned about this whole "evil empire" thing. For me, it's a simple financial decision - if I can justify the cost of membership with the amount of work I receive from the listing that comes with that membership, it makes sense to spend the money."

That's really sad. Not every business decision should be about the bottom line, sometimes principles and ethics need to come into play too.

Personally, it boggles my mind that anyone who reads this board regularly would even consider financially supporting the NNA in any way, shape or form. They have done a monumental amount of damage to the signing agent industry. It's like Jews contributing to Hitler's campaign fund.

Reply by MikeC/NY on 6/23/08 9:57pm
Msg #252678

Re: I'm not sure that's true...

"That's really sad. Not every business decision should be about the bottom line, sometimes principles and ethics need to come into play too."

I understand your position, Cali, but I disagree. We're not talking about curing world hunger here, we're talking about an advertising opportunity. Lets not build it up to be more than it is.

"It's like Jews contributing to Hitler's campaign fund."

I've always respected your knowledge and experience, but that remark is way over the top. It's just too stupid to deserve a response. Check back with me when you want to have a serious conversation.

Reply by CaliNotary on 6/23/08 11:24pm
Msg #252688

Re: I'm not sure that's true...

"I understand your position, Cali, but I disagree. We're not talking about curing world hunger here, we're talking about an advertising opportunity. Lets not build it up to be more than it is."

It's not just an advertising opportunity, it's directly funding the company that is trying to put you out of business.

"I've always respected your knowledge and experience, but that remark is way over the top. It's just too stupid to deserve a response."

It's not stupid at all. Hitler was trying to exterminate an entire race of people, the NNA is exterminating an entire profession. Obviously the degree of seriousness is radically different, but as an analogy it's spot on.

Reply by thnotary_NY on 6/24/08 6:34am
Msg #252706

Re: I'm not sure that's true...

The remark about Hitler is a little skewed, from what I've read, he didn't advertise for Jews to join.

Reply by MikeC/NY on 6/24/08 3:28pm
Msg #252738

Re: I'm not sure that's true...

"It's not just an advertising opportunity, it's directly funding the company that is trying to put you out of business."

While I agree that their agenda often doesn't mesh with our needs, I don't think they are TRYING to put us out of business. Are they training people who then have no clue about what they're doing? Yes, but you can go to adult ed at the local high school, get essentially the same training, and come out just as inept. Are they responsible for the ridiculously low fees we've been seeing lately? No, it's the people accepting those fees that are allowing that trend to continue.

The people who succeed in this business do so despite the NNA, not because of it; I think the same holds true for those who fail. It's nice to have a bogeyman to point at and blame, but the argument just doesn't hold water. There are people here succeeding in a very difficult market, and the NNA isn't even on their radar.

I'm not trying to defend the NNA, but I really don't buy the "evil empire" feeling that some people have about it. I understand that others may feel differently (and in some cases, violently so), and I respect their right to their own opinions. For me, OTOH, it's nothing more than an advertising opportunity and when it stops working I stop using it.

"It's not stupid at all. Hitler was trying to exterminate an entire race of people, the NNA is exterminating an entire profession. Obviously the degree of seriousness is radically different, but as an analogy it's spot on."

You're comparing apples and kumquats; the analogy isn't even close, on a lot of levels.

Reply by Sherry_CA on 6/26/08 6:37pm
Msg #253178

Re: I'm not sure that's true...

I have to say...I agree totally with MikeC?NY. As for me, I didn't even have a clue that the NNA was a problem. I just noticed they do nothing for me so why do I need to continue my membership. I have been doing signings now for about 4yrs now and my business is not too bad..not as strong as perhaps it could be but nothing to do with NNA. I also do not accept the lowball signings. Those are an insult and if we all did the same then standards would stay the same as well. The Jew example was not a good one in my opinion... and not necessary. No, I am not Jewish but that remark was pretty deep and far off.

Reply by BrendaTx on 6/26/08 7:44pm
Msg #253187

Re: I'm not sure that's true...

**"It's like Jews contributing to Hitler's campaign fund."**

If this analogy bothers people then how about this:

It's like a notary contributing hard earned money to a company which pretends to be their salvation while in reality it has greedily choked the life out of the notary's profession.

Shouldn't we have some relationship with values and what's right and wrong?

Personally, I don't work for signing companies which are greedily taking a bigger cut than fair out of the fee between the title company and notary;

I don't work for companies like TitleStream who hold on to notaries checks months past the date the notary earned it no matter how much money they might stack up in a pipeline for me to receive 120-150-180 days later; and

I don't give money to an organization which has sucked the very life out of the profession they pretended to help while they created a fortune for themselves at their "members" expense.

Some things are just wrong. To participate is to enable the wrong to prevail.

Reply by NCLisa on 6/23/08 3:39pm
Msg #252630

Read your policy!

I had E&O through them, and it never stated that I had to be a member of the NNA for it to cover any notary errors and omissions.

Reply by NNaftaly/TX on 6/23/08 3:48pm
Msg #252633

I just renewed my E&O with them and have never been a member.

Reply by Sherry_CA on 6/23/08 3:55pm
Msg #252635

OMG...I just called them again and this time I got a different answer and a very rude answer too. He said: " no you don't have to be a member for the E&O and he then said "look, do what you want to do, I don't care..whatever" ! Those were his exact words. Unbelievable! I am so not renewing my membership! Never again! Thank you guys for your input on this.

Reply by NCLisa on 6/23/08 4:03pm
Msg #252638

Their customer service people must be taking

quite a bit of abuse as notaries call in and ask why they aren't making $100,000 a year, and where all their TEA calls are, etc. Would love to be a fly on those walls!

What will the NNA's next money making scam be?

Reply by mobitary on 6/23/08 4:07pm
Msg #252641

I'm happy for you, less money for them=more money for us the hard working notaries, they usually rip off

Reply by LisaWI on 6/23/08 4:16pm
Msg #252644

Smart girl!! This happens to be one of their commonalities is to give different answers to the same question. Glad it didnt take you long to figure it out.

Reply by ZeeCA on 6/23/08 3:58pm
Msg #252636

AND if you had used the search key you would get an eyefull

may be 2 people support them here and the rest NO WAY

Reply by Sherry_CA on 6/23/08 4:06pm
Msg #252639

Re: AND if you had used the search key you would get an eyef

I hardly ever have the time to check these boards so honestly I had no idea how bad the reputation of the NNA was. Thank you again for your help.

Reply by ME/NJ on 6/23/08 4:15pm
Msg #252643

no time to check the boards= working for free n/m

Reply by Babs/GA on 6/28/08 6:57pm
Msg #253554

Re: no time to check the boards= working for free

I am sooooo happy that I am reading these boards! My eyes have been opened to many things . thanks for ALL the replies..