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Golly gee wiz, I hope I didn't mess up...Did I?
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Golly gee wiz, I hope I didn't mess up...Did I?
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Posted by Moneyman/TX on 4/29/10 4:17am
Msg #334088

Golly gee wiz, I hope I didn't mess up...Did I?

Received a call from Notary Direct for a closing. After many previous calls, having quoted my fees to them and being repeatedly told "I will put your information in our system", I assumed that since my information was "in the system" my fees would be met. That and the fact that the scheduler didn't seem to want to discuss fees as he seemed to be in a hurry to tell me that he would send the confirmation and get off the phone quickly.

Well, I received the confirmation and to great disappointment and shock, the fee listed was only $70. I thought, "this must be a mistake". So I decided to send them an email informing them that in order for me to accept this assignment they would have to meet my fee.

I hope I didn't mess up -- here is a portion of my email to them.

*******
"...To be honest, an offer of $70 for the services of a Notary Signing Agent is insulting. I assume that Notary Direct is desiring a professional to preform the job.The level of service that would be given for an offer of $70 would be far below that that would be considered professional.

To me, a $70 fee would cover a signing that included the documents, both sets, to be sent directly to the borrower, I will show up and notarize signature(s) on the necessary documents which the borrower will have readily available. The borrower will be responsible for returning the documents. I will not be checking any document that did not require a notarized signature(s) for any missing initials, signature(s), or dates. I will not be checking the entire loan package for any possible missing documents or obvious mistakes. Nor would I be discussing any of the loan documents with the borrower or giving them any benefit of my 10 years of knowledge & experience with loan documents. If any issue should arise regarding the documents I am there to notarize signature(s) on, the borrower would, on their own, contact whomever to get any resolution to the issues. Basically, I will show up notarize the signature(s) on the average 5-10 pages then leave. I would spend no more than 15 minutes at the borrowers home. "

*******
I was a little rushed and I'm not sure if I conveyed my true thoughts in a way that could be easily understood. I hope they understand what I meant. Wink


Reply by Ilene C. Seidel on 4/29/10 4:22am
Msg #334089

Why do you think you messed up? They get what they pay for, many of us would not accept their work due to the fees. Unless you discuss your fees with anyone that calls you will probably get what they "want" to pay.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 4/29/10 7:35am
Msg #334097

Yep...ya messed up....

You forgot to add "Further, the package will not be faxed back in it entirety by me, thereby disrupting my entire day. As a further requirement, the $70 fee will have to be paid at the table....in cash".

Other than that ya done good!!...Smile

Reply by Moneyman/TX on 4/29/10 10:36am
Msg #334131

I knew I left something out!

I'm going to add that to my file so that the next time I receive a low ball offer like this on a confirmation I can then send a "completed" email. Smile Thanks Linda!

Reply by Grammyzoom on 4/29/10 9:17am
Msg #334113

Re: Notary Direct

I have read a lot of complaints on this forum about Notary Direct but have never had any contact with them.

I found them on SC and see that for a while they got a lot of good reviews and then a bunch of bad reviews. Were they at one time a good company to work with or were the compliments from notaries who accepted the "low ball" payments?



Reply by Sylvia_FL on 4/29/10 9:27am
Msg #334118

Re: Notary Direct

I worked with Notary Direct when they first started their service. Back in those days $50 was the norm for signings (docs always sent overnight, and with Notary Direct they sent the docs out and you set your own appointment and it could be done anytime in a 7 day period, docs were not date sensitive). They always paid on time, and I enjoyed working with them.
Haven't worked with them in years so don't know how they operate now. Shannon Seitzinger was always pleasant to work with.

Reply by Moneyman/TX on 4/29/10 10:24am
Msg #334127

Re: Notary Direct

I have worked for them before for signings. They have met my fees and paid on time in the past.

I have not received request for a signing for several months from them. After several calls in one week and telling each one what my fees are I stopped receiving their calls. Each of the calls ended with "I will put your fees in our system". After that week, the calls stopped coming, so I just assumed that someone actually did put my fees into their system. Obviously not.

Reply by Notarysigner on 4/29/10 10:31am
Msg #334130

Re: Notary Direct

They tell me the same but still call me almost everyday. They are starting to laugh at mY various responses. Sometimes I pretend I am voicemail, "Oh, I'm busy right now woRking for another low-ball company but if you leave your name and number I' WILL NOT call you right back"! LOL

Reply by Moneyman/TX on 4/29/10 12:48pm
Msg #334159

Love it, think I might start using that one! n/m

Reply by A S Johnson on 4/29/10 9:20am
Msg #334114

Moneyman/TX,
If I remember you are in the Ft Worth area.
Was the one in the 76108 zip code for 3 pm this afternoon. If it was I quoted $175 for it. This included $60 for travel. I was called about 9 pm last night.
Need I say that they couldn't/wouldn't pay that

Reply by Moneyman/TX on 4/29/10 10:30am
Msg #334129

I'm located in Southeast TX - about 100 miles east of Houston. But I have received calls from them before that involved a long travel as well, and they would not meet my fee for that either. This one happened to be in my home county (Orange county). I guess they think the local gas stations just give us gas and the local car lots give us autos to use. ??

Reply by Barbara___IL on 4/29/10 10:44am
Msg #334133

Well done. Love the letter! n/m

Reply by LKT/CA on 4/29/10 10:50am
Msg #334134

<<<After many previous calls, having quoted my fees to them and being repeatedly told "I will put your information in our system", I assumed that since my information was "in the system" my fees would be met. That and the fact that the scheduler didn't seem to want to discuss fees as he seemed to be in a hurry to tell me that he would send the confirmation and get off the phone quickly.....Well, I received the confirmation and to great disappointment and shock, the fee listed was only $70.>>>

Why are you shocked and disappointed? They have no intention of *ever* meeting your fee and if they do meet your fee.....it just means no one else is willing or available for the signing and they want the job completed and you will NOT be paid.

A company called me for a signing but did not meet my fee. When I reviewed their track record, they are not deadbeats, just a low baller as they have positive reviews on their payment record. A week later, they called again for another signing with the same fee offer (nearly half of what I normally charge for a single refi, edocs). It only took the 2nd call for me to realize they will not meet my fee so I assigned a "no ring" to their number. They have called me several more times since then - the calls go straight to voicemail.

Please read the writing on the wall. The wisest thing you can do is save their number in your contact list and assign a "silent/no ring" to their phone number and not waste your valuable time playing their game.

What is their game? It's this: <<<That and the fact that the scheduler didn't seem to want to discuss fees as he seemed to be in a hurry to tell me that he would send the confirmation and get off the phone quickly. >>> This also is the tactic of the company I mentioned above.

Reply by LKT/CA on 4/29/10 10:55am
Msg #334136

P.S.

If they by chance did pay you, the check would be shorted right down to the $70 they only *want* to pay. I've read this time and time again on this and other forums how a company "finally" agreed to the notary's fee, then shorted their check to the fee the company *wanted* to pay. Don't be fooled.....

Reply by Moneyman/TX on 4/29/10 3:38pm
Msg #334198

Re: P.S.

Yes their new "fee deduction" list is laughable. That's why I also have an "additional fees" list for these companies as well with these outrageous fee deduction lists. Late docs (past 2 hr cutoff time) -- $25 for the first hour, additional $25 for up to 30 min prior to appointment time. 30 min or later will incur an additional $125. If the order is canceled by them after the original appointment time, I charge them $75 for their mistakes of tying up my time.

To date, I have NOT had to use this list on one of these low ball companies, but I do have it and should it be necessary the docs will not be printed until I receive confirmation that they agree to the additional charges. If they refuse, I will turn the assignment down (since it would already be outside the original terms this would not fall under any breach of contract).

In the past (a few years ago) they have met my fees on a few jobs and when they did, they did pay as agreed on both amount and within the time frame.

Reply by Moneyman/TX on 4/29/10 5:05pm
Msg #334212

Update: They would not meet my fee :-( n/m

Reply by Moneyman/TX on 4/29/10 6:38pm
Msg #334216

Awe, Notary Direct only getting $130 to make a phone call

Discovered that ND is to be paid $130 for the close and is offering $70 for this close. WOW! They would receive $60 to make a phone call.

These companies want to negotiate a lower fee for themselves and in turn try to offer low ball fees to NSAs (and at the same time keeping an amount equal to nearly 90% of what they are offering to the NSA) to make a phone call and pass along an email with the docs. Get real! They may be putting their services on the discount isle (to the TCs only) but I for one do not have any Blue Light Specials.

As a general rule, It is none of my business what a SS makes, but when one like this one attempts to use ridiculous fee discounts, low ball offers, and tricks to get NSAs to do work for them I think they are fair game to be exposed. As I have always said: Offer a professional fee if you want to receive professional service.

Reply by MikeC/KY on 6/1/10 12:13pm
Msg #339302

Re: Awe, Notary Direct only getting $130 to make a phone call

I just got a check for $25 from them for a signing I did for $75. I normally don't go that low, but they do pay very quickly. However, they (Dawn Brasher), said they had to pay another notary to go back out and have the 40+ pgs of instructions initialed because I refused. I didn't refuse, I just said it was ridiculous. BOA doesn't require the instructions to be initialed by the BO. It was the title co (KStreet Title) that wanted that done and I was very busy the day after the signing when the called me and wanted me to go back out to the BO home right then. I will no longer accept any more signings from Notary Direct! There are too many other companies out there that pay much more and do not have you get the BOA instructions initialed by the borrowers. Just sayin.

Reply by NJDiva on 7/20/10 5:58pm
Msg #345774

LOVE IT!!! Couldn't have said it better myself...


 
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