Posted by Isabel/CA on 1/3/11 5:51pm
Msg #366891

What is up with the BAIT & SWITCH??

So I get a call yesterday to do a simple "one page" notarization for a company I've done business with before. Fee was lower than I would normally accept but the signing was literally right down the street from me. I agreed and they said doc would be FedEx'd to me (another reason I went ahead and agreed to the $50 fee...NO PRINTING.)

I get the FedEx today and find THREE notarizations are required with several other signatures to obtain also!!

I HATE it when these signing companies try to pull this stuff on us!

Reply by rengel/CA on 1/3/11 6:42pm
Msg #366894

I would call them and tell them that they can either pay me what the job is really is, OR they can expect to have the job FedEx'd back to them immediately. This is not holding docs hostage.
When you have a contract and THEY are the one's who renege, then THEY are the one's who have to pay the consequences. Unfortunately it's the signers who get the royal screw, but my business is not a non-profit.
My .02

Reply by JulieD/KS on 1/3/11 7:25pm
Msg #366897

I had a company talk me down on my fee promising it was only 25 pages of edocs and the docs were ready. I said okay and dropped my fee to $80.
The docs came in and it was 36 pages. I immediately contacted them and asked which 11 pages they didn't need printed or signed? They upped my fee to the original $100 I'd asked for. There were 6 signers and quite a few notarizations (can't remember exactly but at least 8).

Bait & Switch is exactly what it is and I won't put up with it.

Reply by Lee/AR on 1/3/11 8:19pm
Msg #366900

Beautiful solution, Julie. Love it! n/m

Reply by James Dawson on 1/4/11 9:54am
Msg #366917

Julie....Happened to me last night...was told "Ooh, this is a Citi, a small pkg". Okay I accepted the fee which was below my norm but what the hell, it's a new year. Well, 74 pages but 8 notarizations (5 ACK 3 Jurats)! Hmmm what was I thinking? From now on I will be asking how many Acks and Jurats just to see if they really know what's in the package, besides the number of pages.

Reply by Isabel/CA on 1/3/11 10:28pm
Msg #366909

When I opened the package, I immediately called the scheduler to inform her that what I received was not what was described to me. I had to leave her a message but I followed up with a detailed email to explain that I would not have accepted this fee for the work that is now required for this signing.
I told her that I could either FedEx the docs back to her or they would have to adjust the fee. She emailed me back and told me to hold on to the docs and that she is trying to "get this approved." I know what that usually means, but since I have the offer to send the docs back to her in writing (email), the delay will not be my problem.

Signing isn't scheduled til Weds, so hopefully she gets her "approval" tomorrow or Adios!

Reply by A S Johnson on 1/4/11 10:02am
Msg #366918

A like experience I do not back off my fee.
SS, not known to me, called last week with a "off beat" collection settlement docs. Only 15 pgs, really was 15 pgs, with in my 20 mile basic area for $50, below my normanl fee. I took it to check E-mails with another, within the hour, for $75 but 50 miles distant. $75 would would have been my fee for the 1st job but wouldn't pay the travel fee $60. Refered to a NSA in that city.
Call the NSA to let her know I had refer this to her. She is part of our area group. She had already turn down the assignment as it was a low ball fee. She tells me her fee for this would have been $110, which is our basic fee for e-docs re-finance signing. She tells me this is his M O, get you to bit on the debt collectionl assignment settlement for a low ball fee and then offer you $75 without telling you it for a re-finance assignment.
We NSAs MUST stiffen our backs, stick with fees our business plan requires for us to make a profit.

Reply by Cari on 1/4/11 10:08am
Msg #366919

so what did you do? n/m

Reply by Cari on 1/4/11 10:08am
Msg #366920

yeah never mind...helps to read all of the posts! geez! n/m

Reply by Isabel/CA on 1/4/11 2:36pm
Msg #366961

Re: yeah never mind...helps to read all of the posts! geez!

They called this am to say that they couldn't up the fee since it was under 20 pages. I told them to tell me where to send this package because I cannot do this job for that low of a fee.

Called me back with the name of a new,local, notary who will take it. UGH! So I'm sending this off to someone else who is gonna do it for the low ball fee.

Hopefully, this new person will soon learn that doing this will only hurt him in the long run.

Reply by pat spence on 1/4/11 10:08pm
Msg #367027

Re: yeah never mind...helps to read all of the posts! geez!

I would have charged them to get it to the new notary or send it back to the company. They don't care as long as they get it done.

Reply by nobhill on 1/5/11 12:30am
Msg #367028

Re: This will make you feel better

I took a small 4 page document just a mile away for $40. I got there and they had to make corrections and reschedule. They'd only give me $20. I spent 30 minutes with them going over the errors and contacting the attorney for directions. The attorney called me wanting me to PDF their corrections to them as a favor. I told him they only paid me $20 and no way. it was a ridiculous situation for sure.

Reply by Roy Garner on 1/5/11 6:53am
Msg #367040

I have read this forum and specifically this thread. To me, I have never seen so many whiny people complaining about $20 here and there. Whether it requires 3 or 10 signatures, what difference does it make? I have never made it a point to loose business over a fee dispute or disagreement. If they tell you 25 pages and it is actually 35 pages.......why would you care about such a trivial issue? It sounds to me that this is nothing but a pity party of whiners.

My work ethic I guess is different. If I commit to something and it ends up not being exactly what I thought or was told, if it is humanly possible to complete, I complete it. The setting of fees and then turning down a job because it lacks a few dollars meeting that fee IMHO is stupid. Unless you are turning away work, why would you not do the job instead of complaining about it?

The survival of a Notary is based upon REPEAT business, not turn-key business where every job is with a NEW client. I had much rather EAT a job and build a relationship with the same company than start over each time and work with a new company on every job. Your attitudes displayed here are such that I suspect you work for a lot of companies once....or never.

Please excuse my pointed response, but from reading this thread you would get the impression that everyone here is making six figures a year, is turning away work, or is only doing this part time. Any successful business person will tell you that to be successful you will win a few and lose a few. More importantly however, that success is more about RELATIONSHIPS than meeting someones price. I'll gladly take 10 jobs from a company at 75% of what I charge than 1 job at 100%. I like repeat business. And the repeat company will eventually meet my price because they see that I am willing to work WITH them instead of turning away work over $20 or 3 additional signatures. Many times the company hiring you has no control over the final package.