Posted by Bip on 5/22/13 7:38am
Msg #470858

Seeing a common thread with SS

Surely there are numerous SS's that are credible. I find it outrageous be reading through these threads that so many are unscrupulous.
Late pays, ...no return calls, ...
Signing Central is helpful....By reading through the ratings. I can see that some have some bias postings..If it is about 50% poor, you can be pretty sure the other half is damage control.
I look for 90% or better excellent ratings when even considering an SS to represent.

It has too be infuriating to be a notary, and be taken advantage of by SS's.

Reply by 101livescan on 5/22/13 8:19am
Msg #470863

This business has changed a lot over the past several years. Lately some businesses have emerged whose owners have little or no experience, credibility, scruples, integrity or infrastructure to call themselves a legitimate signing company, but somehow have managed to do so. They are gnats on the radar screen and cannot last. If only all notaries would read and rate in SC before they accept assignments from these predators, their demise would be sooner than later.

It's incredible to me that Premiere Notary Service in Coral Gables, FL has survived all these years, and that it has taken Broward County DA this long to bring the owners to justice for errant loan modification scalping of unsuspecting homeowners, taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from folks already wallowing in debt on the pretense of saving their homes from foreclosure. Was this not lucrative enough, they had to continue to stiff the NSAs at the same time? Guess they had to pay those legal bills somehow!

People without a conscience seem to outnumber those with compassion and the people who seek to do right by others these days.

Reply by sueharke on 5/22/13 9:53am
Msg #470875

The same happened with the store front tax preparation services. Investors, without any tax preparation experience, purchased the franchise. Hired a manager to run the business for them. Think the same could be happening here?

Reply by Luckydog on 5/22/13 1:11pm
Msg #470896

There is no Premier SS in Coral Gables, FL so before you start slandering a company, at least get your facts right. There is a Premier SS in Coral Springs, FL, and that is no where's near Coral Gables, FL and is 3.5 stars rated. I suggest you chose your words wisely when throwing someone under the bus when you are not directly involved with them.

Reply by notary/OR on 5/22/13 9:35am
Msg #470871

On the other hand...

There are many perfectly good signing companies that have been given low ratings by notaries for ridiculous reasons. It often pays to do a little research on the company.

I don't really understand the comment about the business not being what it used to be. If you are a professional hard working person interested in staying busy and marketing your business than there is plenty of work out there for notaries.

Many of us survived the recession and are happily working full time again running our businesses and enjoying excellent working relationships with some great vendor management companies. There are MANY credible signing companies that pay fair fees. Sort the Signing Central list of companies by ratings and you will see...

Just saying...there are always two sides to the coin.

Reply by 101livescan on 5/22/13 10:54am
Msg #470882

FACTUALLY, REALISTICALLY, AND SADLY,

SC companies' 13 page print out yields:

3 1/3 pages of 4 and 5 star companies
3 pages of 3 star companies
2 1/2 pages of 2 and 1 non-stellar companies that no one should work for PERIOD!

leaving about 4 pages of companies who are no longer on the radar screen at all, they've all gone by the wayside for one reason or another.

I'm keeping this list dated today, and I'll be monitoring it just for the heck of it, quarterly.

Keep you posted. Now with the XYZ company giving a seminar on how to start your own signing service with nothing but a bag of tricks, I'll bet we'll see some new blood on the horizon.

Plus there are some companies who aren't really companies yet, but should be in SC because they are soliciting notaries for signing work, but are basic members of NR. PLEASE COME OUT OF HIDING so we can rate you!

Then there are the companies who are still listed with too many stars whose owners have been arraigned on felony financial fraud charges, could come up in the dark lagoon as a new shiny company somewhere in Florida. Keep your eyes pealed for SHAME ON SHAME-US for getting suckered all these years.

It's a full time effort to keep up with the real STARS in this business!

Reply by 101livescan on 5/22/13 11:08am
Msg #470883

P.S.

It's a flawed rating system, for example, how come Premiere Signing Service is still rated 3+stars? Felony fraud convictions for illegal loan modification scam activities and other legal problems, not to mention failure to pay notaries on time, to answer notaries' calls re. late payment...still some people rating them 5 stars. Goes to show you, you don't have to be too honest to be a signing company, just be connected with someone who doesn't know your dark past (or present, future character status!

Hard to have an accurate score card!

Reply by Bip on 5/22/13 10:50pm
Msg #470965

Re: P.S.

Off course it is flawed. Anyone with an email account can register and pad the stars with damage control. That is why I will only consider SS's with very high ratings..There are very few that are trustworthy.