Posted by thnotary on 10/27/04 11:33am
Msg #10553

mileage & fax back charges

Can anyone help this newbe.? Re:the profile and what to charge for extra miles if $50, is used as the base. I figure $1.50 at todays gas prices. But what about E-Docs, ( I'm totaly lost here) and I figure at least $10. for 20pp fax back, and $25 for copy cost/package. Does this sound reasonable.?

Reply by KC/IN on 10/27/04 11:55am
Msg #10554

I always include my mileage in with my base. ($15 extra minimum) I've seen companies pay $15-$25 for e-docs. As far as the fax back, that also should be considered when agreeing on your base fee. (That's how I do it at least, others might do it different. Or, things might be done different depending on where you're at in the country)

Reply by Jon on 10/27/04 11:55am
Msg #10555

My base is higher than $50, the cost per mile is your choice, e-docs will range from $25 to $50 on this board including borr copies, $10 dollars is losing you money, I don't do faxbacks, and $25 is reasonable for copies from lender's originals.

Reply by thnotary on 10/27/04 12:13pm
Msg #10557

Thank u Jon. Help me out here, how do u reply to an order for a *done* package to be faxed back.? Or is that negotiated in the begining.? Can u put that in your profile.? I think that's great if u can not have to do it. I saw on one board that this person faxed over 100 copies back.

Reply by Roger/Mich on 10/30/04 3:39pm
Msg #10661

I don't mind faxing as long as they provide a toll free number, it will not cost us anything, on the other hand, if you are not provided a toll free number then you should charge accordingly, I use Office Max, Office Depot or Kinko's as a guide as to what to charge. 100 pages is a lot in long distance charges.

Reply by Andrea Franzen on 10/31/04 11:12pm
Msg #10701

I am totally against faxing back documents. I wouldn't like the idea of some person notarizing my signature having all my financial information at her fingers after the signing. Having been a victim of identify theft, I can't see how signing agency's can enforce this. I tell the signing company that I feel that its a confidentiality issue and that I will not fax back. Honestly, I've never been told that I couldn't do the signing unless I faxed. I haven't lost business.

About fees... keep it as uncomplicated as possible, but make sure you aren't doing favors at your expense.

Andrea

Reply by linda on 10/27/04 12:55pm
Msg #10558

To Jon Re: mileage & fax back charges

Jon, let me know how it is you don't have to do fax backs. Do you just tell them when you take the assignment?

Reply by thnotary on 10/27/04 1:27pm
Msg #10559

Re: To Jon Re: mileage & fax back charges

Yeah Jon, tell us.!

Reply by Jon on 10/27/04 2:22pm
Msg #10562

Re: To Jon Re: mileage & fax back charges

The same way alot of people don't, tell them no. I am willing to lose the assignment unless they want to generously compensate me for my time. I have to say that it really bugs me when people complain about faxbacks. If you don't want to do them, don't accept jobs from companies that require it. Not everyone is able to make these types of decisions, it depends on your experience, market saturation and the company. I don't do $50 or less signings either, again a choice I make and am willing(and able) to live with. We are independent contractors and get to determine the conditions of our work. However, like any business, if you don't do what the customer wants, the customer is free to look elsewhere. Understand this, I have lost some business by sticking to my policies, to me it is worth it so I don't work at a loss.

Reply by CarolynCO on 10/27/04 2:48pm
Msg #10563

Re: To Jon Re: mileage & fax back charges

It's a good philosophy, Jon. Our own complaints are usually self-inflicted, so to say. I don't think Hugh does fax backs either. I have a faxback surcharge, which helps control the problem.

Reply by KC/IN on 10/27/04 2:53pm
Msg #10564

Re: To Jon Re: mileage & fax back charges

In response to Jon's reply, I respect the fact that you have standards. In fact, I tried at one point to raise my fees but my closings went way down. So, at this point, I'm willing to do the $50 closings if there are within the city I live in. (which is a small city) I will accept $15-$25 E-docs fee. I will even do the fax backs. But, the reason I do this is because the majority of the companies that I work with do not require fax backs, so I don't have to deal with it that often. Even though my fees are lower than yours and I deal with the fax backs unlike you, I still make good money at this, considering the amount of time that is involved. (good money in my book, depends on what you're idea of "good money" is) I figure accepting the deals and putting up with fax backs here and there is making me more money than just saying no. If I were in a region where the demand for closings was extremely high, then I would be in a position to pick and choose the ones I want, but I'm not. I pretty much take all that I can get, otherwise I wouldn't have hardly any deals at all. So really, before someone sets standard too high, they need to look at where they are at and how the demand is for that area.

Reply by Jon on 10/27/04 3:31pm
Msg #10565

Re: To Jon Re: mileage & fax back charges

I agree! As I said, not everyone is able to do what I do. I know some SA's that charge more than I do. Each person needs to determine what they can or cannot do based on their own circumstances. Where a person lives also makes a difference. I live in So Ca and need to make more due to the high cost of living. If lived in Oregon where I grew up, I could accept less and make more because the cost of living is alot less.

For newbies, I suggest using the info on this or any other board only as a starting point determining what to charge, how far to travel, whether or not to do faxbacks, ect. You must do some market research to find what is ideal for your area. Remember to take into account your experience also. You can't enter at the "top" unless no one else is in your area.

Reply by KC/IN on 10/27/04 3:50pm
Msg #10568

Re: To Jon Re: mileage & fax back charges

I heard the cost of living in CA was very high, compared to IN at least. (which is where I'm from)

Reply by thnotary on 10/27/04 5:20pm
Msg #10570

Re: To Jon Re: mileage & fax back charges

So what would be considered a reasonable faxback price. By the page, per package.?

Reply by KC/IN on 10/27/04 10:19pm
Msg #10581

Re: To Jon Re: mileage & fax back charges

I personally don't charge for fax backs. Reason being, I don't know that there are fax backs until I receive my confirmation or sometimes not until I get the package, and at that point a fee is already agreed upon. Now there might be people who ask if there are fax backs prior to accepting a job, but I don't. I'll do the signing regardless. That is probably up to you how you want to handle it. The market isn't as good here as it is in other areas so that's a disadvantage for me.

Reply by lat on 10/27/04 10:22pm
Msg #10582

Re: To Jon Re: mileage & fax back charges

So.Ca. is saturated with notaries. Where is Ca. are you from ? A friend of mine tried raising her fee by $10.00 and got the brush off. Not to mention extra fees for faxing back etc. I can understand if you have direct signings with title companies making much more but title co. do not make you fax back.

Reply by CaliNotary on 10/28/04 12:26pm
Msg #10594

Re: To Jon Re: mileage & fax back charges

A reasonable faxback price would be free. Like others in here have said, most companies don't require it so it should only be an occasional thing. There are too many other notaries out there who will do it for free, you're new, don't price yourself out of work by overdoing it on fees.

Reply by Brenda J Khan on 10/29/04 10:46pm
Msg #10643

Re: To Jon Re: mileage & fax back charges

Fax backs in my opinion are just part of this job. Most companies I work for do not require this but the few that do I have informed them after doing a few signing for them that I have proven myself to be accurate to them and will no longer do fax backs other than a completed HUD and invoice for future assignments. I still get called, so this has worked for me. BK-FL

Reply by Lora on 10/28/04 2:24pm
Msg #10606

Re: To Jon Re: mileage & fax back charges

Jon I so agree with you. I have turned down signings because of base fee and e-doc fee. I am willing to stick with my fees. if everyone did this we could keep our fee standards up. I let them know that i don't go out uless i get pd 65 and I don't 30 for e-docs.

Reply by CaliNotary on 10/29/04 2:07am
Msg #10620

Re: To Jon Re: mileage & fax back charges

"if everyone did this we could keep our fee standards up."

Nice thought, but completely unrealistic. There are just too many signing agents out there, and plenty of them are willing to work dirt cheap because that's the only way they'll get work. There's no way that thousands upon thousands upon thousands of notaries are going to agree on what fee standards are reasonable.

Our fees need to reflect the reality of whatever market we're in, not our idealized version of what it should be.