Posted by mctinawall on 9/27/04 6:45pm
Msg #8955

Sign on the X___, Inc.

This is a California signing service. I received call from this signing service for the first time approximately 3 weeks ago; they were desperate to find a signing agent for a last minute "only a couple of documents, should only take a few minutes" signing in my area. Even tho they only offered me $45 (it's only a few minutes work) I accepted the assignment. The borrowers had the docs. When I arrived it turned out to be a full refi ( about 100 pages), with 8 docs to be notorized. I was upset but gave the company the benefit of the doubt.
They called me again last Thursday, needing a notary to notarize a grant deed "only one document, it will only take you 15 minutes to complete it". Again I was offered $45; I accepted since it was only the one document; the docs had been sent to the borrower. When I arrived I found - again - a full home refi.
Today I faxed the company a termination notice - and I have begun posting this notice on as many notary bulletin boards as I can locate.
Burn me once, shame on you; burn me twice, shame on me. My fault for being too trusting.

Reply by Roger/OH on 9/27/04 9:22pm
Msg #8969

SOX just keeps adding to their legacy as one of the worst ss out there. Read the boards and heed.

Reply by LARITA/MI on 9/28/04 7:54am
Msg #8974

Personally I would not have low-balled and taken that low of a fee. Even as a newbie you still need to charge at a minimum $50, so you may not want to make that mistake again. I don't care how small a package is or how close it is to your home, you need to always charge at least $50 from the begining (my base if $75), reason being: you'll have a hard time trying to negotiate more once you become more experienced and developed. SS know who they can get over on and will always expect you to do it at that fee. And if they have to pay more then they will find a more experince notary thus cutting your potential business profits. Further some companies frown on low balling fees because they can sense that you're new or not doing so good in the business and may screw things up. Additionally, as the CA poster said I would have called them at the closing and forced them to adjust my fee or find another notary . . it's just that simple. I don't care if I just have to show my face to a borrower next door and watched them sign a candy wrapper, my minimum would have been at least $50. And even then, you'll have to wait 2 months to get that from SOX. You may want to start reading at the begining of these boards and work your way to current because believe it or not, SOX is not the only SS that does bad business. While I take some of the info on these as a grain of salt, if SEVERAL notaries (not just a hand full) tell me that SS or title co is no good, then I save myself the headache and turn down their signings because what's chance that you'll have 20 disgruntled notaries that have it out for one SS? So in the future save yourself some headache and make these companies meet or fee or find someone else. I did one signing for SOX and that was my first and last. They paid me, but 2 months later. My fees are due net 15 or at the max net 30 and I refuse to wait 2 months for a measly $50. But I did that signing when I first started out, I started reading these boards and got alot smarter and alot wiser. But I made my base $50 no matter what and these experienced SA's on this board, now my peers, prove to be very right with their advice. Hope this helps!

Reply by John/CA on 9/27/04 9:57pm
Msg #8970

I can only give you this advise: read more and especially older messages. I started with Nr. 1, and I found the truth about SOTX in message no 38, 6/14/2003.

Reply by CaliNotary on 9/27/04 11:25pm
Msg #8971

Yikes, that sucks. Personally, I would have called them from the signing (assuming it was business hours) and renegotiated the fee on the spot, and left if they didn't agree to more. And at the second signing I would have notarized only the grant deed and left, since that's all they hired you to do. Yeah, it sucks for the borrowers, but it's not our fault if a company blatantly lies to us, and it's not our duty to take it in the rear for the sake of the borrowers.

There is no excuse for lying to a notary just to get a lowball fee. Did you even try to get a higher fee after the fact or make them explain why they lied to you? It's still not too late, call and see what they say. Of course, this being SOX it's all theoretical anyway since you're unlikely to get paid by them either way.

Since you didn't know about SOX, I would strongly advise that you take the time to read all of the old messages on this board, as there are plenty of other bad news companies that have been discussed here. You'll have to kiss this one off to a learning experience, but hopefully you can get some information that will prevent it from happening with another company in the future.

Reply by Sue/AZ on 9/28/04 9:34am
Msg #8976

They still owe me money that I have been fighting for from an August signing. But i did get more that 45.00. Maybe that is why they aren't paying. Never again with this company.

Reply by Bob/ New York on 9/28/04 6:31pm
Msg #9005

Hope yoy get paid. That could take a long time.

Reply by candice CA on 10/12/04 5:36pm
Msg #9711

I have worked with SOX for some time now, I have had some trouble getting paid but they are the nicest and the most helpfull company I work with... It makes for the length of non payment! I LOVE THE GIRLS THERE~~
Would you rather work with un-friendly people or people that are great to work for !
You have to way out the bad with the good...

I chose SIGN ON THE X and so should you! Great people

Reply by CaliNotary on 10/13/04 2:35am
Msg #9742

Wow, looks like Sign on the X is attempting some damage control. Too bad they got one of their more illiterate employees to do it. This is almost as laughable as when Liz from 24/7 came in here a few weeks ago to defend the integrity of her company, which she did by naming notaries and calling them liars.

Maybe SOX can get a new motto from this post - Work for Sign on the X! We don't pay but we're NICE PEOPLE!

Reply by sue on 10/13/04 12:56pm
Msg #9764

I agree with you. I have NEVER worked for a company that doesn't know if it's one doc or an entire loan (not talking about whether or not they know it's a double). The reason is, when it's just one document they always try to get you for a very basic fee

Reply by Jennifer Miller on 9/29/04 6:24am
Msg #9017

You should of called the company right after the closing and demanded more money.

This happened to me over the weekend, I was asked to do a closing for $50 and the docs were going to be mailed to me overnight. So, I accepted and the next day, no docs. Being that it was a Saturday closing, the only person that I could get in touch with was the bank, so the docs were emailed to me. I call the company on Monday, explained the situation and they agreed to pay me the extra money for edocs and I received another confirmation with the correct amount.

Communication is a large part of this business, I would contact the manager at Sign on the X and see if you can get any more money. Its worth a shot. Good luck!

Reply by sue on 9/29/04 8:16am
Msg #9019

in theory you are correct but probably not with this company. they lied to her from the start - they know if it's just one doc or a whole package. Knowing their reputation, I wouldn't have taken the order but if for some reason I would have, I'd have refused to do the signing - if there had been a deed I'd have done that, period.

Reply by lovelylacey on 10/2/04 5:27pm
Msg #9258

your wrong sue. i used to work for a lender and our signing comapny had no idea what docs the notary was to sign. we place orders for the time date location, and if the documents are to be emailed or overnight via ups. the signing company at no point is in contact with the documents, they only know what they are told from the lender. maybe the lender was trying to pull a fast one?

Reply by CaliNotary on 10/3/04 12:17pm
Msg #9264

In this case I'd be inclined to give the lender the benefit of the doubt and assume that Sign on the X was deliberately lying to the notary just to lowball their fee.

Reply by candice CA on 10/12/04 5:30pm
Msg #9710

I disagree, what if the notarys were lying to the ss just to get more money! ss dont deal with the docs the Lender handles that part!

Reply by Candice on 10/12/04 5:28pm
Msg #9709

Regarding the doc thing, I know that they only tell us what the lender has provided for them.
I have worked with Sign on the X for a while now and they are all very nice and very helpful.