Posted by Mary Pierce on 8/31/05 1:36pm
Msg #62916

PA Gas prices

How is everyone handling the unbelievable rise in gas prices these past couple of weeks? Are you increasing your fees or adding fuel service charges? I live in the mountains in NE PA and the price of gas is expected to reach $3.10 a gallon by the end of this week. Today it is $2.89 a gallon for regular. I've been telling people I need to increase my fees due to the high prices of gas. Some of them gasp when they want me to do a $50 signing and tell them no way. I won't even take $50 to do signings in my own neighborhood.

Reply by Brijoe_WA on 8/31/05 1:51pm
Msg #62926

I have been thinking about getting a motorcycle. You can pick up a good older street bike (not like a crotch rocket) for about $1000. They get excellent gas mileage at about 70-75 mpg plus they are fun to ride.

Reply by MsRobbo on 8/31/05 2:14pm
Msg #62935

I can see it now here in PA. All the mobile notaries driving around on their cycles. It would be fun but I would probably need a sidecar to lug all of my stuff around with me. A Harley would be nice though.

Reply by Mary Pierce on 8/31/05 2:20pm
Msg #62941

especially with all the mountains I drive up and down....and the rough winter. That's what I have my Jeep for.

Reply by lindetteh on 8/31/05 2:19pm
Msg #62940

I have added 15.00 to every signing .When I tell the TC they dont seem to have a problem with it the SS however want to haggle

Reply by TCMN on 8/31/05 2:34pm
Msg #62947

MN just hit $3.10 and

my cousin owns a gas station and they said it could get to $4.00 or close to by the weekend. What the heck is going on? It seems hard to believe that there are shortages of fuel. It's gone up $1.50 since the beginning of the year. This is crazy! I have told everyone that I am increasing fees due to the gas prices and I haven't heard much complaint. Trucker's have fuel surcharges...not sure why we can't.

Reply by CarolynCO on 8/31/05 2:52pm
Msg #62961

Although I don't like the every day/every other day increases, complaining isn't going to help at all. If we want to drive a vehicle and operate a mobile notary business we belt-tighten someplace else, or we find other transportation alternatives -- public transportation, etc.

Stop to think how many miles you get to a gallon -- until the day that gasoline costs $15.00 per gallon, raising rates to $15.00 per signing is ridiculous, IMO. Even driving an SUV, I'm getting 22-23 miles per gallon, so a signing is costing me no where near an additional $15.00, unless it's outside my signing area and then it's covered with an excess mileage fee.

If need be, people might have to revise the distance they are willing to travel for a signing, and charge an *excess* mileage beyond that.

Reply by CarolynCO on 8/31/05 2:55pm
Msg #62962

Re: correction

*raising rates to $15.00 per signing*

I meant to say was *raising rates an additional $15.00 per signing*

Reply by Mike Edmonds on 8/31/05 3:27pm
Msg #62975

Re: correction

After today gas hit $3.00+ in NJ and may go up to $4.00/gallon shortly. I travel 150 miles round trip for alot of TC's and need to increase my fee during this time period. If rates come back down then I will adjust my fee.

This is plain and simple business, you can only eat the cost for so long and then you must pass it on to the customer. Now it's the customers choice if they want to remain with you or shop around.

Reply by CarolynCO on 8/31/05 4:08pm
Msg #62991

Re: correction

I agree with you Mike. It's the cost of doing business. What you are saying is exactly what I was saying -- if you are going to signings that are 75+ miles away, then by all means charge an excess mileage charge. I did that even before the gasoline charges got out of control. My basic fee covers a radius of 24 miles. After that I charge for each additional mile. But to simply raise signing rates $15 is going over board, IMO. There has been a lot of talk of what is going to happen to the signing business -- I think this will be the rubber hitting the pavement and will weed out many SAs.

How many SAs working full time in another job can say that their employers pay the cost of their gasoline to get to work?--some pay bus passes and some even pay parking -- but few pay gasoline. In my own business, I'd play heck getting an attorney to buy my gasoline.

Reply by Ilona_OH on 8/31/05 2:38pm
Msg #62952

Where in NE PA. My son's family is in Pottsville although he is in Irag 80 miles west of Bagdad somewhere?

Reply by Mary Pierce on 8/31/05 3:38pm
Msg #62980

I'm in Towanda, Pa - about 1.5 hours north of Scranton.

Reply by Jon_PA on 8/31/05 4:18pm
Msg #62992

Gas hit $3.19 just North of Philadelphia

Reply by oldhippie_IL on 8/31/05 4:51pm
Msg #63003

I won't be doing signings for under $100.00!!

Reply by oldhippie_IL on 8/31/05 6:55pm
Msg #63037

OK, now I see it for 3.29

Reply by Debbie Compton on 8/31/05 8:52pm
Msg #63090

They have no option, us loosing money is not going to happen. I just had Veri Docs after he received the documents email me telling me I wanted too much.
Needless to say I am not happy and will not do anymore. When everyone says NO, they can always close them themselves!

Reply by JO_PA on 8/31/05 11:20pm
Msg #63157

Never thought I'd see the day when I would shop for the best gas prices. Now I stop and fill up when I see a price that is lower than home. The sad part is, I live in a tourist area and the prices are always a little higher here.

Reply by DMARTZ_IN on 8/31/05 11:56pm
Msg #63162

It was $3.19 here in Fort Wayne