Posted by Dee-FL on 6/9/05 3:05pm
Msg #43572

First American Signature Services (FASS)

Has anyone had trouble reaching a "real person" to correct a problem? I have had two wrong borrower phone numbers on my docs and could not reach a live body to help me at
First American. Also, signtrack is almost always not working properly. Anyone else having trouble with First American?

Reply by tn notary on 6/9/05 3:37pm
Msg #43583

their website always is messed up lately.

Reply by Alex_NY on 6/9/05 3:42pm
Msg #43585

I was trying to take their test for 3 times with differrent e-mail addresses and every time it did not let me finish (server error), and after that I could not retake test again.

Reply by Dee-FL on 6/9/05 3:52pm
Msg #43589

I just got a call from them about a signing I have scheduled for tonight. They wanted to send me edocs and get approval from the title company (First American Title) later for my price increase. I told the guy that's okay and to remove me from the signing if they couldn't pay a measley additional $15 for 18 pages of edocs. He finally, said okay he'll approve it. They're really slick when it comes to paying more. He actually thought I would print these docs on my paper (2 sets) and not charge anything extra for that service. What a rip.

Reply by BrendaTX on 6/9/05 5:18pm
Msg #43606

Except in a rare situation, I'll print 18 (x 2=32) pages of edocs for free.

Not saying YOU should...or that FASS is a great client as I think a lawyer in town does all of theirs here.

However, 18 pages is nothing if you are set up to do this full time/recycle and load your cartridges/buy paper in bulk.

Reply by Dee-FL on 6/10/05 7:05am
Msg #43737

Brenda, I do not do this full time. Legal sized paper costs money and it takes time and ink to do this job. Doing it part time does not pay all of these costs. If I did this for everybody I'd be broke or breaking even. And, I had already had trouble with First American earlier in the day. They used to be great. I'd always get a live person on the phone and was never asked to leave a message.

Reply by BrendaTX on 6/10/05 8:11am
Msg #43747

Number crunch of the day...eDoc Costs (& Dee)

I understand. Everyone has their own business model. Never intended to imply what you should do. But, since I do this full-time, that is the position from which I speak.

If you do edocs routinely like I do, you have to use recycled cartridges / self-refilled cartridges and buy paper in bulk so that you can be competitive. If I did not have fast cable download, the recycle/bulk scenario, I would expect $50 for each edoc package.

Right now I have five recharged laser cartridges on my shelf. New they would have cost me $725.00. Recharged they cost me $112.00.

Here are estimates on disposable costs [without electricity or initial printer cost.]*

edoc Pages------#-------6000
Paper=$27.00
Cartridge=$12.00
Toner=$16.00
Costs=$55.00
Per Page < $0.01*

200 pages for edocs = $2.00 printing cost*
32 pages = < 32 cents*

If you plan to make a go of this, invest $1000 into equipment, and $400 up front into recharge cartridges/toner to get started.

(Melody, get your spreadsheet wearing thigh out and check these numbers. Maybe you can factor in the $1000 I have in my printers to give a better look at the real costs over the life of the printers.)

Reply by BrendaTX on 6/10/05 8:21am
Msg #43748

Interesting to note...

When you do not set up for doing fast edocs as I have, what I spend $55 for, the average person is spending around $250 - $350 for so your costs are 5 to 7 times higher.

Reply by Dee-FL on 6/10/05 10:41am
Msg #43778

Re: Interesting to note...

This is true. I have great equipment for doing e-docs although, I don't use recharged cartridges because of a problem I ran in to a while ago. Toner was seeping out into the printer. It caused a nasty mess for me. I probably should just try another printer company for recycling the cartridges. But, I still would have to charge a fee for any amount over 10 pages of edocs. Simply, because I need to keep up with costs while doing this only part time. If I was doing this full time, I would definitely offer the discount to the signing service(s) when it's only a few pages of edocs.

Reply by BrendaTX on 6/10/05 12:14pm
Msg #43794

Not trying to belabor the toner part but, as an aside...

If you get heavy into the biz, go to
http://www.tonerkits.com
(For toner)

http://www.tonerrefillkits.com/
(For empty tanks/cartridges to refill)

For an HP 3015, I refill for about $7 ea.
New: $59-70.00 ea.
Remfg: $49 ea

For my Canon, I refill for $6 ea.
New: $139-159 ea.
Remft: $100 ea

Reply by Dee-FL on 6/10/05 12:36pm
Msg #43796

Re: Not trying to belabor the toner part but, as an aside...

Wow. Thanks. Those are great prices compared to what I'm paying now. $114.00 for a new catridge. I have an HP3550 Color Laserjet. So, I'm paying $114.00 x 4. You see why I have to pass this on to the SS? It's very expensive. But, I'll try the services you mentioned above in the future. Thanks again.

Reply by Cris_AR on 6/10/05 1:13pm
Msg #43810

Re: Not trying to belabor the toner part but, as an aside...

If you get heavy into the biz, go to
http://www.tonerkits.com
(For toner)

http://www.tonerrefillkits.com/
(For empty tanks/cartridges to refill)

For an HP 3015, I refill for about $7 ea.
New: $59-70.00 ea.
Remfg: $49 ea

For my Canon, I refill for $6 ea.
New: $139-159 ea.
Remft: $100 ea


That is unreal, I had no clue, Thanks for THAT tip!

Reply by Art_MD on 6/10/05 1:13pm
Msg #43809

Re: Number crunch of the day...more info

Brenda,

I myself don't use high end printer - I treat them as a consumable. but..

Find out what the expected life of the printer drum is per the manufacturer. Reduce by 25% since our pages are more intensive in the amount of toner applied.

Plan on replacing printer when drum goes.

Example using brothers 5140.

Cost $225.00

drum life - 20,000 pages.

22500/16000 = 1.4 cents per page to amortize printer cost.

If a high end machine, instead of machine cost, use replacement drum cost.

Art