Posted by Tracy_CA on 4/20/06 3:52pm
Msg #114866

Throwing in the towel

I have been doing notary signings for over 4 years. I work a full time job during the day so I only do signings in the evening or on the weekends. The last 6 months have been getting worse. SS have been turning down my fees or not calling me back when I tell them my fees and I cant afford to do them anymore with the gas prices. Gas in San Diego is over $3.00 a gallon. I drive an SUV so it's not cheap for me! I think that the best thing to do is to just throw in the towel. I love doing this but last year my business was a loss and even though it is only April, I think this year will be the same. I cant afford to do this anymore. These SS are making the big bucks while the rest of us are going under. I am still waiting for one SS to pay me for a signing that I did for them in February. My fault for doing a signing for them anyway, I knew better! They want to pay us $40-50 for a signing that will cost us just that to get there. They get paid much more than that and it is not fair. Let them use a Notary that is inexperienced instead of one that has the experienced. I am a true believer that you get what you pay for. That goes for merchandise and service.
Thank you for letting me get this off my chest. I feel a little better now

Reply by Stamper_WI on 4/20/06 4:17pm
Msg #114871

I know where you are coming from! I got an out of the blue job offer yesterday...with benefits!
Our gas went up to 2.89 today. I need to sit down and crunch my numbers to justify staying on in this.

I also have to weigh in with the fact that I like working for myself.... a lot. That is very important to me since I have been an independent contractor for many many years!

Reply by Anonymous on 4/20/06 4:18pm
Msg #114872

I agree. Let them get the inexperienced and the errors and deal with their pay getting doc'd.

Reply by Tracy_CA on 4/20/06 4:27pm
Msg #114874

I work for a well know General Contractor. We deal with hiring subcontractors on our construction jobs all the time. We are always confronted with two subs doing the same trade but one is cheaper than the other. The cheaper one most of the time has less experience but we think that if we hire the subcontractor that has the less experience and save the money, we might be spending that savings PLUS more to fix the errors that inexperienced subcontractor made. same goes for our trade. I am sure that when a notary makes a mistake it costs the SS to fix the error. Am I correct on thinking that? Why not pay more for the experience? What a strategy....huh?

Reply by Mung/CA on 4/20/06 4:32pm
Msg #114879

I should be grateful I don't get too many $40-$50 offers

This morning, LFC calls and offers $90 for e-docs in town. I say I charge $125 to ss's and $150 to t/c's for e-docs. We go back and forth. She offer's $95 I say $110. She counteroffers $100 I say $105 final price - take it or leave it. She says she'll get approval, etc., etc,. As of 2:30 pm, no call back.

Reply by Glenn Strickler on 4/20/06 4:43pm
Msg #114895

Don't quit!!

"The cheapest is not always the least expensive"

I think that errors and the cost of doing business will force out the newbies who are going into this looking for big money without doing a lot of work. I did a resign last week on a job where my fee was originally turned down by a company that I have worked a lot for in the past. The original caller said that they could no longer meet my fees because of increasing operating costs (I don't know when dialing a phone ever took gas, but ok). When I would not come down, they hired someone else. A couple of days later, the same company called aggreed to my fees without an argument. I thought the address looked familiar but did not think too much of it. The LO later called and wanted me to know that the BO is very upset because the first notary did not know what they were doing and did not complete the loan properly. When I double checked the address, it was the one that I was originally replaced on.

My business has dropped as well, but no one is in business to break even or lose money. Eventually this market will sort itself out and those experienced and don't mind the work will prevail. It just may take some time.

Reply by Tracy_CA on 4/20/06 4:51pm
Msg #114902

Re: Don't quit!!

thank you for the encouraging words Glenn. I will stick it out!!

Reply by Teddog_CO on 4/20/06 5:08pm
Msg #114913

Re: Don't quit!!

I agree Glenn. We have been doing this job a long time and have a lot invested in it. If anything just keep turning down the lowballers and just spend more time at your second job.

Last night I stopped for gas at King Sooper's they were out of gas Period. Gas is now at $3.00/per gal. and I sure hope they were just out of gas and it's not a sign of the predicted gas shortage. If there is a gas shortage and gas goes to $4 to $5 a gal. no one will be able to afford to do this job anyway. I have already lived through a gas shortage in Chicago-trust me you will NOT be driving much. There's just something about waiting for a few hours for a few gallons of gas that just turns you off. That will settle the "Notary Auction" and lowballer game. No one wins. Companies that have contracts with each other will not be able to fulfill their obligations. So the notaries they should been paying a fair fee will of just moved on to a regular full-time job. The lowball notaries, well they just will not be around.

I hope as everyone else that the out come will be positive but only time will tell, so far it is not looking good. Apparently there so no way to stop these lowball notaries. They just don't get it. Until they get "burned" for their lowball fees and can't pay the bills then it just might "sink-in." It is really sad to see what our profession has come to.


My Best to You All

Reply by Jahari Davis on 4/20/06 6:02pm
Msg #114920

Tracy, I totally feel your pain and the pain of every other NSA that is trying to do this full time. Its no surprise that SS and TC's are lowballing now. Every other industry is doing it so why shouldnt they. They do it because they think they can get away with it. Meanwhile gas is going up over $3.00/gallon (I hear $4.50/gallon in Brooklyn but thats unconfirmed.) i say everyone should raise their base and travel fees. No one should ever accept a $40-50 signing. Thats an insult. Professionals charge what they are worth. A newbie may have lesser experience but they are a burgeoning professional in the making and should never accept a lowball signing like that. That lowers the integrity of the profession for us all. If your new, act like you've been doing it for years when negotiating. Once they see that notaries arent going below a certain rate, the bar raises. We need them but they need us more so that they can do business and make money. I dont know about the rest of you but I'm tired of this race to the bottom. Your thoughts? Hit me up and light up my emailbox.

Soon...

Reply by MB_NC on 4/20/06 6:18pm
Msg #114922

Gas went to $2.89 near my house yesterday as well. Now when I was a SA in NY..oh the calls used to come in left and right! I get very few calls since I have started here in NC. In the past 2 weeks I have turned down 3 signings...simply beacuse they would not pay me my fee. The most recent one was yesterday. TC called for a closing today..Edocs..about 30 miles from me (one way up a mountain). I said $150.00..she said $125.00 or she would find somebody else...I said have a nice day...Now I really need the business. But I can not justify having to put forth my own money to make these closings happen if I am not going to be compensated for them. I have to go 23 miles just to get toner for my printer (I'm in a small town). I'm not going to lower my fees..not when they are making a good chunk just to call us..Sad thing is somebody must have taken it because I never heard back from her. And on this site..I'm the closest one..

Reply by Teddog_CO on 4/20/06 8:39pm
Msg #114963

Re: Lowering Your fees

The first time you lower your fee-even $10 you will become the Loser. Don't do it!!

The very same people who take these lowball fees have NO idea what they are doing. They will NEVER be able to raise their fees (so much for the I'm getting experience method) their reputation is being a lowballer and that's where they will stay. When they try to raise their fees they will experience the same thing we have "I have to get that approved" line of crap. Lowballers are Stuck where they are, so now they will really be Paying for the privilege of working for lowball companies. Unprofessional, unethical and absolutely no class.

Personally, I have no intention of renewing my NNA membership which ends this month. No more money to ANY organization that does nothing but cause trouble for professional notaries. In the future when I advertise with anyone that ad had better produce results or that's the end of them. I lost my sense of humor with all the nonsense that has been going on regarding the notary profession. Maybe it was my little vacation over Easter. But when the next lowballer that calls me is going to get an earfull!! So schedulers' turn down that volume. If I have to vent I am going to vent at the one that's causing the stress. Just sort of my very own mental health day! lol