Posted by Harry [NR] on 2/18/08 11:56pm
Msg #235950

Quick Update - PURGE and SEARCH LIMITS

Purge
===============
I haven't read all of the prior threads, but Traci and Grif passed along the message. It is true that I never completed the purge process I began in the last half of 2007. That process involved the sending of between 15,000 and 20,000 e-mails, faxes and voicemails to stale accounts. The next stage, before the final purge, was to send letters. I kept putting that off due to the expense. Because we only received a response rate of about 8%, I wanted to give it some more time before actually having to PAY for a $6000 mailing. The fact that people (Basic Members, primarily) are either a) Too lazy to update their profiles, or b) Too forgetful, comes at the expense of ALL other members, as well as corporate users, and we would have really preferred to put that money to use in another way.

Here is the compromise... I just "hid" over 12,000 stale signing agent profiles. "Stale" is defined as a) No profile update in the last 6 months and b) No login in the past 3 months. Premier Members were exempt from this action. The up-side is that it undoubtedly disabled a huge number of bad accounts. The down-side is that it also disabled a huge number of legitimate/current accounts. We will be sending instructions to affected users explaining how to unhide their profiles. Those that remain hidden several months from now will, in fact, be purged. If your account was affected by this action, simply sign-on, click My Profile, uncheck the box beside "Hide my profile from searches," and click Update.

Search Limits
===============
In response to the recent thread regarding search limits... While I think some of you covered it in your responses, it bears repeating: we have the capability to either remove the limits OR significantly increase them for appropriately-privileged accounts. If a title company or signing service is using our site and they are not coded as such, all they need to do is ask, and we will convert their account. The search limits are in place to help mitigate various forms of abuse, including the pilfering of Notary Rotary member data. This is an ongoing problem with a) Certain competitors, b) Notary members or prior members who have been working to establish competing services, and c) Signing services who seem to think they should be able to load our entire database into their own. (Some of whom, I believe, have gone on to sell their databases to other companies.) If you've received junk e-mail from some notary site claiming to be the next great thing, there's a great chance they got your e-mail address from us or 123.

Harry
Notary Rotary, Inc.

Reply by ZeeCA on 2/18/08 11:59pm
Msg #235951

Thx Harry! n/m

Reply by Joan Bergstrom on 2/19/08 12:11am
Msg #235954

I didn't see Harry post when I posted below

The problem with 5 only searches is it makes it difficult for not only the loan-signing industry to find us but it also limits to 5 searches the public/lawyers/nursing homes/hospitals/car dealerships/hotels/etc to name a few.

The non industry type of searches have no idea what to do when they get denied after 5 hits and I think they just move on to a different search vehicle.

I think the NNA and Notaryrotary are the only advertising websites that require a sign in registration procedure to search for a notary.

There could be others that I am not aware.

I think this policy should change to 100% open viewing.

Reply by Lee/AR on 2/19/08 12:13am
Msg #235955

Thank you...but I do have a question.

WHY would you need to send a snail-mail letter? (If that's what you meant.) If you contact them, say, twice by e-mail & they don't respond--well, the heck with 'em! They either don't care because they are no longer in business AND too lazy to delete their own profile or have changed their e-mail address--in which case, the database contains outdated info of no value to anyone--not even them. Obviously, this cannot apply to Premier Members.

Reply by PeterRado/FL on 2/19/08 12:29am
Msg #235957

Re: Im sure I'm not one of your...

favorite people right now but I have to tell you that just to see you addressing the problem makes me feel better about NR

Reply by Harry [NR] on 2/19/08 4:49am
Msg #235961

Re: Thank you...but I do have a question.

Yes, by snail mail. E-mail is not terribly reliable because it changes more frequently than other contact methods and, more than that, things like "profile update" messages have a terrible tendency to get stuck in spam filters. We can't simply flush 12,000 profiles when at least half of them are probably current (though unreachable by us via e-mail) and still working as signing agents. The value of many of those members - e.g. the ones in light coverage areas - is too great.

Harry

Reply by Vince/KS on 2/19/08 7:55am
Msg #235966

Re: Thank you...but I do have a question.

Yes, the coverage is much lighter in my area. The first twenty-five basic members in my area are within 28 miles instead of substantially less than that. What is more important is that searching will likely find someone more quickly. Even though my listing is in the upper section, I’ve still had many ask if I was still doing closings. Further, when busy I’ve referred people to those that Notary Rotary listed as closer to other neighborhoods than I. A number of those persons are not shown now to my embarrassment. If they were still providing services, you provided and others provided many notices as to why they needed to update their listings. This should help everyone, even if it does drop hundreds initially from your member list. Thank you Harry.

Reply by Joan_OH on 2/19/08 5:36am
Msg #235962

THANK YOU!!!

Harry - DO NOT spend $6000 on postage to hold the hands of people who can't update, can't respond, have bad email addresses, bad phone numbers and probably all free accounts. They are all adults who are supposedly in business and should be taking care of business by keeping their profiles updated. I don't see why you owe these free accounts a $6000 expense not to mention the time involved.

Now that you've responded, I understand why you have search limitations, but it still does not make it easier for the user. When I look at the search page, I don't readily see where the limits are explained. If you don't mind a suggestion, maybe above the search box you could put a disclaimer that they will be limited to 5 searches unless they LOG-IN or REGISTER with links to do so.

I just checked and my local listings ARE the ones still working - all the ones I know to be not working are gone. It looks great and I'm thinking the SS's and Title companies are going to think so too - as long as they can easily search.


Thank You! Next order of business for me? - renewing my Premier Membership!

Joan-OH

Reply by Lee/AR on 2/19/08 6:01am
Msg #235963

I 2nd this. n/m

Reply by DellaCa on 2/19/08 6:37am
Msg #235964

Re: I 2nd this.

I still see profiles in my area that are empty and have not updated since June last year.

Reply by Vince/KS on 2/19/08 7:59am
Msg #235967

Updating versus logging in

We would not know if those members logged in. If they logged in within the last three months, he did not hide them.

Reply by sue_pa on 2/19/08 9:59am
Msg #235975

thank you w/a ??

Will this be done in the future at some set schedule? I see an awful lot in my area that are at the 6 month time period. If this would have happened in another month, about 1/2 the remaining would be gone - not to say they're not active as I certainly don't know but if this isn't set up on a routine basis, it will continually refill with dead wood. Perhaps a statement in big red letters when someone signs up for a free listing letting them know they must update every xx or sign in every xx is required. If not, they're out and it's on them to come back and resign up.

Reply by jba/fl on 2/19/08 11:50am
Msg #235987

Re: thank you w/a ??

I see lots too in my area from April, May 07.

Reply by Skippy_Ca on 2/19/08 12:53pm
Msg #236008

When I do a search I still live 1.5 miles from my own address. But I have been told that Title companies and SS use a different search. So for those that do not log on will see that I live 1.5 miles from my own address. How can you fix this.

Reply by MikeC/NY on 2/19/08 6:45pm
Msg #236084

<< When I do a search I still live 1.5 miles from my own address.>>

More likely, you live 1.5 miles from either your post office or the center point of your zip code area. That's generally how zip code searches work.

Reply by Sheryl Nairn on 2/19/08 10:32pm
Msg #236131

My Exact Address

I put in my exact address and I live 1.5 miles from my own address. So someone else could do a signing for my neighbor even though I am physically closer.

Reply by Ernest__CT on 2/19/08 2:07pm
Msg #236019

Thank you, Harry! n/m