Posted by ME/NJ on 7/23/08 7:28am
Msg #256398

Turned down a job due to faxbacks

Well known company (lower side of pay) but due pay quick, 4 different people called me to do the job. The last person met my fee, it was a CW loan and they wanted the 90% of the package faxed to them.. 120 pages are they nuts.

Called back and said I don't do faxbacks, they offered more money or to pay for Kinkos. There are only 1-2 Kinkos or Fed Ex stores within 20 miles of me and they close @ 10pm (signing was scheduled for 9pm)

They must of been desperate after I said no, they still wanted it signed by me but refused to drop the fax backs.

The request SS are making are unreal, and they seemed puzzled I would not fax back the ton of docs, I had told them its to much time and going to kinkos would take even more time and gas. Even scanning takes as much time as faxing. My fax hold about 30 pages per shot.

Reply by sue_pa on 7/23/08 7:35am
Msg #256401

I don't get it. Oh surprise. With the right equipment, you put the pages on your fax machine and dial. For 120 pages I'd put in 3 'groupings', putting the second one in when the first was almost finished, etc. That many pages would go through in less than 5 minutes. Go to bed and in the morning there is a confirmation. Actually, for that many pages, I'd put every document in the fax and wouldn't pick through the pile. Total time is less than 10 minutes to fax back, with the right equipment.

Reply by snoopdogMs on 7/23/08 7:45am
Msg #256404

If the company meets my fee which includes faxing, I am going to take the job. I don't like to fax back, but I do like the business and repeat calls which may have requirements that are not my preference. I will do whatever if the fee covers the task.

Reply by Marlene/USNA on 7/23/08 8:11am
Msg #256407

"if the fee covers the task"

Most concise description I've read here of the bottom-line criteria for accepting a job

Reply by Lee/AR on 7/23/08 2:46pm
Msg #256469

Heartily Agree! "if the fee covers the task"

So, why do we have to play 20 questions with hiring entity to arrive at 'the task(s)' needed?
(And all too frequently get "I dunno" or just plain b.s.) I've had CWs of 97 pgs. w/no faxbacks & 180 pgs. w/50 pg. faxbacks--which is a rather large difference in both time & materials needed.
Simply say: I've got a CW in City/Zip on (Day, Time) w/approx. # pgs of edocs & 47 pages fax backs. We pay (trip fee) (full fee) (no fee) for (no-signs) (no-show) (if funded). Those 2 sentences give me everything I need to quote a fair fee for work required. Which ought to make it a win/win for everyone. I'm not 'inflating' my fee to cover the things I (maybe) wasn't told & TC/SS is only paying for 'what they want'.

Reply by Marlene/USNA on 7/24/08 9:35am
Msg #256554

Re: Heartily Agree! "if the fee covers the task"

As sue/pa and I think Calinotary have said, price it up front for a worst case CW senario and then if you find out there are no faxbacks or no something else, you can give a discount. People by nature would rather get a discount than hear, "Well, that's gonna cost you more."

Let hirer play 20 questions instead of you.

Reply by ME/NJ on 7/23/08 12:48pm
Msg #256445

faxing 120 pages is not a 5-10 minute thing

Wish that was true, between jams, misfeeds, double pages going through its a PITA. My fee includes faxing up to 15 pages anything over that there is a fee per page. SS and TC need to be upfront about the massive faxbacks so you quote a price or decline the job.

The last time I scanned a package it took almost as long as the signing itself.

Reply by CaliNotary on 7/23/08 2:12pm
Msg #256464

Re: faxing 120 pages is not a 5-10 minute thing

"Called back and said I don't do faxbacks, they offered more money or to pay for Kinkos"

"My fee includes faxing up to 15 pages anything over that there is a fee per page"


You don't do faxbacks, but you include 15 pages of faxbacks in your fee and charge extra for anything beyond that. Makes no sense, you either do them or you don't do them.

Reply by MC_oh on 7/23/08 8:18am
Msg #256408

I've done one of those. The amount they offered for the fax backs was only 20.00. With my older fax machine, it took longer doing the faxing than the signing.
Still, at least while faxing I could catch up on e-mail, watch tv, and have a glass of wine.

Reply by Hugh Nations Signing Agents of Austin on 7/23/08 8:46am
Msg #256410

I tussle with TCs all the time over faxbacks.

The problem with them is not the time involved. There is also the issue that in order to do them, you have to go back to the office; you can't just drop off the package after the signing. The way I handle them is to charge $1 a page for faxbacks beyond a couple of the standard ones, like the signature page of the deed. The TCs don't like that, but it sure does eliminate the problem of being told there will be about six pages of faxbacks that somehow morph into 60.

For some reason, if closings are on Friday, the TCs will frequently tell me -- when they learn how much the demanded faxbacks would cost -- just to forget them. Only on Fridays, though.

Reply by SShoreDude on 7/23/08 12:57pm
Msg #256450

Solution,

When I bought my printer, i made sure it had a good scanner, now i just scan the pages back to the bank, never fax. i ususally just end up sending the entire package back instead of leafing through each page, looking for a RTC, my pet peeve.

Reply by MistarellaFL on 7/23/08 1:55pm
Msg #256461

Re: Solution,

Same here, scanning is so much faster and easier...and MF machines are cost effective, don't tie up the phone line. 5 minutes tops. I've never had a company say they would rather have a fax. Bonus, you will have a copy of the executed docs in the event the company says a doc is "missing" or "not executed properly". I keep them until payment is received.

Reply by JAGGWIN on 7/23/08 6:16pm
Msg #256499

Ridiculous! I too would have turned them down. I have had a couple of companies who want multiple fax backs and they dooooo pay me for them.

Reply by hcampersFL on 7/23/08 7:20pm
Msg #256506

I get that this is crazy, not sure I would do it either.

What I don't understand is you have posted many times that you aren't getting calls, now you have one and they have called you 4 times. It sounds like you could have named your price. Yes it's a pain in the tush but if they would pay your fee why not take the job?

Reply by ME/NJ on 7/23/08 7:50pm
Msg #256513

Notary work is PT now, working FT to cover bills

Plus the 125 fee from this company was there max fee, that is until I did not want to fax back most of the package. Oh we can offer 20 dollars more.

I lost 600 dollars last week because of me working somewhere else. I need a steady income and this industry can't do it anymore. 1 week 10 days do not cover the bills for the month.

The company only calls me when they can't find anyone because of my fee, if I do 5 a year for them thats alot.

The last couple of months killed me and now I will just pick the prime jobs from my clients.