Posted by Helen Gill on 11/3/08 12:11pm
Msg #268923

TEA's

Hello everyone, is anyone out there a Certified TEA? (Trusted Enrollment Agent) I am a TEA and received my first request last Wednesday and was wondering what you've experienced and to get some insight. I didn't respond to the request in time and missed the assignment. Although it seems to be a relatively simple process I was just wondering what other TEA's who have performed them thought about it. Let me know.

Reply by Prosperity on 11/3/08 12:36pm
Msg #268927

I have never received a call concerning this. I was beginning to think it didn't really exist.

Reply by John/CT on 11/3/08 1:00pm
Msg #268930

Likewise. It's been so long since I "qualified", I've completely forgotten how to conduct the process.

Reply by HrdwrkrVA on 11/3/08 1:25pm
Msg #268933

Same here. . n/m

Reply by pat/WA on 11/3/08 2:00pm
Msg #268935

Re: Same here. .

ME TOO!

Reply by JandB on 11/3/08 2:20pm
Msg #268936

I also received notification of a TEA assignment. I did not even try to accept it because I could not see if it was an appointment for 1 person or many. The only thing that makes the $35 fee feasible is multiple signings at one place. I really need that information before I click on their "accept assignment" button. BTW, I went back through their training a week ago because I do think this is going to go somewhere.

Reply by JandB on 11/3/08 2:43pm
Msg #268941

I just called the TEA team and was told we will not be able to see how many people are signing until after we accept the assignment. She said if it turns out to be one person to call them and reject the assignment as quickly as possible so they can find somebody else. I'll try for the next one and see how it goes.

Reply by Marian_in_CA on 11/3/08 4:06pm
Msg #268944

I never even got to the training part... I guess this isn't something being done in CA yet, or that there are too may people interested. Who knows.

It was my understanding, though, that TEAs are really just verifying identities, right? If the location is close enough, seems that $35 is fairly reasonable for that amount of work. It's not like you're handling a loan package... you're just verifying a person's ID.

Obviously, multiple people would make it more lucrative, but eh... if it were within a handful of miles and I could work it in other errands, $35 wouldn't bother me. As a mobile notary, that would cover the equivalent of a $10 notarization and a $25 travel fee.

Of course, if there's more to the process than that... then I might have a different opinion.

Reply by JandB on 11/3/08 5:27pm
Msg #268950

You call the customer to discuss what documents he can present, print a few documents, travel, verify their ID, notarize one document and send it back. The one time I rec'd notification of an assignment it was 15 miles away. I would do that for 3 people but no less. That pays $85.

Reply by Marian_in_CA on 11/4/08 12:35pm
Msg #268989

That sounds like general, standard mobile notary work to me, with a little extra thrown in. 15 miles for $35? Eh... I might do it if I could combine the trip with something else that I needed or wanted to do. It is a bit low for a single person on a dedicated trip, but not ridiculous. The tax deductible amount for the trip mileage would be about $17.55 (30 miles @ the current IRS rate). As a general notary for mobile services a $25 travel fee is fairly normal for that distance + $10 (in CA) for the notarization (which includes identify verification).

I guess it depends on the situation and the location, but I wouldn't automatically say no for just one person.

Reply by Connie Newcomb on 11/3/08 8:34pm
Msg #268962

I am a TEA but have never had any calls. I don't think the program is active yet in California.

Reply by Helen Gill on 11/4/08 8:24am
Msg #268975

Thanks for all your comments! It is relatively simply and basically only involves verifying ones identity. I appreciate knowing that it's okay to accept the assignment and if it's only one person you have the option of cancelling.

Reply by rolomia on 11/8/08 8:56pm
Msg #269324

While it's possible that the NNA created the TEA program as a way to boost membership renewal revenue, it's also possible that the TEA program is legitimate and the NNA merely mis-calculated the potential success of this program. Without evidence to the contrary, there's no way to be certain what is true, anymore. I, for one, renewed back in April due to the NNA's claims that I wouldn't be able to participate in this so-called lucrative program unless I was a current member. The agent who convinced me to renew claimed that they were already in the process of filling orders for TEA assignments. Of course, I later learned that this was a "mis-statement." That is how the NNA characterizes bold but untruthful claims by their agents: "mis-statements." Wow! A lie is a lie, no matter what you call it. Still, I won't fault the entire NNA staff for what one commission-greedy employee did. But, obviously, they need better employye-training procedures. In any event, I'm not renewing next year. And, I now know not to trust anything they say. They've lost all credibility with me.