Posted by Cari on 8/8/09 11:17am
Msg #299278

FYI...FED EX - as of June 1, no longer doing notary work...

at least in my area...not sure if this is nationwide...but I'm hoping UPS would do the same...there's a local office down the street fromme, and I know I lose a small percentage of walk-ins/locals to them.

If this has already been posted, (as I didn't do a search) sorry for the double post....

Reply by 101livescan on 8/8/09 1:33pm
Msg #299312

Same for the central coast offices. In fact, yesterday I stopped in to make a couple hundred copies of something. All the colored/patterned stationary, card stock and matching envelopes, greeting cards and other office supplies' racks were completely vacant. A few months ago, they quit providing paper clips, only rubber bands and staplers are suppied.

Revenue must be really down. Only two people on staff, once was four.

Reply by Cari on 8/8/09 1:37pm
Msg #299315

Actually, they are revamping ALL of their offices

to look the same NATIONWIDE...they won't be offering those lovely cards or wills/poa's anymore...whoo hooo....more biz for us!

Reply by Kay/IL on 8/8/09 2:28pm
Msg #299322

Hey Cari,

The reason why FedEx is no longer offering notary services (thank goodness) is the same reason we have have to do those notarial records when recording deeds. FedEx was the catalyst when one of their employees notarized a forged signature.

People think notarizing documents is an easy, slam dunk job. What they fail to realize that there's much to it than meets the eye.

And you're right.......UPS needs to give it up too!

Reply by MW/VA on 8/8/09 3:23pm
Msg #299325

Yes, I heard that story also. A notary at Fedex was involved in a deed matter on a property that was fradulent. Major lawsuit from what I understand. Whether it be Fedex or anywhere else, there are still a lot of notaries out there that don't have a clue that this isn't just a "put your stamp on it" function.
I know the people at my local PostNet store. They are all notaries, know the law, and keep a journal.
I even send a lot of the calls I get for general notary work to them. The UPS stores also still have notaries. I think the difference is that these are individually owned franchise store, and the responsibility/liability would fall on the owner.

Reply by JanetK_CA on 8/8/09 9:16pm
Msg #299349

I have a UPS store sort pf down the street from me and I use that for drop-offs for clients that prefer UPS. The owner is the notary there and I've seen him in the process of notarizing something a couple of times, but nearly every other time I've been there, I've seen his journal and stamp sitting on a counter unattended! (A big no-no in California!) I don't think he was even there at the time.. It would have been very easy for someone to just grab the stamp and run.

Reply by BobbiCT on 8/8/09 4:26pm
Msg #299334

Very simple answer ...

I read the original case and the appeal.

Very simple: FedEx discovered the employer deep pocket theory; what every personal injury attorney uses and what every litigator knows. If an employee scr*ws up on the job, even if employer didn't about it, the EMPLOYER gets sued, too. Employers have far deeper pockets than employees, so that's who the Plaintiff's attorney wants to nab to grab the Big Bucks. Employee notary wasn't even working there anymore when the lawsuit was brought. Ex-employee notary also spilled his gut to guarantee ex-employer Kinkos was on the hook for as much $$$ as possible to reduce his own liability. Both employer and employee did Really STUPID things! No sympathy from me.

KISS employer's result: Save cost of insurance and future lawsuits ... not worth the 25 cents to $10 to offer on-site notarizations by employees. Let employees do it off-site on their own time. Kinkos, FedEx, UPS franchisees were given the spiel that extra income could be made by offering notary public services. Apparently even the fine print didn't include what happens to all potentially liable parties if the notary messes up and all the injured parties are looking for deep pockets to sue.

Reply by WDMD on 8/9/09 4:13pm
Msg #299369

Re: Very simple answer ...

"KISS employer's result: Save cost of insurance and future lawsuits ... not worth the 25 cents to $10 to offer on-site notarizations by employees. Let employees do it off-site on their own time. Kinkos, FedEx, UPS franchisees were given the spiel that extra income could be made by offering notary public services. Apparently even the fine print didn't include what happens to all potentially liable parties if the notary messes up and all the injured parties are looking for deep pockets to sue."


Thats the problem with alot in this country. Who has the deepest pockets ends up costing all of us in the long run. Sue, sue, sue. And folks wonder why insurance is so expensive.

Reply by Joan Bergstrom on 8/9/09 11:56pm
Msg #299390

I live across the street from a UPS Store

I don't think any UPS Store in CA is going to get out of the notary business. I would estimate that over the last 7 years, I have been walking over loan documents to be returned by this store, that they easily do over $30,000 per year in notary business.

I am sure this store does at least 10 notarizations per day at $10 per signature and X by 313 days that gets this store a bunch of money.

I don't think I have ever been in the store when a notary hasn't been notarizing for a customer, so my 10 notarizations are probably 1/2 the total number. Just a guess.

They have at least 4 notary employees and the owner is a notary.

Reply by Cari on 8/10/09 12:48pm
Msg #299429

WOW....that's unusual.... n/m