Posted by MichiganAl on 8/23/10 6:41pm
Msg #350183

Notary ASAP - Are they really a good company?

I received a call last week from Notary ASAP (Orange, CA) to do an e-sign today. They were pleasant and they met my fee. I looked them up here, lots of positive comments and a 4 1/2 star rating in SC. Signing went fine, no problems with Notary ASAP.

So it should be all thumbs up, right? But now I'm reading their order confirmation and I really don't like what I see. According to the confirmation sheet, if any documents are missing a signature, you will not be paid for the signing. Zero. Document missing a date, paid zero. Incorrect date, zero. Print fee if a signing cancels, zero. FedEx doesn't show your docs scanned by the following day, zero (regardless of whether it was their fault or yours. So no drop boxes, you have to take docs to a FedEx location and make them scan it). So according to their order sheet, no chance to make to things right, no chance for a fix. You will not get paid. I don't make mistakes often, but I'm not perfect. They do happen and as a professional you do what you need to do on your own dime to fix it. But you get paid nothing if you make a mistake, even if you get it corrected?

So for those of you who work for them I have two questions:

Do they really refuse to pay you if a date is missing or you have to go back to get a signature?

And for all of you that give them high marks, do you really consider the above to be acceptable?

Reply by Lee/AR on 8/23/10 7:32pm
Msg #350189

I've only done one for them over a year ago--no issues. They did not have all the stips you're talking about because if they did, we'd have had 'issues' and if they refused to budge, I'd have turned it back pronto. Was paid in just under 30 days.

Reply by Notary_ASAP on 8/24/10 5:38pm
Msg #350290

Its the same confirmation from a year ago.

Reply by Yoli/CA on 8/23/10 7:33pm
Msg #350190

I do a lot of signings for Notary ASAP and have always found all those ladies to be professionals. If a mistake occurs, you are asked to go back and correct (on your dime, of course) and you do get paid the originally agreed to fee. I have never had a negative experience with any of them.

As a matter of personal preference, I do take packages to Fedex and get a receipt on any signing. That's just my practice, and, I believe, a good CYA. One time (not with Notary ASAP) I dropped a package at a UPS drop box and it was never delivered. After that, I always get a receipt.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 8/23/10 7:43pm
Msg #350191

Problem with that in my area is that, for a local signing, I would have to drive 15 miles to FedEx Office or UPS store to be able to get a receipt. And I am not in a rural area. My local pack-n-ship place accepts both FedEx and UPS with 5 PM pickup, but they don't issue receipts. I won't drive a 30 mile round trip just to be able to get a receipt. These companies slay me with the stuff they come up with to put in their confirmations.

Reply by Notary_ASAP on 8/24/10 5:42pm
Msg #350291

We deal with exceptions everyday. We just ask you to communicate with us the circumstances so we can keep everyone informed. In this case when escrow ask for the tracking number we can inform them that its in a rural area and you are unable to get the number from the shipping location.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 8/24/10 6:07pm
Msg #350298

I read your response below and I agree that a notary absolutely should be able to provide a tracking number for the package. I provide a closing confirmation with tracking number via email for every closing, whether asked for it or not. There has been one time that I used a drop box near the signing location so the package would ship same day, but the package did not ship that day for some reason and tracking info did not show up until the next day. I still don't know what happened on that one, but at least I did have the tracking number. However, I would not want my fee docked for something like that which was beyond my control.

Reply by CaliNotary on 8/23/10 11:03pm
Msg #350209

I used to do a fair amount of work for them, probably for about 2 or 3 years. Sometime last year there was some sort of problem, I don't even remember exactly what it was but it was something to do with them wanting a replacement acknowledgment for some reason and me refusing to do it unless they returned the original document to me to replace it. The lender refused to do it and told them not to use me on any more of their signings, and they completely dropped me. I know others on this board have had similar situations, so apparently it's not in their business plan to stick up for their notaries when we stand firm against doing illegal stuff. It was no big loss though, practically all of their signings seemed to be last minute 5:30 or 6:00 calls that HAD to be done that night.

At that time, none of the BS you mentioned was on their confirmations. Now it looks like they're looking for opportunities to screw people out of payment. Refusing to pay you if the docs aren't scanned into FedEx by the following day, even if they're not expecting them until the day after that? So the TC could get docs back on the day they're supposed to get them back but ASAP is going to refuse to pay you anything? F*** that.

And I'll bet dollars to donuts they still expect you to go out and fix any errors, even though they've already told you they're not going to pay you.

Reply by JulieD/KS on 8/24/10 3:43pm
Msg #350277

Notary ASAP just called me, for the first time, about 10 minutes ago. Same day signing. I inquired if I'd ever worked for them and she said No. I told her that I won't do a same-day signing for a new company because I have no credit history. She said thanks and that was that.

Signing Services are not my favorite outfits these days and I really won't give them a chance unless they call 24-hours in advance which gives me time to make sure it's a company I'm willing to work for.

I prefer general notary work and it's working for me.

Reply by Deborah Breedlove on 8/24/10 4:51pm
Msg #350284

They called me about 3:00 this afternoon too. Probably for the same signing. I have worked for them before. They were nice to work with and I got paid timely. The problem with the one for today was that there was no set time, just whatever I could work out with the borrower. Since I already have two scheduled for this evening, I told her I could only do it if they could meet with me at 5:00 or before. She couldn't guarantee that, so I declined the signing. I didn't want to get stuck doing it at 10:30 tonight.

If not for that, I would have taken it, assuming they'd met my fee of course.

Reply by Notary_ASAP on 8/24/10 5:47pm
Msg #350292

You still grumbling about this. You know we back our notaries as we did with you. But when push came to shove over your error, we had to make a choice of never working with one of the biggest title/escrow companies in the nation or not using you for their signing again. The choice was unfortunate but simple.

We still have nothing bad to say about you other than how you beat us up for the mistake you made. Like I said, not all mistakes are easy to fix with a pleasant outcome. Your mistake is a perfect example.... everyone got hurt in that case.

Reply by CaliNotary on 8/24/10 9:08pm
Msg #350307

Like I said, it was no big loss

And I'm certainly not grumbling about anything, just stating the facts to somebody who asked about your company. If you want to call that "beating you up", then so be it.

But I do think it's worth mentioning that, no matter what the reason was, you stopped using a notary who had completed hundreds of perfect signings for you because I wouldn't break the law to fix a mistake that was otherwise easily fixable within the bounds of what we are allowed to do by law. That type of information is important to signing agents, it lets us make educated decisions about who we choose to work for.

You're just lucky that we don't use the same "one strike and you're out" criteria. Between all the lender, title company and signing service mistakes we have to deal with on a practically daily basis, you'd be having to find an entirely new crop of notaries every month.

Reply by LKT/CA on 8/24/10 12:05am
Msg #350212

My guesstimate is that they've been hiring lowball notaries, they got what they paid for and it bit them. So now they've created a "zero tolerance" policy, even faulting the notary for FedEx's operations. And like CaliNotary said - looking for any feeble excuse to stiff the notary.

I've never worked with them, and won't. I had a call last week for a signing from a different SS, the scheduler was in a rush to email the confirmation without addressing the fee. We negotiated a happy medium but then the deal breaker *for me* was "no borrower contact". Sorry, I address the borrower directly - at will - specifically MY will or no can do.

Reply by Notary_ASAP on 8/24/10 5:52pm
Msg #350293

We use new and old notaries. 90% of our notaries have over 5 years experience. Our zero policy confirmation has been around for years and we have yet to stiff a notary.

CaliNotary knows full well we are not looking to stiff a notary. Hes just upset because a title company will not allow us to use him for their signings. I'm sure he will bad mouth us for years to come and will scrutinize every little thing we do.

Reply by CaliNotary on 8/24/10 9:27pm
Msg #350308

We've seen examples on this board of quite a few good companies that turned into bad companies, and it's been about a year and a half since I've done a signing for you so I have no idea if you've changed for better or worse since then. I was just responding to what Al said was on your confirmation, which was not the same thing on the confirmations I got from you during the time I was doing work for you. Based on what he wrote, it sounds like one of those companies who give a laundry list of reasons why they'll reduce or eliminate your fee. And there are plenty of those out there.

Here's what was on one of my confirmations from a year and a half ago, it's definitely not the wording you said you've been using for years:



NOTARY CONFIRMATION



Do Not Print Docs Until Appointment is set. We can no Longer pay for Print fee.

(Borrower and Return Info)

* Please Double check all your work. DO NOT include invoice back with the documents, Fax invoice to XXX-XXX-XXXXX. Please contact me anytime with problems or questions @ XXX-XXX-XXXX ext 3 or Cell # XXX-XXX-XXXX(Velvet).Overnight documents back ASAP with provided envelope or Shipping Info provided. If you don’t have this contact me for UPS or FED EX account number. FAX BACK THIS CONFIRMATION AFTER SIGNING. If there is a no sign we do not pay full fee. Please call to discus the agreed fee for a No Sign. Pay Schedule is now every 30 days until the Industry picks up once again

Reply by ReneeK_MI on 8/24/10 6:05am
Msg #350221

Never saw such instructions, always liked them. n/m

Reply by DebMsocal on 8/24/10 8:06am
Msg #350227

I performed over 200 signings for them last year. They are easy to work with, Velvet pays regularly, like clock work. When ever I have been asked to make a correction they have always sent me a scan of the original docs. No muss no fuss. If I make a mistake I correct it on my dime and have never had my fee reduced. I love working with the girls.

Reply by Notary_ASAP on 8/24/10 5:54pm
Msg #350294

A perfect example of the notary we like to work with!

Reply by MichiganAl on 8/24/10 9:53am
Msg #350232

Hmm. Sounds like something they've recently added.

I'm glad most people have had a good experience with them. I really did too. I hope they're not taking a bad turn like so many other decent companies have.

Reply by Notary_ASAP on 8/24/10 5:54pm
Msg #350295

Re: Hmm. Sounds like something they've recently added.

No bad turn here... just business as usual. We definitely are busier than we have been in a long time.

Reply by 101livescan on 8/24/10 10:17am
Msg #350236

They are an excellent company. They have great clients. I've worked for them for years without incident that was within their control. I did have one snafu with electronic signing that did not upload successfully to the lender, but they got that worked out. I was out of town on a family emergency. The ladies are very easy to work with and extremely organized. Payment has never been an issue, they have integrity and honor.

Reply by wisconsin on 8/24/10 10:40am
Msg #350237

I have never had a problem with them

They have always paid on time. 1 time they bounced a check, but I was contacted by them first telling me they made a mistake and this was going to happen. They sent out a new check with bank fees right away. I am not happy with bounced checks but they were honest and up front about it and made it right almost before I knew it bounced.

Reply by aanotary on 8/24/10 1:10pm
Msg #350270

Re: I have never had a problem with them

I was thinking about this a couple of weeks ago. Who is my favorite company to work for?- and it is this one. They are so nice. You never have to worry about payment. My payment has never been shorted or deducted for any reason. If all SS were like this one- we would have very little to complain about!-

Reply by BestFlCloser on 8/24/10 11:25am
Msg #350248

<<< Print fee if a signing cancels, zero >>> - They want you to be a partner in their loss for whatever reason, but you're not a partner in their profits. Sounds like a deal breaker to me. However, they must have gotten burnt by using lowballing NSA's. You get what you pay for. Never had a problem with them in a bunch of years. But if they call, I'll look at the confirmation carefully.

Reply by Tish/CA on 8/24/10 12:19pm
Msg #350257

I've worked with them for years and never have had any issues. Always pay within 30 days, no hand holding and easy to work with.

Reply by ReneeK_MI on 8/24/10 12:27pm
Msg #350259

I disagree on a couple of points ...

I do not and never have charged a print fee - doesn't happen often enough to have it break into the profit margin, not worth writing off a good client over. I can print & shred a ream of paper @ a cost of 6 cents/page - so, eat $18 bucks now and then in exchange for a great client? Ok!

I also disagree that this makes them a "lowballer" - I don't work for anything less than a professional and profitable fee, and I will take all Notary ASAP has to send my way.

Disagree also that they "get what they pay for" - wish it were true, but it's not. Just because an NSA CHARGES a particular level of fees is by NO MEANS any guarantee that you'll receive any particular level service or expertise.

Reply by Notary_ASAP on 8/24/10 5:56pm
Msg #350296

We have been burned by all types... new SA, old SA, cheap, expensive... you never know what type of person you are going to deal with until you actually work with them.

Reply by James Dawson on 8/24/10 5:06pm
Msg #350286

Al, I'm addressing you only...

I have been fortunate enough to work for SS that have no such rules, guidelines, disclaimers, agreements, etc so When I'm contacted by those that do, I know it is absolutely not necessary for them to do so and NOT acceptable to me.

That being said, it is a turn off because I have learned from my court experience that those companies are exercising control of what you're doing, which according to the IRS makes you an employee.

Getting paid has nothing to do with it, being told how, what, when, who is demeaning if you are competent.

Do I lose work because of my take on this, of course....Am I happy with the people I do work with, absolutely!

As you well know it is up to you what assignments you take and the reason you take them. Stick to what you're comfortable with and turn away if it creates stress.....Don't let money be the deciding factor. My .02

Reply by Notary ASAP on 8/24/10 5:34pm
Msg #350289

Alex, this is something we would of been more than happy to answer directly to you, however, I do understand that it's better for some of us to communicate our business relationship dealings in an open forum so I'm happy to oblige here on NR.

First lets put the exact wording (wording we've been using for years) that was on the confirmation below for everyone to see:

"Due to numerous errors for various reasons we will no longer be able to pay for a signing if any of the following occurs:

• Documents not in FedEx tracking system within the following day of signing.
• Any documents that are missing a signature, date, or have an incorrect date.

Please, it is up to you to be sure documents are scanned into FedEx system to avoid any potential financial loss. If you do not agree with our conditions please do not accept this assignment and call us immediately.

Do Not Print Docs Until Appointment is set. We can no Longer pay for Print fee.

......(signing details and personal info)

If there is a No Sign we do not pay full fee. We pay $50 for a No Sign."

To answer your question about whether we pay you if a date is missing it depends on the situation.

Example (REAL LIFE examples with "professional" notaries) of when we would not pay:
1. You make a mistake on all five of your signing for the day. We call you to get the documents corrected before borrowers rate lock expires but you inform us that you will not be back from Hawaii until after the rate lock expiration. You tell us its not your fault that the RTC dates were not changed and initialed and now you want us to pay you in addition to paying the notary that fixed the error. Keep in mind this is in addition to not being paid by the title company because we have to waive the fee for the inconvenience.

2. You forget to stamp your acknowledgment. The error is caught late leading to a rate lock expiration and docs need to be redrawn. We now have to pay a 500 redraw & rate extension fee, pay notary #2 to sign documents because you are unavailable that day, and now you still want to be paid because the lender should have caught the error earlier (allowing you to fix the problem before the rate lock expired). So we have to pay you, notary #2 fee, $500 redraw fee, and cannot bill escrow for the signing because they wont pay for the inconvenience. This is in addition to you reading us the riot act on how lenders shouldn't wait until the last minute to have borrowers sign and you refuse to be taken advantage of.

3. Escrow call us asking for status on a signing that was scheduled for yesterday. You didn't notify us that the signing is complete and we do not have any tracking info. We desperately try to contact you all day trying to find out what the status is. Second day after signing broker, escrow, and borrower are calling us all day asking where the docs are but you still haven't notified us on status. Day three we finally get in contact with you and you tell us that you shipped the docs the next day but do not have a tracking number. We believe you and spend hours on the phone with fed ex trying to track down the location of the docs. After all that time put into searching, there is no record of you dropping off the documents. Now escrow, the lender, and borrower thinks we are lying and have lost the documents. Soooooooo we pay for a new notary to sign loan docs (cant use you as it took 3 days for you to respond and we cant take that chance again), pay a redraw fee, pay you for the original signing, and cant charge escrow because of the inconvenience.

4. We call you to set up a signing. You immediately call the borrower and they tell you that they decided to go with someone else. Less than an hour after we called you for a signing you call back to tell us the signing is canceled but you want $50 for printing the docs. After having that happen numerous times we started to inform notaries NOT to print docs before the signing is set as we only pay when you actually go to the signing.

5. Notary shows up to borrowers house. Borrower looks at Estimated Settlement Statement and indicates that he should get more money back or have to pay less into escrow. Instead of suggesting the borrower call someone or point out some of the standard items on the HUD that may reduce thier money back (impounds, taxes, insurance, etc.), the notary packs up his belongings and request full payment for the no-sign. After being in this business for a couple years, we soon found that when notaries know they only get $50 for a no sign, they will put a little more effort into contacting someone or glancing at the HUD to point out why they are getting back less money.

These are all real life examples that have happened. We all make mistakes... some are easy to fix and some not so easy because of the circumstances. When it becomes a huge headache for all parties because of a mistake you have made, dont expect to get paid when we are paying out hundreds of dollars to fix your error. In once case we paid thousands of dollars for a very seasoned notary's simple mistake. She didn't charge us but we still had to pay two thousand dollars on her behalf. Not all notaries are as understanding so that is why we put that info on the confirmation.

So when do we pay for a signing that has errors? When the error is fixed without an inconvenience to anyone else. But to be honest, we prefer to use notaries who are not concerned about being paid for errors. Like I said, we all make errors but not every notary handles them the same.

Reply by CH2inCA on 8/24/10 8:34pm
Msg #350306

I've never worked for Notary ASAP; but I have to say that I appreciate this reply from the company.
I agree; we all make mistakes. I think (personal opinion) that it's a good learning experience to read ASAP's reply. Sometimes we get so caught up in our own bottom line.

Thanks ASAP, this stuff is good to know.

Reply by MonicaFL on 8/24/10 10:04pm
Msg #350320

"So when do we pay for a signing that has errors? When the error is fixed without an inconvenience to anyone else. But to be honest, we prefer to use notaries who are not concerned about being paid for errors" - but what if it isn't the notary's error but title's or the lender's or even yours? You still won't pay for the extra time it takes the notary to correct "the error of someone else? Doesn't make too much sense to me to penalize the notary when someone else was at fault. When the notary does her job as required and all things are in place - and then an error shows up (not hers), then she should get paid her full fee and if she is requested to go back out and "fix it" she should also be compensated for that too. JMHO

Reply by MichiganAl on 8/24/10 10:36pm
Msg #350321

Hey, what did I miss while I was away??

Wow, lots of comments while I was working my tail off! I can't really respond to all of this (it's 11 p.m. and I'm just getting in from a long day of closings). But as far as posting my question here, I just trust my fellow colleagues to tell me how they are treated (either here or privately) more than if I asked you directly. No slight against Notary ASAP. As I said, no issue with my experience with you at all. It was very positive. But whenever we see a list from a SS of reasons they WON'T pay, it raises a flag. Too many SS that want to find any way to avoid their responsibilities. I appreciate the explanation and clarification. Still, I don't think the confirmation is clear in the fact that you are willing to work with issues that are fixable. I suppose that's intentional, but it certainly is worth hearing from others that have worked with you.

Even for the best signing agents in the business, errors are rare but do happen (and if we were to count up the mistakes that lenders, title companies, and signing services make we would be here a while). On those rare occasions, most of us will jump through rings of fire to get it corrected. That's all you can ask for.

Reply by Blueink_TN on 8/24/10 10:02pm
Msg #350319

I can't believe you actually READ the confirmation

I look at the $$ and billing instructions...the rest is blah, blah, blah - Who has time?

Reply by Cari on 8/25/10 9:59am
Msg #350362

I think that any and all confirmations should be read as thoroughly as you would an independent contractor agreement.

Just because we receive a confirmation about a closing, doesn't necessarily mean we have to agree to all of its terms. If you disagree, indicate to the company of this and try to get issues resolved via email. It will save you potential collection headaches down the line, if any.