Posted by LndWelch/CA on 3/30/11 12:40pm
Msg #377987

A very discouraging week

So far I've gotten 3 calls from three very popular signing services - all 5 star, and all I've done signings for in the past. All three turned down my fee that they used to have no problem with. My normal fee is not overly extravagant - 100.00 for a refi with edocs plus an additional travel fee for trips outside my 20 mile radius- But they wanted to pay only $75!! This was for signings over 40 miles form my home - and this was not 'freeway' miles. All trips would have been over an hours drive for me.
I've very frustrated and discouraged. Is this the new trend? What idiot is taking these jobs!!

....Just needed to vent....

Reply by Mdene_AZ on 3/30/11 12:57pm
Msg #377989

I too, have been turning down more jobs because of companies lowering their fees and having further to travel. I can sit at home and get behind in payments or do their lowpay jobs and get behind faster. No thanks.

Reply by Lee/AR on 3/30/11 1:07pm
Msg #377990

Sometimes I find that 'doing the math' for them (because they obviously don't give a hoot)
can work to edjamacate them. Let's see....$75 less $25/print fee = $50. My car's gas alone for that trip would be $16.74 (ymmv); so $50 - $16.74 = $33.26 for 4 hours of my time (Hours: 1.25/table; 2.25/drive time; .50/prep&postQC = 4 -- the $25 print fee covers time & materials for printing) =$8.31/hr. This is very loose math and doesn't factor in things like taxes, insurance, machinery wear & tear....all that.

Reply by Mdene_AZ on 3/30/11 1:22pm
Msg #377993

So basically, after expenses, you have gained=$0.00, right?

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 3/30/11 1:24pm
Msg #377994

Lee...you forgot to skim 30% right off the top for taxes

Federal that is - if you also have to file state taxes, skim that additional off the top.

Reply by Philip Johnson on 3/30/11 4:47pm
Msg #378024

Taxes? Only little people pay taxes.

signed

Lilliputian

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 3/30/11 4:52pm
Msg #378026

LOL Philip...:) n/m

Reply by NJDiva on 3/30/11 1:50pm
Msg #377998

"...very loose math and doesn't factor in things like taxes, insurance, machinery wear & tear...."

marketing, certifications, software, e&o insurance, internet cost, office supplies, tolls, website...need I go on??????

My G*d people!!! Wake UP!!!!!! If you're only using this as a means of making extra money and not ethically maintaining our standards, please for G*d's sake STOP taking closings from those of us that NEED this as our bread and butter. Because the fact of the matter is, you're going to ruin the market and then get out of it because its not worth it for you.

I don't necessarily need to make $100,000 a year (although, it wasn't so long ago that one COULD make that and more,) but we DO need to feed our children, keep a roof over their heads, etc. Have a bit of common decency for the next person.

You DON'T have to take that pay to get closings. If people would stop relenting, we would start prevailing. Call their bluff. Don't automatically cut them down, tell them you would take the $75 with a $25 print fee. MAKE them have to keep looking. Chances are they will come back to you. Most times, they're calling YOUR bluff. They will get away with it if we let them. Also, you will never be worth any more to them than what you charge. It's not like you can say further down the road, "I've worked with you for a while now and would like to raise my fee." If anything, yours will go down. Especially if they've already established a relationship with you and they know you need them. They've got precedence over your calendar and business relationships with other companies. Consider that.

I have a feeling though if people are on this site, we MAY be preaching to the choir. It could very possibly be newbies that know nothing about these sites, nor know what to charge. It happened to me. I was taken advantage of in the beginning because I didn't know better. Of course the NNA was also giving a price quote which is probably why we are struggling to keep our fees at a reasonable rate. Since then they have rescinded the fees they were encouraging us to request.

Instead of being vague as to how much to charge, we should at least say that our fees should be no less than $100. PERIOD. Now, I can tell you that I have one company that gives me about 40+ closings a month (or at least they WERE...they're still trying, but what can ya do in this economy?) to whom I have slightly reduced my print fee (that is, as long as it's 120 pages or less.) But like I said, if they're only using me once or twice a month or even once a week, it just isn't worth my time. Besides, like I said, once I accept that fee it's only downhill from there. Whether it's a 120 page document or a 150 page document, that's pretty much all I'm gonna get. Just my humble opinion!!!

Reply by James Dawson on 3/30/11 2:25pm
Msg #378002

I have recently met a

number of new notaries who know nothing of any notary forums and they take fees that are offered without even thinking about it. They're just happy to be doing it (working on their own). Some take as little as $50.00.

Reply by NJDiva on 3/30/11 2:30pm
Msg #378003

Re: I have recently met a

Exactly my case in point. How do we make contact with them to educate them so that they're not taken advantage of?

Reply by Moneyman/TX on 3/30/11 2:55pm
Msg #378005

One way, IMO, is to advertise NotRot as often as we can.

Personally, I add a link to my profile on this site on every email I send out. I also ask SS companies that call me if they use this site and encourage them to do so if they do not.

I also encourage TC that I send advertisements to to use NotRot to find other NSA directly.

As far as local SA's I meet with some of them a few times each month for coffee.

Reply by Susan Fischer on 3/31/11 12:15am
Msg #378070

I remember writing a jingle for No-tary Rota-ryyy... n/m

Reply by James Dawson on 3/30/11 2:57pm
Msg #378007

Re: I have recently met a

It was by coincidence...she had a POA in a convalescent home in my area and she didn't know how to do one, didn't want to come to my area and offered it to me. We have communicated on notary business a couple of more times, questions, answers, questions, answers...spread the word is the general message.

Reply by MattH_NOVA on 3/30/11 3:14pm
Msg #378008

Re: I have recently met a

It is discouraging to think that us notaries may start undercutting each other. Too many people in this business?

Reply by Moneyman/TX on 3/30/11 3:33pm
Msg #378009

Know what you mean. When I started there were only 3-4

in my area. Thanks to the XYZ there are 10 times that now with a lot of them accepting $50-75/signing because they didn't know any better (and don't have any real idea of their true overhead). Several of them have decided to increase their prices after finding out about this and other sites.

The fact is, they are already undercutting without even knowing that they can make twice or three times as much for doing the same job. And a lot of them are getting burned by companies that are both listed in SC and some that are not.

One one hand, I can see that they might decide to exit the business faster if they continue to get burned, but on the other hand, these deadbeat companies are allowed to continue in business as long as they can prey on the newbies. As long as they remain in business they also take business away from true professionals.

Reply by James Dawson on 3/30/11 1:08pm
Msg #377992

I turned down a job yesterday to go to San Francisco (downtown) for $80.00 whoopi. They wouldn't even pay the $6.00 bridge toll. Your lost he said before he hung up. Oh well, my loss. Now that makes me 0 for 7 for the week.

Reply by Mdene_AZ on 3/30/11 1:24pm
Msg #377995

So basically, after expenses, you have gained=$0.00, right?

Reply by CopperheadVA on 3/30/11 1:34pm
Msg #377997

Oh don't you love it when they say, "your loss"? When they get all smug it just makes me even more glad that I said no. When they cannot remain professional, it says a lot about their company and business practices.

Reply by snoopdogMs on 3/30/11 2:55pm
Msg #378006

I really don't get it

I had a title company call that I have closed for before and compromised my fee slightly for those previous 2 closings. When she called this time, and I quoted my regular fee, she went from nice to irritated, and said that she would rather pay a signing company than my fee. Why not cultivate a list of experienced agents and pay that fee that the ss get?

Reply by LndWelch/CA on 3/30/11 3:53pm
Msg #378013

Re: I really don't get it

Thanks for all the feedback! I really do feel better now that I've vented.....and I just got a call from one of the previously mentioned SS to do a signing tonight.....they accepted my fee. Off to work I go.....

Reply by James Dawson on 3/30/11 4:22pm
Msg #378016

nine premier members within 30 miles..

I'd say you have a pretty good chance of getting what you want. LOL I like to camp just outside of Weaverville.