Posted by Salvador Avalos on 2/20/12 12:23pm
Msg #412401

Notary - - - - two creams

Not sure how mention this site but the ending is a well known hot drink (don't want to advertise). I have free membership with this site, but was wanting to upgrade to paid membership and was wondering if anybody who has a paid membership did your business increase as a result. It seems that when somebody new finds me they always refer to notary rotary. Looking to see it worth the money.

Reply by Sandra Clark on 2/20/12 1:07pm
Msg #412403

Yes indeed - I get more business from this site then the numbers site. Have just dropped that membership due to absurd increase. Went from $85. to $130. from last year til now with no change in listing whatsoever. Also find the forum much better on NotRot along with the services ie. stamp, insurance etc a great deal.

Reply by LKT/CA on 2/20/12 1:10pm
Msg #412404

Re: Notary - - - - two creams n/m

Reply by Sandra Clark on 2/20/12 1:10pm
Msg #412405

To add, also find I get a little business from the hot drink spot but they have become good clients over the years

Reply by LKT/CA on 2/20/12 1:11pm
Msg #412406

I think he's referring to the coffee site n/m

Reply by MW/VA on 2/20/12 3:44pm
Msg #412435

Re: I think he's referring to the coffee site

That particular site is used by many ss. There are 3 sites I pay to list on, and that's one of them.
My fav, of course, is right here at NotaryRotary. :-)

Reply by Sha/CA on 2/20/12 1:12pm
Msg #412407

I did upgrade with them last year. I think it may have helped to get better paying jobs this year. I should track every call I get to see where they found me, but I don't. I do hear and ask often enough where they got my name and number from. I've been using their free site for years and thought I'd finally pay for their service. I also like that they do not bombard me with their advertising.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 2/20/12 4:13pm
Msg #412437

I have a paid listing there for a four year term, but I may not renew when it expires next year. They have a strange way of determining how the noatries are listed on a zip code search. I was displaced into second on the list for my zip code when a notary who is located 40 miles north of me, WHO IS ALSO RUNNING A SIGNING SERVICE, listed my zip code as one of the ones she services. Because her last name begins with an "A" she showed up first on the list, even though she is located 40 miles away! I complained to the owner of the site that this person was acting as a signing service and manipulating the listings with the zip codes and mulitiple paid listings in different areas. He was supposed to investigate but he never got back to me. That site does place you lower on the list if you haven't updated your profile in more than 30 days. Just things to be aware of before you list there.

Reply by Sandra Clark on 2/20/12 5:03pm
Msg #412446

They also have a signing service listed in my zip and all the other areas that I cover - when I asked about I was told she bought many listings and her money was green. Names don't matter the $ talks louder. So be it - not going to play his games nor give him my money.

Reply by MW/VA on 2/20/12 6:30pm
Msg #412453

That same notary has bought up the #1 spot for the

entire state. Only one name is always listed, but she works a team of notaries.
I don't know if they're using addresses from a mail box situation, but the whole thing stinks.
It's a false representation, at best. :-(

Reply by JanetK_CA on 2/20/12 6:46pm
Msg #412456

Re: That same notary has bought up the #1 spot for the

Are you still talking about the coffee site? I'd heard all that about the numbers site, but not the former. Guess I should check in there more often. I do have a paid listing, but I don't go there often.

My experience is that I don't get a lot of onsey, twosey type business (i.e. no title co work, all ss), but when I do get something new from there, it's a client that's offering repeat business.

Reply by Sandra Clark on 2/20/12 7:20pm
Msg #412460

Re: That same notary has bought up the #1 spot for the

The notary that is acting as a ss that I referred to earlier is in Virginia Beach - think she must have the entire state. She's an easy 175 miles + from the areas I cover so she hires notaries out here that work for a pultry sum. That site didn't care and didn't have her listed as a ss which what I objected to-I feel it is deceptive to hiring co's thinking they have hired a certain notary but indeed they get someone else they know nothing about.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 2/20/12 8:16pm
Msg #412468

Re: That same notary has bought up the #1 spot for the

Sandra - SAME notary that is doing it in my area!!! And yes the fees are paltry and I refuse to accept any assignments from her. And I totally agree that it's deceptive because companies will believe they are hiring that specific notary but they are getting someone completely different.

The person listed in my area does not have the same name as the notary in VA Beach, BUT the phone numbers listed in her ad are all the same phone numbers for the VA Beach notary who is running the signing service! The VA Beach notary is the ringleader and she has minions (or maybe even made-up people?) located in several key areas around the state of VA and they list their name with her phone numbers so all calls for any area are directed to the signing service. They may list up to five different zip codes per ad and they choose a wide swath of zip codes to maximize their coverage, even when they are not loacted anywhere near those zip codes. It's disgusting how they have manipulated the listings on that site (and yes it's the coffee site).

Reply by CopperheadVA on 2/20/12 8:28pm
Msg #412470

Re: That same notary has bought up the #1 spot for the

When I first discovered all this, I suspected that the notary with the "A" name in my area was not even a real notary. I wrote to the VA Sec of State to inquire, and was told that there was no VA notary by that name, however there was one where that was listed as her first and middle name but I was missing her last name (they would not tell me the last name). So she is using her middle name in place of her last name on her listing because it begins with "A" and it gets her listed at the top because they do it alphabetically.

Reply by BrotherOwner on 2/22/12 11:16pm
Msg #412683

Re: That same notary has bought up the #1 spot for the

Check your PM

Reply by desktopfull on 2/20/12 10:15pm
Msg #412475

Re: That same notary has bought up the #1 spot for the

The coffee one has never charged me a thing, and all of my new clients recently have been from there. You must be referring to the number site.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 2/21/12 6:27am
Msg #412478

The coffee site has free listings and paid listings

We are definitely talking about the coffee site. With a free listing you get listed in one zip code. With a paid listing, you get listed in five zip codes.

Reply by desktopfull on 2/21/12 9:55am
Msg #412499

Re: The coffee site has free listings and paid listings

I really didn't know, I get most of my work from that site and have never paid a membership fees. I ask new clients how they got my name and it's always the coffee spot.

Reply by MW/VA on 2/21/12 8:32am
Msg #412484

No, I was referring to the #s site. Regardless, this should

not be allowed on any of the sites. IMO it's an abuse of the entire system. grrrrrrr

Reply by MW/VA on 2/21/12 8:54am
Msg #412491

Something to think about here. By not renewing on these

sites we are actually decreasing the competition that these folk have. Fair or not, I would hate to see them win in this situation by forcing everyone else out.

Reply by desktopfull on 2/21/12 9:59am
Msg #412500

Re: Something to think about here. By not renewing on these

Just keep the free membership then and your still listed, but not rewarding the site owner with income.

Reply by jba/fl on 2/21/12 10:38pm
Msg #412566

Re: Something to think about here. By not renewing on these

That is not true. On the numbers site, there is only the first year free; after that there is to be a charge.

Reply by MW/VA on 2/22/12 9:15am
Msg #412594

These are business decisions I make. Whether or not I like

the way a site is run or agree with some of the policies, it is a decision as to whether or not my business benefits from the listing, not about whether the site owner is benefiting. IMO I am only hurting myself by trying to make a statement by not listing for any reason other than whether it's generating business for me or not. My experience has been that the money I spend on advertising on the sites is essential to my business.
IMO Notary Rotary is run with a level of integrity that makes we want to participate here. :-)

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 2/20/12 7:19pm
Msg #412459

I'm thinking of not renewing there this year too

just because of many various factors...

Reply by Les_CO on 2/20/12 4:59pm
Msg #412445

I’ve had a paid membership for years…. money well spent for me…I get most of my signings from SS’s that use their software.

Reply by Salvador Avalos on 2/20/12 7:59pm
Msg #412467

Thank you all for your input, and all of the PM I received. However, what I gather is about 50-50 pro and cons, but the most important fact was is that site might get you more jobs from SS who use the software it will not generate more direct job such title or lenders.

Reply by Claudine Osborne on 2/20/12 8:52pm
Msg #412471

I have a membership to the coffee site that I had paid for in advance for three years. It will be expiring soon and depending on the cost I may renew. I will Not be renewing on the numbers site..I do not like they tell me someone else wants my spot so if I want to renew it will cost you so much more than other sites.

Not Rot is the best!

Reply by Claudine Osborne on 2/20/12 8:56pm
Msg #412472

I have a membership to the coffee site that I had paid for in advance for three years. It will be expiring soon and depending on the cost I may renew. I will Not be renewing on the numbers site..I do not like the way they tell me someone else wants my spot so if I want to renew it will now cost you so much more than other sites.

Not Rot is the best!