Posted by csign on 11/30/12 2:04pm
Msg #445182

getting rid of bad signing companies

I thought about this for awhile.. When we as signing agents take a signing from a company that does not, nor expects to pay we are working for free and negative income.. When we reject it they just find someone else on the list to burn. Oh sure we can ask for paypal but that doesn't always go well with scam companies. If we complete the appointment the only person that is adversely affected is us..and we are the only ones mad, but if you forget to show up then the title company is upset, loan officer , borrowers .. etc . the trancaction is ruined.. I perform approx 90+ signings per month.. I don't need the practice... A company that doesn't pay called me about a month ago.. i accepted.. conveniently i forgot to show up.. they called i said i never received the confirmation or docs... everyone was upset.. The title and lo called me .. i told them the company has issues paying and you are enabling them to keep up the scam and sent them the link from here... they(signing company) were dropped imediately... and title company appologized to me and had no idea that is what they were doing.
The signing company called me and told me to F>?>?### ...If they call with the intention of not paying I forget about the appointment .. im not liable because i never completed the signup... eventually they will be dropped and won't have the business. so if they call me i accept and forget... i dont what to see the next guy/girl on the list get burned.

Reply by Budman on 11/30/12 2:11pm
Msg #445183

"I accept and forget"
While your method may be sucessful at getting back at bad signing companies, it is very unproffesional of you to do that. You are also putting a bad mark on your reputation. While the bad SS will not call you again, how about the title company that has offices all over the U.S.

Reply by GOLDGIRL/CA on 11/30/12 2:14pm
Msg #445184

Go away

Y'know, csign, if your post weren't so ridiculous someone might actually believe it and take you seriously. NR is not the place to waste space and time with stupid, made-up stories. You're just trolling. Bored today?

Reply by Craig Newman on 11/30/12 2:18pm
Msg #445185

Re: Go away

what is made up about it
the company was premier signing out of ohio .. they owed for 2 signings..
look at the postings on this site
c

Reply by FormerEO on 11/30/12 3:53pm
Msg #445210

Re: Go away

Since there was no mention of the name of the SS in the original post, only the original poster would know this.

So now everyone knows Craig Newman made this post under an alias and forgot to post under his alias that it was premier signings.

Reply by Budman on 11/30/12 2:19pm
Msg #445186

Re: To add

Your method lowers yourself to their level. And what about the borrower who faces a rate lock exiration? You are exposing yourself to a lawsuit brought by the borrower that brings a copy of your post to court. By doing what you state, you are worse than the bad SS.

Reply by ToniK on 11/30/12 2:42pm
Msg #445189

I would never do something like this. If I was a BO Id be pissed. What you couldve done is called the Title company directly or LO and explain the situation saying you can not complete this work with a known non paying company. I did that one time after calling the SS and telling them I wont be doing the assignment. But they sent me docs and everyone was expecting me there. SO I called Title told them the situation and they promised to pay me directly. And they did. The SS continued to not pay the notaries. This was back early in my career start. Today, I dont even entertain non paying companies. Its a waste of my time and resources.

Your action may get you blacklisted with that title or LO if they use other SS or direct billing of notaries.

Reply by Jack/AL on 11/30/12 3:40pm
Msg #445203

csign, are you really telling all of the NotRot gang,

the title companies and signing services who monitor this site, perhaps your state's authorities, and anyone else who MIGHT hire you or otherwise have some control over your destiny, that you will actually lie and deceive, and do so in a way that harms the hiring company and the borrowers? If you are, then perhaps you should not quit your day job..........

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 11/30/12 3:44pm
Msg #445207

Did you really?

"A company that doesn't pay called me about a month ago.. i accepted.. conveniently i forgot to show up.. they called i said i never received the confirmation or docs... everyone was upset.. The title and lo called me .. i told them the company has issues paying and you are enabling them to keep up the scam and sent them the link from here"

Thanks for helping foster the professionalism of the rest of the notary world. This is one of the most absurd thing I've ever heard.

I hope companies that read here realize that a true professional doesn't play this game.

Personally, IMO you should be reported by that company and have your commission revoked....

Reply by csign on 11/30/12 3:55pm
Msg #445211

missing the point

I think everyone hear is missing the point i am making ... by refusing the signing you are pawning it off on someone else to get burned.. taking it and either calling the title company and letting them know what a sleazeball company they are dealing with is probably a better option.. and letting them know you can perform the signing but has to be paid thru escrow is a much better idea.. and if they dont than you reject the signing.. A true proffesional doesn't let fellow notaries get scammed...

Reply by ToniK on 11/30/12 5:09pm
Msg #445226

Re: missing the point

I think you are missing the point. Im a business owner and its not my job nor duty to look out for others business. That is what this board is for. If a person doesnt know how to run a successful business then I only got one suggestion, get out of business.

Reply by jba/fl on 12/1/12 10:32am
Msg #445279

Re: missing the point

You can not be mother/father to the world. You can defend your own position, but this was not the best way. Others will just have to take care of themselves, just as you have to be responsible for yourself.

Reply by FormerEO on 11/30/12 3:50pm
Msg #445208

I cannot believe that post and can only hope the poster is joking, because if not, they should be drummed out of the business IMMEDIATELY.

Throwing a borrower and the escrow officer under the bus is the most horrendous and despicable act I have ever heard a signing agent post.

It is one thing to deal with a bad SS, but this is over-the-top unacceptable behavior that places a blemish on the rest of the signing agent community.

Reply by leeinla on 11/30/12 11:18pm
Msg #445259

We create a list of bad signing companies. These lists should be forwarded to title companies and lenders. Unfortunately, such a system does not exist. We should get the American Escrow Association to take a stand and help us filter bad signing services.

Reply by HSH/WA on 11/30/12 10:12pm
Msg #445248

Re:I feel bad for the BO waiting for a no show/no call

notary and their loan goes no where. Once I find they are less than 3 stars I will only do the signing after a direct deposit into my acct (Paypal won't work) prior to the signing. No depost/no signing. Never had a taker yet. But atleast the BO is not left hanging.

Reply by LKT/CA on 11/30/12 10:33pm
Msg #445253

Unethical and Immoral business practices

<<<.... but if you forget to show up then the title company is upset, loan officer , borrowers .. etc . the trancaction is ruined...>>>

The only way to get rid of bum companies is simple - reject their loan signing offers and tell them why. Better yet, just don't answer their calls. It will get increasingly more difficult for them to fill the orders and a business that cannot take care of business will no doubt go out of business. TCs will drop a SS when they get too many complaints from notaries that the notary has not received payment (when the TC, in fact, did pay the SS).

By accepting a signing, then conveniently "forgetting" about the appt means you are not only "sticking it" to the deadbeat company, you are also sticking it to the other parties in the transaction (i.e. borrower, LO, TC, Escrow, etc.) and that's egregious on so many levels. JMHO

Reply by MikeC/TX on 11/30/12 11:08pm
Msg #445258

Re: Unethical and Immoral business practices

While I agree with you about how doing this is unethical, I have to take exception to this statement:

"The only way to get rid of bum companies is simple - reject their loan signing offers and tell them why"

If this were true, SOX would have been out of business years ago. The fact is that there is always fresh meat available to them, and they know that, and that's why they continue to exist. The companies they contract with apparently don't care about the complaints. That, unfortunately, is the reality of this business.

There is absolutely no way to get rid of bum companies, but you can always eliminate them from your own life by refusing to do business with them in an ethical way. Just say no.

Reply by Craig Newman on 12/1/12 4:56pm
Msg #445305

feedback

Hi
I m glad i got alot of feedback on this issue. But i wish it was more constructive.. instead of just berating me.. I actually did take the signing with no intent of doing it but i needed to take it to find out the name of escrow/title I then called the title company and let them know before the signing ever took place that they were dealing with bad ss .. i sent them the link from this site and BBB showing an F rating. I called the signing company and let them know that i sent the title company the ratings. The signing company told me to f off and hung up on me. The title called another signing service. I still offered to the appointment but they needed to go thru a company that had enough insurance. I would never leave the borrower in a bad position. They are the only ones that had nothing to with ss .I just get frustrated when I hear of people getting scammed from these companies and how they (ss) are still in business. Sometimes I think escrow doesn't care about the end notary as long as the job gets done. So they keep using the same company. I was trying to come up with an extreme example but apparently i ruffled some feathers. I appologize for that.

Reply by ReneeK_MI on 12/2/12 5:12am
Msg #445314

Just a general comment to all this ...

"I actually did take the signing with no intent of doing it..."

I'm just so amazed at the things people will put on the Internet World-Wide Billboard.

Reply by LKT/CA on 12/1/12 8:43pm
Msg #445307

Re: Unethical and Immoral business practices

Mike, do you honestly think I was saying that ONE notary can refuse a signing offer from a bum company and then the deadbeat disappears? Come on !!! SOX is an anomaly.

Generally speaking, businesses cannot survive without customers and deadbeat companies cannot survive without notaries. There are several defunct SSs whose candle finally burned out because they stiffed so many notaries that there was no one left to scam.....and the butcher shop was closed. CA is losing notaries - it's not cheap to get commissioned (about $500) many cannot pass the background check, nor do some want the liability that comes with the commission, so fresh meat does not abound here.

Yes, bum companies will become extinct <over time> if they cannot fill signing orders due to notaries refusing their signing offers.

Reply by Jessica Ward on 12/1/12 1:25am
Msg #445265

I highly recommend you choose a path.

Read the following links
http://www.unitednotaries.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1&Itemid=59

http://www.nationalnotary.org/reference_material_and_publications/code_of_responsibilty/index.html


And decide if you'll abide by the expectations of conduct for a professional notary public.

Or

Option 2. Leave this profession.


I dislike an unethical non-paying company as much as the next guy, but behaving in a deceptive manner like this is absolutely, incredibly, beneath the expectations for a notary public.

We are notaries public. We are not used car salesmen. We are not telemarketers, and we are not trying to collect on anyone's past-due credit card from three years ago. It is our responsibility to the public and to our clients to behave in an ethical and honest manner... in case you hadn't noticed, that is pretty much the ENTIRE JOB.

Sure, you might have saved the next notary who wasn't going to do their homework on their prospective clients (perhaps someone who shouldn't be in business anyhow....) but you totally shafted the borrower, his/her loan officer, and title company.

Does it really make sense to throw three people under the bus to save one unknown--perhaps already doomed--individual?

Also, I'm just going to throw this out there--you mentioned that the company owes you for two signings from last month. Last month. Seriously? What if this company pays you net 45?
Did you inquire as to terms when you "accepted" this assignment? I tell my clients up front, I work on Net 30 terms--if they can't, they'll have to find someone else. Every November I sit down and make a list of companies I had to make 2 or more collections calls to during the year, and I send them a letter letting them know to place me on their do not call list, and that my schedule can no longer accommodate them. I drop anywhere from 3 to 15 companies a year and make time for much, much better customers. Now 80% of my work is direct to title companies or direct to clients. A very small portion of my work is actually to signing services, and then, only those that can meet fees and terms.

Focus on helping your business, not sacrificing your integrity for the sake of someone who may not even need your help.