Posted by hodgy on 10/27/12 9:50pm
Msg #440854

fax backs

How do you handle the fax backs? Some of the fax backs are like 40-60 pages. Do you have a fax that can handle them all at once or do you do multiple feeds? Scanning and emailing seems to take longer and more work. It almost seems like some of the companies want so many fax backs you are nearly faxing the entire package. Plus it is a real pain to pull documents out of a package and get them back in the same place in the package. Any hints?

Thanks

Reply by Carol Graff on 10/27/12 10:23pm
Msg #440858

I rarely have jobs that have fax backs. If they do I always chg. extra. But I've never done that many before and don't think I would take one that requires 40-60 pages back. My inexpensive printer will do multiple feed but I only do less than 10 at a time. Also, I NEVER put them back in order after faxing--just put them on top of package. I thinkk the most I've ever done is 10 fax backs for one loan. Any more than that is just crazy.

Reply by Joan Bergstrom on 10/27/12 10:55pm
Msg #440863

If you are going to work for the annunity companies, you are going to have to fax back around 35-40 pages within 2 hours of the signing. I do a lot of ClientFirst, Peachtree/etc signings.

I have a dedicated fax line and can fax back these 35-40 pages in less than 5 minutes.
I have a MFC Brother 8480.
Expensive but easy. Cost usually around $35-40 a month.

Reply by ToniK on 10/27/12 10:31pm
Msg #440859

Sounds like a global notary job.

I don't do fax backs of that nature. I don't have the time nor patience to babysit a fax machine to make sure it all goes through. In addition, I don't think a fax or scanner can handle that volume in one sitting. Plus if I was to have a request of that nature they would be paying in addition to as much as my signing fee to cover that.

Reply by Buddy Young on 10/27/12 10:44pm
Msg #440860

Put a few pages in your fax machine at a time as it probably won't let you put them all in at once. Then stand by your fax machine for an hour and feed it a little at a time.

Reply by ananotary on 10/27/12 10:49pm
Msg #440861

I can't remember the last time I was asked to fax back. If I was asked to I would charge and use my handy little Fujitsu scanner and have that scan over in just minutes.

Reply by HSH/WA on 10/27/12 11:10pm
Msg #440865

Re: I am building my business and I offer fax backs as part

of the price, but I have a auto doc feeder that can take up to 35 pages and I use an email fax at 11 cents per fax, so no big deal (faxaway.com - if you want to know). But, I have only been ask to do fax backs once - it was a seller's pkage and I just faxed the whole thing - took minutes.

Reply by HisHughness on 10/27/12 11:47pm
Msg #440870

Re: I am building my business and I offer fax backs as part

So, when you have built your business and are then ready to get paid for ALL the labor that you do, and you tell your clients, "From now on out, you pay for faxbacks," then your clients go on to the next HSH/WA who's willing to work for free, and you're right back where you started.

Reply by ananotary on 10/28/12 12:07am
Msg #440871

Well stated. Stick to a business plan n/m

Reply by ssdn on 10/28/12 10:22am
Msg #440895

Re: Well stated. Stick to a business plan

Global Notary usually have you faxing the entire package back, one of the reason is because they don't trust the notary. Their packages are as big as 190 pages. I expressed to them to mark my account so i would not receive these packages. Not all their work are faxback . Now, I was very busy of Friday like the rest of you . They call when i was driving to another closing. I agree to do the closing. They did not mention there were faxback. when i discover there were fax backs I increased my price. They wanted the entire packages this was a large package. I ask them to remove me from their list. I just don't have the patience to be faxing back . Have a good day , and happy closing please be safe.

Reply by bfnotary on 10/28/12 11:19am
Msg #440898

Re: I am building my business and I offer fax backs as part

I was thinking the same thing hugh. I always charged extra for that kind of fax backs. If you start off including that they will always expect it. I will fax back a few pages with out charging, if they are needed for some reason to fund. Fax backs are really a big hassle and not needed 99% of the time. The companies that require fax backs with all orders, are generally the companies that hire cheap notaries, and they require it for quality purposes. I hardly ever do fax backs. I work with a lot of 4 and 5 star companies now. (most of them). They don't require fax backs generally. I have one company that requires the Hud faxed back. And I do not charge him for that. Only you can make the decision on whether to do fax backs and how much you charge to do them. Just try not to sell yourself short.

Reply by 101livescan on 10/28/12 2:21pm
Msg #440911

Re: I am building my business and I offer fax backs as part

IMHO, this is not the way to build your business, but rather dig a hole you'll never climb out of.

Rethink it, it's not worth your time. You're selling yourself short.

Reply by desktopfull on 10/28/12 12:26am
Msg #440873

Get yourself a scanner with an autofeed and email the docs.

It only takes minutes to do an entire doc package.

Reply by desktopfull on 10/28/12 12:27am
Msg #440874

Also,you don't have to pay for a landline unless you want to n/m

Reply by sigtogo/OR on 10/28/12 3:52pm
Msg #440925

true! doesn't take long to scan but it does mean a trip

back to the office so I charge accordingily.

Reply by Gregory/CA on 10/28/12 12:29am
Msg #440876

I scan the docs and email using Ring Central.

This way the fax packet is saved and I can provide the documentary evidence when a party claims they never received it or if it was shorted a page.

Reply by NVLSlady/VA on 10/28/12 3:37am
Msg #440878

Growing pains

This has only been an issue for me with 1 TC so far; and it has prompted me to establish a "Fax-back policy." SS faulted me for failing to fax-back 30 pp after a last-minute, late-hour signing. Had to haggle over a meager additional fee and then "baby-sit" my fax machine which kept jamming (of course, I didn't put all pages through at once). So I agree with the posts here: This is a business expense which will cause some growing pains for some of us; so if you're planning to add as a Premium service (I've also adopted an "on-call" policy for no-show docs), Evaluate and Calculate! I've got that Fujitsu scanner on my "wish list" (:

The aforementioned SS mentioned the need to "build-in" the costs upon acceptance. Well . . . this new girl only has to be told Once!

Reply by hodgy on 10/28/12 5:15am
Msg #440881

Re: Growing pains

Well it is good to say that you won't do fax backs but it's a simple fact that some of the companies require them. Most of my favorite companies do not. I guess I will have to start adding that fee to hopefully discourage the companies that do require fax backs. It's not that big of a deal to do it's just a big deal to try to pull all the specified pages and then return them to the original location. Maybe that is a good idea to just put all the required fax backs all together at the front or back of the entire package. Scanning is definitely slower than actually faxing but it is smarter if your wanted to save the documents for a time for protection and proof. Thanks again for all your feedback.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 10/28/12 6:27am
Msg #440883

Re: Growing pains

I can't believe all the people who say they never get requests for faxbacks - any time you have an investment property that pretty much guarantees that you will have faxbacks. And I usually don't know it's an investment property until I receive the docs and there are faxback instructions. I do charge extra for faxbacks, unless it's for one of my regular higher-paying clients. The company I do the most faxbacks for is LSI and I do charge them a faxback fee.

I scan and send the docs via LSI's secure email system. For other companies, I scan and send via regular email. If the scanner is taking longer than the fax, then you may need to adjust your settings. This message helped me to do that: Msg #428605 (thank you Jessica Ward). Adjusting the settings on my scanner made for smaller file size and faster scanning.

Reply by bfnotary on 10/28/12 11:28am
Msg #440900

Re: Growing pains

I agree copperhead. I don't generally get requests for faxbacks unless...They are investment properties, and occassionally with purchases.

But I don't get to many investment properties, occassionally I get some, but if I averaged the amount of requests I get for fax backs, it is not that frequently compared to all the other signings I get, Maybe once a week or once every other week.

Reply by JanetK_CA on 10/28/12 4:15pm
Msg #440930

Re: Growing pains

I'm guessing this is an issue that varies by title company and/or signing service. I do lots of investment properties, but rarely get fax back requests, including lots of properties in other states - mostly Texas, Arizona and Nevada, but several other states, as well).

Reply by bfnotary on 10/28/12 11:25am
Msg #440899

Re: Growing pains

If you do work with companies that require fax backs, don't take the time to put them back in order. Put them right at the top of the pile. Most of us notaries take the packages out of order anyways. I have a stacking order in which I like to present the docs. I really don't like it when the critical docs, like hud, note, til, mortgage, itimization of amount financed, etc, are at the middle or back of the pack.. Those always get move to the front. The only time they do not, is if it says in the instructions to keep pack in the same order.

Reply by Artistwantob on 10/28/12 6:22am
Msg #440882

It appears to me that it is the signing companies that want the fax backs. Because they call you to let you know that you can drop the docs. I can understand important papers, for same day funding, but, some want some of the junk docs faxed. I have refused to fax back and that has been waivered. And a couple of companies quit asking for fax backs after they realized I actually knew what I was doing! When they say there are fax backs, I say - the price just went up! The Bank America 190 page package with 40-50 fax backs they will have to pay much, much more.

Reply by VT_Syrup on 10/28/12 7:39am
Msg #440886

At least one company wants faxbacks before they approve sending the docs. This means either emailing from the signing location, which means extra time with the borrowers, and a mobile data plan, or an extra trip to the dropbox, which is 30 miles round trip for me. Either way, it should cost the client extra.

Reply by Ilene C. Seidel on 10/28/12 12:51pm
Msg #440907

I scan and email encrypted on anything over 10 pages. My fax is much too slow.

Reply by MW/VA on 10/28/12 3:00pm
Msg #440913

It used to be the standard to charge $25 for faxbacks.

I had bought a new Brother all-in-one, which scanned into memory fast, but still was slow on sending. I finally broke down & bought an Epson scanner (sheet feed). It's great, and like anything else, I don't know how I did without it. I sometimes do structured settlement signings, and those need to be faxed back, as well as funding docs for purchases & inv. properties. I WON'T do faxbacks from those cheapo cos. that want it for QC purposes. I simply don't have the time for that kind of nonsense.

Reply by dexter/nc on 10/28/12 9:01pm
Msg #440960

I am almost to the point of not accepting jobs that require fax backs . All total, it takes about as much time to do fax backs as it take to do a signing , including travel.. If we all stop doing fax backs ,I think they will start paying an adequate fee for fax backs

Reply by LarryM on 10/29/12 10:17am
Msg #441022

1. I ALWAYS charge and additional fee ($15-20) if fax-backs are unavoidable.
2. I bought Acrobat v9 (for Windows eBay $40-50) and now scan any docs needed Scanning allows you to control the process, make sure everything is included, and guarantee that the file is received.
3. Try to work with the same Title companies as much as possible so they'll trust you.

I highly recommend the scanning and emailing of documents.