Posted by 101livescan on 9/27/12 8:01am
Msg #436135

BGC By Equifax

Got a call from Equifax yesterday wanting to know if I received the email about the required BGC and would I would be complying.

Yes, I received your email, and no, I will not be complying because I didn't get enough work from them last year to make it worth my while, not to mention their fees have diluted to the point that they cannot comply with my base rate.

That's that, she said thank you.

POINT IS: If enough of us hang together, perhaps we can bring about change in our industry.

That goes for not working under $100 too.

Come on people, lets band together and bring about change in our industry. Aren't you tired of hanging up on those lowballers?

Have an awesome day. Rocking and rolling in about one hour for the rest of the day and night!

Reply by Ilene C. Seidel on 9/27/12 9:10am
Msg #436138

I'm with you Cheryl. I don't lower me fees for anyone.

Reply by Marian_in_CA on 9/27/12 10:57am
Msg #436148

It's getting ridiculous...

ALl of these companies now coming out of the woodwork to start demanding a background check...and that we be expected to pay for it. Cheryl, as you noted... a lot of them are low volume, low pay ones anyway. Not worth the money or effort, and it's just plain ridiculous.

It's worse for us in CA, of course, since we already get fingerprinted, etc. just to obtain our commissions. That's never enough for these people.

I get that most notaries in this country don't have to go through that level of background check, and really should have *something* -- I mean, we're dealing with a lot of personal information here, and I get it. But at what point does it stop?

Why can't we have a truly universally recognized BGC for the industry as a whole? Sure would be nice. It'll never happen... but all of the requests lately for each company to do their own in-house ones at our expense? No, no no.

Fortunately, all of my favorite ones are paying for it themselves.

Reply by Barb25 on 9/27/12 11:08am
Msg #436150

Re: It's getting ridiculous...

Is this just happening in CA? I don't work for this company and the only time I have been asked for BGC the accepted BCG has been from Notary Rotary or NNA. Perhaps, this is all changing. I just have not seen it yet.

Reply by Marian_in_CA on 9/27/12 11:33am
Msg #436158

Re: It's getting ridiculous...

Oh, it's happening. More and more of these companies are revising their policies that require them to do an BGC on all employees and contractors using a company that they choose, rather than rely on an existing background check done by somebody else.

The problem is that many of them insist that the contractors pay to have it done.

Reply by Barb25 on 9/27/12 11:43am
Msg #436160

Re: It's getting ridiculous...

I would "think" there are only a limited number of companies they would "consider" using. Certainly there must be a standarization. Of course, I know nothing about this. Can you tell?

Reply by Lee/AR on 9/27/12 11:10am
Msg #436152

The problem I see...

is that so far this year, I've worked with some 50-55 different companies and have had the ridiculous experience of having them want to run a bgc (at my cost) so I can do an undetermined amount of business with them... often 'just this one'. Going back for 20 years, there are hundreds of companies that I've worked with--quite a few just once--a lot are just OOB, and quite a few don't meet my fees any more. Some of these only want 'their' bgc--even if it's the same bgc co that you did 2 weeks ago!

THIS IS NUTS. Yes, I'm shouting.

So, you have a good client; you do the BGC at your expense; 2 weeks later, they drop the fee they are willing to pay! (change ownership, go bankrupt, out of business, find a cheaper notary... we all have been there/done that--and, if you're a newbie--trust me, it'll happen--probably sooner than later.)

Reply by NVLSlady/VA on 9/27/12 11:43am
Msg #436159

The problem I see . . .

is lack of education.

Why not verify the notary's virus & firewall software (my bit defender expired, but the McAfee still seems to be guarding me online) and safe handling practices? How many have access to your PC? Where are your docs stored prior to shredding? Is your phone/ PC password protected? I think the real security breaches leading to fraudulent use of personal data are our sometimes careless actions. No BGC is going to measure that.

The Secretaries of State are meeting in a few weeks for a forum on Business ID theft. Too bad, it's in GA. Can you just picture GA notaries "storming the Hyatt" with NO MORE BACKGROUND CHECKS signs!!


(I really appreciate Msg #381340. It's really exploitative on the part of hiring parties to ask commissioned public officers for this - especially since data is stolen from unprotected devices every minute)

Reply by JanetK_CA on 9/28/12 1:16pm
Msg #436323

Re: The problem I see . . .

I agree heartily that more emphasis should be put on day to day practices when it comes to safeguarding people's personal information. However, I believe there's a big difference between education and verification. I'm all for the education part, but the verification part sounds like more administrative headaches and expense both for us and for whomever would be doing the verification.

Reply by GOLDGIRL/CA on 9/27/12 11:46am
Msg #436161

Re: The problem I see...

At this stage (twilight) in my NSA career, I can count on one hand the TCs/SSs I work with, and none has asked me for a BGC, possibly because they are all located in CA and know what CA requires for a BGC (which, I'd guess, is more extensive than those all these other entities are now asking for).

In any case, if this were going on when I was a newbie - being hammered by these endless $60-85 lo-ballers (which I suspect is the new normal) and then being expected to pay for a BGC everytime I turn around, I truly would have never pursued the business. I would have thought the entire mess was NUTS! I wonder if it will drive out any of today's average NSAs - the ones who take these low fees to begin with and who pay to "sign-up" with SSs, and are expected to fax for free and courier for free, etc. Coupled with legitimate expenses like advertising and marketing, and $4 per gallon gas, this would send me over the edge. Oh, and two TCs I work with require $100,000 E&O, which ain't cheap either. Still, I wonder how it will all end. Actually, it probably never will. These genuises will think of another "fee" we have to pay - kind of like the fee one outfit charges to write the notary a check. What notary could/would put up with all that?

Reply by Gregory/CA on 9/27/12 11:49am
Msg #436162

Curious, how does this affect our credit scores, if at all? n/m

Reply by janCA on 9/27/12 11:51am
Msg #436163

And guess where this whole BGC thing got started????? n/m

Reply by Jack/AL on 9/27/12 1:39pm
Msg #436171

How does this affect our credit scores? It doesn't. n/m

Reply by NVLSlady/VA on 9/27/12 2:02pm
Msg #436173

Re: How does this affect our credit scores? It doesn't.

It normally acts as a "soft hit" on your cbr; so it may not have an effect on your overall score so much (but that's not to say, that multiple "hits" wouldn't have some impact on your credit).

Of course, that can also depend on what exactly is being run -driving record, criminal history, credit, eligibility to work in U.S. - yes, one co. actually told me this! - when the check is done;
the thing is, when I've asked, the companies have no clue. They just order Background Screening from the vendor (if they're the ones paying, that is). I am certainly not going to pay to verify my eligibility to work in the U.S. I was commissioned in an American state for crying out loud!

Reply by CentralNY on 9/27/12 2:08pm
Msg #436174

BGC BS

all this nonsense about bgc's but God knows where the schedulers are from. paleeeze

Reply by Kimberly Light on 9/28/12 2:55pm
Msg #436336

I received an email from them awhile back stating that no longer would background checks via anywhere else besides their link to Lexus Nexus be accepted. It stated that if I didn't comply within 30 days, I'd be removed from the database.

Fine with me -- I haven't worked with them since 2/2010 because of low pay. I deleted the email.

I received an email from them today asking me to let them know when I was going to comply with a background check for $37.86.

I replied and told them I wasn't interested in another background check as I was already a certified signing agent through NNA and had a perfectly good background check.

I also stated that if they wanted to pay for the background check and/or raise their fees, then I would acquire the background check they are requiring.

*****************************************************************
Attn: Notaries

Stop doing signings for low paying companies, especially if they are requiring you to pay for another background check.

By the time you add up the costs of printing, price of gas, wear and tear on your car, and your time --- there is no possible way you are making a profit unless you are just going next door and you can walk there.