Posted by Yoli/CA on 9/12/12 11:57am
Msg #434063

Merritt Services, Florida

This company has a 4-1/2 star rating in SC.

Received a call from them yesterday for an e-doc signing today. They offered $90, but, were willing to go $100. I stuck to my $XXX fee. She put me on hold ... 5 minutes later, I hung up.

Received a call from them this morning for an e-doc signing Friday. I quoted my $XXX fee. She said she couldn't approve that. I asked what they are offering to pay. She stated this is a high volume client (First Am Title) and Merritt pays $90-$100. Me: Thanks for calling. But, my base edoc fee is $XXX. This caller was very nice and said she understood.

Somebody out there is getting a highly-rated, low-paying client.

Reply by NJDiva on 9/12/12 12:03pm
Msg #434065

Yoli, ya know I love ya girl,

but IMO, $100 is not low rated in my area, especially because this SS is fair in that if the packages are big, they will compensate with an additional print fee. I don't want to give them too much credit for my own selfish reasons...but suffice it to say, they're (Brenda) is one of my FAV's!

Reply by dutchcloser on 9/12/12 12:16pm
Msg #434067

Re: Brenda is great to work with. n/m

Reply by Buddy Young on 9/12/12 3:38pm
Msg #434102

Re: Brenda is great to work with. n/m

Reply by SheilaSJCA on 9/12/12 12:28pm
Msg #434069

Re: Yoli, ya know I love ya girl,

In CA, where Yoli and I are, yes, $100 is low. It is too bad, that so many companies, cannot understand the logistics/cost of doing business here in CA. I too stick to my base fee of $125 and I get plenty of work, at that fee and higher.
Don't let the lowballers, get their hooks in you. It is up to you, to demand what you are worth, not for them to tell you what "they" will pay.
Remember the borrower is paying, not "they".

Reply by Yoli/CA on 9/12/12 12:30pm
Msg #434070

Re: Yoli, ya know I love ya girl,

Gas prices in my area are over $4/gal. If I have to drive 1/2 an hour or more one-way, I won't lower my fee for someone I've never worked with before.

I didn't say they are low-rated. I said low-paying. If someone offers me $90 for edocs. That's low-paying to me. And, as I informed the caller, I'll accept $100 for overnight docs up to a certain distance.

I have no history with Merritt (btw, neither caller I had was Brenda). Hopefully, someday we can come to an agreement.

Reply by 101livescan on 9/12/12 12:40pm
Msg #434072

Re: Yoli, ya know I love ya girl,

The industry standard is $150. Edocs on top of that.

The sooner people get up to speed on commanding and getting these fees, the better we'll all be. That means, not working for lowball companies.

Reply by MW/VA on 9/12/12 3:07pm
Msg #434094

"The industry standard is $150. Edocs on top of that."

Not in my area. The days of $150 fees are long gone here. I used to get that & beyond from title cos. a couple of years ago. IMO, fees are established by what the market will bear. $100 w/edocs is pretty much standard now, and there are plenty of low-ball cos. offering $70-$85. I can set my fee at $150 if I choose, but I wouldn't get any work--period. I know this biz & what fees are going to fly in a competitive market.
Someone made an issue the other week about a MI notary that asked for $85 & was told by the ss that he paid more. I wonder if anyone considers how hard-hit MI is economically, and that $85 fee may have looked very good to that notary.
From my experience, Brenda at Merritt Services is a good person to work with, and she's obviously only offering those fees according to market conditions.

Reply by VegasNotary on 9/12/12 3:35pm
Msg #434101

Re: "The industry standard is $150. Edocs on top of that."

I worked with Brenda @ Merritt Services for quite a while. She is fair and pays on time. Great company to work with.

Reply by NJDiva on 9/12/12 4:11pm
Msg #434109

FINALLY!!! Thank you Marilyn!

"From my experience, Brenda at Merritt Services is a good person to work with, and she's obviously only offering those fees according to market conditions."

Amen Sista!

Reply by RonnieB/NC on 9/12/12 8:15pm
Msg #434139

Re: Yoli, ya know I love ya girl,

Amen!. These companies are taking advantage.

Reply by NJDiva on 9/12/12 12:44pm
Msg #434073

oops, oops, oops, I, didn't mean low rated...

I know what you said and what you meant my friend! I apologize for using the incorrect word. It's a huge difference!

And that's a very good point; ESPECIALLY those in remote area's with not as much competition, do not need to accept no less than what their area can support! It's easy for you to demand no less than $125.

In my area, according to a couple of the big networking sites, I have at least 93 other NSA's within a 13-15 mile radius! So it's obvious why my fees are not considered low-PAYing...lol

Reply by NJDiva on 9/12/12 12:47pm
Msg #434074

excuse the really bad grammar...lol n/m

Reply by Sheila Meinecke on 9/12/12 12:51pm
Msg #434076

NJDiva

I and Yoli are both in very well populated large cities, with lots of competition, so you theory does not really hold any water. It all comes down to what you think you are worth in terms of time and experience, and money.

Reply by NJDiva on 9/12/12 12:52pm
Msg #434078

hmmmm... n/m

Reply by NJDiva on 9/12/12 1:02pm
Msg #434082

Well, Ms. Sheila...

considering in a 15 mile radius there are 28 on one site and 29 (not taking into account the amount of doubles) on another, I would venture to say my theory DOES stand up! So ummmm, well, er, echem...

Far be it for me to contradict someone, as I do it often, but that one was way off base! It's quite all right! Thanks for sharing though.

Reply by janCA on 9/12/12 1:17pm
Msg #434084

Re: Merritt

I got a call from Merritt a couple of weeks ago (EOM) and I was also offered $90 and they said they could go to $100. I stated my $125 and was told "That's what we receive", again, because they get volume. Well, that's just peachy keen for them, but not for a single signing agent. I passed on their offer. It was the first call I had ever received from them.

Reply by Yoli/CA on 9/12/12 1:44pm
Msg #434086

Re: Yoli, ya know I love ya girl,

So, Diva: Just got another call from MDA (302-433-8830), fka TransUnion, for edoc signing next week Tuesday for $100. Guess you would accept that? They're rated 2-1/2 stars.

Needless to say, that time slot is still open.

Reply by NJDiva on 9/12/12 4:01pm
Msg #434108

Yoli, what are you talking about? I said rating by mistake

this thread is about pay not rating. I accidentally said rate, I meant PAY!

NO, I do NOT work for 2 1/2 star rated companies! Period! I VERY seldom work for 3 or 3 1/2 star companies either for that matter (I can't name ONE that I've worked for!)

In my area, we are SATURATED with notaries (at least 93 in a 13-15 mile radius according to the two major networking sites-not to be redundant, just clarifying.) Though there are undercutting notaries that will go below $100, it's not necessary! The average in THIS area IS $100.

I'm not really sure WHY all of a sudden this is taboo and a big insult! Geesh!!! You're on the west coast I'm on the east coast.

In your zip code for the two major networking sites (this is one), you have approximately 26 other notaries and 38 on the second one, and that's within a 20 mile radius. These things need to be taken into account. You have much less competition and much MORE leverage on what you can charge.

Does that make sense to anyone but ME?????

Reply by bfnotary on 9/12/12 6:45pm
Msg #434127

Re: Yoli, what are you talking about? I said rating by mistake

The average in my area is 100 as well. I have some that pay 125+ but not many. ( and this area is not saturated with notaries either). Very few compared to most of your areas. But the ones we do have, will take those low fees from some of the bad companies. I have a signing for Merritt on Friday morning. They seem really nice over phone, good rating, and they are paying 100. Which is standard in my area. Works for me. Under normal circumstances I will not take signings under that. The ones that usually will not meet that fee, are not worth working with anyways. I think my first signing I took for 85. Then I figured out my cost of doing business. That was the one and only signing I took for that amount.

Reply by Teresa/FL on 9/12/12 2:06pm
Msg #434087

I have also been called by Merritt Services

It's been at least a year since Brenda called me to close a Provident loan.

She stated that her regular person in my area was on vacation, therefore she was contacting me to see if I could accommodate the signing.

We were not able to come to terms on a fee. No way would I do a Provident loan for $90-100, not even if it was for my next door neighbor (the one I actually like!).

Reply by jba/fl on 9/12/12 2:16pm
Msg #434089

Agree - thumbs up Teresa. n/m