Posted by 101livescan on 12/14/13 9:06am
Msg #496106

Tis the season for SS fee absurdity

$60 for a refi with edocs and faxbacks?!! ABSURD! And, yes, they have a DISPARAGMENT clause in their contract that says if you say anything negative about them publicly on this or other forums, they can come after you for thousands of dollars for legal fees, etc.

Now, how are you supposed to save up $XXXX to pay disparagement fees on $60 a signing, huh, tell me that.

Wow, I wonder if anyone is taking a leap of faith by working for companies like this! Surely newbies know better, right? But if not, I'm sure we'll be hearing about it soon.

Absurd! Wow, my, my, how times and things have changed in this industry.

Reply by jba/fl on 12/14/13 9:28am
Msg #496111

Have to pull a Madonna and reinvest myself. n/m

Reply by 101livescan on 12/14/13 9:37am
Msg #496115

We're all reinventing ourselves constantly, those of us in the industry for 10 years and more. It's the poor new frontier notaries who haven't a clue that this is extraordinary and not acceptable. The newby signing services which have popped up in the last couple of years, are setting new standards. Many new SSs out there are not paying fair fees, dinging notaries for silly a$$ed reasons they make up as they go along, taking six months to pay, if they pay at all, traveling to exotic international vacation resorts, etc.

I think we all have to spend more time vetting SSs and proceeding cautiously to protect ourselves from unreasonable rules of the game. The best place to start is to only work for the best companies with the best reviews of their business practices.

Reply by ikando on 12/14/13 11:26am
Msg #496128

Applause to Cheryl.

On another note, how long will it take at $60 each to pay for all the hoops xyz/spw are requiring to get those low fees? And that's before you start covering all other expenses, let alone make a living.

Reply by PA_Notary_II on 12/14/13 11:39am
Msg #496129

Re: Applause to Cheryl.

And don't you even dare try to renegotiate the fee if you say yes.

Reply by Doris_CO on 12/14/13 11:54am
Msg #496131

Re: Increase in my fee.

As I've said on other strings, I'm waiting to see how everything settles down after the first of the year, but if I do choose to go the route of XYZ or have a bgc done by the other company, I will have to increase my fees. So, instead of $100. being my minimum, it'll probably be $105. Not a big increase, but enough to cover the increase in expenses, especially if these tests and checks have to be done every year. And, yes, these Signing Services and Title companies should understand that, after all, they're probably increasing their fees to cover their expenses. Any business, whether it's because of increase in taxes, health insurance, increased minimum wage, etc., will probably increase their prices in order to make a profit. That's just a fact of life in the business world. No profit, bye bye business, hello panhandling.

Reply by 101livescan on 12/14/13 12:06pm
Msg #496132

Panhandling is the new wave!

There are more and more in my town, and they are honing their craft!

Reply by NC_Closer on 12/14/13 12:18pm
Msg #496134

On a positive note SS's are aware of the power we have on

This and other boards!

Reply by JJNotary/CA on 12/14/13 12:20pm
Msg #496135

Re: Increase in my fee.

That's not a bad idea, actually. A minor increase to each sigining seems like a good financial compromise.

I was thinking about all of this yesterday, and instead of having to re-certify yearly, it would be better for the entire business if the tests were not so terribly easy to pass (at least mine was). I studied for a few weeks prior to my 6hr course, knowing I wanted to pass and make a career shift. But the test was crazy easy. If it was a bit harder to get a commission, then we would have a more solid population of quality notaries. Then the need to constantly check up on us (yearly bgc's), being paid low fees, areas saturated with Notaries, all of these issues would improve.

Reply by JanetK_CA on 12/14/13 12:35pm
Msg #496137

Re: Increase in my fee.

Very good point, although I've heard that the CA notary exam has gotten more difficult to the point of preventing lots of people from getting their commission. (I've also heard that the difficulty seems to vary from month to month.)

That same concept should apply to the certification exams. XYZ is touting that their certification means that someone who passes will be qualified, yet it's so easy that the bar has been set very low, and it means nothing of the sort! At least the state exam is carefully proctored so that people aren't cheating and that the right person is actually taking the exam.

Reply by JJNotary/CA on 12/14/13 12:48pm
Msg #496139

Re: Increase in my fee.

I would hope that the state would have a few variations of basically the same level test to rotate through every month. It really should be standardized.

As to xyz, I'm realizing that the new standards, or code of conduct (I don't have the title in front of me) that we are looking at being forced to sign - what bothers me most about it is - 90% of the items on that list should be givens. If they certified us, shouldn't all of their notaries already know those things?! And the remaining 10% really are not in favor of the notary being able to run their business/ protect themselves. Frustrating.

Reply by JanetK_CA on 12/14/13 12:57pm
Msg #496140

Bingo! n/m

Reply by JJNotary/CA on 12/14/13 1:05pm
Msg #496141

LOL! Guess I'm a little behind! :) n/m

Reply by BobtheElder on 12/14/13 9:59pm
Msg #496153

Maybe it's just me, but I rarely sign a contract and when I do I cross out that kind of nonsense.
I don't need the SS enough to accept the BS some of them dish out. I've got a couple I work with regularly and the rest is title companies directly.

Reply by 101livescan on 12/14/13 11:04pm
Msg #496158

Makes you wonder where these SS owners got their business training. Am I the only one who thinks this is bordering on craziness? Who's wild a$$ed idea is this any way. I can see a judge laughing this scenario right out of his court.

I worked for my grandparents in the summer at a Minnesota fishing resort/lodge for years. My grandparents did everything by a handshake and gentlemen's agreement. There were no credit cards. People paid by check in advance. The same families came year after year for decades. Their success was built on good will, integrity, valued service and quality of service. My grandparents were from the old country, came here on a boat with nothing in their pockets, and worked with their heads first and then their hands.

My grandfather knew all the great Northern Pike fishing holes in Ottertail Lake. People paid a premium to know where those sweet spots were.

It's a shame that we have to be watching our backs all the time, and we cannot trust the people who make money on us to pay us what we're worth, in a timely manner, and then they want to punish us because we don't like how they treat us.

Is this what is being taught in universities now?

I guess I'm just completely in a time warp.