I am an experienced notary with seven years of experience closing well over 2-3,000 signings. I’ve worked with several signing agencies along the way and this is the first time I’ve been compelled to write a negative review. I worked with SoCal for years prior to their change to C2C Signings two years ago (same owner, Lisa Bittner) and performed a few signings per month on a regular basis. I always had issues with payment requiring me to call and follow up every month for the payment. When they changed to C2C, they went with an automated system of texts for signings, so I stopped doing signings regularly for them and would pick up one occasionally. The last signing I performed for them (always 150+ pages which they pay the standard $75) Lisa refused payment because of an error with an acknowledgement. I redid the acknowledgement and they sent a courier to pick it up due to a funding deadline. After sometime, I called to follow up with the payment and she said she wasn’t paying for this due to the error. She never informed me at the time that the fee would be reduced let alone not paid because of a notary acknowledgement error! I have never had a signing agent refuse payment on an acknowledgement error, especially when I supplied the corrected one! She emailed back that she had to pay a courier $100 to pick up the corrected acknowledgement, and she would not lose money on the signing, so no payment for me. Then she writes back that “I’m a good notary” so what amount would I think is fair. I emailed her $40 and she then writes back that she won’t pay me anything again since she had to pay $75 for the courier, so my $75 fee was expended (didn’t she say the courier was $100??). Signing Agents receive an average of $150 per signing and keep 50% of the fee. They have leeway in fees for notaries they have been doing business with for years and who have excellent reputations. However, there is often no thought to stick it to the notary when there are issues. This is certainly a signing agent that will stick it to the notary even one who has performed many notaries for them for several years, so BEWARE!
I have done a few closings lately for C2C. When they are willing to pay my fee. They low ball fees and yes their document packages are typically large. Anything over 125 pages needs to pay extra for tie & printing.
As far as payment the things I have used in the past when a service attempts to not pay for services I have rendered for mortgage signings. Remember the whole mortgage process if FEDERALLY regulated, that includes your services and your relationship to the closing. It is potentially a TILA violation to not pay not you for your services for anything that was not due to your error.(Especially for a borrower exercising RTC) In your case you had an error however did the loan fund or did your error cause it not to fund? If it funded, they owe you your fee but could potentially have you pay for the courier. NO courier costs $75 - $100 . In the Portland Metro area I don’t think they pay more than $15-$20 as I charge $25 to deliver to title after closing and sometimes they opt for a courier because it is cheaper. If it was me I would offer her to pay for the overnight/courier $25 and deduct that from your original fee with the balance due. My other option in worst cases is to let them know you will send the bill to the title company as the title company usually has paid the fee when the loan funds. Or you could write it off and just not take orders from them in the future. Good luck!
I just checked my accounting and it looks like these guys use email checks. You actually get paid with this new electronic paper check. I hate it, I have a couple other companies that pay this way and it pulls my hair out. You have to log on, print out the check and then explain to your bank that this piece of paper is really a check. Depending on your bank it may be a challenge. Their is a toll free number on the check to have your bank call with questions and it does have a REAL person that answers the phone and talks to you/them.
Maybe she felt nice and sent you one…it will be in your email as C2C sent you a check #V V …
I typically refuse text requests from C2C because of the low amount they offer ($75). I always respond with a minimum negotiated fee of $125, so I don’t ever get the job (which is fine since there seems to be an issue with their payments anyway.) I do however have other SS that have used the electronic check payment system through Deluxe Checks. I do not like that it is an issue with my bank either. I ike to use the ATM for deposits so I can get a printed receipt with a copy of the checks I deposit and these electronic checks are always kicked out making me have to actually go stand in line for a teller. Very time consuming and a pain in the butt!
Doesn’t it seem a bit ironic to you that the courier got paid more for picking up and delivering the acknowledgement than you were supposed to get paid for doing the entire signing assignment?
Is that coast to coast signing?
yes that is the correct name
Yep, how sad is that. The lady lied to her about the cost of pick up, that’s why the amount changed.
I agree, I just had a call yesterday to run a do a fix. Thing is title slips in 15 pages of the amort schedule that I have to print twice. That certainly didn’t need to be there. Point - If title would clean up docs it would be less paper and toner - Certainly a more professional sign.
I had a bad experience with them. It was my first assignment, I made an error, but I was not given the opportunity to redo the signing. They simply pulled it from me and assigned it to another notary. I see their point of view, but I would not want to work with them again.
I deposit the email checks using my iPad. If your bank has mobile it is easy to deposit and checks normally clear within a day.
That is so funny. Everybody gets paid more than us and we do all the labor. SO funny
It’s also demeaning to notaries. I am now glad that I got pulled from C2C Signings because I would not have gotten paid anyway. They are pretty rude too, and I will not accept signings from them ever again.
It’s not really funny at all. It’s very sad, in my opinion. Not only do we do all of the labor, but we bear most of the brunt of the cost of the signing, in terms of equipment, paper, supplies, gas, our time, etc.
Even though i say its funny i mean that in a sarcastic way. Its actually sick that they do this. However i have graduated and refuse to walk out my door for anything less than $100.00. Its a pity that every notary wont do that. Until all notaries stop accepting these low ball fees it will never change. I wish them luck
I am newer and work for one company for $90 per signing because I love working with them. Other than that, It’s generally $100 or more.
I have never had any issues with C2C.
Excellent system for accepting assignment, negotiating fees , have always been paid within a 45 day window and super sweet responses to inquires, followup etc.
C2C has been good to me lol! Whether payment, customer service, or paying my fee. I totally believe you but maybe I just got them on some good days? I hate it when my counterparts don’t get paid for work performed:(
I know this is an old post, but I felt I would respond. “Everybody gets paid more”, is not correct our average client fee is $125.00 that is what C2C gets paid.
We have many clients that pay us $100.00, those are credit union clients.
but we do pay our signing agents.
The original poster regarding the courier is not incorrect, the distance in picking up and hand delivering to make recording cost a lot of money. The end result is we lost money too.
But I am always here if any one has questions 909-525-8221
open door policy, I have been in business for 18 years and still in business.
Susan,
The problem was bigger than this but it was clear you were new. So it was not just a matter of escrow docs not being printed, as most escrow packages do not have dates. But you were so new at the time, that the lender asked to get a more experienced signing agent to go back.
if you would like to talk im here
909-525-8221