**Be Ware-**Received a signing from Cloud Signings. Initially I agreed until I found out the volume(183) in the Refi package. I submitted renegotiation of fees ($200.00) once I receive the documents. They low ball fees($80.00). I received a call from them. They are extremely unprofessional. I asked them for the increase, and if they chose not to increase my fee please remove me from this signing.The package itself was from Mortgage Connect. I am registered with Mortgage Connect and have not received any signings from them in Ga. Please advise.
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@aresia Hmmm . . . truly, this is a conundrum.
Well, my initial query to you is:
âDo you read the Notary Cafe forum?â
My 2nd query is:
âDo you Search the GOLDMINE (database) of threads within the Notary Cafe form?â
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Your request is to: âPlease advise.â
That query is very easily answered immediately by activities recounting direct experiences with this business entity over the past four weeks as well as over the past four years.
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My friend, youâve successfully (albeit inadvertently) dodged a bullet (non-payment)!
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Maybe you are unaware of the Search Function OR maybe youâve been unable to locate it . . .
Most members express that they find it difficult/NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE to locate the Search Function in order to access the wealth of information available within the database.
To be helpful, Iâve inserted an image for you & others [see below] to help members locate it to unlock the wisdom & knowledge of other members on the forums.
Iâve performed a cursory Search on your behalf and the results show 14 separate threads (in addition to yours) about this business entity with most showcasing their NON-PAYMENT experience. There is a plethora of data immediately available on the threads within Notary Cafe. 
https://forum.notarycafe.com/search?q=%22Cloud+Signings%22
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The following threads are also helpful on the 2nd business entity you mention:
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Accessing the database to locate information about potential clients has saved many of us an inordinate amount of time âchasingâ payments for Services professionally provided to potential non-payers . . . 
===>>> PLUS, thereâs one additional technique that you may find to be QUITE EFFECTIVE . . . Code the Contact List in your phone . . .
- Why take the time to do that?
Because you will IMMEDIATELY KNOW beyond the shadow of a doubt when a call comes in . . . who to accept & who to reject.
One technique for Coding your Contact List would be to place a leading 2-character prefix that identifies the Group that phone number has placed themselves within from demonstrated behavior:
- NP = Non-Payer
- SP = Slow Payer
- LB = Low Ball Fees
- LD = Late Docs
- NN = Non-negotiator
Etc., etc., etc.
There are several other techniques (Search Google) for Coding your Contact List to assist you in filtering your Inbound calls.
Itâs my sincere hope that ALL of this information is helpful & supportive for you efforts as a new business owner @aresia It does take time away from my business (for me a fellow business owner) to research all of this data and compile a reply to you.
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WowâŠseriously?? You offer up this information (over and over and over, I might add) of your own volition then make that comment? Iâm sorry, but thatâs just rude.
@aresia one comment I will address is your location - you may not be hearing from Mortgage Connect because youâre in Georgia and, by law, are not allowed to close loans in your state (unless itâs true, as some say, that you can close those for out-of-state propertiesâŠthat is unconfirmed). I do agree with you asking for the increased fee - 183 pages X2 is just ridiculous for $80.00!!
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That large package, imo, does demand a higher fee ($200 is a fair amount for that scope of work). I doubt that Mortgage Connect will agree to it. During the pandemic shutdown, they were paying that and more. We now have an overabundance of notaries (and many will take the insultingly low fees) so MC goes as low as possible while there are takers. 
NSAs need to value themselves as professionals and demand a fee that reflects that professionalism.
Insofar as the comment regarding Georgia: Georgia is an attorney-only state. From the NNA: Georgia â Attorney involvement required: The Georgia Supreme Court affirmed a State Bar advisory opinion concluding that a real estate closing is the practice of law and requiring a Georgia attorney to be present or involved in real estate closings.
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My dear colleagues 183 pages of a Refi would be considered light for Texas. Most Refis are going over 225+ pages. Before I stopped RE closings I was getting $80 plus $75 for using a law office if there was a cash out component.
Agree that $200 if fair, and not you know why I stopped handling RE closings.
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I agree. Wash, rinse, repeat with the same condescending comments.
Sometimes we are asked to provide a rate quote with incomplete information, so I learned (the hard way) to make my own assumptions when faced with unknowns and I give rate quotes based on the amount of work I anticipate.
A couple ways to help avoid this situation in the future:
- Expect any Refi loan signing to be at least 200 pgs - some are more, some are less - and I give a rate quote based on that unless specified
- Ask questionsâŠ, if the reply is I DONâT KNOW, then it means the loan pkg isnât ready, so now you have to start making assumptions. Assume it is at least 200 pgs, 2 signers, with scanbacks, and give a rate quote based on that.
If they lowball you and refuse to let you negotiate an equitable rate, itâs OK to decline the assignment. What we cannot do is accept an assignment from a signing service for an agreed upon rate and then come back and ask them for more money later on. The rate we agree on is the rate we agree on. I also wonât permit the signing service (or any hiring company) to pay less than what we originally agreed upon.
So some questions I like to ask so I can fully understand scope of assignment and be able to give an accurate rate quote:
DATE/TIME/LOCATION
TYPE of signing
SIZE of loan pkg/are docs ready now
Numbers of signers
CASH TO CLOSE - are any funds due at closing? amount, method?
Other stipulations (photocopies of ID, etc)
SCANBACKS required?
I wish you the best.
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@Carmen_Lane Concur 
percent with your technique.
You may also want to add two additional items to include within the scope of the Signing Order [SO] & to state during the call/email confirmation - one is a statement & one is a query:
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âFee for the professional signing agent services provided is due and payable at the time service is provided - regardless of/not contingent upon borrower(s) signing, the loan funding status, or the purchase/sale finalization status.â
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âWhat is your payment turnaround interval?â Be certain the clarify whether thatâs Calendar days OR Business days.
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Mortgage Connect is the biggest lowballer there is. Your chances of getting $200 are not only slim and none, but none period! 183 pages are considered ânormalâ for them and therefore worthy of only their standard lowball fees.
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Are refi closings treated differently than real estate closings??
In the state of Georgia an attorney is needed to do Real Estate Closings. Refi can be done by anyone who has a notary license.
@aresia No - not true. Read your handbook again along with your GA laws. (out-of-state property may be different) - real estate closings are real estate closings, whether refi or purchase - no difference
A Refi closing is the same as a Reaal Estate. The term Refi means the original loan has been refinanced as though itâs an original closing. Refis tend to have more pages since the original loan is being paid off and a new loan has been initiated. In Texas if the Refi has a cash out option there specific locations these need to close.
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When I see Cloud Signings, I already know Iâm UNavailable.
Cloud Signings offers are insulting & they donât negotiate. You send them a fair price, and theyâll ghost you every time.
Why put up with that AND late, late payments ~~if at all?
Cloud Signings takes advantage of newer notaries, who donât yet, know their TRUE worth.
We protect highly personal information, we buy E&O insurance. We are well trained & we check our work 3X before the drop.
THATâS worth moneyâŠ
I donât leave home for less than $75.00.
Period.
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Never accept anything from them. Awful company! JOT is about just as bad for low price
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They did you a favor.
Lots of good info on this thread. I had never heard of Cloud Signings before but just got an offer ( though I use that term very loosely) for $20! For a sellerâs packet of +/- 40 pages. It cracked me up. The amount was insulting and I thought the page count sounded a bit low. Honestly, it cracked me up. This is my new record for the most ridiculous offer Iâve ever received. And now I know they probably wouldnât have paid if I had even considered that stupid fee.
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Yes maâam you are correct! You do such a big application, video interview and exrtra hoops to be signed with mortgage connect saying you would make 150 and above for closings and the packages are usually 200+ pages and they start you with 1 closing for 150 dollar then itâs crickets itâs actually a huge set up because all they do is use other platforms low ball you for 65 -90 dollars so they pocket mire fees and they charge their clients high notary fees like 300+ just to low ball us and then they want scans lol high way robbery! I no longer deal with them at all itâs shameful at this point after 5 years in i been registered with them for 3 years and i did 3 signings for them off of different platforms negotiating higher rates and they would only give it to me because notaries are on to them now! I no longer except anything to do with them because they still send 200 plus pages signings for 70-80 bucks the closing group is just like them!!!
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Hi everyone, I have been doing closings for Cloud Signings with Mortgage Connect. I am done with them. I have gone way up and above and beyond for them in accepting closings that nobody else will take that are up by the Canadian Border of New Hampshire. I am now on to them and their games!!! I will get a call at 10:00 pm from Ron to do a signing up there the next day which is a 5 hr + round trip for me not including all other fees that go along with it, and this is after he posts it at a low ball offer of $90.00 during the day. I always reply I will do it for $275.00 and he tries to talk me down from that and I do not budge. I did another signing for him and right before I was leaving the house to do the signing (docs were prepared) he sent me all new docs to print out and use and after numerous emails to him to request another print fee, he ghosted me and the next day refused to pay me for the additional work. They are unprofessional, cheap, liars, I could go on and on. I am so sick and tired of these signing services low balling us. I know how much they get (around $500.00 and low ball us into taking $30). We have expenses too. I will not leave the house for under $125.00 or I will loose money. I will negotiate and say "I am offering a fair and reasonable fee of $125.00 especially when they are throwing insulting fees of $30.00 out there! We are professionals and doing all the work and its unfair. I have one thing to say to anyone that is accepting those insulting low ball offers âI hope you are enjoying the money you are loosing to do them!â
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Hi Sherry, I understand your anger, frustration, and desire to vent. Some notaries here on Notary Cafe will tell you to say all that and more when there is a conflict like this with a hiring company. As for me, I always urge caution and professionalism. There is a big difference between making those statements privately vs in a public forum like this one. Anything you write can be read by anyone. Other potential hiring companies can read what we write here. It stays in this forum forever, even if you decide to edit or click delete. Big, big difference between calling a company unprofessional vs calling them cheap liars. Just my 2 cents.
I agree that being low-balled for the extra work and travel distance some hiring companies require of us is extremely frustrating. I hate it too. From my point of view, if the hiring company and I cannot agree on the fee/rate, then both sides should just move on and neither side should take it personally. Itâs just a business transaction. Sometimes we are a match, sometimes not. Anyway, I wish you good luck, Sherry. Hang in there!