Courier Mishaps

I’m posting out of curiosity to ask if any of you have had your notary packages lost/mishandled by the courier? I did recently. A few days ago, I performed a partial mortgage signing and dropped off at my usual FedEx dropbox location (not a facility). For the record, I’ve always used this dropbox for my completed assignment packages and have had no issues with it in the past. Checking on the transit status via tracking number, there was no activity. I called FedEx and they claim that there was no package ever scanned/picked up. FedEx had 2 drivers check out this drop box area to see if the package may have got stuck somewhere out of sight, but nothing! I relayed the message to the signing company and we had to reschedule another signing. This time, I took the package to an actual FedEx facility and received a receipt. I can see now that this should have been my original practice with package submissions, using an actual facility as opposed to a drop box. Lesson learned.

If you have an Office Depot/MAX near by, they are a great drop off location

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I’m in a small town and almost always use the FedEx & UPS dropboxes near the courthouse/lawyer’s offices–neither carrier EVER misses those! I rarely use manned facilities because I’ve had more problems with those than the dropboxes. I guess the reliability issue depends upon the people at the facility…

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People need to think of that receipt as their paycheck. Without proof you turned it over to the shipper, you have no proof you completed the final phase of the signing. I avoid drop boxes whenever I can, including the ones inside the FedEx Office stores.

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Out of the thousands of packages that I have dropped in FedEx and UPS drop boxes over the past 10+ years I can only think of one or two times where the packages were delayed (they were all found and eventually delivered).
The only times I drop a package at a manned location and get a receipt is on a purchase or seller package that does not have a recission period.
Otherwise, if I am dropping at a box I take a photo of me holding the package close enough to read the tracking number and show that the drop box shows that the pick up has not occurred. Although it really doesn’t matter, if the package doesn’t get delivered for whatever reason the title / hiring company will find a way to make it your fault.

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I never use the drop personally, but that may be my OCD! lol I always take a photo of the receipt and send it to the company. I am a little new still so I am probably being a little over careful.

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Thanks for the responses, good insights. I will utilize from here on out.

You cannot drop at a box! Look at your contract. Take it to a place that accepts packages and gives you a receipt. I find that if anyone has screwed up it is UPS! They suck! I always have my receipt to show I have dropped my package.

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Big risk dropping off at unmanned dropbox, I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner. Always take it to a manned facility. Even USPS mailboxes outside the post offices in our area are always being broken into that the our main post office removed them altogether.

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Never EVER use a Fedex or UPS drop box, thieves have the combo & keys to those box. Always drop off at actual Fedex office & UPS Store.
Now the customers data & Soc. Security number is out there for crooks to use.

All Noobs, Learn from this,…

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Best bet and best practice is: always drop Fed x and UPS at their official outlets- not other mail and message places who don’t give you a drop off receipt. You must keep the drop off receipt with your invoice until paid. UPS has a bad habit of NOT picking up at their boxes like they should and you pay for this. If a loan doesn’t close on time and someone loses their interest rate/loan over it you can be sued for up to $8,000.
Signing companies are always looking for something to ding your fee, something you have no control over and can’t help also, or didn’t even do. When I had time I always scanned a whole package and saved it til I got paid in order to prove I didn’t miss a notary ack or jurat or anything else. I have been accused of missing something when I did not and they back right off when I say " let me check my scan ". You have to take so many measures in this business and always make sure you are super human and way beyond reproach.

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