GBU has been a great source of “measured quality” information for me…you can sort the data several ways. If a Company has a lower rating and a few to numerous complaints, and IF you can find similar complaints on other forums, it seems to be a good research tool, (if the complaints seem valid and are contemporary), but earlier this year and last year I did periodic deep dives on the company listings and found a fair number of “highly rated” companies actually had “no posts” and were rated poorly on other sites, and when checked out carefully (posts on other forums, BBB complaints, website, phone active or not?), were actually Out-Of-Business.
However, and alternatively, I found some of the 3-star companies, turned out to be red-herring ratings, the “notary” complaints seemed weak (to deter competition perhaps?). I found a couple of sleepers rated “3”, one standalone SS (not on snapdocs, signingorder, zigsig, etc), in No Cal was rated very so-so, back in 2020 with the multiple complaints sounding a bit shaky, so called them, they added me, rolled the dice and ended up over a few months becoming a preferred NSA with sometimes 2x weekly work for about 2 years…in So Cal. Yes, they paid a little slow once in a while (as the fevered complaints alleged), but they always (98% of the time), paid within 45ish days, and I only had to chase 3 checks over 2 years encompassing 100+ signings, with all three times being no fault of theirs, as a small-time small-town Title company stiffed them for 90 days (which I confirmed with the Title Companies), and one time a lost check in the mail eventually showed up in a mangled envelope, several weeks after the replacement check arrived), but always got eventually paid, is the point, despite the online complaints otherwise of this mediocre rated SS. Sadly, when I moved to a new state, they had fewer clients in my rural area, and now with things slower overall, have had no business with them in a while, but we stay in touch with emails, phone calls and cards, waiting for a better day…
Another 3 rated “Title” company I researched and connected with from the GBU list has turned out to be mainstay for me in these slow times, with offers still presented every week. Two years ago it seemed like I was chasing checks from them almost every other month, particularly if it was a print/travel cancelation fee (one of the chief complaints), but once I figured out their system, found back-door numbers and contacts, and got on their automated system, now receive clockwork style pay every 2 weeks, and they have on occasion offered up to triple-fee a couple times to drive further, last minute, and twice I have been accidently double paid, and they told me to keep it when I reported it…
Point being, thousands in revenue from a “3” rated SS and “3” rated Title company, and alternatively some of the 5s I signed up with, never sent me anything, and (upon periodic follow up research are now getting complaints for slow pay, or are OOB, so please don’t assume a “4” or “5” rated company on this list is good/great and alternatively a “3” is so-so, or bad/ugly…just put in the time and do the research (and the hard-work of calling, emailing, and sending cards/gifts to the schedulers), could be well worth it, for a nominal membership fee to get at the raw sortable data.
