I’m a new notary trying to get business and make a name for myself and market my company. I heard about this directory, NotaryRotary.com, that supposedly helps new notaries get signings. So I signed up for the free Notary Rotary account on April 12, 2021, but I wasn’t getting any calls. So I thought I should pay for the yearly $99 membership fee which they say puts you at the top of the directory list and will give you more business and more calls from signing companies looking to hire notaries. I paid the $99 fee on Sunday April 18th, but after I signed up for the membership I noticed that I still was not getting any calls, no action, no views, the only person viewing my profile was me. I was do disappointed, I had just given these people $99 of my hard earned money, which is a lot for me as a struggling new business, and it was for nothing! They promised me that I would get business and I got nothing. I’m just $99 poorer. Thus, on Thursday April 22nd, I called them to cancel and no one answered, I called back a second time and a man named Sam asked me why am I canceling? I told him I don’t believe in the service and I want my money back, I’m not getting anything out of it. He seemed kind of hurt, upset or offended that I was canceling, but he said he will issue a refund in 2 days. But the way he said it seemed sarcastic, deceitful and disingenuous, he sounded like he was lying to me and telling me whatever I wanted to hear just to get me off the phone, I knew then that I was not going to get my money back, I had been scammed. Plus I found it hard to believe, because I’ve never gotten a refund in 2 days, but he promised me that he would do a refund in 2 days and send me a refund receipt right away. I never got the refund nor the refund receipt, I called back the next day, Friday 04/23, the owner Tracy Schumacher answered the phone, when I told her I was calling about my refund, she started to rush me off the phone saying they are busy because it’s Friday and they are handling mail but they will take care of it. She told me she needs to pull up my account but she will get the refund done. I asked her, how can you pull up my account if you don’t know who you’re talking to, you haven’t asked me name or anything? She said they have my phone number saved and all my information but she can’t talk now, she has to go to UPS and then she hung up the phone in my face. So I’m still waiting for my refund receipt all weekend long and never get it. I emailed her on Sunday, she emails me back on Monday 04/26, tells me that they have 10,000 customers that they are servicing and making successful so they don’t have time to deal with my problems, but they will do my refund when they get around to it (this is a terrible way to do business) then she tells me that they have a no-refund policy and I was told on the phone with them that they have a no-refund policy and it was a recorded line. She’s a liar, because no one told me that the line was being recorded and by law you have to tell someone that you’re recording them and no one told me that. There is a no cancellation policy, Sam did not telling me anything about it and Tracy Schumacher the owner did not tell me anything about a cancellation policy, their website also did not advise of a cancellation policy at the time of sale. She claims she will refund me, but she refuses to send me a refund receipt showing me proof that a refund has taken place. She’s lying to me, I still have not gotten my refund yet nor the refund receipt by email. I’ve been asking them since Thursday April 22nd and today is now April 27th, after 5 days of chasing these people, I cannot get one simple email just to show proof that a refund has taken place! These people are criminals! They are scam artists! They take your money and run off with it! They prey on new notaries trying to make a name for themselves. They tell you that you will get so many signings from signing companies and people looking for notaries and signing agents, but it’s all a lie and a ponzee scheme. They take your $99 and nobody calls you, you could be listed in your whole state or several states and nobody will call you to offer you a job. So far it looks like they’ve ran off with my money and I had to file a dispute with the bank. These are not legitimate business people they are not kosher. So after 3 emails and five or six phone calls which only two were answered I still don’t have a refund or proof of a refund.
Sad story. I can’t believe you paid $99 for higher placement and your phone wasn’t ringing off the hook with $200 assignments. Excuse me while I laugh out loud. I’ve been a premier member for a decade and I haven’t gotten one call from that listing. I still pay because I buy a lot of supplies like journals and thumb inkers so it’s a wash. Beside I like their forum. I spend a minimum of 5 thousand dollars a year on advertising, you might have to spend more if you want to get noticed.
Wow, i need a mentor. I even signed up with 10 Signing Services and still can’t get $1. I only got friends and aquiantences and a few people from my neighborhood. Tell me, Who mentors notaries? Throw a dog a bone, if i don’t have $5k to throw around on Advertising, how can i get business?
I am new notary in Georgia, I am getting jobs. Just sign up to more SS. Also try direct client. I am sorry that happen to you, good luck.
And here’s my downer moment of the day
@cannonotaryservices - you ARE aware you, in GA, can’t do loan signings? Check page 29 of your handbook (as pointed out by another GA poster previously) along with your state statutes and the GA Bar Association.
There is a thread here (in fact there are two) that list good companies to work for. Search for that thread here (magnifying glass upper right of page) and you can find company names there.
Sent you a private message about another tip.
Make your profile is complete and it convinces people why they should hire YOU over your competition.
After signing up with the companies, get some business cards and hit the pavement. Hand them out to banks, realtors, doctor’s offices, local title companies, attorney’s offices, nursing homes, hospitals, home health agencies, etc. When you’re done with all that - start all over again.
Hope this helps - Good Luck
Yes aware but it say on page 29 Georgia Notaries may NOT act as a 'notary signing agent. Georgia notaries may notarize documents related to a conveyance of real property ONLY under direct supervision of an attorney. So I am getting jobs that are not just loan signings, but other documents.
Replying to the fat man. Agreed, most of us don’t have $5000 or more to pay upfront for advertising so to make it easier financially, notaries sign up with signing services. Who, when the need arises call and assign you work. They ARE your advertisers and you pay them a portion of the signing fee for the assignment. Most signings pay $200-$250 to the notary however the signing services, your advertiser, takes their cut off the top and pays you the difference, And 1099 you at the end of the year. Quite a scam wouldn’t you agree.
The Fatman,
There is sooo much free content on youtube that can get you headed in the right direction. I also say choose wisely. The NNA website you can relook that training. Until you get a signing I would continue to do some research, get familiar with your state notary laws and be ready when you tap the button for your first signing.
Stay the course.
So I signed up wit them too. when I didn’t get any calls was thinking I should pay too. Glad I didn’t I’ll be deleting my account
I completed a refi on June 2019 and received payment on September 2020. Do not respond to them. We are adding and requesting interest on any account passed 30 days as of 1/1/2021.
You do realize this has nothing to do with Notary Rotary? Not sure who owes you money for an unpaid assignment but it’s not them
Earnest, before you delete your account keep in mind that every profile you put out there increases your visibility on the net - do a zip code search there and see how many notaries are listed there in or near your zip code - that will give you an idea of your competition in your area.
You can do the same thing here…will give you an idea of how many you’re competing against…
JMO
Thank you for your response. I received a check from them and it is an error or neglect on their part.
*Very hard to believe. They are nicest people to deal with. But NotaryRotary is not a site that companies use. It is a sight that messages get exchanged, like a Facebook Forum & has a directory listing of companies. In here you can look up companies & send your own marketing letter to them. Also as a premier member you have access to a free in / out fax.
The other nite is that what u pay for your business can be writ off on your taxes.
Walt
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Just a suggestion, but you may want to have a more professional profile picture and name. TheFatMan and pizza logo doesn’t scream professional. It takes longer than a week or two to get your business off the ground. You signed up with NotaryRotary on the 12th and wanted to cancel by the 22nd. Have you signed up with other sites to get your name out there? Do you have a Google business page? Facebook page? How do you advertise your services?
I invested about $1,000 to get my signing agent/notary business off the ground. I officially started my business on February 15th, had my first signing on March 12th, and am just starting to get emails from companies to do direct work. I have recouped about 65% of my initial start up costs and it’s taken about 7 weeks to do that. I am not putting in 100% to do this since it is not my main job, it’s a side hustle for me. If I put in more time I’m sure I would have recouped all my costs by now and would be making a lot more money. Things have also slowed down this month in the loan signing world.
$99 in the long run is not a lot of money. It takes time to start a business and to be successful at it. Be patient and get your name out there … your real name!
Sorry to hear about your problem. Try not to get out of focus. Put it as part of a business expense. Here is my suggestion. If you want a mentor, there are a few really good mentors online. Mark Wills is really good. I have taken his courses and I have done pretty well. As far a pay per signing services, there are a lot of free services out there. Try Snap Docs for starters and as your business grows, I suggest going direct. Make sure your profile is complete and post a fair picture. After that, focus on getting direct business. It is easier than you think. Believe me, you get the same work but a much higher fee. No need to spend hundreds or thousands to get business. Your first goal is to get at least three $100 signings per day for 300 days. (that’s 300x300) per year! can you guess how much that is? :0) You can do it. Just stay focused. Get organized, write your goal, and letsssss goooooo. Let me know how I can help you.
FatMan, You’re going to get a lot of shallow advice such as go direct with Title Co.s, more advertising/networking, or the old standby ‘just work harder’. What you’re not being told is the vast majority of NSAs are work through Signing Services (more on this in a moment). Title Companies pay better but won’t talk to you until you’ve got completed several hundred (200-500) signings in your basket. This may mean several years of experience. I didn’t get my first Title Direct closing until I crossed over the 200 signings mark. I had to hustle to get there in a high demand environment. Most of the advice you’ll get from highly successful NSAs is coming from those who’ve been in the business for a long time Market conditions are changing.
As a side note, not every market is the same. What works in one region won’t work in others. For example some Refinance packages contain 75 pages. In Texas this grows to over 150. The largest VA Refi I’ve done was 280 pages. There is one lender I refuse to do business with as their fees don’t reflect the work needed to close monster sized packages.
Due to the pandemic and economic slow down there’s been an influx of NSAs looking for a source of income. In some places the market has been over saturated with notaries. Further aggravating the situation is the slow rise in interest rates, high real estate pricing, and lack of available housing inventory. The NSA trainers pitching a 6 figure income also aren’t helping. My research shows these 6 figure incomes are as common as frog fur. The supply/demand equation has driven down fees for signings.
Signing Services are a good option to start with. I’ve got over 140 Signing Services, some of whom are no longer in business or have merged with others. Of those 140, I get assignments from about 20 (14%) and regular assignments from about 6 (4.3%).
One of the drawbacks with some SS if something turns sour you may not be getting further signings from them. If you inquire as to why they went radio silent, they may not say anything to as to why.
Since I have to compete with my notary collogues, I have to be careful how much I disclose publicly. This is in part to remain competitive and protect the privacy of my signing services. I offer broad advice on technical matters such as printers, internet connectivity, information security, paper, Notary safety, etc… I’m reluctant to offer much in the way of business operations and marketing to those within my specific market. Out side my market I’m more open to advice. Keep in mind since I have to be mindful of my competition, I’m reluctant to share my secrets on how I connected with Title Companies.
You can find more than several websites forums, FB pages, etc., that will review Signing Services. This will help you filter out some of the less desirable operators. Fortunate these are few and far between and often don’t stay in business for long.
The best advice I can recommend is to know your cost of doing business. Your time is valuable. Avoid taking low ball fees as this hurts all of us.
Consider expanding to General Notary Work or something else to supplement your income. Remember this business is solely dependent on the Real Estate. A hot market today can disappear in a whiff.
Keep in mind I’m not an expert as I still learn something with each signing.
Good Luck.
I say start by signing up for more than 10 signing services, there’s more than 100 out there that’s nationwide.
To TheFatMan, I have received some work from clients that said they found me on NotaryRotary, granted not many, but some is better than none. Keep your listing for exposure plus a good place to get some supplies.
exeternotary gave some very good advice.
It takes time to get established, hang in there and good luck