Accepted an offer from Prestige Notaries for a local signing listed as a Purchase and Sale with scanbacks for $150 on Friday. Signed it with no issues, scan backed and dropped package, the docs were only for a sale (no purchase).
Today, Monday, they said it offered wrong and since it was only purchase they retroactively changing my fee to $115, no phone call, no negotiation.
I replied and ask them not to send me any more offers, since I will not be accepting them from them in the future.
This has never happened to me before and wonder it has happened to other notaries. This is certainly a company to avoid.
They certainly knew what it was/wasn’t when they sent the docs. They should have re-negotiated YOUR fee prior to the job being completed. They didn’t and it’s ‘bait & switch’ to arbitrarily lower fee after the fact.
Tho’ I am a bit confused: first you said it was a Purchase & Sale; then it was only a Sale; then it became a Purchase only. May or may not be a fair fee for a Sale–but even that depends upon other factors (pkg. size, distance driven, etc.). Regardless, they shouldn’t change agreed fee after the fact.
BREACH OF CONTRACT
Step one report to the BBB
Step two, get a hold of the CEO let them know they breached the contract, and if they don’t cure it immediately you’ll take action. Hammer them every day!
Report to title company, page 5 of CD if there is one. Seller’s package should have title info.
I never let companies get away with any ridiculous and trust me there’s been a few.
I’m so sorry this happened to you! I’ve had my fair share of unfair experiences. Definitely report them and try to go up the ladder and get your full fee as this is so wrong !
Joel, they made big mistake. And you know it was only a purchase before you printed the docs, why didn’t you question it with the signing company, they may of forget to give you the sale docs by mistake?
Buy $115 for a purchase is good money, $125 is better. $150 for both is not.
I would notify them that you are filing a complaint with the Attorney General with the state and ask the AG to investigate the fraudulent business practices. Watch the reaction! They will send you the correct fee in a New York minute.
The fee of $150 was based on a Purchase AND Sale. Since you didn’t do both, they adjusted the fee. The revised fee should have been made clear BEFORE the signing took place. Then again, we can’t expect a full fee if we haven’t performed the full assignment. Maybe next time, if there’s a change in the assignment, ask before you complete the signing.
So they paid $115 instead of $150. What are you going to do…sue them for the $35 difference? Of course not, and they know it. You won’t work for them anymore? They don’t care…there are plenty more where you came from. The bottom line is that you’re pretty much at the mercy of these signing companies. Most of them are (relatively speaking), honest and legit. Some aren’t and will try to take advantage of you at every turn. Over time, you will learn which ones to avoid.
You made the point of my post exactly! Thank you. We need to let everyone when we get taken advantage of by signing services, so others also don’t get the same treatment. Individually we don’t have much influence on their bad behavior but together we help the good ones succeed and the other ones to move on when we refuse their offers.
unfortunately the BBB changed their policy and has questions you have to answer before submitting a complaint. One of those is whether or not you’re a business trying to collect money from them or if you are an employee (which would be a stretch, but I’d still try). Those two plus several others preclude you from filing a report. It seems that only a title company or borrower would be eligible to file a complaint under BBB in this situation. I also tried the secretary of state of WA about six weeks ago and they have a voluntary program where if the company doesn’t answer their request they just close the case. which is what ended up happening. We need protection, this is ridiculous that we would have to go to all the trouble of small claims court when they know we can’t take the time/energy/money to do for under $200.
Oh and also there were only two reviews on BBB, which tells me they take them down once they know they are a notary customer. They were both negative and left in the last couple of months. It seems like I was allowed to leave my review, but it did say they would only show my full name to the company and not the public in order for them to verify I’m a customer. So all a business has to do is say they aren’t a customer and the review is taken down? If so, I will no longer trust a good BBB score after this because now I know they are looking out for businesses more than consumers.
I do expect to be paid $115 EVENTUALLY, not the $150 that was the agreed before the signing. Which brings up the other issue with Prestige Notaries, is that they pay VERY late. I just got paid today, 3/2/2024 for a signing that I performed in December, 2023 and I had to remind them to pay me. I will not be accepting any more assignments from them.
Years ago, Carmen from 123 notary told all of the Sr. signers do not under any circumstances take any orders from a notary signing service. Only work with title companies or mortgage companies that are reputable. You are setting yourself up to be cheated and abused by some, if not a large majority of these notary signing services. They either will cheat you out of your fee or refuse to pay you or you will have to go to the attorney general in your state to get paid. I don’t take any notary signing service assignments whatsoever.
The police department in the district of Columbia told me that when people do not pay a professional licensed by the state or the government for professional services rendered that is theft of professional services, and people need to file a criminal complaint of the person who is doing the abuse and theft. I would tell the notary service that you’re filing a complaint with the state of wherever, and with the local police asking the police to investigate the theft. Furthermore, I bring it to the attention of the attorney general as theft to professional services by a licensed company in the state where you reside, go after their license you must go after their license
