One was through Signature Closers after doing a ton of their closings, and two more from my NNA profile. All great payers between $100 - $150. Also another signing service who pays average $100 per signing found my profile and me up.
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I Love It!
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make sure that is acceptable in your state’s allowable fee structure
You may still have the headache, but at least you’ll be getting compensated more for it 
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WOW Newbs are you paying attention? Aricther and other seasoned pro’s have been telling this OVER & Over. She LOST $3,500 doing the $85 jobs. It’s time WE ALL WAKE UP.
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Here’s the problem. As a relative “Newbie” compared to the veterans on this blog, we are constantly given mixed messages. We’re told “don’t turn down the $75/$85 jobs when you’re just starting out to get the experience.” Or “newbies don’t have the experience to demand $100+ jobs right out the gate. Take whatever you can get and be thankful.” However, other schools of thought is that Newbies devalue the rest of you and its like “a race to the bottom” (Arichter) when we accept low-balled offers;" which is sound advice. What’s the middle ground here? How do we build reputation, work toward zero error signings, and make money at the same time? No-one else is going to hire us other than Signing Services with a reputation of partnering with low-ballers. SO, when we finally GET IT after working for free, we join Arichter’s teaching. You vets are in a position to sit back and watch us crash. We just want to win too. I’m not going away anytime soon, so this is why I know enough to be dangerous after playing the game for 6 months. I now know what I will not accept, even if it means Signing Services drop me because I will no longer take absurd offers anymore. What’s even WORSE is that many owners of SSs did this job, but is more than willing to throw us under the bus.
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I ‘think’ (no facts to prove my theory) that when you first start out, you do register in SS brain as “oh, a new one…we’ll let some other co. take the risk and go with someone we know” OR some might jump all over you with lowball offers–just to see if you’ll take it, but still go with their known notary. After a while, they ‘know they’ve seen that name before’ and/or their ‘preferred’ notary is unavailable, so…they give you a chance. And if you do well and are the cheapest in town, you’ll see more of same–until you wise up. I also ‘think’ that accepting lowball offers marks you as a newb. Which is why I say do NOT put yourself in anybody’s bargain bin. And, please, do your homework so you don’t finally wake up and realize you’ve been working for free (& now will have a really hard time increasing your fee with all those who’ve been taking advantage of you in the past.)
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Your instincts are spot on. That’s exactly how it happened. My “Mentor” didn’t tell me any of that. She just gave me a list of signing services and said “Good Luck!” I’ve since become mentors to two new Notaries, and I keep track of their progress and tell them everything I’ve learned, all the way through that FEDEX account and free supplies list. A good engaged Mentor is critical!
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“I now know what I will not accept, even if it means Signing Services drop me because I will no longer take absurd offers anymore.”
Now you’ve got it. However, IF newbs would put some work into this BEFORE they start clicking, yes, no, maybe, by actually figuring out how many miles/drive time to EVERY zip code they intend to cover and figure out their actual out-of-pocket costs, 2 things would happen: 1. They’d start showing a profit from day 1. 2. Nobody would ever accept $75/85/90 for the average refi. $100 is barely cutting it these days. Oh, and they most likely won’t drop you, but it’ll take their reptile brains a while to register that you’re not a newb (even if you are, but you’ve done your homework) and you’re too experienced to fall for the lowball offers.
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I believe I’ve been removed or put in the bottom list of some SSs because I respond back with higher fee, my offer, not theirs… if they offer $75, I counter offer with $150-200, depends on distance. Maybe I have lost their business, but I have gained others who have found me here, Notary Cafe, and just go straight saying: “your fee is $175, can you accept this signing?”… no back and forth bargain. My expenses is the same as any experienced NSA, and I’m supposed to return signed documents error free, same as any experienced NSA.
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Thank you. This is great advice.
Thank you SO much! You are one of the veterans whose wisdom I appreciate.
I really doubt you’ve been removed, BluePenNotary, you’re just not the newb-who-works-for-peanuts.
As I’ve said way too often, when you put yourself in the bargain bin, it’s hard to get out. But that doesn’t mean you stop trying. Get 'em used to seeing reasonable fees which is also the mark of experience.
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As I have “lost” those “clients” same way I’ve been making new ones who are willing to pay more fairly… and I don’t miss those low ballers.
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Good for you! I too had learn that not ALL money is Good Money! Good job for sticking to your guns!
I would love your reputable free signing service list, any tips, etc. My notary email is hservplus@gmail.com thank you for information you can share with me…..
The list you’re referring to was compiled over 5 years ago. I would take any information that it gives you with a grain of salt. The “good” companies then may have turned bad by now, and the “bad” companies then are either still bad or out of business. In other words, I would try to get a more up-to-date list somewhere, if one exists. I’m not sure that anyone really keeps track of these things the way that they used to.
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