Another Notary worked for Snapdocs and had an emotional reaction after the fact. She got one of those low-ball assignments, took it, and then complained she felt like she was being used. If you don’t like working for below market rates, nobody is putting a gun to your head! This new signer was concerned about wear and tear on her car, ink, paper, gas, etc. The bottom line here is that anyone who uses you is using you no matter the price. You sell your services for money. The question is, do you know the value of your time and do you know the itemization of your expenses for various types of jobs?
There is no set value on your time, so you have to create your own value. If you don’t know your value, how will you accept or reject jobs. For newbies, the value of getting work under your belt is much more than the value of your dignity. An inexperienced Notary in my book is not worth much. If you have less than 1000 signings and no certifications, I personally wouldn’t use you for anything. If you have 5000 signings and three certifications, then you become valuable as long as you have a good track record.
SIGNING CO: Would you do this modification for $100?
NOTARY: I will not – I have morals
SIGNING CO: How about $1,000,000?
NOTARY: Well, okay…
SIGNING CO: How about $150
NOTARY: What kind of Notary do you think I am?
SIGNING CO: We’ve already determined that, we’re just haggling over the price.
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I use Snapdocs and always get what I am worth. You can decline and use pay is too low as the reason. Stand firm and you will get paid what you’re worth! Some companies won’t budge and I politely tell them to catch me on the next one.
Comment by Lisa — November 26, 2016 @ 7:29 pm
Let’s be honest… One of the selling points of Snap Docs is that companies can reduce their costs, by paying lower fees. Companies will pay for good notaries you say? No, they won’t! They use new, inexperienced, questionable notaries, and then they require fax backs. This way they pay a lot less in fees, insure that the docs are correct before they go back to escrow, and turn a blind eye to the unnecessary extra work this creates for those of use with experience. Set your own standards you say! Standards are a fine, noble thing to have, but the reality is, if your standards exceed the fee they want to pay, you don’t work. I tried standing by my “standard rate of pay”, and had to borrow money the next month for rent. I have chosen to sell out my standards, and although I’m working more days and longer hours, I can pay my bills.
Comment by Bryce — December 15, 2016 @ 4:31 am
For the most part I quit doing signings for banks and title companies and low paying third parties. I tell them there is a newbie out there somewhere that will print hundreds of pages twice and drive for hours to sit and go page by page painstakingly slow trying not to miss anything for another hour per hundred pages and get paid a whopping $50-75. I don’t start my car for less than $100. Callers complain that they are having troubles finding a notary for a signing. Too bad I say, they will quit having problems when they begin to pay a reasonable fee for our time and expenses. If you disagree, you may have all the $50 assignments and I will gladly even give the caller your phone number.
Comment by Wayne — December 15, 2016 @ 4:45 am
You can only get used if you let people do it.
Comment by Dan Serbin — December 15, 2016 @ 5:32 am
If all notaries keep their standard for payment up, the companies wanting our services for nothing won’t find them and we all get paid what we are worth I say, don’t accept low ball offers. I certainly don’t.
Comment by Linda Turner — December 15, 2016 @ 5:46 am
The companies are still paying snapdocs there fee. SnapDocs just lowballs us that way they can make more money off us. We are the ones doing all the work. We have a new notary in my area and he is young and lowballing to get his foot in the door. He is offering to drive to the clients for 5 dollars a stamp. People like this are hurting the industry. Then snapdocs comes in and lowball their fees and he takes those as well. If everyone would just quit doing signings for them we could make it better for all of us. SnapDocs called me the other day and wanted me to serve a subpoena in a town that is almost 80 miles one way for me. They offered me 41 dollars to do it. I just laughed and the girl asked me what I would do it for I just told her that they would not pay me what I wanted. She said she could come up to 50 anything over that and she would have to give it to someone else. I told her good luck and have a nice day. I got a text from them today on a reverse mortgage for 60 dollars. Then about 10 minutes later I got the same one from them for 55 dollars. I wish eveyone would just quit using them.
Comment by Lyle Rose — December 15, 2016 @ 6:05 am
You need to know how to deal with snapdocss. I never take the offer as first put out there. I wait to see if it shows up again and then I either accept it or more likely I call the company directly and negoatiate a “real fee” with them. I get my standard fee about 70% of the time.
Some companies using snapdocs have a nasty habit of posing, getting an acceptance and then reposting ar a lower fee. It should be up to snapdocs to ethically not accept the posting once it has been accepted. Lots of luck in expecting ethics from them. I also understand that they now rate notaries.
Great idea but they need to get notaries side before they finalize the rating. Lots of luck there as well.
Comment by Morrie Shoob — December 15, 2016 @ 11:31 am
Snapdocs does not set the fees! SnapDocs is a system that enables companies to become organized and, in the process, locate notaries to do their bidding. I do not advocate SnapDocs at all but please understand that it is the SIGNING COMPANY that pays to be on SnapDocs that is pulling the strings.
It should be important to note that if anyone has any proof that SnapDocs is sharing pricing information between companies, you should report it to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission). The action of sharing fees at any level, notary or signing company, is call PRICE FIXING and is illegal.
Comment by John Axt — December 15, 2016 @ 11:41 am
Personally I will not use SNAPDOCS I value my work ethic and integrity. I have been in this business for 30 years and have seen nearly every type of situation you can run into in this industry. Experience counts if you value your client.
This is a low ball portal and they get away with it with. Yes, great for newbie’s but also with Notaries that don’t know what it really cost to do business.
I have a notary in my area that will drive all over for these prices and quote companies $5.00 under the going rate to get the jobs.
He must get his gas for nothing, doesn’t consider wear and tear on the vehicle (tires, oil change and general maintenance cost). Does not consider cost of paper, toner, maintaining his office equipment, computer security costs, time printing, time on his own quality control, scan back of documents and packaging his finished product now we have to get in the vehicle again and drop the package. What about the cost of advertising, certifications and background checks every year. Now with that to consider does anyone think about your tax obligations that will also be taken of each fee you accept. Yes, state and federal taxes, sent employment tax and tax preparation.
I hope that this will show newbie’s as well as notaries that are bringing down the real value of what we do out there by showing what to consider for actual cost of doing business.
Bottom line, consider your your own value before running around for what will end up being less that minimum wage.
Comment by Iris — December 15, 2016 @ 1:04 pm
I don’t take lowball fees. I have not had problems with snapdocs, I have taken assignments and then asked for increased fee, no problem sometimes , sometimes they increase and sometimes not, I don’t take it.
Comment by Llona — December 15, 2016 @ 1:09 pm
I cancelled my SnapDocs account because all the low-ball notifications were an increasing annoyance. You can’t work for those fees . .. newbies will until they wise up, good for them. Bottom line is working for any signing agency, middleman, is going to involve lower fees. If you want to make a living there has to be a balance with the work you do for signing agencies and what you do for title cos. directly. I’m at 80/20 title co.s/agency and quite frankly the only reason I with with the few agencies I do is because I cut my teeth with them and feel bad about cutting them off however even with them there;’s a minimum rate. If you can’t charge enough to make a decent living, find another job. Taking low-ball fees from SnapDocs is not the answer.
Comment by Mark — December 15, 2016 @ 2:27 pm
I won’t take any signing less than $125 without e-docs
Comment by Michael R — December 15, 2016 @ 2:34 pm
Snap docs isn’t the company you deal with, it’s the signing companies like Coast to Coast who you deal with, they set the fees and they are very negotiable. I have done quite a few for them and quite happy.
Comment by Gary Sinay — December 15, 2016 @ 4:14 pm
Some people here have it correct. You do NOT “work” for SnapDocs. Snapdocs is a computer program that signing companies use to broadcast signing offers (usually idiotic) to notaries to see if they will perform a signing for $X. Once in a while, I will get an honest offer, but more than likely not, I see offers of $50 for a signing. Like it says in the intro, no one is holding a gun to your head to take money-losing assignments.
Comment by Ralph Wedertz — December 15, 2016 @ 5:00 pm
I don’t have a problem with snapdocs. I actually like the system to keep the process organized and uniform. If the fee is too low, I don’t accept the job.
Comment by Richard Martin — December 16, 2016 @ 1:46 am
Snapdocs is a portal, a program that is the best free program ever for keeping your signings, costs and earnings organized. I have been in the business for 12 years, and I have no problem negotiating my fees with the agencies that use snap docs.
Comment by Angela — January 12, 2017 @ 4:45 pm
I love Snap Docs for exactly what it is – a delivery system. All the information is there in one spot and the notifications are great to keep everyone in the loop. If anything changes, or docs are uploaded, you are immediately notified. Again, I love that.
Comment by Don Schultz — January 13, 2017 @ 5:48 pm
I often get assignmarnts from SNAPDOCS and they are always offering a ridiculous fee. I decline and tell them what my fee is. It’s reasonable. But I seldom get a call back. I figure they found someone to do it for $70.
Comment by Laurie D. — January 14, 2017 @ 1:29 pm
SnapDocs is only a forum for touching base with a number of people at the same time. It is the signing services who are being disrespectful enough to post jobs for such tiny fees. Unfortunately, as long as people will accept them and not question the SS, the fees will never increase. If I see one come across that I have availability for, I mark pay is too low and counter offer. About 25% of them come back and I get the job. Sometimes it is worth it for the minimal effort.
Comment by Victoria Stedman — January 14, 2017 @ 2:52 pm
I don’t like the fact that snapdoc uses such companies that lowball the notaries. We can turn down the signing that are offered to us but we can also make more money by working directly with the Title Company or the Attorneys.
Much thoughts,
RKelly
Comment by Ruby Kelly — December 18, 2018 @ 7:27 pm
Do most company do email blast to multiple signing agent are thee company that will contact a signing agent direct?
if they only do email blast how is it possible to really get business/
Comment by Louise Taylor — March 9, 2020 @ 6:16 pm
I’VE HAD SOME luck from snap docs but typically the assignment is filled so fast that I miss most.
there also have been lo ball fees offered which i either negotiate of skip.
I also laugh at the last minute people who call me and expect me to get dressed again at 8PM to go out for a job when I still have to get the docs ,print and check them.They have no clue who the client is and how far the signing is from me.
I’ve turned those down all the time.
Comment by Francis A Colavita — March 9, 2020 @ 6:41 pm
Folks understand one thing these signing companies are the preferred“go to people that banks and some companies use. They pay them about $250 a job ( which inch a finder fee) And they pay you $70. Total fee for being a stooge or lackey. Wake up just say no!
Comment by Dan — March 10, 2020 @ 2:14 am
Folks understand one thing these signing companies are the preferred“go to people that banks and some companies use. They pay them about $250 a job ( which includes ha finder fee) And they pay you $70. Total fee for being a stooge or lackey. Wake up just say no!
Comment by Dan — March 10, 2020 @ 2:16 am