Frequently, I get questions about Snap Doc’s. Many ask, who are they? What do they do? How much do they pay? How do I sign up? How did I get into their data base, I never signed up? and so on.
For the most part quite a few notaries think they are a signing service and that they hire notaries. This is not the case. SnapDocs is a platform. It is a website designed for ‘signing services’ to use to streamline the notary hiring process. Snap Docs relies on signing services to signup and pay to use their database of notaries. Word is that fees for the signing companies range between 8 and 15 dollars. If you are a notary you can signup for free and upload your credentials which are verified by Snap Docs for authenticity. Once this process is complete your profile is viewable by hiring parties when they have a signing in your area. Sounds good, but in my opinion, there is several problems with this platform. Many of the signing services that use the site have some of the worst reputations in the industry regarding fees being offered for signings and receipt of payment takes a very long time (if they even pay you and Snap Doc’s will not help you collect if they don’t). It also seems the signing services are passing the cost off to the notaries because the fees offered are at an all time low. There is another concern. When a job is offered, it is offered to several folks via text usually all at one time and the text has very little detail regarding the signing. So you may not know what you are getting yourself into. Also, most notaries don’t like job request via text because if they are driving it is inconvenient and dangerous. I personally consider these ‘cattle calls’. Most of these companies are looking for the cheapest notaries and because they text many notaries at one time, whomever accepts the low fee first gets the job. It may be convenient for them but it is really inconvenient for us notaries in so many ways. Gone are the days when folks want experience. Its about how low can you go.
Another concern voiced by many notaries is that they never signed up but don’t know how they got on the sites database. Some have suggested that Snap Doc’s has gone onto sites like 123notary.com, notary rotary, and others and added notaries without their knowledge or permission. Another complaint (and a serious one in my opinion) is that they have a secret review system for the signing companies to be able to rate notaries without the notaries ability to view the comments or rating about them. In other words it is ‘for signing services eyes only’. I’ve been told that its uses a ‘thumbs up or thumbs down’ rating system for notaries that translates into a percentage. The worst part is, you don’t have any way to defend yourself from any negative feedback; truthful or not. I guess we weren’t even supposed to know that the review system even existed. I guess they didn’t realize that the signing services, many being notaries themselves would let the ‘cat out of the bag’ and let us know that the services had this ability to rate us. Many notaries have expressed anger and disbelief that this was not disclosed. And several have been asked to be removed. I personally think that this may be illegal. Some of you that are attorneys or have legal aid might want to weigh in on this.
I had personally signed myself up awhile back to see if it generated any decent work but the annoying texts with the low ball fees drove me crazy. For example; 60.00 for edocs docs and faxbacks, seemed to be the norm. These fees are insulting to say the least. So I asked Sap Doc’s to delete my account immediately and they did. I made the decision to stop working with anybody that doesn’t value my level of experience. I primarily only accept jobs from reputable companies, especially title and escrow. And just so you know, they STILL do call and use notary signing agents. I am living proof!
I’d love to here your experience with Snap Doc’s. Leave them in the comments section!
Your reputation for skill and accuracy indeed had been taken into consideration. SIXTY dollars! For me they would most often “crackle and pop” out a miserly 15$ offer. But, one must take into consideration that the 15$ was for Redoing a Mortgage or Deed document that one of their clueless had butchered. I was never offered what they consider the big bucks! Well, never is not totally fair, there were a few that were close to your offers. However, those for the BIG BUCKS (to them over 25$) – were distant, really distant – the kind that required a full tank of gas to complete the round trip.
I felt like I was dancing under the Limbo Stick, seeing how low I could go while bending over backwards. You covered all the “low points” – perhaps the worst aspects to me are the lack of information and the “need for speed” in accepting. Some dumb notary is going to fiddle with their phone while driving and the results will be tragic.
This is all so silly. General Notary Work is MUCH more profitable, and the work is easier – tends to be located close to the notary – and payment is instant. Lazy head (I’m being polite and not using the 3 letter word starting with A) notaries seem to prefer a “simpleton sign up” to doing the legwork of marketing. It’s just sooooooooo much effort to distribute a business card.
Tier One agents, such as yourself m’lady tend to get the seven figure (before the decimal) transactions. Those who are willing to accept a “pig from the poke”, paying hogwash (initially) will offer you (for the redo) a regal fee. Why? Because they don’t want to subject their oft neglected client to additional mistakes and omissions.
Frankly, “batting cleanup” is a great place to be. The Victim, be it Sleazy Signing Service, Title, Escrow or LO – looks to the reputable sites for Mr. and Ms. “fix up” – and pays well. Cream rises to the top, mud settles to the bottom.
Comment by Kenneth Edelstein — May 6, 2017 @ 12:51 pm
Most of the offers I get from them and Notary GO are for $60.00 and are usually nearly an hour one way.
Comment by Linda Marie Mercer — July 7, 2017 @ 1:11 am
They have begun to raise initial offers. If I get a text offer and its too low, I give them a counter-offer if I want the job. Sometimes I don’t bother. As 1 of only 4 notaries covering a 4-county region (two of whom also work a 9-5 job), I usually get a follow-up email and/or a call. I’ve been getting quite a lot of work through them lately. As long as I get paid a decent fee, it doesn’t matter what platform the work comes from. The SSs are the same on or off SnapDocs, and those on my “never again list” I just ignore.
Comment by Judith Korff — July 7, 2017 @ 1:55 am
Thank you for writing this. I personally stop opening the text from snapdocs. I have raced several times to get the signing only to find out it was for a VA signing twenty five miles away or something similar. My other problem is I was burnt twice by the same company that was going by two different names and out of my seventeen years as a Notary and ten of that being a closer, I had never been burnt…Snapdoc did nothing to help me get paid.
Last but not least, I once accepted a signing from a company, only to find out that they take almost sixty days to pay and owed me at the time and to top it off, the fee was low and this was a RV mortgage in a rural area so I called the company directly and cancelled. I believe that was given a Thumb downs rating because of this incident. I never had a chance to defend myself.
I will be contacting Snappy and requesting they remove my profile.
I’m a professional Notary with the expertise to back it up, I’ve have hundreds of satisfied customers.
I guess I didn’t give much thought to the fact that snapdoc could be giving me a negative rating. I DO NOT USE SNAPDOCS!!
“The shining light at the end of the tunnel”
Thanks Carmen
Comment by Dorothy Watson — July 7, 2017 @ 11:56 am
I’ve been on SnapDocs for years and have only had one bad experience….my average fee offer is around $100 because many of the companies I work with use the platform and respect my experience. I negotiate my fees higher as the job requires and walk away from the ones that don’t pay. I also use their vendor pay and I get paid within 45 days. I don’t know why there has to be so much negativity about this…it is frankly getting tiring. I pay a sizable fee to be listed on 123Notary and have been for some time and I respect what you do. If you don’t like SnapDocs then come up with a system that works better and take away their business but please can the bashing end?
Comment by Lisa M Hanenkratt — July 7, 2017 @ 2:56 pm
Snap Docs has been amazing for me. Not only do I receive closing from there system, but I’m able to enter vendor information for companies not used in Snap Docs. Since using SnapDocs fully this year, I am able to track mileage, expenses and mark off clients who’ve paid me, in addition to monthly reports on how much money I’ve made on a monthly basis ALL FOR NO FEE.
When 2017 tax time comes I will be fully ready to submit my excel spreadsheets Snadocs generates for me to my accountant.
BEST PROGRAM EVER
Comment by Kyle Screen — November 10, 2017 @ 10:10 pm
I am signed up with Snap Docs, but there hasn’t been much activity in my area lately from them. I have seen low rates as well, but I have countered a few times with what I want for the fee, and sometimes that works…I just get pretty insulted with ANYONE offering $60 to do a refi with fax-backs. I have been doing this for 14 years now, and I pick and choose the signings I want to take, and tend to stick to the Title Companies and Signing Companies that I can count on to pay me quickly, and don’t babysit the whole transaction.
Comment by Ruth Simons — April 17, 2018 @ 4:05 am
I love snapdocs for the same reasons stated by Kyle. Who and what platform we choose to use is a personal choice. There’s no need for negative descriptions – name calling of those of us who choose to use snapdocs. It us a personal, business choice. If you don’t want to use it, simply don’t.
Comment by Elizabeth Head — May 19, 2018 @ 8:42 am
I get multiple texts a day from all over my state which is huge and most of them are for people signing up to make payments so they don’t lose their house. the pay offered is $30. sometimes i get legitimate calls to refinance and the pay is decent. I ignore the texts but if they contact me specifically, it’s usually a title company. I can see I have been given a high rating but the daily onslught of debit consolidation drives me crazy. who would drive 5 hours for $30. i’ve told them that before. If you want to pay me hundreds of dollars, I might consider it…might.
Comment by Connie — July 18, 2019 @ 9:29 pm