Review System, Complaints and Misconduct

Complaints policy for the notary review pages.

123notary.com reserves the right to publish a positive or negative review from a browser.  By agreeing to be listed with us, you agree to the fact that there is a small chance that a negative review could be posted on your profile after it has been screened by us. We screen all reviews and discard slanderous or illegitimate sounding complaints for the safety of the notary. 

Each complaint case is handled on an individual basis.

1. If there is a serious complaint against the notary, we will most likely remove the listing. 
2. If the complaint looks questionable, we will hear both sides of the story before deciding what to do. 
3. For certain types of reviews, we will offer the notary the right to publish a rebuttal so the browser can read both sides of the story.
4. Some complaints are kept in our private files.

Here is how we often handle these specific types of situations.  Once again, each case is handled individually and there is no guarantee how we will handle any particular case.

Intentional trouble making.
If a notary is intentionally making trouble or willfully engaging in behavior that is completely unacceptable, such a notary would most likely be removed from 123notary upon receipt of the first complaint against them. Doc-jacking, harrassment, threats, and other troublemaking falls into this category. We get only two or three complaints in this category per year.

Neglegence
If a notary causes a problem due to their neglegence, we will remove the notary on their first or second offense. "No Show No Call" is one of the most serious neglegent acts. Failing to return phone calls and emails is another unacceptable form of neglegence.

Mistakes
If a notary makes some serious clerical mistakes notarizing loan documents, we would remove such a notary on their first or second offense. If a notary is willing to quickly go back and fix their mistakes, such cases will be seen in a much more positive light.

Emergencies
We would pardon a notary from a review in the case of a documented emergency. However, many notaries use emergencies as excuses to do last minute cancellations and "No Show No Calls". They might be exaggerating a real emergency, or making up an emergency. Without documentation, there is no way to verify what they are saying. An undocumented emergency will be treated as an act of neglegence, so, notaries should consider providing us a scanned document of some sort that proves that their story is correct if they want to be pardoned from a complaint.

Last minute cancellations
For this type of complaint, we will often publish the complaint as well as the notary's rebuttal, so the browser can read both sides of the story.

Rudeness
Our past investigations of complaints about rudeness often show that notaries are rude when the client becomes pushy with them. However, notaries should remain polite at all times no matter what. We will most likely publish both the complaint and the notary's rebuttal, so the browser can see both sides of the story.

There are only 35 negative reviews.
As of 1-01-2011, which is almost two years after its inception on March 2009, there are less than three dozen published negative reviews, and over three hundred positive reviews.  Negligibly few notaries have a negative review, and a conscientious notary has less than a 1/4 percent chance (estimate) of ever getting a negative review.  Honest, polite, and careful notaries have little to worry about with this review system.

We believe that our review system helps to benefit the entire notary community as a whole by making it easier for signing and title companies to have faith that 123notary either delivers quality notaries, or at least will make it possible to identify notaries who have a track record of complaints.  This benefits not only the signing and title companies, but also the good notaries who have no complaints on file.  By virtue of the fact that we have such a review system, the increased faith in our information will result in more business for the good notaries, so its a win-win situation for all parties (other than for those who are offenders).

Refunds Due to Dismissal for Misconduct.

Every year, 123notary removes a handful of notaries due to misconduct, complaints, failure to confirm their listing, or an omission of critical information such as a phone number.  We reserve the right to remove listings under these types of situations without offering any type of prorated refund, unless the prorated amount owed is in excess of $60.

The Right to Refuse Service

123notary reserves the right to remove any paid or unpaid listing for an individual who engages in any type of misconduct that results in a complaint, threatening behavior towards 123notary.com or another party, antagonistic behavior, failure to adequately maintain their listing according to our posted standards, or slander of any type towards 123notary.com on any medium.

Slander - We reserve the right to refuse service to any notary who slanders us on any notary forum, or other medium.  We regard it as okay to post an opinion about what you like or dislike about our company if done in a polite manner.  However, hostile opinions, accusations, insults, and other antagonistic opinions that are publically broadcasted are grounds for dismissal from our directory, and our various social networks. 

Abetting Slander - We reserve the right to remove any listing of any notary who abets a slanderer in any way, or shows any intent on harming our business in any way, subtle or non-subtle.  Posting a reply to a slanderous post on any medium -- regardless of the content of the reply -- is considered abetting a slanderer and is grounds for dismissal.

Sabotage is grounds for dismissal on 123notary.  Any notary who attempts to harm our business in any way is guilty of sabotage.  Refering clients who found them on 123notary.com to another competitor is considered a mild form of sabotaging or undermining our business, and is grounds for dismissal.

Last minute cancellations

What is Allowed and What is Not Allowed.

Backing out of a loan must not happen within 24 hours of the loan unless:
(1) The client asks you to do something which you can prove is illegal
(2) You have medical or family emergency, or physically are prevented from going to the signing - in which case a courtesy phone call would be required to avoid having a complaint published.

Invalid reasons to back out
(1) The notary feels uncomfortable with the type of loan or the lender
(2) The notary doesn't feel comfortable with the terms of the loan - unless they can prove that the paperwork is fraudulent.

Complaints policy for the notary review pages.

Backing out of a loan must not happen within 24 hours of the loan unless:
(1) The client asks you to do something which you can prove is illegal
(2) You have medical or family emergency, or physically are prevented from going to the signing - in which case a courtesy phone call would be required to avoid having a complaint published.

Invalid reasons to back out
(1) The notary feels uncomfortable with the type of loan or the lender
(2) The notary doesn't feel comfortable with the terms of the loan - unless they can prove that the paperwork is fraudulent.

Loan Modifications
If you are asked to do a loan modification, please decide certain things ahead of time.   You may be asked to represent yourself as an employee of their company. Ask your attorney before misrepresenting yourself as it might be a liability. The terms of the loan may seem odd to you too.  Please decide ahead of time how you wish to represent yourself and do not back out of an assignment unless you are asked to break the law in any way otherwise you could have a complaint posted on your file.

Referring Loans

123notary.com forbids notaries to make any statement to borrowers during a signing that relates to comparing their loan to another lender's loan, or referring the borrowers to a lender for any reason.  If we get a complaint from a lender that a notary has practiced "referring" of a loan, we reserve the right to disable or delete that notary's listing and we will send an email to the notary notifying them of why their listing was disabled or deleted.

Notary Sabotage

123notary.com forbids notaries to steal or fail to return any required part of the loan package for any reason. Borrower copies stay with the borrower and the other copies must be sent back to the lender unless lender request otherwise. Holding documents or taking a bank check from the documents for an unreasonable amount of time can result in the notary's listing being disabled or deleted if we get a written complaint from the lender. If the notary sabotages a loan signing in any way for any reason and we get written complaint from the lender, we reserve the right to disable or delete the notary's listing.  We will give written notice by email as to why the notary's listing was disabled or deleted.