Anybody getting calls or emails from these people? What is your opinion? Broker?
They say: "Its a 10% handling fee which again is only charged after the job has been completed" -and- "you don’t pay any fees until you get a job" along with "we are not looking for you to discount your fees. All we ask is that you provide quality service, at competitive rates, and update our system with the completed service details on our secure web site." Couldn't you do a job and add in the 10% on top, submit it and then still be at your original statement?
Here's the email:
Thank you for spending time with me on the phone today. I have sent you an email with some further information on it. It says welcome to our network but we will not be able to start referring jobs to you until you logged on and confirmed the areas you service and any pricing information. So if you are interested that would be the next step to take or you can feel free to call me back at any time and I can walk you through the process or answer any additional questions that you may have.
Just to give a little over view of the program:
· HomeServiceNet is looking for qualified service providers to handle service requests generated from lenders in our network.
· Its a 10% handling fee which again is only charged after the job has been completed
o you don’t pay any fees until you get a job
· An annual membership (processing) fee of only $1 this however does not need to be paid until we contact you with a job.
· we are not looking for you to discount your fees. All we ask is that you provide quality service, at competitive rates, and update our system with the completed service details on our secure web site.
· When a home buyer contacts HomeServiceNet our trained service professionals will answer all their questions, take their information including services needed, age and size of home, or lot size if needed, service appointment preferences and their credit card information. We will then contact you with the service request details. Once you accept the service request you will contact the client, finalize the appointment details, conduct the service, and provide the client with the service results. Your next step is to log back in to the HomeServiceNet vendor site and update the service details. We will close the job out, create an invoice, process the client’s credit card and within 14 days send you a check for the invoiced fee. Your credit card will be charged by HomeServiceNet for the appropriate handling fee of 10% as outlined in the Network Participation terms and conditions.
We do require pricing information prior to being able to refer jobs to you because of the RESPA regulations. These new RESPA regulations require the lenders to provide customers with accurate fees for services included in the Good Faith Estimate, including settlement and title services, inspections and surveys.
These prices can be broken down in to county’s, city’s or zip code, size of the property . When you log in you can set up your pricing information, or again you can feel free to call me back and I would be more then happy to get these set up for you. If you normally don’t have set pricing and you are comfortable you can give an average price that we can quote to the client. When we call you for the job with the detailed information on that job and it can not be done at this price then of course you would be able to decline it at that time.
If you have any questions you can feel free to call me back and speak to me or respond to this email.
Thank You,
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx
HomeServiceNet
Email: xxxxxxxxxxxx@homeservicenet.com
18VAC10-20-720. Solicitation of work or employment.
In the course of soliciting work or employment:
1. The regulant shall not give, solicit, or receive, either directly or indirectly, any gratuity, contribution, or unlawful consideration to influence the award of a contract by a public authority, or that may reasonably be construed as having the effect of intending to influence the awarding of such a contract. The regulant shall not offer or provide any gift or other valuable consideration in order to secure work. The regulant shall not pay a commission, percentage, or brokerage fee in order to secure work, except to a full-time employee or established commercial or marketing agency retained by them.
> 18VAC10-20-720. Solicitation of work or employment.
>
> In the course of soliciting work or employment:
>
> 1. The regulant shall not give, solicit, or receive, either directly or indirectly, any gratuity, contribution, or unlawful consideration to influence the award of a contract by a public authority, or that may reasonably be construed as having the effect of intending to influence the awarding of such a contract. The regulant shall not offer or provide any gift or other valuable consideration in order to secure work. The regulant shall not pay a commission, percentage, or brokerage fee in order to secure work, except to a full-time employee or established commercial or marketing agency retained by them.
I'm not debating heatedly here (really! I'm just asking a theoretical question.) I just want some opinions.
I ask this: part of the regs states: "The regulant shall not pay a commission, percentage, or brokerage fee in order to secure work, except to a full-time employee or established commercial or marketing agency retained by them."
What determines an established agency? And by paying a fee to them would I not be using them to market my services? I'm not sure exactly how they work, and I probably won't join their network... But, I'm also trying to learn a little too. And how would this be different than joining the Chamber of Commerce or Home Builders Association? Their fee schedule is just structured differently.
And again, I'm not shilling for these guys... I'm just trying to ask a few questions and learn.
Carl
I got a call from them a few months ago, I believe they're out of Colorado. I think if you pay them, or anyone 10% of your fee to secure the project, you are crossing the line.
Mike
Isn't the distinction one between paying somebody to advertise for you with a fee independent of results, versus paying per job obtained?
HomeServiceNet - BROKERS, et al.
Crossing what line?
I don't see that - I wish I did, however.
I hate brokers, despise them and I have complete contempt for them.
EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM.
BROKERS ARE ONE OF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE DOWNHILL SLIDE OF THE SURVEYING INDUSTRY. THE FACT HOWEVER REMAINS, THE BROKERS ARE IN BUSINESS AND THEY ARE MAKING MONEY OFF OF SURVEYORS BY PROSTITUTING THIS PROFESSION.
You can sit there and quote chapter and verse, you can say there is line that has been crossed or even rant and rave, BUT NOTHING has changed in the last 12 years years since these brokers have infiltrated this industry.
HomeServiceNet - BROKERS, et al.
I concur with you, 6th PM. 100%.
:bad: :-@ Brokers. :-@ :bad:
I appreciate everybody's input, I really do. I have not, and do not plan on becoming associated with these folks.
Thank you.
> I appreciate everybody's input, I really do. I have not, and do not plan on becoming associated with these folks.
>
Carl,
I agree and I believe that most all here speak the same.
The problem is that it is not hard at all to find a surveyor to do these surveys.
For everyone of us, there are 5 others standing in line for these brokers.
I signed up with them and have received at least 10 requests from them over the last year.
Yeah that is not a whole lot, but that is just in my area. They say land surveys are one of the most requested jobs that they have.
They are in fact contracted with the mortgage company's, something that they do with the Good Faith Estimate form but a good percentage of the requests were directly from the clients sometime after they have purchased the home.
The best thing is, there was never a fee! I have never once been charged a fee for anything. They contact me ask if im available for the job at the price I quoted. If I am then they arrange the scheduling, all I do is show up and email the documents when completed and they send me a check for the full amount that I had quoted.
All I had to ever do was quote my prices and I get jobs. I think its kind of a no brainer.
I'd stay away. We have a company around here called "Service Magic" that sounds about the same. Aftering talking to the guy on the phone, I was less interested than when he called. Let's just say, it didn't go well.
> I appreciate everybody's input, I really do. I have not, and do not plan on becoming associated with these folks.
>
> Thank you.
Good call brother.
I don't know who "Stan the Man" represents, but I could take a guess...
