I do not understand the reasoning behind not charging a service fee for copies and only charging what is charged at the source.

Every search I do that needs copies beyond the current deed is always more time consuming for me never mind the fact I have to put up my funds to retrieve the copies and wait to get paid for them. I am not bank.  

Why are there searchers out there giving copies away for cost. I am very perplexed on this issue it seems to me if you are operating a business the goal is to make money. The time involved in gathering the copies and bringing them back to your office and scanning and setting them up never mind the fronting of funds to do so. And then you do not make anything on this service. If you walk into a County and ask for a copy of a document do they get it for you for free? No they do not. The Counties I work in charge a fee to them for the service $1.00 to $2.00 per page. And online documents cost $ also. They can get the copies themselves as we do for what we pay, but to ask someone in the county to retrieve it for you they are going to charge for the service.

I spent anywhere from 1000 to 2000 a month on copies and on line services, That is a lot of time to gather the documents put them together and send them off and not to make a anything for the service is ludicrous. If you are giving it away you shouldn't be in business your just hurting those that are actually running a business for profit.

I know times are tuff for our business right now between the economy and out sourcing we are hurting but giving our work away is not going to help.