I have to agree with Robert that some companies that people have sworn are wonderful companies have not been in my case either.  I don't necessarily think it is a "fit" or "not a fit" with the company as a whole.  One might consider their company a "good company" from what they personally know but a lot of things go on in big companies that individual employees are not aware of - including the vendor managers, etc.  One cannot really say whether or not there has been a payment problem - even if they pay every two weeks - if you get $100.00 and your invoices totalled $4,000 and got paid another $100.00 the next two weeks and the total now totals $5,000 you couldn't really say a company would be a good paying company.  However, you should never assume that the company is now a problem company.  It could be the only time it happens.  You shouldn't assume that the company just didn't want to pay you.  I guess I'm using this as an example because this really happened to me - but a few phone calls to a few people without malice or disgust - just an inquiry as to what could possibly be going on - how can we solve this makes a big difference.  I actually sent a report a few days before payments every two weeks after this with a list of invoices that should be in the accts payable dept and if they were not a request was made from this department via a phone call for those that were possibly on someone's desk or elsewhere.  As far as employees, I have dealt with employees of various companies that do not understand anything but the simplest search.  As far as faxes received and orders having to be refaxed - we had a terrible time with that when things were so busy in our state in the 2002-2003 years with so many home equity loans and refi's - sometimes to the point alot of us thought the companies' clients were screaming for orders that they didn't receive yet and it was easier to ask us to refax them.  We were irritated - it took quite a bit of time to refind and resend these doc retrieval orders that we do for such a low fee and with some companies without 800 numbers.  There was actually talk that companies were going to start charging to refax.   Sometimes sticking up for yourself and not being taken advantage of results in a employee at a national company getting an attitude such as well we will just get another abstractor - an attitude that we are very replaceable even though there is a big difference between us.  I see it every day.  I only actually consider a few of us in each county truly qualified to do the research that we do.  As far as what a companies ethics are etc., alot of people change positions as employees of these companies and are very unaware of things that have happened along the way.  The best thing to do is accept that sometimes abstractors may have legitimate reasons to gripe but it would be best to handle it directly with that company.  I'm one of those that cannot understand the "black" list nor the "hot list."  To me a list that everyone gets that has 15 companies on it as a "hot list" is no longer a hot list.  With everyone marketing to the same companies, I feel that hurts us and only contributes to the fees being reduced.  As far as the "black" list - again - I encourage every to do what we are suppose to do best - check the Secretary of State's office for the company, the Comptroller of Public Accounts, the Justice of Peace/County/District courts where the company is located for any clue of stability of the company - protect yourself - but do it for yourself.  I myself cannot believe that anyone would let a company get beyond a few orders without payment and accept another.  I knew that there was a black list going around in Texas a few years ago and I would not participate in it.  I was actually suprised at some companies that did.  I felt it was bad for business as a whole.  Many times a business that could have had a short term drawback got black-listed and the black-listing could have made it go under.  It could be an abstracting businesses one day - who knows what will happen.  However, I don't think the "black list" is slander  either - slander has to be things that are untruthful and I don't believe any of are making things up.  Things happen but just as in our personal lives we must learn to live and deal with our problems, we must do so in our business.  The way we deal with them will keep us balanced and even keeled - it helps us grow personally and professionally.  I think national companies should be open to the concept that although they feel their company is upstanding and ethical that these things could indeed incur in their own companies without their knowledge.  Perhaps keeping communications open with employees and supervisors poking around a little bit might not hurt to make sure the employees are keeping the image the company truly wants to be known for.