UPDATE: What a wonderfully mature and productive response from Mark himself! I sure do look stupid now...right?
This review is in reference to my experience with Prosrver and Mark McManus as a document service provider for a small claims case. I can never, ever recommend Prosrver for their document service.
The first time I talked to Mark on the phone, I could tell that there were going to be communication issues with him. I was speaking to an introvert who just couldn't understand why someone wouldn't know his company's policies and procedures when he was clearly thinking them so loudly within his own thoughts. But I thought that the process would be quick and easy regardless.
First of all, the pricing as is displayed on Mark's website is not accurate. The price for the most basic process service I paid was $85 (he's since raised the price to $95). Only upon checking out was I given the full, actual price.
Mark charged a fuel surcharge of $5.20 and multiplied it by 3 to charge $15.60. Mark required me to scan the papers I needed served, upload them to his portal, and charged me for printing $2.03. What great communication between business and customer, right? Mark has a "credit card fee", and let's look at his stellar math in calculating it: he charges a "3.95% credit card processing fee", which he calculated on my invoice to be $3.95, with a "quantity of 1.02." Mark added the $3.95 charge to his estimated quantity of 1.02, to arrive at a total small extra charge of $4.03.
It's a good thing I hired a professional to do all of this complicated nickel and diming, because this math sure is going over my head. My total was $106.66, and the judge ended up not rewarding it to me even after I won my case.
The serving process was the real beauty of Mark McManus's Prosrver.
Mark receives my payment, gets back to me quickly, and tells me that he's going to serve the defendant the next day. Nice! Mark tries, fails, and sends me the invoice for the failed service attempt. He attempted service on my defendant at 9:52 PM, on a Thursday night. As amusing as it is to imagine someone knocking and ringing a doorbell on the defendant's front door, who lives in suburban Mission Viejo with two small children, late in the evening at nearly 10 o'clock at night......IT DIDN'T work!
Well, I did indicate on my information form that Mark should attempt service "in the evening," so...maybe he'll try at a more reasonable hour next time. Attempt number two, Mark attempted service at the defendant's home at 11:10 AM (that's in the morning, folks) on a Tuesday. Oh boy, Mark obviously could use a bit more direction. First 9:52 PM, then 11:10 AM...I send Mark an email.
"Hi Mark, thanks for the updates! Maybe for your next attempt you can attempt service around 7:00 PM, when my defendant is likely to be home?"
No response from Mark, but two days later I get an email update in regards to Mark's third failed service attempt: Thursday at 12:18 PM.
Another email: "Hi Mark, I know your website says that we get 'Up to 5 service attempts', so maybe for your next two service attempts you can try a time when my defendant is likely to get home, like 7:00 PM?"
Mark finally deigns himself to respond to me: "OK, I'll schedule another round of attempts."
Three days come and go, and I receive no update from Mark. So now I'm thinking Mr. McManus up and forgot my service request.
I email again: "Hi Mark, it's been three days, have you had a chance to attempt service on my defendant yet?"
Mark responds: "Do you authorize me for another round of attempts?"
Here we are folks. Mark forgot about my document service, and I have the email conversations to prove it, no matter how he may try to spin it.
"Yes," I tell him, "your website says I have a total of 5 attempts with my purchase."
Mark: "No, I guarantee 3, if you want more attempts I'll send you an invoice."
NOW I call Mark, because as obvious as his policies are to himself within his own head, I need to know what's going on:
"Mark, your website says I get 5 service attempts."
Mark: "No, it says 'UP TO 5.' I guarantee 3, and go up to 5 if I need extra to get the defendant to the door at the moment."
"So are you going to charge me for more attempts? Yes or no?"
I need to repeat the question three times for Mark to give me a clear answer: "Yes I will charge you for more attempts. Shall I send you the invoice?"
I tell him: "No, I'll use a different process server, thank you."
Mark: "Wow. Um, OK."
Ladies and gentlemen, I used the Sheriff department. A flat $40 fee, and I kid you not, they successfully serviced my defendant on the FIRST TRY. Mark, you cannot conduct your business in this way and expect people to not leave negative reviews like this. You need to OFFER a service to people that is not inferior to sheriff department service. read more
