The Wonderful 1-800 Number

[sixthscents]

Yet again today I contacted the 1-800 number to discuss the progress of my claim. Unsuprisingly, I knew much more about how the system worked than the droid answering the call. Again I have to reccomend that if someone has a question then submit it online rather than talk to these people. They simply are not trained nor qualified to answer your questions. Every once in a while you get an experienced one who actually DOES know the systm, but for every one of them you get 10 idiots.

Seriously, they will tell you contradictory information in back to back calls. It's pointless, and I can see how a newer veteran would get massivly confused by their ignorance. I honestly just did it to see what the person would tell me, not that I'm concerned about the claim since I had filed an online question and already had the answer I wanted. I was just curious as to what they would say....

Anyway, just my opinion and thought I'd throw it out there once again for the newer vets.

[john999]

I would not trust the 800 number, in general, as far as I can throw them. They just guess and say anything to get you off the phone many times. I call over and over to see if I can get some facts to match. It is just guess work.

[Pete53]

John:

I remember when that happened how strange is that?

[padog75]

WHY CAN'T THE DAV AND OTHER AGENCIES USE THE EMAIL SYSTEM TO KEEP US UP TO DATE ?ALL OF THEM HAVE ACCESS TO IT AND WOULD IMPROVE THINGS FOR EVERONE.

HAS ANY VET EVER HAD ANY OF THEM USE EMAIL TO CONTACT YOU /

I SUSPECT THEY DO NOT WANT TO LEAVE ANY PROOF OF ANYTHING WHEN THEY MAKE AN ERROR.Or tells us anything they may have to live up to.

I have heard too many vets say the 800 number is a joke also.

ALL VETS WHO HAVE AN EMAIL ADDRSSS SHOULD ASK THEM TO USE IT AND SEE WHAT EXCUSES THEY MAKE.

IF YOU VISIT THE DAV.ORG SITE YOU CAN SEND THEM AN EMAIL AND YET NO ONE I KNOW HAS EVER HAD THEM RETURN ONE TO THEM IN THIS STATE.

WE SHOULD NEVER ALLOW THE DEBATE

TO BECOME MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE TRUTH.

[Ricky]

I got lucky last month. The contact team was having their Christmas party and the other employees were manning the phones. The guy who answered my call seemed to knowledgeable about my claim. He asked me some very pointed questions about what I did when this or that happened then said he would call me back. After we hung up I thought man did he ever pull one over me. However, much to my surprise he called back. He told me that he had made the DRO contact the VAMC and schedule me for an immediated C&P so that my claim could either be awarded or forwarded on to the BVA (boy had I heard that one a time or two -someone making the DRO do something - uh hmmm yep sure). He said that she had sat on the claim way longer than she should have and then he blew me out of the water - he said Mr. H your exam will be at 0:730 17 Jan 08. After I caught my breath I thought ok Ricky you are on a roll here so I told him that I had something I needed to get to the DRO directly and asked him if I faxed it would he pass it to her. He then made my heart jump out of my throat when he said call her at this number then email her your doc's to her at this email address, her name is xxxxxxxxxx. I replied in a scream and said man surely you are God himself. He chuckled and said no not quite but I am the appeals supervisor.

Talk about luck. I still did not believe it was true until I dialed the number he gave me and she answered the phone "appeals, Mrs. XXXX" (Mrs. XXXXX was the DRO that held my hearing in Apr 07). I nearly passed out. I told her about my doc's and she said "yes Mr.XXXCC my supervisor told me he had asked you to contact me directly". I told her about my amazement and she laughed. She said that when her suspense tickler for my claim had gone off the development team had possession of my file and as far as the computer was concerned they still had possession of it. However, it was sitting in the appeals area unknown to her. So you see there is a God and he gave me a once in a life time experience with the VARO. She told me that since it had been 3 years since I had begun my appeal she had to have an up to date exam before she could rule on the claim and she thought that the development team was attempting to schedule the exam. She thought nothing of the length of time the computer indicated they had the file cause the VAMC was several hundred exams behind so it could take a while for the notification to be returned to the VARO that the exam had been scheduled. I then asked how she had scheduled the exam so quickly then - she laughed and said well you know what the say Mr. H, it all depends on who you know. She then laughed and explained that although the backlog existed at the VAMC they could always have an immediate exam scheduled in the case of an emergency. And at this point this was an emergency since my claim should have either been re-rated or forwarded to the BVA months ago.

Bob since I got the first class treatment, I guess they just do not like you buddy!!!! hahahhahahahahhahhaha. Just joking old man!!!

[Pete53]

Ricky:

I am glad that happened to you and being nice did not hurt at all.

[Ron II]

Ricky,

Great anecdote--I hope this works out the way you wish...

Ron