Need Hadit Vso Assistance

[chr49]

First off, my VSO's are with the TN DVA and I believe they have done their jobs properly. I'm trying to figure out how to keep the following situations from happening again.

Old issue: April 2010; submitted evidence thru my VSO in reply to a VARO request. The VARO said they never received it. I re-filed that evidence in August. A day or two afterwards, I received my c-file and found it contained the date stamped form VA-4138 and all records that my VSO had submitted for me in April. April's evidence was omitted from my July decision. Hopefully, the April evidence will be viewed as new evidence as I move forward in the process.

New issue: August 13th; submitted a NOD thru my VSO. On September 30th, I made an IRIS inquiry to verify the VARO was in receipt of my NOD. I received 2 IRIS replies stating the August 13th NOD was not (1) in my electronic file and was not (2) in my VARO c-file. The last reply advised that my VSO re-file the NOD. I continue to lose time with all of this re-filing.

Questions:

Is this a common problem?

If so, are there any recommendations to remedy this situation?

After my VSO re-files the NOD would it help if I personally send or fax the VARO a copy of NOD?

Thanks in advance for any advise you can give me.

[COOL BREEZE]

Cool

Probably the only VSO around here you can trust is Larry and we can't clone him......yet! To appreciate what a vet goes through with a claim you need to be a vet who has been screwed over in the grand style. When they lose your documents and forget to mail out notice of c&p exams you begin to understand them. They don't care.

I definitely agree. This is so stressful. My thinking was to do it correctly, get it to them, and kick back, relax, place some cards, go fishing and wait for the response. Now it is almost a daily procedure, check e-benifits, call 800#, call VSO, check and re-check until you find out nothing was ever received, then start all over. . Once it gets to the right dept. then I can relax and chill out. When I was in the service we were taught to do the job the right way the first time. There have been some very good ways to deal with the situation on this thread. From now on I'll have duplicate copies standing by to send out. THis is kind of like when I was going through a mortgage crisis and was going to lose my home a few years ago. I faxed 2-3 times a day, nothing ever received. Went to a bank and faxed the documents to do a re-modification from the same bank-never received.What I did one night was to do a continuous re faxing marathon until the bank called and said that's enough, stop -we have finally received the documents,modification approved. Bottom line you have to be very persistent in whatever you do.

[chr49]

Just "google" your local United States Representative's name and their office contact information will be available. Just call your Representative's local office (not their Washington, D.C. office) and simply ask for the VA person.

I'll do that...may need it!

Thanks

[john999]

I called my local congresswoman for a meeting. Her assistant says she is "unavailable". Well, I won't be available in November. I contributed to this arrogant person's campaign and "unavailable" is what I get. We shall see. They are going to get a lot of letters from me and maybe me out in front of their office with a sign. If you want help from the VA you need to be a pest. Being a nice, quiet vet with your hat in your hand won't get it. The VA kills people. Do you think they give a damn about us?

[JustPLS]

I only get receipts of the envelope..which doesn't give much proof.

Clair,

Here's what I have started doing to at least give me a little hope of being able to prove what I mailed if it is necessary.

On the green card that the VA signs (the one that comes back to you), I have started using an "ATTN:" line immediately after my name on the return address. In that line, I include something like "IU application" or "Support-claim of 10/01/2010". That way, if they ever ask me how can I prove what I mailed, I can at least show them what I said I was mailing at the time. I don't think it matters what you put in there as long as the return address is good.

I have no clue if it helps or not, but it makes me feel better. Good luck!

[chr49]

Clair,

Here's what I have started doing to at least give me a little hope of being able to prove what I mailed if it is necessary.

On the green card that the VA signs (the one that comes back to you), I have started using an "ATTN:" line immediately after my name on the return address. In that line, I include something like "IU application" or "Support-claim of 10/01/2010". That way, if they ever ask me how can I prove what I mailed, I can at least show them what I said I was mailing at the time. I don't think it matters what you put in there as long as the return address is good.

I have no clue if it helps or not, but it makes me feel better. Good luck!

Thanks Pat,

It's not a bad idea and it's easy to do. Like you, I don't know if it would actually prove anything.

Has anybody ever put 'Attention: Claims - Refer to _____' info on outside of their envelope when they use fed-ex or USPS certified/return receipt to mail in paperwork? I know everything gets sorted in a mail room.

[LarryJ]

Thanks Pat,

It's not a bad idea and it's easy to do. Like you, I don't know if it would actually prove anything.

Has anybody ever put 'Attention: Claims - Refer to _____' info on outside of their envelope when they use fed-ex or USPS certified/return receipt to mail in paperwork? I know everything gets sorted in a mail room.

....................and the envelope goes directly into the mailroom trash after being opened....................................