Most Inept Organization On The Planet?

[gs106]

I filed a NOD on VA Form 21-0958 and on that form...Part III - Appeal Process Election, Block 9. Select One Of The Appeals Processing Methods Below 

I put an X in the block beside Decision Review Officer (DRO) Review Process.  

Pretty clear right?  Apparently not.  Today I received a letter that begins:  Dear Mr. XXXXXXXX:  We received your written disagreement with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) decision of April 14, 2016.  This letter describes what happens next:  A few paragraphs down...How Do I Select DRO or Traditional Appeal Process?  You must notify us within sixty (60) days from the date of this letter whether you want to have your case reviewed by the DRO or by the traditional appeal process.  If we do not hear from you within 60 days, your case will be reviewed under the traditional appeal process.

Do they do this to get veterans so frustrated they will just give up or is it their way of passing as many cases as possible to the BVA and reducing the workload at the RO?  Surely they can't be so incompetent that they can't read their own form.

Should I spend another $7.15 to once again tell them that I want a DRO review or should I attempt to contact someone via email, call Peggy, etc.?  Contacting the VSO is not a good option.

Edited April 30, 2016 by gs106
Question

[Buck52]

Don't make any sense to send things to Cheeseville  if there just going to send it on to RO...Why not just send it to your RO?

I realize VA says to send all things to the Claims Intake Center in Cheeseville    I mean....good grief

...........Buck

[THOMAS89031]

9 minutes ago, Buck52 said:

Don't make any sense to send things to Cheeseville  if there just going to send it on to RO...Why not just send it to your RO?...  Buck, That's the new way of doing things,  they want EVERYTHING to be sent there.  I sent my 21-4138 with documentation to the RO in Reno,NV on or about 1Mar2016, They sent it back to me and told me to complete a  21-526EZ and sent it to Cheeseville4138.  Cheeseville then forwards it to the RO..The RO does its thing and then sends you a letter with the return address as being Cheeseville..

 

[waccamawwild]

I have dealt with this as well with the Columbia< South Carolina regional office. They lost my evidence.

 

[Buck52]

yes I understand everything is sent to Janesville Wi  Now

However  that don't mean they will send your claim to your RO...Last year just after the 21-526ez  came out to file a claim and send it to the Intake Center...I sent my claim 21-526 ez and also the statement in support of claim to Cheeseville   and my RO is Waco Tx...Salt Lake City Utah is the one that adjudicated my claim...even got my award letter from them.

so I think they send your claim to a RO that is not as busy as others...which is good  in my opinion.b/c..now days they do everything electronically over the internet anyway.

jmo

...............Buck

[Meddac]

The Waco RO was directed to farm out work, Buck. It was because we didn't meet monthly processing goals set by Central Office. They didn't want to, and they look for some of the most confusing work to send when they do this.

Your claims gets digitized by Janesville. It's then funneled electronically to the RO of Jurisdiction as "new mail". The Claims Assistants "review the electronic mail" (loosely used term), and assign it to the team working that claim or establish it as a new claim (if one is not pending). 

USPS at the RO is set-up to automatically forward mail from the RO to Janesville. The mailroom at the RO is like a ghost town nowadays, but my understanding is that they receive, review, date stamp, and forward. You can send it to the RO, but it will go to Janesville anyway.

Just how VA is doing it now. Extra steps...

BTW, Waco enters the National Work Queue tonight. Gonna  be interesting.

Edited May 1, 2016 by Meddac

[Buck52]

Meddac

BTW, Waco enter as the National Work Queue tonight. Gonna  be interesting. ??