VSO states they work for the VA not for ME

[GeekySquid]

So, as some know I have been having a little war with the VA and my VSO, the American Legion, about getting my DBQ's.

So today I went to the VSO's office in the VARO building during their "walk in" hours since I could not get them to give me an appointment.

On the door was as sign saying the office was closed for the week for training and left the 800 number for Washington DC office.

I knock on the door anyway. Two ladies answer.

Tell them what I want and that I need them to do it today.

They invite me into the office.

I hand them a typed sheet with the Dates and Dr's of my C&P's and a list of documents for each one that I need.

The first lady says she doesn't know why I am there. The second lady says she will help me. The first lady says show me how we do this.

Okay

I tell them again what I want and the 2nd lady says why do you want to file a NOD, I tell her. She says you don't need these files to file an appeal.......The VA already has them. I tell her I need to know exactly what the DBQ says and what the letters to and from VA says. I also need the code sheets as they existed at each point for each approved and denied C&P.

She tells me no i don't and if I insist on filing a NOD I should just file an HLR.. I told her no, that would not work for this and the HLR results are not typically veteran friendly.

She then spends 20 minutes more telling me that I need to listen to her because veterans don't know what they want and don't know anything about the VA and how to win their claim.

She then says "We work for the VA not for you, and the VA knows what it is doing".

this of course makes me mad and I say to her " I am asking you to get me these files. nothing more. I have heard your opinion and all you need to do is get me copies of these files." She then starts in again trying to convince me not to file.

I get more insistent and tell her that i heard her but I expect her to do exactly as I requested, nothing more.

She then says "Well you don't need those files so let me file the NOD" I tell her NO. Resoundingly empathically NO>

She then tells me I know how to file a NOD. She then remembers I am filing a CUE and says "you shouldn't file a CUE because you will never win and then the VA will be mad at you"......

Just f'ing wow.

Then I tell her once again to do what I asked her to do and to stop trying to dissuade me from what I want. I tell her she is wasting her time and mine and that all I want is her to get those documents.

She then yells to the other woman to get "Bill".  Man comes in and says "those are VA files you don't get to have them".

I tell him he is wrong and ask who he is. He refuses to answer. I look at woman 2 and say Please tell me your full name so I have a record. She wants to know why. I tell her point blank, that the next time I speak to AL in DC I am going to reference her and what she has said and not done. I then look at "Bill" and ask his name. He tells me 'you don't need to know that". I tell him I do because saying "Bill from AL means nothing to anyone". He snaps back 'I don't work for AL I work for VFW".

I ask him why he is sticking his nose into an AL situation? He gets mad and leaves.

She writes down her name, at least I think it is her name, date and time .

Then says all she is going to do is fill out a FOIA.  At this point I decide to let her do that and get a copy to submit with my complaint to the AL.

 She then asks me what I want. Types that I want my C-file and the files on the attached sheet, prints it, shoves it at me and says to Sign it. I tell her no it is not accurate and ask for a pen and write explicitly what  I want.

She literally tries to argue with me.

I tell her to stop arguing and write the FOIA the way I tell her.

She writes it wrong in her own phrasing and i made her redo it.

Then I made her add Time is of the essence on the form.

When she handed it to me. I initialed before and after the typing and drew a line threw the blank space.

She gasped and asked why I did that. I said "its blank space and anyone could add words to that blank space. She then started to say, and got half way through saying

'I needed to put more stuff...." and then shut up as she realized she was admitting to falsifying a FOIA over my signature.

 

I am not sure which is worse, having the people with my POA try and screw me over or having the VA which is supposed to be on my side try and Screw me over.

 

[Richard1954]

This is just another reason in a hundred why I refuse to give my power of attorney to these smucks.  I am having the same problem , not able to get copies of the C/P exams that where done in Jan this year. I have requested in writing three times  a copy of these exams and no response what so ever. I am planning on making a trip to the Waco VA Regional Office and speak directly to a VA employee. 

The last time I sign a POA was because the Houston VA Regional Office would not answer my questions without a POA  present , so I played their stupid game and appointed DAV my POA, after I got my questions answered I revoked the POA before I even left the Region Office. Two years later I was still fighting with the VA to get the POA Revoked, they were sending my stuff to the DAV when the DAV had no legal right to it. I finally did get it revoked but they darn sure didn't like it... 

Ironically, many years ago ( about 20 )  I did some volunteer work at a local DAV helping veterans file claims.  I did that for about two years,  then one day I was told I had to be certified to help Veterans , ( this was a new thing).. so I said ok I'll play the game...... so the DAV arranged to have a 3 hour class for myself and some other volunteers , what a total waste of time, they even gave us the answers to the questions before we took the silly exam... ever since then I haven't had much respect for what the DAV or others service organizations do . Yes I know that they actually help get legislation passed that benefit  veterans, but that is about all they do correctly, Sure there are some representatives that really care and want to help.. but most don't know squat.  And I hate to say it , but they actually pit veteran against veteran because they will support new legislation for some veterans but not other veterans. The concurrent receipt issue and the caregivers programs are excellent examples of this. And about 18 years later Chapter 60  Medically retired veterans still cannot get concurrent receipt. Ironically some veterans were given early retirement at 15 years service and they qualified for concurrent receipt, while a medically retired veteran who has just under 20 years is crapped on. Anyway I am on the soap box now and I will steep down because I know I am speaking to the choir.....  

 

[GeekySquid]

28 minutes ago, Richard1954 said:

This is just another reason in a hundred why I refuse to give my power of attorney to these smucks.

I understand. as I said in another response I wanted to keep at third party getting my files so I did not have to pay my attorney. F-that at this point.

[GBArmy]

5 hours ago, GeekySquid said:

i

as for flip, not all yankee's are bad ...hehehehe

 

I resemble that remark!

[Buck52]

Ifew years ago I went to the DAV at my VAMC  to at least get the form and fill it out my self, when I seen a VSO from the DAV we went back to his office he said how I ca I help you  I told him I needed to file a PTSD Claim,,

he took out the PTSD form and ask me my name a nd SS # ADDRESS.

He started writing on this form  ..he handed it to me and said mail this.

He had scribble PTSD across all the lines on the form &  in the evidence section he scribble see medical records.  that was it

I tore that form up and never went back  worked my own claim myself  with help here on hadit   DAV is still my POA they get credit, but I'll never use them again...it maybe DAV is ok for some Veterans that need help with their claim  because not all DAV VSO are like this idiot,  there are some good ones still out there  so it just depends on the luck of the draw I suppose.,

[GBArmy]

Buck, I think you are a lot more right than wrong. As we all know some people excel at what they do, most do not for a lot of reasons. Overwork, lack of training, management emphasis on the wrong metrics to push, lack of intelligence and" how quickly can I get rid of this Veteran bozo so I can get back to my coffee break" are just a few. But there are a few out there; I happen to have one who is a disabled vet herself and actually works very hard to dig and get you what you deserve. An excellent coach. Told me early on "you are your best advocate, not me. You know what's wrong with you and I will help, but you are the key. Do your job so I can do mine for you." But you need some way to get updates etc., so I think it is important to have some kind of way to get visibility. You got to do your due diligence: "interview" them a few times,ask how long have they been at it, how long to retirement, if possible, see how they interact with other veterans while you are waiting, etc. In the end, it just may be what you said...just depends on the luck of the draw.

[Vync]

And I thought I had some bad VSOs...