Disabled American Veterans [DAV]
reviews and complaints

About 4 months ago I pledged $20 per month. After a couple of months things changed in my finances and I can no longer afford to make any donation at this time. this is the third time that I contacted you about this but you continue to take the money out of my account. I've contacted my bank and they said they blocked you and I just checked my account and you withdrew the money again. So I'm asking you for the fourth time to stop taking money out of my account and cancel my pledge. Regards, Stanley Szot

If the VA sent me a wheelchair, How in the hell am I suppose to get around if I have 2 torn rotator cuffs that cant be operated on cause I'm in stage3 heart failure due to gulf war syndrome. Just trying to find with anyone with brain cells to assist me with this matter since every single time I put in for a grant for housing it gets kick to the side & I get [censored]ed over. I'm sure you guys' are use to seeing veterans get screwed over all the time. Why cant you do anything? I picked the DAV as my rep. I'm a like time member. If you cant help me then give me my money back and I will pick a veteran organization that will. Also the acting COF at the VA medical center just violated or attempted to violate my freedom of speech. I'm a retired federal officer. I will be filing with the AUSA to have this piece of [censored] removed as in SF-52 with dismissal. The letter he sent to me is a direct violation of my civil rights & the 2n amendment. I will do everything in my power to ensure he or she is removed. In the mean time, why cant my appeals be expedited if I'm stage 3 heart failure?

On the morning of September 27, 2019, Laura Skeith decided to give me a lesson on masturbation after completing my claim for sexual assault. After filing a complaint within the chapter it was decided that the complaint would be handled within the chapter and I was told by the Tim Valentine that he thought it better that I step down but was still allowed to come to the chapter at any given time, and referred to me as being crazy. After stepping down I was told by Greg Past Commander of the chapter that laura Skeith had in fact gone to the inspector general, Bill Townsley of the chapter and they conspired with Roanoke with Oscar Olquin to hold the claim which Laura had helped me file. Today my claim has been sitting for more than six months with no activity. During the same time my daughter loss 50% of her claim, a claim I filed through our office.

I was verbally attacked by the Sergant at arms, Chuck Silvers, who also makes a mint off of selling donations to thrift store. There is also a round table who assembles every morning which watches political issues all morning making it impossible to hear veterans while completing claims.

Was told that DAV doesnt file claims with the VA today May 27th at around 1330. I have been having a lot of issues and needed a reevaluation on my Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Whoever i spoke to you didnt tell me his name but brought me into an office and started asking a lot of questions and telling me how the system works and he determines if he will file a request based on info i provide. Then he started asking lots of personal stuff like meds, how much, Dr visits, and then determined i had to go see a certain private Dr and wouldnt really let me answer any questions. Just kept talking over me and telling me how evaluations work and things like that. I know how they work, been with the DAV for 12 years and 2 sets of evaluations. But he wouldnt stop badgering me about things he didnt need to know about and wasnt comfortable telling him as he isnt a Dr. He doesnt determine diagnosis or severity like he claims he does. It got to the point of him not letting me speak and the constant hounding i had to raise my voice and just say i needed them to file a reevaluation claim and thats it. He told me they dont do that here. And i said that is what the DAV is for and other office did for me before. He said to go to them then because they dont do that here. I got up and walked out of his office with him yelling at me about raising my voice one time because he wouldnt let me talk. Followed me to the front office and they threatened to call the police because i raised my voice after being constantly berrated by this man. I never threatened anything and i was trying to leave to get away from him. And tried to complain about him which is why they wanted to call the police. Because i wanted to complain and told the other staff he said DAV doesnt file claims with the VA. They told me to get a lawyer to help me because the DAV doesnt do what i was asking. I just wanted them to file a reevaluation and that was it. They even said i should be ashamed for trying to lie. Even though he never even pulled up my file. It was a nightmare! I may not go back to the DAV ever again now. Definitely not there and will be telling everyone i know to never go near there. They are salesmans for private practice and act like they work for the VA. Definitely not advocates for the vets. It crossed my mind to get a lawyer at that moment against them. I cant even describe how horrible they really were. They dont help people. They make it worse and terrifying.

On September 27 2019 I refiled a claim through Chapter 13, York Town Virginia. A chapter that I had been in good standing with for more than six years. After having a chapter service officer complete my claim for sexual assault and other issues which were seriously overdue, she immediately switched to another secure computer instructing me to always use a nontraceable site, "duck go", and proceeded to open several sites pertaining to ways of masturbation. And gave specific instructions as to how to relieve me. This person had been kicked out of another chapter for reasons I'm not aware of.

Our Chapter Commander had recently lost his wife and had been out of the office, therefore it was reported to the adjutant. During his absence, I was verbally assaulted by the Sergeant at arms, who had become belligerent because I challenged the roundtable which was always present during operating hours congregating and making it impossible to hear our veterans while processing their claims. Another Service officer with serious PTSD was literally carrying an open assault weapon during operating hours and also became very belligerent toward me, as he and the Sergeant at arms were best of buddies during this time. Eventually, I was asked to leave.

My claim has now been in a queue for more than six months waiting to be addressed. Oscar Olquin and Linda Rizzo botched my first claim and now he is holding this one hostage. Shannon made me aware that he was the one handling my claim.

Around the year, 2011/2012, I had a DAV PHX National (Notional) Service Officer, Tom Gehm, assigned to aid in my claim, which I will admit is very complicated. After my first meeting with him, when I tried to contact him thereafter, I never received any responses from him. I called to check if he still worked there and he did. He just chose never to respond to me.

Consequently, I'm in the process of getting VBA the information for additional disability and the requests for audits for dependents' benefits not received and the monies wrongfully taken from me, because DAV didn't forward on information they received from the VA, which I needed to take decisions from choices presented in those letters. I'm now stuck with the decisions taken for me.

There was a recall of this machine as well as others in June of 2021 but the Durham VA Medical Center (CPAP Clinic) failed to notify myself or any other Veteran of the significant health risks associated with it such as Heart issues, Lung cancer. As of today 5/21/2022 I have not heard anything from the VA regarding this machine and they have not made any attempt to replace it. I am forced to discontinue using it even though I risk my own safety and health being that I have severe sleep apnea.

I went to this organization for help with claims and have had nothing but trouble. The individual I spoke with was rude and I immediately ended the call. Then I reached out to Marc Burgess which is the CEO to of the organization. One person reaches out to you and you think you get somewhere and they request confidential information, and you do as requested and then a totally different person responds and you get nowhere. Reaching out to the CEO did nothing. They simply do not care!

On February 22nd I made an appointment for a pick-up for DAV. The operator suggested that I load my donations under the stairway because there were not place outside of my apartment building. I did. The pick-up was supposed to be done on the 23rd. I stopped by the apartment and the items are still at the apartment. When I called back to see why, the operator said there were no reason, so we planned another pick-up on the 28th. Two weeks later I get an email from the apartment stating they are deducting $200 from my deposit because of disposal cleanup in the stairway. When I called to speak to the driver, he claims he only picks donations outside. I ask him, why he did not note that as to why the items are not being pick-up the first time. He said he never pick-up inside of buildings. I feel I lost money because of your inconsiderate driver. I cleaned my apartment to get my deposit back but because of you company, I lost $200 out of $250.

This is in reference to the DAV located in Winston Salem, NC. After they have you fill out the paperwork, and they send it to the VA, they will no longer respond to anymore emails you send checking on the status for your VA claim. Please don’t waste your time with this organization. They truly do not care.

On January 25th, at approximately 12 pm-2pm, I met with a DAV agent to obtain help with a VA Disability Claim regarding MST induced PTSD, Depression, and Anxiety.

After reading my statement describing the MST events I experienced, the agent told me that I should "try to live my best life and get healther." I can't rememer which exact words besides those were used, but he did not seem empathetic to my cause at all. He didn't even apologize that i had gone through that.

Ultimately, he was unwilling to help me at all. He did not ask if I had any other documents to review from my military records, which I did. He seemed anxious to get me out of the office.

I signed up for membership with $40 down $10 a month and they charged me $260 right before Christmas without my authorization to my debit card. They talked me into being a CSO and on the first day of training they told me I had to buy my own computer a d printer. They said they had zero funds to supply them to me yet they had an open bar full of booze at the training and used the most expensive hotel in town to house the volunteers. This organization is a scam.

We are 2 Disabled Veteran that has been a member with the DAV for years as our representative due to our VA Claims. Attached below of emails from Andrea M. Chapman who is a very rude person of disrespect against her brother and sister of the military services as patriots? She should of "Recused" herself from this case of the Defendants that are not a military veteran in which she states in her profile that she is an avid advocate for our active duty services members and our veterans and currently serves as a board member for the Disabled Americans Veteran (DAV). Why I'm repeating that she is rude is because I explained to her that Phillip had a Stroke and that he would not be able to do any Deposition of information that she did not have from the Defendants that she is representing to make out that we are lying about the Complaint that we filed in Fresno Superior Court. Per her phone conversation she state that she may consider Phillip medical Disability if I send her a written statement from the Doctor but other than that she stated to me (Linda) over the phone conversation that the Court has nothing to do with Phillip having a stroke no matter what and I told her under the law that she would be violating the Disability Act for Disabled People, she told me (Linda) very rude that it do not matter because the Court do not care about that anyway. This is our concern of getting her Off of the DAV Board as a Board Member as an Advocate for her fellow soldiers of proving that she is not out to help veterans at the DAV. We pay membership to the DAV and if this person stays on the DAV Board with our name being in the database she can use our personal information to cause us harm intentionally or think she can put fear in us of her threats.

My representative, Beverly James- Wills, has been avoiding my calls and not returning my calls. I have explained to her the dire situation I am in regarding me losing my house. My ex-wife is receiving 801 a month from my benefits; Mrs. Beverly filed a supplemental claim in February of this year on my behalf; my benefits page shows that this claim has been closed as of April 14. I have not received any letter from the DAV or the VA stating why. I have called numerous times, left messages, and have also spoken with a lady named Carolyn. The few times I have talked to Carolyn, she is rude and makes it seem like I am bothering her. She has told me the past 3 or 4 weeks that Mrs. Beverly is not in the office.

I am requesting a new DAV representative that will actually work on my claims. Keeping a roof over my head is depending on someone's help.

Thank you
Rustton Webster
[protected]

I had a upcoming hearing with the VA concerning my Appeal. I sent my first email to the DAV asking about who would represent me for my Appeal. I got a response to that email. I sent another email asking if a DAV representative can call me because I had some questions about my medical evidence. Six days went by without a response back from the DAV. Therefore, I had submitted a withdrawal from my hearing through email to the DAV. In less than one hour the DAV representative who responded to my first email said that they would submit my withdrawal to the VA. It is funny to me that the DAV representative did not respond back to me when I requested to speak to someone about my Appeal. But, they was quick to respond to my withdrawal request. If this is how the DAV does business concerning taking care of veterans then we have a problem. From this experience and prior DAV experience, it seems like the DAV is working for the Department of Veterans Affairs to screw veterans over with their disability compensation claims. I have no more faith in the DAV. I should be able to speak to my DAV representative before one hour of my hearing. That is not representing a veteran for their Appeal.

I enclose a letter from retired senator Bob Graham, with his help and the help of Senator Harry Reid, I had explained to Senator Grahams staff how civil servants were able to receive both their retirement and disability. As told to me by Al Finney ChiefMastersergeant and Union President. Senator Graham shared that information with Senator Harry Reid, as they were both on the Arms Service committee at that time. As, you know in 2018, President Trump attempted to take away the unemployable veterans benefits, Quote' they have it too good'. Thanks to the members I called, I was reassured that would not happen and it did not. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-disabled-veterans-cuts/ So. I tried to share that we must demand that Representatives, such as Senator David Perdue give us their written promise to protect these benefits. This Senator according to channel 46, Atlanta has refused to go on camera and answer why he will not have a town hall meeting or respond to constituent concerns. The letter I have from Senator Bob Graham I can send, also Congressmen Alccee Hatings office, Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. would have record of me. What has been a problem and why I left in the late 90's was I was told by a member out west. That if I had not been in combat I should just shut the F... up.

Many years ago I had a friend at the DAV so I joined as a life member. However, all my filings with appropriate evidence were developed by ME, Dav only processed. This is true and accurate and is easily documented by just looking at the supporting documentation on my claims. Any visit to a Dav rep for help never had ANY positive help. Current example - I was given a 100% rating in 2015 retro to 2011. DAV sent me the decision with a VA insurance application form which I completed and returned. Since it came from DAV I returned it to DAV. My wife and I were compiling wills so I checked on VA insurance and was told I was not covered.
I have requested info research of my file which with any legitimate organization would have copies of written correspondence from those it represents. To date the DAV has responded with statements ‘we don't handle life ins. Call them ‘l
The DAV will not even look at my file as requested which should verify they had received VA ins. application.
The DAV will no longer receive ANY support from me. either financial or recommendation. In fact, remove me from your membership.
Theodore W Snow

Am 100 percent disabled veteran. Have been awarded the clothing allowance for 15 years for a knee brace. Applied again for next year, and was told by VA Prosthetics I need a new order from my doctor for the brace. Never heard this before. Doctor's orders for medical equipment do not expire! What is the VA up to now?

I have made multiple attempts to obtain assistance from the dav as I am a lifetime member. I have been unable to get any followup help from a representative for the last few years. What does it take for them to decide a veteran is worth representation? Then I realized, if the organization can't be bothered to return a call to a veteran, why would anyone expect them to expend any effort in actual representation?