Pre-Paid legal makes you recite your name, address, phone & membership # EVERY time you call in~ Quite monotenous.
They give you a file # (NOT a case #)~ They make it clear you are NOT their client & they are NOT representing you.
They allow atty assigned to your file "8 hours" to return your call~ Don't hold your breath - It could be several days to wks.
The atty will only provide legal advice ~for $26 mo. You barely get what you pay for.
The attys push to refer you to an outside atty, not even affiliated with Pre-paid legal's firm. The outside atty then demands a huge retainer fee, a portion of which I'm sure is shared with Pre-paid legal. Now get this: Since you are now being "represented by an (outside) atty" your file is now CLOSED with Pre-Paid legal, so you can never call them again on this matter! ~ Who needs them to find an atty willing to take your money?
If you refuse the referral, the Pre-Paid legal atty will eventually write a letter, but 1st~
Atty has you fax "statement of facts w / resolution" desired & documentation - limited to a few pages.
Atty then has another 5 days to review fax~this entire procedure drags on for a few weeks.
If the case involves the same party in a previous case, the intake will give you the same file #. The atty will now insist on a NEW file #. The member is put in the middle of the intake & attys inter-office fighting. Worse, yet, now you have to start all over again from the BEGINNING! ~ sounds like a gimmick to me!
Aside from the shenanigans, here's my personal gripe:
I have a tenant-from-hell so I joined for the landlord/tenant benefits. Although it's the same tenant, it's always different incidents.
After the tenant's bulldog law firm sent an intimidating letter to Pre-paid legal in response to their letter~ my atty wimped out & refused to send a letter on the next incident. (Remember, letters are all they are good for!)
I had it re-assigned to another atty~ who played the "new file #" game, then refused to send a letter in the end, anyway.
After 2 attys & a 1 mo. Delay, I filed a complaint with Pre-paid legal's corporate Oklahoma ofc.~NOTE: they RECORD you without informing you, which is a FELONY in California!
There is no more "customer service" provided by the corporate ofc. Than there is their sub-offices. They used the excuse that it was the "same situation."
I corrected them that although it was the same individual, it is a new & separate incident~ Nowhere in their rules does it say that members are limited to legal assistance ONE TIME FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL!
Pre-Paid Legal engages in false advertising, bad business practices, & they breach their contracts with their members. They have the system down, to "delay and refer" in order to wear members down & discourage them, to hopefully avoid having to provide the service we pay them monthly to perform for us.
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