I would like to relate a recent experience I had just trying to get a birth certificate from Colorado so I could get a driver’s license in Florida. I went on the internet and clicked on a link that asked you to select the state you were born in that stated it was the provider for Colorado birth certificates, The link said to print off the form on their site and mail it to Vital Check in El Paso, Texas. That should have been the first sign this was a third-party provider and not the best site to respond to. Why would Colorado farm out birth certificate creation to a place in Texas? Well low and behold that is what the State of Colorado did. The cost was $55 for one copy. Someone said to me you must have a scammer a birth certificate does not cost $55. Little did I know at that point that I could call Garfield County where I was born and for $20 get one copy mailed the day you requested it on a form online.
I had to print the Vital Check form, fill it out by hand, and mail it to the El Paso address. That was eight weeks ago and I still do not have a Colorado birth certificate from them. When you call it asks for your document number and then puts you on hold for as much as two hours. I added up the hours that I spent trying to find out what the holdup was in getting the certificate, it was over eight hours on the phone waiting while they played a mundane song and said, “Your call is important to us.” After ten days, I called Vital Check and waited two hours; to find out I failed to write the reason I wanted the birth certificate on the form. They said it is on hold until you submit a new form with the reason included. I asked if I couldn’t just tell them, it was to get a driver’s license. They said we cannot alter applications you have to send a new form. I sent a new form and waited ten days before calling them again, the wait time was 94 minutes at six in the morning to speak to someone. That person said you have to go online and fill out the personal Identification form so I know whom I am speaking to and send a photo of your driver’s license and social security card. He said after you have sent those items it will be processed. I sent the requested items. The next day I got a message they could speak to me.
At this point, it had been six weeks since I sent the original application to Vital Check and still no birth certificate. I sent an email to the Governor of Colorado and told him they needed to fire Vital Check and cut ties because dealing with them is a waste of time and money and the contract is with the State of Colorado. I also called Vital Check and asked where my birth certificate was. The looked at my job number and said you are good to go, I waited ten more days and called Vital Check again another two-hour wait on the phone. I gave the job number, and the person said that was sent to the State of Colorado, we send the approved birth certificate to them, and they have 14 days to mail them out. IT HAS BEEN 14 DAYS AND I DO NOT HAVE A BIRTH CERTIFICATE VITAL CHECK IS A SCAM CHARGING $55 FOR A BIRTH CERTIFICATE THEY DO NOT SEND AND THE STATE OF COLORADO IS A PART OF IT.
Three days ago, I called the Garfield County Clerk and asked her if they had my birth certificate to mail to me from Vital Check. The person in the Clerk’s office said “I hate Vital Check they take advantage of people and charge $55 for a certificate when you can go to the County Clerk and get one directly from them for $20 mailed the same day.
The Clerk told me where to find the form on their website. She instructed me to fill it out and send photos of my Social Security Card, and Driver’s License and transmit them. I got a call right away after I had transmitted the requested information. The lady was so nice and said I need your credit card number, and your certificate will be mailed today. The charge was $20.
Watch for third-party scams they cost you time and money and can be totally frustrating as Vital Check has been to me.