Comparing the DMDC with SCRACVS – Pros and Cons

Anyone who needs a military status verification to satisfy a court requirement or comply with the SCRA has two choices. One is using the Department of Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC). The other is relying us, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act Centralized Verification Service (SCRACVS).

Both options have advantages and disadvantages from efficiency and cost perspectives that depend on the needs of each organization. But finding a solution that works for your purposes is a matter of understanding what each solution offers. Let’s compare the two.

Working with the DMDC

The Department of Defense Manpower Data Center is a free military verification service. But using this service can end up being a more expensive or inefficient choice.

First, the DMDC requires you to submit the correct Social Security number to get an affirmative answer, but you may not have access to this. Generally, by the time you consider litigation against someone who may have SCRA protection, it’s too late to get their Social Security number.

The DMDC can process with a date of birth only; however, they include a large, bold disclaimer on any certification indicating that the DMDC cannot guarantee the results because the Social Security number was omitted. Judges may not like disclaimers and may direct you to start all over.

The DMDC will not issue affidavits which may be essential to your law suit. If you need an affidavit, you should deal with a contractor such as the SCRACVS.

Working with the SCRACVS

One of the key advantages to working with SCRACVS is that you don’t need a Social Security number to get an affidavit of military service. That’s because SCRACVS uses other means to find the Social Security numbers. Another is that we can prepare military affidavits and can even Fedex them to you.

We also offer support via chat and phone from people who do nothing but military verification. Contrast that with trying to get through to the Department of Defense with a question.

Working with the SCRACVS on Batch Processing or Scrubbing

Many lenders and collections companies with active-duty servicemembers and process large volumes of data to comply with the SCRA. This can be a difficult process, but the SCRACVS makes batch processing or scrubbing easy, efficient, and cost-effective. By processing in bulk (more than 750 inquiries per month with social security numbers only), we can drive down the cost to your organization significantly.

We can work with any form of database, and we can query the Department of Defense database directly to turn large batches around quickly at a low cost. Lenders/servicers/attorneys submit their records securely and hands-free and integrate the results into the their own databases. This allows organizations to outsource this element of their compliance diligence without compromising on cost or tying up employees who could otherwise be doing their work.

Conclusion

Lawsuits and government enforcement action on SCRA issues are increasing rapidly with record-setting judgments. Therefore, it’s essential to have an effective, secure and precise way to verify military status. Thousands of law firms, lenders and servicers have found that the SCRACVS is usually the best solution.

Order Your Military Status Verification Today!

Registration
Member Login

Attorney Roy Kaufmann serves as the Director of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act Centralized Verification Service, located in Washington, D.C. As a recognized authority on the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, Mr. Kaufmann has published hundreds of articles and hosted many webinars. His teachings help law firms and businesses to remain compliant with the SCRA rules and regulations so as to avoid costly fines.