Most people don’t spend their time Googling bail bonds companies. Heck some people don’t even know what they are. When the time comes (hopefully not) that someone needs help with their bail they may feel rushed in making a decision upon learning what bail bonds companies do.
There is a lot to consider and while you definitely don’t want to wait too long you always want to make sure you have the right company helping you out. Let’s talk about their determining factors.
Bail Bonds Fees
Every company is going to have some sort of fee associated with the bail bond that they give to you. Typically, they make their money by charging around 10% of the total bail amount to their defendant or client. This means that this is the amount you will pay in order for the bail to be paid by the bail bonds company.
There can also be a bunch of other hidden fees slipped in the paperwork. Make sure to ask if there are additional fees or service and what they are for.
Yelp or Other Reviews
Interestingly enough most people don’t think to look at reviews from other people. More so because most people don’t want to disclose that they needed bail money in the first place so finding reviews in general can be hard. However, finding the right bail bonds company can be difficult and you want to make sure that who you are working with is experienced.
A misfiled paperwork or small error can result in your bail being denied. Make sure that the company is in good standing and has excellent customer service with past clients.
Single Representative or Company
When it comes to choosing someone to help you out the best bet is usually going to be going with a company. There are however individual bondsmen that sometimes like to work on their own. This can be a little more difficult to find out who their past clients are and can certainly be a red flag for lack of experience. A company is much more likely to have a longstanding credible business based on their clientele.
Proceed With Caution
When you are up for bail it is very normal to try and find the quickest representative and get your loved one or yourself out of jail ASAP. The truth is that you want to take your time a little bit because you want to make sure who you are getting into bed with is going to help your case and not hurt your case.
If you work with a company or even an individual bondsman that has little experience you could find yourself back in jail in no time. For something as small as a paperwork error. The other things that someone should look out for are the bond fees and the fee structure. Most companies will charge 10 percent but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other hidden fees! Be sure to ask this!