Why I've Turned Down Clients

She called me wanting to post bail for her boyfriend. He was in jail on a domestic violence charge. She was the only one working. He hadn't had a job in two or three months. They didn't even live together — he was renting a room somewhere else. She had two kids. Three and five years old. She wanted to spend money she didn't have and then carry six months of payments on top of it. And when I looked at his record, I could see this wasn't the first time. She told me that herself — she was honest about it. I told her to stop. I told her to leave him there. I told her to use that money for her kids. I told her I wasn't comfortable taking every dollar she had for this case. That's not how I make a living. I make a living bonding people out. But there are times when the right thing and the business thing aren't the same thing, and you have to decide which one you are.

A few weeks ago, a sweet older lady in her mid-70s called my office. She wanted to bail out her grandson. As a business owner, of course I want to make a sale. But instead of rushing her through the paperwork, I took the time to listen. She mentioned she had just called another company but felt uneasy. She had every right to be. Her grandson needed a $50,000 bond. In Southern California, an ethical company will write that bond at a discounted rate of 7% or 8% — between $3,500 and $4,000 — for qualified clients. But because this other company knew she was elderly and confused, they charged her the full 10%, demanding $2,500 down immediately plus heavy monthly payments. They were taking advantage of her. If I had written that bond, I would have saved her $1,500 right there. But as I looked up her grandson's case, I noticed something else: he hadn't just been arrested. He had already been sitting in jail for four days, and he had a court date scheduled for the very next morning — just 12 hours away. Looking at his specific charges and background, I knew he had a strong chance of being released by the judge on his own recognizance, or having his bail cut in half. I looked at this grandmother and told her the honest truth: he is a big boy. He has already sat there for four days. In just 12 hours, you are going to find out if you even need to spend a single dollar. If you had called me four days ago, bailing him out immediately would have made sense. But taking your retirement money tonight, right before court, is wrong. The next day, she called me back in tears. The judge had released her grandson for free. By telling her the truth instead of chasing a commission, I saved her $5,000 of her retirement money in under 24 hours.

I'm not telling you these stories to pat myself on the back. I'm telling you because if you're reading this at 2am trying to figure out who to call, you deserve to know who you're dealing with before you hand over your money. There are bail bond companies that will take every dollar you have without asking a single question about whether it's the right call for your family. I'm not one of them. I will ask those questions. Sometimes the answer is yes, let's get your person out tonight. Sometimes the answer is wait — and I'll tell you that too, even when it costs me the sale. Those are the real victims of the system: the grandmother spending her retirement, the young mother spending money her kids need. Those are the people I stand up for. If you want a company that values honesty over a fast commission, call me.