"Bait & Switch" Often bail bondsmen or Bail Agencies are trying to get your business by offering 2% or 3% premiums on bail. These very well may be initial down payments. We all realize the stress and panic in having a loved one locked up and the financial strain involved. However, do not be enticed by these schemes. The scenario will be: you travel out of your way to an office location, complete the applications, pay the cheap price and are assured the bail process for your loved one has started. Only to get a call later informing you that your application has not been approved and the "Boss" wants additional co-signers, collateral and a larger down payment. You now are subject to an amended agreement with financing and interest costs and your loved one is still in jail. So much for cheap bail. The tactics are misleading which do violate New Jersey Insurance Laws.
Some tell tale signs of a scheme in progress are:
Is the initial call from a bail bondsman unsolicited. How and where did he get your information. He could be paying for an inside jail connection.
Is the bondsman telling you of the great deal he will offer you.
If there is an excuse for a delay or Agent availability, your bail just might be getting sold to another Agent or Agency along with your confidential information. Just because an Agent or Agency is licensed to sell bail does not mean they are permitted to execute a bond.