Support and common questions.
Plain 38 is run by one veteran. If something is broken, wrong, or confusing, email support@plain38.com and it comes straight to me. I read every message.
Contact
Email: support@plain38.com
Include what you were doing when the problem happened. If an answer looked wrong, tell me the topic and I will check it against the regulation. Please do not send your Social Security number, VA file number, or full decision letter.
Using Plain 38
What does it cost?
The free tier is free. You can use it without an account, and a free account raises your weekly allowance. If you need more, there are optional search packs: $1.99 for 50 searches and 5 letter explanations, or $3.99 for 125 searches and 15 letter explanations. These are one-time purchases. There is no subscription, nothing renews, and Plain 38 never takes a percentage of your back pay.
Do purchased credits expire?
No. Credits you buy stay on your account until you use them.
How do I restore a purchase?
On iOS, open the app, go to your account screen, and choose Restore Purchases. Purchases are tied to the Apple Account that bought them. On the website, credits are tied to the email address you signed in with.
I bought credits and they are not showing up.
Try Restore Purchases first. If they still do not appear, email me with the date of purchase and the email address on your account and I will sort it out.
How do I get a refund?
Purchases made in the iOS app are handled by Apple. Request a refund through Apple at reportaproblem.apple.com. For purchases made on the website, email me.
How do I delete my account?
Sign in and use the delete option on your account page. That removes your account and associated records. If you run into trouble, email me and I will handle it.
Answers and accuracy
Where do the answers come from?
Plain 38 searches the federal regulations in Title 38 of the Code of Federal Regulations and the VA adjudication manual, M21-1, then explains what it finds in plain English. Every answer shows its sources, and each source is labeled either as binding regulation or as VA guidance that is not law.
Does Plain 38 use AI?
Yes. Plain 38 uses Anthropic's Claude to turn regulatory text into plain English. The regulations and manual sections it draws from are real documents, retrieved from the actual sources and cited on every answer.
I think an answer is wrong.
Tell me. There is a feedback control under every answer, and you can email me directly. Accuracy is the entire point of this tool, and a wrong answer is the worst thing it can do. Corrections get priority over everything else.
Can Plain 38 tell me if I will win my claim?
No, and it will not try. Plain 38 explains what the rules say. It does not give legal advice, does not predict outcomes, and does not file claims. For help with your specific claim, an accredited Veterans Service Officer can assist you at no cost.
Privacy
Do you store what I search?
No. Your questions and the decision letters you paste are not stored. Your recent-search history lives only on your own device. If you create an account, your email address is stored so you can sign in.
What happens to a letter I paste into the decode tool?
It is read, explained, and discarded. Personal identifiers are stripped before processing. Nothing is kept. You do not need to include your name, Social Security number, or file number, and you should not.
Full details are in the privacy policy and the terms.
Plain 38 is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and is not a substitute for an accredited representative. For help with your specific claim, an accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO) can assist you for free.
In crisis? Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1.