Consumer complaint received 2020-12-18
Company: UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION
State: FL
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: False statements or representation
Sub-issue: Attempted to collect wrong amount

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I called USAA member debt services about voicemails and letters for a past due balance. I explained to the representative XXXX ( ID # XXXX ) that I lost wages this year due to the Covid-19 shutdown and slowing of the real estate activity. I told him I was in the process of catching up financially but did not have enough money to pay past due amounts and future coming payments. I asked if he could negotiate some partial payments to bring the account current. XXXX said if he can get me to pay the past due amount, he was assuring me when I callback once the payment cleared & the account was brought to current that I would qualify for the Covid-19 program. I explained to him that I needed him to give me his word I could get the Covid-19 deferments because I would not have enough money to pay again in the coming months. He said if I make a single payment, I will qualify for a partial relief but if I make the full past due amount of {$1400.00}, I would qualify for 3 months of deferment. I was in the program earlier this year so got clarification that I could qualify again. He quoted once I made the past due payment, I would have fulfilled my obligation to requalify. XXXX told me to reference note # XXXX when I called back to prove what he assured me. When I called back XX/XX/XXXX as instructed to apply for the Covid-19 relief I spoke with XXXX who told me I did not qualify for the program. At that moment I realized I was deceived into making a payment I could only afford to make if the terms XXXX promised me were carried out ( which was I pay the past due and receive the deferments for 3 months ). XXXX transferred me to XXXX who was kind enough to make a report and promised a manager would call back within 48 hours to investigate the misrepresentation by XXXX the debt collector. I explained to XXXX that I would NOT have paid the past due if I was made aware that I even might not qualify. XXXX said they would have the manager review the call with XXXX and call me back with their findings. I called back in on XX/XX/XXXX because no one ever contacted us from USAA about the problem after 48 hours as promised. I spoke to XXXX this time who told me he read note # XXXX by XXXX and saw XXXX wrote " Please enroll Mr. XXXX in the payment deferment program. '' XXXX was not so willing to share that note as XXXX was. XXXX then contacted XXXX via instant messenger because he said for some reason my complaint was never noted in the system. XXXX said XXXX called him after the instant message and assured him she submitted the complaint but didn't know why it disappeared. XXXX had his manager contact him who instructed XXXX to transfer me to the Executive Resolutions department. We then were passed to XXXX from that branch who kept us on the phone for about an hour looking into what she could do about the complaint. After all the back and forth pleading with XXXX that we can't afford to make future payments coming up and that we will now be delinquent again but minus what money we were going to save for food and the car payments. We explained there was no point in making payments without the promise XXXX put in place. In the end XXXX simply just stated there was nothing she could do about it and asked to transfer us back to member debt solutions department that transferred us to her in the beginning. 

Overall, the USAA member debt solutions representative XXXX gave us false, deceptive and misleading information to collect 2 past due payments that we couldn't afford to pay without the promise of the Covid-19 deferment in place afterwards. I am damaged financially by this because I can no longer afford the other bills and pay the next payments due on my credit card of over $ XXXX/month due to the pandemic effects on my career. Now my payments will be reported late to the credit bureau because of the misleading information by USAA and their unethical debt collection practices.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation