Consumer complaint received 2022-12-31
Company: UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION
State: FL
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Funds not handled or disbursed as instructed

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2022, I attempted to use two of my debit cards ( each attached to a different checking account ) with USAA. I was paying a {$15.00} copay at my child 's doctor 's office. Both cards were declined and I could not pay. Thankfully our provider allowed me to leave without paying and said I could pay later online. I checked my accounts and verified I had money in the accounts. I thought possibly it was an issue with their office and moved on. Then I went to eat breakfast with my husband. He tried to pay with his debit cards - he has 3 different checking accounts so 3 cards. All of them were declined. We could not pay. We could see our accounts each had plenty of money in them but we had NO means to pay. When we contacted USAA, we were told different information. My husband was told they needed him to provide information. I was told it was possible fraud. We were informed that because my husband had not answered questions about how we use our own account and our own money, all of our cards, ALL SIX of our debit cards, were restricted i.e. blocked. I don't know if this also means the accounts were restricted or not i.e. whether USAA would have honored a check or ACH during this time, but I would really like to know that. Our cards would not be reactivated until my husband answered a series of questions. He had been asked on his app to update some information, none of which appeared very important. He was not aware that this information was required or required by a certain date and that if he didn't provide it that WE BOTH would lose access to our own money. He reviewed the questions and answered them so we could have access to our money. The questions, however, were NOT of a nature so important to restrict both of us from our funds on ALL of our checking accounts. This was completely unnecessary and done without proper notice. USAA did not call us. USAA did not send a notice in the mail. USAA did not text either of us. USAA only issued a pop up to my husband only ( I am an equal account owner and entitled to as much notice as he is ) and USAA sent an inconspicuous 'document ' to me via my online account. I was only made aware of this inconspicuous document after calling USAA to find out why this happened - why our access to our money was restricted because they wanted to know about how we used our accounts. I was told that because my husband was the " primary '' then he was the only one contacted initially. It follows then, that USAA considers me, as his wife, as secondary. This is inappropriate and must stop. I am as entitled to these accounts and money as a CO-owner. Equally puzzling is that this information could have waited and/or been requested by other means. USAA should have provided sufficient and actual notice to all account owners before restricting our access to our accounts. Additionally, USAA should treat me as an equal, not inferior to or entitled to less notice than my husband about any issue, but in particular, an issue that would result in restricting access to all of our funds for any period of time. 


NOTE - I am aware that financial institutions are placed under tremendous pressure to prevent fraud and also gather/report certain information pursuant to the Patriot Act. Notwithstanding, they have a duty to their customers to be fair, transparent, and communicative. Compliance with state and federal laws intended to prevent terrorism does not give USAA or any bank carte blanche authority to arbitrarily deny a consumer access to their funds, absent some showing there is an actual threat. USAA should not terrorize its customers in the name of preventing terrorism.

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