Consumer complaint received 2020-05-19
Company: UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION
State: NJ
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Problem using a debit or ATM card

Complaint:
To whom it may concern, On XX/XX/2020, my partner contacted USAA savings bank to file a dispute to receive the money paid to XXXX for a trip to XXXX. When my partner spoke with the representative over the phone, the representative asked a series of questions and submitted the claims to the dispute department for review. There were temporary credits placed into our checking account, of roughly {$1800.00} immediately. On or around XX/XX/2020, we received notification that the temporary credit would be reversed because our dispute had been resolved in favor of the merchant due to a stoppage of services considering the pandemic. We immediately called the bank to try to understand what was happening. The bank notified us that we would have to contact the merchant to retrieve our monies. We explained multiple times that the bank had shut down all customer service channels and there was no way to get in contact with them. We requested that the dispute be forwarded back to the dispute team. There was pushback from the representative and we requested to speak with a supervisor on staff. We were forwarded to a woman who was not a supervisor and who kept insisting that we contact the merchant for assistance. The representative attempted to XXXX a number for us to call and after we told her multiple times that we have exacerbated all numbers that we could find on any search engine. After going back and forth with the representative, we requested that she put in a request to speak with the dispute team and disconnected the call. The first dispute person who contacted us and stated that we may be able to resubmit the dispute if we could provide tangible proof that XXXX  canceled our trip. If documentation would have made a better case for us, then why wasnt this documentation requested the first time? Nevertheless, with hopefulness, we provided this documentation, along with documentation from the hotel stating that they received reservation but were not paid, documentation from the airline that shows our reservation was canceled XXXX  but did not have a payment to provide credit to us, and documentation showing attempts of us emailing customer service with undeliverable notifications. After providing all of this, the dispute was resubmitted, and we awaited the call. Around this time, we realized that the dispute had been submitted as a banking error and not under services not rendered so, we called the bank and filed a new dispute under the correct filing. The next call we received from the dispute team was less than favorable. The representative reported that there was nothing further that they could, and the documentation would not change the outcome of the decision. The bank still insisted that we contact the merchant. We went back and forth with the representative trying to find answers to what we could do to figure this out so we could obtain our money from the merchant since they obviously had no intention of returning our money. This representative hung up in our face ; thus, we contact a banking supervisor. The banking supervisor was helpful and submitted yet another request for us to be contacted by the dispute team supervisor. 
The dispute team supervisor contacts us later that day stating that the bank was making changes to their process to see if there was anything additional, they could do for their multiple members having the same issue with XXXX. However, she also reported that our dispute could not go any further because the initial dispute was filed as a recurring charge and that our payment plan with XXXX  is not considered a recurring charge. When we asked her to explain what a recurring charge is considered, she explained that it is like a subscription service. We then asked her to explain why the bank expects members to know what the bank considers a recurring charge when guidance is not provided. The average person would consider a recurring charge to be something that happens repeatedlypayment plans, and even monthly bills take out the money in a recurring manner. The supervisor stated that the banking team takes notes on what is being told to them by the member and that the banking team does not have training in disputes. She also reported that the dispute team will call the members if they feel as if an error has been made. When we asked the supervisor why we were not contacted, despite having several disputes from other members for the same merchant and ours being listed as a recurring charge, she reported we wouldnt know it was recurring until the merchant responds back to our dispute. 
The USAA dispute team had us gathering documentation, sitting with long hold times with other businesses, and providing our findings to USAA for the supervisor to report that our outcome would not have changed from the initial submission on XX/XX/2020. Next, the supervisor stated that disputes can only be filed once and our case would close, for good. The supervisor could not determine if this is a rule of USAA or VISA. After emailing personally emailing VISA, this is a personal rule of USAA and it is problematic. This entire process is disconcerting to all our time and efforts put into ensuring that USAA had what they needed to assist in disputing our case. 
The dispute team at USAA failed to take any accountability for their lack of action in ensuring that their members understand the information given to them. Many times, the representatives could not answer questions and stated that only the dispute team could answer them. The dispute team is unable to be reached directly and a request must be submitted each time for them to call you back within 48 hours. If representatives who are gathering information for disputes, and disputes can only be submitted once, why are these representatives not being trained on dispute processes and ensuring that the member understands the jargon of the bank? If the initial representative would have provided guidance on what USAA considers a recurring charge, our outcome may be different at this time. Additionally, if disputes can only be submitted once, then why isnt the USAA dispute team contacting members before submitting the filed dispute to provide final guidance since they are the ones with proper training for submission? We understand the bank is a business ; however, a bank can not do proper business without customers who trust that their money is protected. This entire process has felt that USAA does not protect its members interests and will side with merchants in dispute cases without a proper investigation or guidance. 

Be well, The XXXX Family

Company public response: Company believes complaint is the result of an isolated error
Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief