Consumer complaint received 2016-07-30
Company: UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION
State: SC
Product: Credit card
Issue: Convenience checks

Complaint:
My husband and I are USAA members. We have been insured by USAA ( homes, cars, etc. ) for approx. 20 yrs. In XXXX XXXX, we both received email solicitations to apply for a USAA Visa signature credit card with a special offer of 0 % interest on transactions until XXXX/XXXX/XXXX. The solicitations both mentioned no fee transfers and 0 % interest on such transfers until XXXX/XXXX/XXXX. We applied for the card and received it. Primary applicant was my husband. Shortly after receiving the card, we received convenience checks to be used for balance transfers. Before using a convenience check, I called USAA and spoke with representative named XXXX, ID No. XXXX. She assured me that these convenience checks were covered by the offer terms in the emails we had received - her assurance was that as long as the check posted by XX/XX/XXXX, the 0 % interest feature would apply through XX/XX/XXXX ( as per the offer in the email received by me and the offer in the email received by my husband ). I have provided both of these emails to USAA on several occasions. USAA has confirmed during my attempts to resolve this matter that their records reflect my conversation with XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, and their records confirm further that XXXX told me the convenience checks could be used with the 0 % interest feature. In reliance upon this representation, I used XXXX of the convenience checks. However, USAA has refused to honor the terms under which we applied for the credit card ( in the email offers, which I provided to USAA during my attempts to resolve this matter ). USAA has charged us interest and late fees in excess of {$200.00}, which will only continue to compound since they are refusing to honor the terms under which we applied for the card. I have spent approximately 5 hours in email exchanges and telephone conversations with USAA representatives attempting to resolve this matter. I have repeatedly sent them the email solicitations to verify the terms of the offer. On two occasions when I called after uploading the documents via the USAA website, they told me they had not received them. However, I had confirmation from their website that the documents uploaded successfully. The last step in this very unpleasant process to resolve USAA 's failure to comply with the terms of its offer involved my very lengthy discussion with a member of USAA 's Executive Resolution Team. Her name is XXXX ', ID No. XXXX. She submitted this matter for review. Several days later, and outside the timeframe in which I was advised USAA would respond, I received an email response from USAA indicating they would not honor the terms of the credit card offer under which we had applied. USAA insists we applied for a card with a different offer, but that is not the case. The email to my husband and the email I received contained the same terms - e.g., enjoy a 0 % introductory APR through XX/XX/XXXX on balances transferred before XX/XX/XXXX. Our balance was in fact transferred prior to XX/XX/XXXX. USAA has indicated that federal law prohibits them from honoring the offer we received. This seems like a bait and switch scenario. I have attempted in good faith to resolve this matter with USAA and received only a very time consuming runaround. Our excellent credit rating has been harmed by USAA 's actions. We feel powerless at this point. We responded to USAA 's solicitation, received verification from a USAA rep ( XXXX ) prior to using a convenience check to take advantage of the 0 % offer, USAA admits that we relied to our detriment on XXXX 's confirmation of the offer ; nevertheless, after charging of excessive amounts in interest and fees, USAA now informs us it will not honor the terms of the card for which we applied, and it will not honor the representations of its representative. Significantly, we applied for the card by clicking on a link in the email offer. Nevertheless, USAA insists we did n't apply for that offer.

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