Consumer complaint received 2019-09-13
Company: UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION
State: FL
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account
Sub-issue: Transaction was not authorized

Complaint:
On or about XX/XX/15 I transferred {$250.00} into my checking account to cover the highest balance and most past due of my two credit cards in the amount of {$250.00}. This left a remaining slightly late balance of {$150.00} due on the other card and it was agreed between myself and the USAA Special Debt Solutions agent on the phone that rather than have them auto debit the payment ( because of the inability to change, modify or cancel payments they create and the problems that caused in a previous transaction ) I would check back in approximately a week and make the payment manually. 

Unfortunately the medical issue that caused me to become severely late in the first place earlier this year reoccured and I was immediately hospitalized for an additional extremely long period of time and only within the past two weeks. 

Upon my return it was discovered that USAA had gone ahead and auto debited the {$150.00} from my checking account without my permission, force overdrawing the account which remained overdrawn without my knowlege or ability to correct it for an extended period of time because I was hospitalized yet a second prolonged period of time. 

Subsequently USAA closed and charged off my checking account that they unlawfully caused to become overdrawn and now they refused to fix the issue they caused in the first place. 

Ironically this is the very same group within USAA that is responsible for the class action that USAA just settled with the Consumer Protection Board and is exactly the same type of behavior that got USAA in trouble to begin with. It's vividly clear that USAA has not learned from their punishment and continues to engage in the same unlawful practices. 

When I was made aware of what caused my account to be closed the agent I was working with attempted to contact the USAA Special Debt Resolution unit that had unlawfully forced the ACH payment in the first place. They told her they would only reverse it if they could speak to me directly. She noted the account in great detail and then transferred the call. 

XXXX # XXXX then took over the call however instead of working with me as promised to reverse the unlawful charge he immediately went into trying to collect on my two credit cards. When I stopped him and said wait a second, you told the other agent you were going to take care of the charge and the only way you would do so is if you could talk to me about it and now you refuse to talk about that at all opting instead to discuss my other accounts he completely denied telling the original agent this however the calls are recorded and she clearly documented the conversation between all parties. 

XXXX # XXXX flatly lied to the originating agent for the sole purpose of getting her to transfer my call to him. In the end the call was terminated and he was nofitifed there would be consequences for his dishonesty. Dishonesty and unlawfulness that apparently runs rampant in his department. This group appears to be have been given carte blanche within USAA despite being the cause of the most recent two Class Action Federal Complaints.

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