Consumer complaint received 2018-08-14
Company: UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION
State: NJ
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem when making payments
Sub-issue: Problem during payment process

Complaint:
I am at the end of my rope with USAA. I have a credit card with them. I have on 2 or 3 occasions utilized their balance transfer option. On XX/XX/2018, I used a check for {$15000.00}. Payments are due on the XXXX of the month -- first payment was due on XX/XX/2018. As I have with EVERY payment EVER MADE on the USAA credit card, I schedule my payment monthly to be paid on the due date. 
Today, XX/XX/2018, I logged into my USAA account to confirm the payment posted to my account ONLY TO FIND that USAA made THREE separate withdrawals for my credit card. One on XX/XX/2018 for {$140.00} ( the minimum payment amount and not scheduled by me ), a second on XX/XX/2018 for {$200.00} ( which I scheduled ), and a third on XX/XX/2018 ( again, which I DID NOT SCHEDULE ). 
I immediately called USAA. The first woman I spoke to claimed I set up automatic payments on XX/XX/2018. I dispute that -- if I ever did set up automatic payments, I immediately cancelled it. I do not make automatic payments. But even if that were true, then at least my XXXX and XXXX payments would have been automatically paid -- they weren't -- they were one-time payments just like EVERY PAYMENT I have EVER made. Second, it didn't explain why there were THREE payments -- 2 of which were " automatic '' payments. I asked to be transferred. XXXX got on the line. She made the same claim. Actually, she told me there was no evidence of three payments, despite that it was clearly on the USAA website ( and my personal bank account -- which is now overdrawn ). I again disputed that I ever authorized or set up automatic payments, inquired why there were no automatic payments in at least XXXX and XXXX if it was allegedly set up in XXXX, and demanded they refund my money which I DID NOT authorize them to take. XXXX said there was nothing else she could do for me so I asked to be transferred again. 
XXXX got on the phone. She again claimed the automatic payments were set up in XXXX. When I look at the " automatic payment details '' it explicitly indicates that the automatic payment effective date is " XX/XX/2018 '' -- so how can it ALSO be XX/XX/2018? When I asked XXXX why there were no automatic payments prior to this XXXX fiasco, she stated that was because if I scheduled a one-time payment for at least the minimum amount, then no automatic payment would be pulled ( thus apparently explaining the lack of automatic payments in XXXX and XXXX ). Except the payment I scheduled for XXXX was for MORE than the minimum payment. And instead of pulling the " automatic payment '' on the due date, USAA pulled it one day early -- then the next day my scheduled payment was pulled. Then 2 days later, despite more than DOUBLE the minimum amount already having been paid, USAA pulled an additional " automatic payment '' for the amount of my scheduled payment. If that doesn't clearly indicate there is a problem, I don't know what does. But XXXX claimed she couldn't see ANY of this on her screen. Asked me to upload it to her. So I did. And then she told me it will take AT LEAST 24 hours for the uploaded documents to be " scanned and available '' ( I already scanned and uploaded them so I don't know what she's talking about ). And then she told me that if it turns out my money should be refunded, I have to wait ten ( 10 ) business days before they can begin the process of processing any refund. 
I am in total dumbfounded shock. The first payment NEVER should have happened because even if there's a valid automatic payment authorization set up -- it clearly indicates it is to occur on the payment due date for the minimum amount only. Not the day before AND the day after for more than the minimum amount.

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