Consumer complaint received 2023-04-07
Company: UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION
State: FL
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Home equity loan or line of credit (HELOC)
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
During principle payment adjustment procedure, USAA does not provide operators information on acceptance of paper form changing principle payment via the mail. USAA has diverted member funds to XXXX multi-millionaire, XXXX XXXX, for a television commercial for bank membership ( which used to be limited to military officers only ) and USAA is simultaneously, " strong-arming '' members to stop receiving paper documents via the mail. USAA requires me to fill out paper forms to change a HELOC principle payment, which I sent in several days ago. These principle payments are made in the XXXX of each month. Not hearing from USAA, I called today, XXXX XXXX, XXXX, to make sure my payment form was received and processed. XXXX, a professional and good operator, told me that I did not check a box next to the principle amount I filled in and this might stop the payment change when reviewed by the department. I had called in and was verified by the dual-security phone system and told XXXX that box should be checked. XXXX also mistakenly said I had changed my payment to {$1500.00} via {$15000.00}, which was clearly written on the forms. I requested a supervisor to find out why my statement over the phone that the box should be checked still may not be accepted when I was verified during call in. XXXX, an XXXX Resolutions Team supervisor took the call and notified me that both the payment form had already been accepted and that a letter was sent out to that effect. When I asked why XXXX didn't know that information, she had no excuse. When I asked why I was not emailed XXXX stated that we are either all paper or all electronic at USAA for document delivery. This is simply a cost reduction tactic that " strong arms '' members like myself to turn off paper documents to get email about changes to payment plans like this. This turns out to be a lie because when I make transfers from one USAA account to another, I get an email confirmation of this, even though I have my monthly statements coming to me via standard mail. So what XXXX stated to me is not true. Just this past XXXX of XXXX, I made a transfer of funds between two USAA accounts and received an email verifying that transfer, yet I am set up for paper documents for both of those accounts, yet here XXXX says USAA doesn't allow the HELOC department to email me when a principle payment amount is changed. She claims there are regulations in place that mandate paper singed forms for HELOC payment changes yet USAA will not quickly notify me and they won't tell me over the phone when a payment change has been accepted unless I ask for a ERT supervisor. This complaint is about not notifying me via email when a principle payment has been changed like every other department at USAA is able to do. This complaint is about primary operators who don't have up to date information that a supervisor has readily available. This complaint is about USAA 's HELOC process which is designed to obstruct members ability to change payments and find out when paper singed documents have been received, processed and accepted. If regulations require all this, then those same regulations should require the most secure delivery and notification process, which is NOT THE US MAIL. Operators should have all the information they need. Email notifications for principle payments should be sent out immediately when a payment change form has been authorized like what is done when I simply make a funds transfer between USAA held accounts. There is so much wrong with this HELOC process and nothing being done correctly. It is an abuse of USAA membership while millions of our funds are being sent to multi-millionaire XXXX player XXXX XXXX to act in a membership commercial for TV.

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