Consumer complaint received 2019-12-30
Company: UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION
State: PA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Fees or interest
Sub-issue: Problem with fees

Complaint:
My father suggested that I open a secured account with USAA to establish credit in XXXX. I opened the account and sent the bank {$250.00} to secure the credit card. I was never informed directly that the bank charged a {$35.00} annual fee for the credit card. I only used it twice. and when I received a XX/XX/XXXX statement, I noticed that I had been charged this {$35.00} fee. I called the bank and asked them to remove the fee, return my security deposit, and make my account unsecured. They told me they couldn't do this. I then told them that I wanted to close the account, and I wanted them to refund my {$250.00} security deposit. They said they would only return my security deposit after I paid the {$35.00} fee. I told them that this was unfair, but they let me know that they didn't care. After much discussion, they agreed to return my security deposit minus the {$35.00} fee. I agreed! Two weeks past by and I did not receive a check for {$210.00} that they agreed to send. I called on the telephone and told them that I did not receive the check. Three days later, I received the check and deposited it in my checking account at XXXX XXXX. Three days after that I received another check for {$210.00}. I called the bank and asked what I should do with this second check. The bank representative told me to tear the check up. I did not tear the check up because I was afraid that if I tore it up, I would have no record of it. 
I received an XXXX statement that said I owed the bank {$210.00} plus interested and gave me a minimum payment of {$28.00}. I asked my father to call USAA since he had been a customer of the bank for over 50 years. The employee with whom he spoke said that I should put a stop order on the check. I spoke to him, and he said he would put a stop order on the check and close the account. I thought it was all over. 
At this point, we had spent over three hours in the USAA telephone maze and being transferred to four different representatives. Each representative had to verify my father and me before they could talk to either of us. Each one would ask us the same questions as the previous one, and none of them before or after this phone call had any of the information that we had already explained. Each representative only knows what to say in specific circumstances, and none of them know what to do if a customer does not fit into their specific model. No one there is capable of handling problems ; however, we were continually told that it was being handled. 
I called the bank and was routed to a representative named XXXX. I asked XXXX for the name and address of the CEO of the bank. At first, she said that she did not know. After much discussion, she put me on a 20-minute hold and returned with an answer. She said his name was XXXX XXXX ( She spelled it for me ), She said that Mr. XXXX would not ever see the letter, but it would be read by someone in the dispute resolution department. 

A week later I received another check from USAA for {$210.00} In XXXX, I received a statement that said I owed the bank {$230.00}, which included a {$15.00} late fee. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, I reached XXXX after a 15-minute telephone maze. Somehow XXXX got my account mixed up with my sister XXXX 's account, and I could not convince her that I wasn't XXXX. She transferred me to XXXX # XXXX, who transferred me to XXXX ID # XXXX. XXXX put me in contact with XXXX XXXX ID # XXXX ext. XXXX who claims to work for the office of the CEO. I asked him to talk to my father and after a half-hour of deliberation and verification, XXXX told my father to deposit the check in my XXXX 's XXXX account and send USAA credit card Department my check for {$210.00}. 
I did as I was told, and I just received a statement on XX/XX/XXXX, saying that I owe the bank {$240.00}. 
Of course, I called the bank, went through the telephone maze, and three different representatives that had no idea of what I wanted and was finally told that I had to speak to XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. Here it is XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX hasn't called me yet. I called him on the phone at his extension - XXXX and left a message because I don't think he answers the phone. I left a message. He hasn't called back, and I don't expect that he will.

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