Consumer complaint received 2016-11-16
Company: UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION
State: NC
Product: Credit card
Issue: Billing disputes

Complaint:
Beginning in XXXX, 2016, I had some issues with my credit card company on XXXX card accounts. The issues are specific to their systems for payments being inoperable and not able to receive payments online, via bill pay, etc. The XXXX accounts are XXXX, and XXXX. 

It began with my logging into my accounts on my iPad, as part of my normal course of actions each month, to pay the amounts due on each credit card account. In trying to make payments on each account, the process would not proceed to the completion phases of the transaction. In fact, it stopped well short of it each time. My payment was n't due for several days, at this point, but I called in to customer service to see what the issue was. The representative informed me that there was a known issue with their online systems for web bill pay. Ticket # XXXX. Essentially, there was no ability to make payments on accounts while this issue was in existence. I was assured that the IT team would get the issue fixed soon, but no timeline for completion could be given at the time. So, I was told that I could try it in a few days and all should be fine. 

In trying again in a few days, I found that the same issue existed. No payments could be made in any format online, from within your account, or through bill pay. So I called the bank once again. I was told that there were still known IT issues with their systems as they relate to bill payments. In the alternative, I was told that I could make the payment with the representative over the phone if needed. I was also told that the systems would be back up and running soon, but no timetable could be given. I was also assured that no payments would be listed as late as they were aware of the current IT issues within their systems and that payments made through alternative means would post to accounts without delay. I effected the payments on each account with the representative on the phone that day. 

XXXX weeks later, I see that both accounts were reported as paid late on my credit report, for XXXX 2016. I called the bank again to find out how that could be. At the time, I was told that the only remedy that I could use to fix this was to go through the credit bureaus and dispute the reporting. During my call, it was confirmed that ( 1 ) the issue with the web bill pay systems still existed, ( 2 ) that my issue was never recorded correctly in the notes nor was a proper issue ticket created for my specific issue, ( 3 ) that the bank recognized that the late payment issue was not my fault and that the late fees were going to be credited back to my account ( that were applied on the XXXX, 2016 billing period ). The late fees were credited on each account on XXXX/XXXX/16. My NEW IT issue ticket number is # XXXX. 

I completed a dispute via the credit bureaus and waited. The results came back still showing that the XXXX card accounts were being reported as late in XXXX, 2016. Frustrated with this result, I called the bank once again and was transferred to their Member Debt Solutions department. I was told that there was nothing they could do unless I wanted to close the accounts and set up some kind of arrangement on the balances. That was not at all what I was wanting to do, and not an issue I was looking to solve. 

I 've been a member with this financial institution for 23 years. I 've never overdrafted an account and I 've never had a late payment in all those years. This INCORRECT and ERRONEOUS late reporting on my credit has cost me credit rating/score points, and has just recently resulted in another account lowering my available credit as a result of the previous event, which then lowered my score once again. All of which started with this bank 's KNOWN IT issue with their online payment systems that is in no way a fault of my own doing and certainly not under my control. Help!

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