Consumer complaint received 2019-10-19
Company: UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION
State: CA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Closing an account
Sub-issue: Company closed your account

Complaint:
In XX/XX/2019, USAA notified me via mail that my checking account was at risk of being closed because they had determined that I had been using the personal checking account for business activity. I immediately called USAA to address the matter. When I reached a representative I was told that the reason for the notice was due to deposits that had been made into the checking account in the name of a business. When I promptly told the employee that I had never received any checks in the name of a business he tried to look for other reasons. The employee then stated that I had made wire transfers and when asked for the reason of the wire transfer, I had replied " inventory purchase. '' According to the employee, this was the reason my checking account was at risk of being closed. However, if I ceased this activity, I was told there would be no issue. Further, the employee said that I could still make wire transfers and when asked for the purpose of the transfer simply state something that is unrelated to anything that could be construed as business. 

Further, I wanted to make sure from the employee that my checking account would never be closed without giving me proper notice as such a sudden closure would inevitably cause financial stress and hardship. The employee assured me that USAA would never close my account without notifying me in advance. 

I continued using my checking account as directed ( not for business purposes ).  Whenever I made wire transfers and was asked for the reason I was always able to provide a reason that was unrelated to business. Further, no money was ever deposited into my account in the name of a business. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a check in the mail with the balance of what had been in my checking account and a one line memo on it that stated " close account ending in xxxx. '' The check was dated XX/XX/XXXX. I immediately reached out to USAA for an explanation. They had closed my account on XX/XX/XXXX ( 5 days before I received the check or had any idea that the account had been closed ). There was no advance notification as I had been assured there would be if this event were to ever occur. I was completely panicked as my employer 's check was due to be sent the next day ( XX/XX/XXXX ). Even more worrisome was the fact that my car payment ( along with several other payments that are set-up for automatic withdrawal from my checking account ) had not gone through. Therefore, I was late on payments. Checks that I had written days before the account closure did not go through. XXXX transfers that I had made between XX/XX/XXXX-XX/XX/XXXX did not go through. Even worse, I have credit card bills due that I have no means to pay before the statements close because they were always paid by this one checking account that I had. To sum it up, I was in financial XXXX. 

When I requested bank statements from USAA leading up to the account closure in an effort to find out what other automatic payments I had set-up and what checks I wrote did go through, I was initially told I could not have them because I no longer had an account with them. After escalating the matter, I finally got past months statements but not the most important one ( XX/XX/XXXX ). XX/XX/XXXX, the days leading up to the account closure, would be crucial to me knowing what payments did or did not make it through for the financial obligations that I have ( credit cards, checks, auto payments, electric bill, etc ). I was told this statement was not available and will only be available when the full statement cycle ends ( didn't my cycle end when they closed my account? ).

No employee at USAA has been able to provide ANY information on what " business activity '' my account was used for since the notice that I received in XX/XX/XXXX. I have been forced to endure tremendous stress and financial hardship as a result of the checking account being closed without any notice whatsoever. This kind of treatment from a financial institution is troubling to say the least and unlawful from a consumer protection standpoint. 

Please note that the account closure notice that I have attached below was not received by me until XX/XX/XXXX ( 8 days past account closure ) after calling USAA several times to obtain it.

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