Consumer complaint received 2020-10-01
Company: UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION
State: AZ
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Trouble using your card
Sub-issue: Can't use card to make purchases

Complaint:
Automated " KYC '' Account Closure - no final warning given during pandemic while working out of State as an essential  worker for Critical Infrastructure  experiencing logistical  issues due to quarantine, shutdowns, regulatory closures, supply chain issues, increased hold times, protests and other substantial factors. 

Two accounts affected within USAA were a checking account, and a USAA branded XXXX Credit Card with a XXXX limit. Payment history is impeccable. Balance owed is XXXX and credit to debt ratio will be severely impacted by this adverse action taken by the automated closure process. 

I am anticipating an increase from 53   % CDU  to 82  % CDU  being reported - and a potential damage to my financial reputation and credit worthiness / risk category that can and has been leveraged by this very institution to justify rate increases on all banking products as well as insurance via the complex sharing of consumer financials via XXXX XXXX, 3 Bureaus and XXXX/XXXX  XXXX  XXXX. 

With several attempts made to reinstate and reconcile the account, the over-reliance of automated banking measures haven't made any allowances for these scenarios during COVID-19, and " the bank '' states numerously via various posturing mechanisms after reinforcing it's own protective narrative that they have made several attempts. They have 7 mechanisms for communication including text banking, in app notifications, phone calls, emails direct, emails indirect via secure messaging, in app chat notifications, and written correspondence. They alleged that they sent an email, and with an inbox flooded with marketing blasts, junk, and other bulk data, 42,500 emails were to be sorted while looking for equipment to return home from out of state during the pandemic ( Shortage of XXXX trailers and equipment, etc ). The bank has convieniently scripted a rebuttal for any potential grievance a customer may have for the ambiguous interpretation of the Patriot Act - now rebranded as the " Know your customer '' ( KYC Closures ) ''. While the banks are anticipating a repeat of 2008, they are positioning themselves to waive late fees and leverage people into higher interest categories by either reducing limits, driving up CDU  % - or closing accounts entirely that do not meet certain desirable criteria. Investors have made a stand against the members of the institution, and a mechanism for account restoration needs to be implemented along with a final warning that will set off all available means of communication with the customer - with an account expiration date, and extenuating circumstance allowances made for people being impacted by the pandemic. 

I hope that USAA will start to see the impact that their over-reliance on automation is having on the customers as they close long term members.

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