Consumer complaint received 2023-01-21
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Problem making or receiving payments
Company: UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION (CA)

I am a longtime USAA member. For years, my husband and I have used USAA checking accounts to pay our bills, including mortgage payments. 

USAA has several features for members, including bank-to-bank transfers ( between USAA to/from external banks XXXX, XXXX, and mobile deposits of checks. USAA does not have a brick & mortar location, so the only other way to deposit checks is by mailing it a po box in Texas ; the deposit time can then take up to a week. 

I attempted to deposit a {$11000.00} check that I received on XX/XX/XXXX through the USAA mobile app. I was unable to do so because the USAA app stated my deposit limit was {$1000.00}. I needed the money sooner, so I deposited the check into my XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX checking account. 

Today, XX/XX/XXXX, I attempted to move the funds from my XXXX XXXX  XXXX account to my USAA checking account. When I attempted to initiate a bank-to-bank transfer, the mobile app and online banking interface indicated my transfer limit was {$0.00}. 

I called USAA, which told me that an " EXP '' code had been placed on my account because I had a returned check deposit in XX/XX/XXXX. The USAA representative stated that this code was added automatically by the system, could not be removed by anyone at USAA, and would remain on my account for 6 months ( until end of XX/XX/XXXX ). During that time, the USAA representative told me that I would be unable to : initiate any XXXX transfers from any USAA accounts, conduct any bank-to-bank transfers ( of any amount ), send any wires from my USAA accounts, or deposit any amounts greater than whatever the USAA alogorithm determined was permissible ( {$1000.00} ). The representative was not able to initiate a bank-to-bank transfer from any of my verified and linked external bank accounts to a USAA account and stated there was nothing USAA could do. 

I am filing this complaint because I never received notice that an " EXP '' code had been placed on my account, was never given any redress, and I believe that the restrictions on my bank accounts are excessive, given that the returned check was for less than {$200.00} and I have over {$30000.00} in my USAA accounts. Further, the restrictions extend to activity that has never been an issue -- I have never had a bad external bank-to-bank transfer, never sent a bad wire, and never had a bad XXXX transfer. 

There is NOTHING on my USAA account that indicates why the bank-to-bank transfer, XXXX or wire functions do not work. I only learned by calling and spending significant time on the phone with 2 reps. Online and on the app, USAA 's XXXX just gives me an error, and the bank-to-bank just states that my limit is {$0.00}. I had not intended to deposit a check that would be returned -- that was a mistake on my part. 

I asked USAA what I could do to get my money over to USAA, which is where all my mortgages pay automatically from. They suggested I do XXXX transfers a week via XXXX ( limit of {$2500.00} ) for 5 weeks, or write checks for {$1000.00} to myself. I am very upset. When I asked how I could move my money out, they said I couldn't wire any. So I can't even get my money out of USAA.