Consumer complaint received 2024-01-31 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Problem making or receiving payments
Company: UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION
State: WA

Complaint narrative:
My name is XXXX XXXX and I have been a member at USAA for 10+ years with my husband who has been a member for at least 15+ years. An issue has risen and all your representatives can tell me is that according to Deposit guidelines page 32, sorry we don't have to give you a reason. Your representatives should not just be spitting out policies when it comes to military service members. Please see my story below and let me know what can be done. 

On XX/XX/year>, I initiated a call to report a non-fraudulent dispute regarding a transaction where I paid but did not receive the merchandise. With over a decade of experience in the banking sector, particularly in consumer services, I am well-versed in federal regulations and bank policies pertaining to fraud disputes. During the call, I repeatedly emphasized to the customer service agent that this was not an incidence of fraud ; I had not disclosed any personal information to third parties. The purchase in question was made on XXXX XXXX through XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, and the product was never delivered. I insisted at least six times during the conversation that my case should not be classified as fraud. Despite this, the USAA representative used the term " scam '' in their documentation and unnecessarily sent a financial crimes referral. 
Even though I explicitly mentioned that none of my information, such as debit card details, account number, or login credentials, were compromised, the fraud department restricted all my accounts to credit-only transactions. This action was taken without proper justification and affected even accounts unrelated to the dispute, all without notifying me. Following this restriction, my ACH payment to USAA auto insurance was rejected. I received no notice of Non-Sufficient Funds ( NSF ), which is a deviation from federal regulations. Consequently, USAA auto insurance interpreted my account as frozen and ceased processing payments, leading to the cancellation of my auto policy. 

To reactivate our auto insurance, we were faced with a substantial increase in our monthly premium {$150.00} moreand required to make a {$910.00} deposit, despite our longstanding, issue-free history as clients. 

I've made three or four attempts to contact USAA, speaking with numerous representatives who all inform me that the fraud department has the autonomy to act as they see fit in these situations without providing any notification to the account holders. Despite USAA 's claims of exceptional service to service members, I have received no assistance in my case. The fraud department repeatedly declined my calls and provided no explanation for initiating an investigation. Similarly, the banking division dismisses the error in failing to notify members about actions taken on their accounts. They also refuse to concede that it was incorrect for a fraud specialist to freeze an account unrelated to my non-fraudulent dispute. 

This approach raises concerns : if a military member XXXX XXXX  had to report a non-fraudulent dispute, would USAA freeze their accounts without notification? This would result in all their bills being rejected without their knowledge. I question how this treatment aligns with USAA 's commitment to serving the military community. 

I've found that no one at USAA bank is prepared to assist me. Despite acknowledging the calls where I clearly stated it was a non-fraud dispute, nobody seems willing to make an extra effort. This level of service has left me profoundly dissatisfied. Please reach out as we are considering alternative ways to handle this. 

I have reached out through both email and XXXX  without the opportunity for a direct conversation. My experience with USAA organization has involved being redirected to multiple individuals for an investigation into a dispute and subsequent actions. USAA promotes exceptional service for military members, a claim contradicted by my recent experiences, which align more closely with those at other large banks like XXXX XXXX , XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX, or XXXX. 

USAA policy allows account freezes, which I understand given my 15 years in banking ; however, after 18 years as a loyal client, the implication that there was money laundering or risk of loss on my accounts was unwarranted. Each case deserves individual attention equitable, not equal treatment. The issues I presented were unrelated to fraud or careless handling of sensitive information and should be assessed differently. 

No one with decision-making authority has yet engaged with us to address these policies, which when applied without discretion can appear callous rather than just.

Company public response: Company believes complaint represents an opportunity for improvement to better serve consumers
Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief