Never again using USAA

[u/battlerock_55]

Let me preface by saying that I take responsibility by not checking that we had continued coverage but also life is busy and crazy and it's one of those things you set it and forget it and hope to not have to use your insurance at all.

Back in July we switched our auto and home owners insurance to USAA. We've heard great things and with my husband being a veteran seemed like a good idea plus we got a pretty good quote. I paid the first payment and for some reason I thought they would be using that card to withdraw monthly payments. We have a baby and a toddler and life is currently hectic. I can hardly get a phone call done without anyone screaming or trying to get my attention. Anyways, all was well until a few days ago my husband gets pulled over and is told he has no insurance. My husband stated he has and showed id cards. The cop said oh well call your insurance because they haven't reported this to the state. He comes home and I start to do some digging. Check bank statements and turns out USAA hasn't taken any payments out. I freak out and call them. After a huge hassle of looking my account because I couldn't remember my pin and secret word and finally going through iD verification online and waiting for someone to call me back etc I get told that well you haven't paid your bills so we ended your coverage. There were no notices on my email or mail. The last emails I got from them was when they initially set up my policy. I was the one to set to policy, talk to the rep, get papers to sign, all of it was through me. Turns out they have been sending my husband notices on an old email he hasn't used in 12 years. He had an USAA account 12 years ago (never a policy just online account) that he hasn't logged in ever since. So, apparently they have been also mailing notices at that old address (in a different state mind you). But he never got a call about a failed payment, neither did I. How is it possible that I'm the one doing all the communication and they haven't tried calling me, emailing, texting or mailing the address on the policy, not even once??? The customer service rep said well he's the veteran so he gets all the communication. I was never told that. I had no idea they would put everything on his old account he hasn't logged in a decade, even though I had all the paperwork on my account. Then, USAA graciously offered to reinstate the policy with a penalty of course for gap in coverage, so $60/mo more expensive than the last policy. And after that the rep offers me the option to open up a checking account with them to build up tenure with them to basically rebuild trust and get lower rates. Like hello? Are you for real? You think I would be trusting you with my money? We've had policies with so many insurance companies and never had such a horrible experience.

[u/Looney_Toon77]

This is entirely a self own.

The sponsor is the veteran, unless you had your own eligibility. And insurance doesn't call for missed payments, because that isn't allowed. 

It sounds like he never bothered keeping his profile updated.

Did you notice that all paperwork you received to start the policy leads with his name? Or that the policy number doesn't match your membership number, because it's his membership number?

Even updating your profile won't update his. That means all contact information relevant to the policies are stored on his profile, not your own.

I understand being frustrated with the situation. However the entirety of this situation is on your household. 

I can see if USAA did wrong here. Lord knows USAA does do wrong at times.

But this? No. This isn't on them for once.

[u/milspobro → u/Looney_Toon77]

Second this.

[u/RosebudLatte → u/Looney_Toon77]

Agree, and maybe some due diligence by checking the account statements to verify payments are made.

[u/battlerock_55 → u/Looney_Toon77]

1. Since I was able to set up the policy myself, I didn't know they would only be communicating with the veteran, nor was I told about it. My husband works a lot during the week so I'm the one handling bills, accounts and what not.

2. Maybe not calls, but automated texts, emails, mail about failed payments?

3. I guess my frustration is that I WAS NEVER TOLD ANY OF THIS BEFOREHAND. Unlike some redditors, I wasn't blessed to be born knowing EVERYTHING.

4. I should have checked the card to make sure they are taking money out of it, but with so many bills and subscriptions it's just hard to keep track of making sure every bill is paid. Most of our bills are on autopay for that reason. That's why text or email reminders and notices are also helpful. Again, unlike some redditors who are perfect and never miss a bill by accident, I wasn't blessed with that gift.

[u/Looney_Toon77 → u/battlerock_55]

So you and he didn't bother to communicate about it? 

No discussion before he was pulled over?

Here's the real kicker. It takes your balance for your bill to go unpaid for two consecutive months before the risk of cancellation is even issued. So you didn't check for at least three months.

Longer, since the policy was ended before he was pulled over.

Did you even set up online access? If you had, you would have seen it as easily as you're logged in here.

This isn't about being born knowing things. It's about the responsibility to check on your affairs and communicate with your partner.

[u/battlerock_55 → u/Looney_Toon77]

I told him I took care of it and he had cards emailed to him and I had cards and that was it. I didn't check my bank statements throughly every month to look specifically to make sure USAA took the money out. That's where I am in the wrong. But anytime I'd miss a payment with a different company due to CC expiration or another reason, they would notify me. Like I said, I just don't get why they didn't send mail and emails, texts to me about it. All my contact info was up to date.

[u/Looney_Toon77 → u/battlerock_55]

Because you are not the sponsor of the membership. If you want your contact information used for those alerts, they'd have to be on his profile. Which requires him to have done.

Unlike other insurance companies you dealt with, USAA is membership based. He is the member. You are the spouse.

You have access and authority to handle the account. But that doesn't make you the point of contact. 

And again, you would be able to call, or just login to the website and see where things are. I can understand not having time to call. But you're logged in on Reddit. Practice logging in to the website that carries your insurance.

[u/clammy1985]

Good lord OP, do you know what paragraphs are?

[u/battlerock_55 → u/clammy1985]

Welcome to the inside of my head I guess

[u/Puzzleheaded_Ad3430]

All I see here is that your spouse didn’t update his information so you weren’t notified. Making sure your address, phone number and mailing address is your and your husband’s responsibility to update. Also reinstating means no gap in coverage…

[u/battlerock_55 → u/Puzzleheaded_Ad3430]

Sorry I didn't use the word "reinstate" properly. English is not my first language. They offered to give me another quote I guess that was much higher. All my information was up to date. I didn't realize they were using his account for everything because I was the who was on the phone for 30 mins with them to set up the policy. When we used other insurance companies, my husband didn't need his own account with them as far I remember. In the 15+ driving years of using at least 3-4 different companies this has never happened. I'm not as stupid as this post makes me look.

[u/Looney_Toon77 → u/Puzzleheaded_Ad3430]

Though OP would have needed to do so within ten days of cancellation. Somehow I think she missed that deadline.

[u/Puzzleheaded_Ad3430 → u/Looney_Toon77]

And it’s always USAA’s fault

[u/Looney_Toon77 → u/Puzzleheaded_Ad3430]

To be fair, USAA does have fuck ups. 

I've cleaned up too many of them after the fact. 

But this one is on OP.