View Full Version : USAA is on my list of Companies with very questionable Customer Service.
Averageman
02-16-21, 09:43
19 1/2 hours ago I called in a claim, broken pipe standing water. I have had to put a ring through the noses of these people and drag them in to providing Customer Service. Perhaps calling me back or provide me with an adjuster who isn't having some PMS problems and gets to work on time?
At the 19 hour mark, with no call backs, 4 calls to them and getting the run around, I feel I've wasted my money, I'm pretty pissed.
Averageman
02-16-21, 09:53
Seven last night I called in a claim for standing water.
I was told by them that they would send a water mitigation team and that they would call me in an hour. Called them back when I didn't get a call in an hour and a half.
Cleaned up everything I could by ten pm. Called again, nothing but words.
No contact, but as instructed I waited for them to show up. No dice.
Call this morning, got someone to call the water mitigation people, I had a pleasant conversation with them and now have an appointment. Had they kept me informed I would have gotten a carpet cleaner and sucked all the carpets dry, as it was I should have done that last night except, A) By the time I understood I was being blown off (8:30 pm) the market was closed as they close at 8:00pm. B) Just me and the dog here, so I'm trying to get the standing water off the floor and find the leak while dealing with an unresponsive USAA.
I feel like after the second phone call at 8:00 or the third at 9:00 someone should have been able to explain the situation.
This morning at 8:00 am I called again, I was assigned an Adjuster. Lavernia was argumentative and started insulting me.
Still hearing excuses, no actions yet by USAA.
This isn't like it is supposed to be.
I spent several years handling insurance claims. I needed less stress in my life. I became a cop.
Sounds like USAA's vendor was a bit busy. I ran into this quite often when there was a bad flood. The restoration teams only had so many carpet dryers, fans, Etc
I'd take it up with someone. I had a car a few years ago, that I took out insurance on through USAA, I kept logining on to the APP to print cards off of so I could stick them in the glove box and for a week I heard nothing, called back the lady I had talked to for insurance and she said that she would send them. I didn't think about it until 2 months later when the battery took a dive on a cold day, USAA never had a claim on that VIN. Luckly it was covered under warranty and the dealership took care of the issue, but I called USAA and logged a complaint, I had the name of the person I talked to and the dates/times from my cell on when I called her. They rushed me through the process and took off 3 months payment for my trouble. The only time I've had an issue with USAA, and they totally took care of me.
just a scout
02-16-21, 10:09
Idk. USAA is really good. I’m guessing they’re just overwhelmed right now with everything happening. I had an issue this weekend, everything taken care within an hour, not counting some computer and phone issues. But she called me back immediately and all was well.
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Averageman
02-16-21, 10:39
Overwhelmed or not, the phone still works and they need to handle coordinating things and answering a distress call back appropriately.
Call your state's insurance commissioner.
Never had an issue in the almost 20 years i have been with them. All kinds of products, from home to all my insurance, investments, banking, and car loans.
I would not use any company other then USAA.
Averageman
02-16-21, 11:36
Never had an issue in the almost 20 years i have been with them. All kinds of products, from home to all my insurance, investments, banking, and car loans.
I would not use any company other then USAA.
I will have Lavernia give you a call, bet you'll change your mind.
The biggest grievance I have is the wasted time, the lack of calling back to keep me informed and the intolerable wait.
Once she became less than cordial I told her I didn't care if she strapped on a tool belt, hitched her dogs to a sled and came out and fixed it her damn self.
eightmillimeter
02-16-21, 12:33
I understand your pain but realize insurance is no longer in the business of making you whole. The only circumstances that are ever handled appropriately are situations involving “total loss” in which case there are no arguments to make.
You will get the best customer service from true “mutual” companies, not ones with just mutual in the name but ones you actually share ownership in, the bad part is initial rates are usually competitive but if you stay with most companies more than a few years they will raise your rates to offset other costs from other clients.
My parents live in Iowa and were hammered by the derecho wind storm last august. The wind blew their shingles off and rain was just coming right through the plywood into the house through the ceilings.
They had State Farm. Biggest joke I’ve ever seen. I drove 4 hours day of to start cleanup and mitigation. Speed is key with water. You have to remove wet things, stop further ingress, dry what can be saved. I did all that. Drying the carpet etc was a no go because it was obvious there would be no power for a while. They had no power for 11 days.
I actually ended up representing them to their adjusters because they kept arguing they should have called in Servpro or servicemaster. They are so damn dumb, like they couldn’t comprehend why drying fans don’t work when you have no power. At the end of the day their house had ZERO mold or rot and all they needed was some new Sheetrock and some ceiling and wall insulation in addition to the new roof. I literally saved State Farm tons of money and they just bicker every step of they way, but they ultimately had no choice but to pay for the repairs. They just finally got new carpet last week, exactly 6 months after the storm.
Just remember when dealing with water, clean up as much as possible as soon as possible, good service companies are a great thing, but it’s useless until they actually show up. There’s always other limitations people never think of, a typical wet finished basement might need several big fans and dehumidifiers but people rarely have big enough or enough circuits to power all the equipment without tripping breakers.
I've had USAA for a dozen years and I've had nothing but good experience--even when filing a claim for an auto accident that was my fault they went out of their way to be helpful.
That said, they do sub contract out some of these services so you're never exactly sure who have. Usually they're pretty big on customer satisfaction--let them know what they screwed up and they may try and make it right.
Averageman
02-16-21, 13:28
17 hours after the incident I finally got a mitigation company to come in. They've taken the carpet out of the bedroom, installed fans and cleaned up a bit.
Come to find out USAA called these guys this morning at 2 am. The original Serv-Pro guys can't be reached and aren't answering. So if you need some guys who will show up, answer their phone and do the job "Specialty Restoration of Texas Inc." might be the guys to call, ask for Seth.
The biggest gripe I got is their refusal to keep me informed, thus allowing me to adjust on the fly here.
It beats getting harped at by Lavernia for asking what the malfunction was..
That's too bad to hear, sorry you had to go through that. Also surprising to hear, as i used to work in the insurance replacement industry, and USAA was BY FAR the best insurance company when it came to taking care of their customers. I worked with all the other big names, and they would fight a lot harder to NOT payout if possible, and USAA was always quick to take care of the insured.
I understand your pain but realize insurance is no longer in the business of making you whole. The only circumstances that are ever handled appropriately are situations involving “total loss” in which case there are no arguments to make.
You will get the best customer service from true “mutual” companies, not ones with just mutual in the name but ones you actually share ownership in, the bad part is initial rates are usually competitive but if you stay with most companies more than a few years they will raise your rates to offset other costs from other clients.
My parents live in Iowa and were hammered by the derecho wind storm last august. The wind blew their shingles off and rain was just coming right through the plywood into the house through the ceilings.
They had State Farm. Biggest joke I’ve ever seen. I drove 4 hours day of to start cleanup and mitigation. Speed is key with water. You have to remove wet things, stop further ingress, dry what can be saved. I did all that. Drying the carpet etc was a no go because it was obvious there would be no power for a while. They had no power for 11 days.
I actually ended up representing them to their adjusters because they kept arguing they should have called in Servpro or servicemaster. They are so damn dumb, like they couldn’t comprehend why drying fans don’t work when you have no power. At the end of the day their house had ZERO mold or rot and all they needed was some new Sheetrock and some ceiling and wall insulation in addition to the new roof. I literally saved State Farm tons of money and they just bicker every step of they way, but they ultimately had no choice but to pay for the repairs. They just finally got new carpet last week, exactly 6 months after the storm.
Just remember when dealing with water, clean up as much as possible as soon as possible, good service companies are a great thing, but it’s useless until they actually show up. There’s always other limitations people never think of, a typical wet finished basement might need several big fans and dehumidifiers but people rarely have big enough or enough circuits to power all the equipment without tripping breakers.
I had a similar situation during a tropical storm this past August, only the water came down of the street through the garage and into the first floor of my home. We had a good 10 inches of water throughout.
Called Insurance (we have flood insurance due to the fact a creek runs through our back yard) Was Told to get a mitigation company in as soon as possible. Couldn’t get one to come out at the earliest a week from then.
Long story short, like you, I pulled up my boots and day of started doing the mitigation myself (with help of my brother and dad). I ended up doing everything myself; water clean up, clearing out everything, removing sheet rock and insulation, then putting it all back together. Proud to say no mold here either and the first floor looks as if nothing ever happened.
However, my experience with the insurance was 180 degrees different. I was expecting a fight on account of doing it all myself. They were more than happen to cut me the check for everything. I probably ended up saving them $1000’s.
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19 1/2 hours ago I called in a claim, broken pipe standing water. I have had to put a ring through the noses of these people and drag them in to providing Customer Service. Perhaps calling me back or provide me with an adjuster who isn't having some PMS problems and gets to work on time?
At the 19 hour mark, with no call backs, 4 calls to them and getting the run around, I feel I've wasted my money, I'm pretty pissed.
Absolutely THE WORST company I have EVER dealt with!
Of 4 claims I had with them they fouled every single one up royally!
Last one was classic! I was cut off at an intersection and T-boned a car. Driver was fine. I cleared the accident and flagged down a LEO. My truck had a bent fender which impacted my front tire so another LEO and I took a few minutes to clear that then return to the other officer. The other driver claimed I ran a red light and LEO gave me a ticket which I later contested in court and WON! I asked the LEO who gave me the ticket how he came to the conclusion I ran the rd light and he admitted it was on word of the other driver which DID run a red light!
Meanwhile USAA decided I was at fault based on "testimony" of the other driver! When I contested and informed them of my intension they didn't care. I explained my statement was not even entered into record as the LEO refused and I'll be taking to court. After I won the case I called back. They claimed I was right but it was too much of a hassle to correct it, say I was not at fault and refund my deductible! Too much hassle! Sorry though.....!
Every claim took WEEKS to complete and took numerous phone calls. NOTHING EVER went smooth with USAA!
Get clear of USAA as quick as you can! BTW I was a USAA insured for over 30 years and never had an at fault claim. Perfect driving record. All the claims I had were fender benders where I was hit. All simple smooth claims! But they found a way to foul up every one!
Oh yea they almost got me beat up once too! A towing service messed up a van I had as it rolled off the bed and hung up on the hooks bending the front I beam axle (1968 Dodge Van) a tiny bit. They harassed the company to such a degree they were incredibly mad at me! I had to drop the claim which ended up being next to nothing. USAA was threatening the company!
Avgman,
Glad you got the situation taken care of but remember, pretty much the whole state is frozen over, people not going to work, millions without power, some roads impassable, etc. it’s not the best time to get things done quickly.
USAA should have communicated better though, I’ll agree. That said, I was an agent at State Farm briefly and will tell you that USAA not only always beat our rates, but every customer I talked to was very satisfied and not inclined to change. I’m currently a USAA customer and don’t have any complaints so far (granted, no claims at this point).
Sorry to hear it. I've been with USAA nearly 20 years, and have had nothing but great experiences with them.
Between the pandemic and lack of qualified folks who make insurance a job vs a career....this will continue effect claim service.
landrvrnut22
02-17-21, 07:27
One of my co-workers was an adjuster in the insurance business for 20 years. He foresees the next big market crash to be Insurance companies. Think of all the wildfires, hurricane, COVID, and now winter weather that have produced Millions if not Billions in claims this year. It's only going to take a few more disasters for the major insurance agencies to be tapped out of funds to cover the insured losses. They'll come running to the government with their hands out just like banks and automakers did 13 years ago.
One of my co-workers was an adjuster in the insurance business for 20 years. He foresees the next big market crash to be Insurance companies. Think of all the wildfires, hurricane, COVID, and now winter weather that have produced Millions if not Billions in claims this year. It's only going to take a few more disasters for the major insurance agencies to be tapped out of funds to cover the insured losses. They'll come running to the government with their hands out just like banks and automakers did 13 years ago.
They need to tap out the re-insurers first, and the market rises will partially offset the losses since insurance companies know they will pay out all the money they take in for premiums on claims -- the profit is in the fact that they take it in at time X and don't pay it out until time Y and they use that "float" duration to invest. That float duration is pretty long.
Helped an aging relative call her insurance guy one time after one of her rentals had a pipe burst. The house had 2 inches of water everywhere in the house. I shut the water off to the house and before we started helping her push the water and mess out she said "let's call Joe Schmo insurance guy...."
She's all tweaked- old people don't do well in situations like that. So I call him, 2 minute very detailed explanation of how bad it is, ceiling falling in, 2 inches water everywhere, etc. Covered it again for good measure.
Sounding partially doped it he finally says "I'll get an adjuster out there, don't do anything yet."
Me- "you sure? You don't want me to push all this water out or something?"
Him- "no, if there is water there just throw a towel over it."
Me- "I'm guessing you didn't hear me, there is 2 inches water in the entire house, ceilings are falling down.."
Him- still sounding like nothing is an issue- "i'll try to rush the adjuster out there."
Elderly relative begs us not to do anything re: the water, is confident joe dumbarse insurance guy will handle things.
Two days later, adjuster comes out, looks around. A day after that insurance agent calls her and says "your not covered for that." This is the same arsehole that told me specifically NOT to push the water out of the house that has now been siting in there for almost 4 days...
So.... it could be worse..
USAA is on my list of companies to divorce this year, also, for a few reasons, and one of them is the impression that I’m talking to some middleman anytime I called. I got so frustrated about a loan last year, I asked if they even have money. I’m not convinced they do.
That's too bad to hear, sorry you had to go through that. Also surprising to hear, as i used to work in the insurance replacement industry, and USAA was BY FAR the best insurance company when it came to taking care of their customers. I worked with all the other big names, and they would fight a lot harder to NOT payout if possible, and USAA was always quick to take care of the insured.
The mighty have fallen.
USAA sucks donkey ballz.
USAA is on my list of companies to divorce this year, also, for a few reasons, and one of them is the impression that I’m talking to some middleman anytime I called.
Agreed. It felt like talking to a used car salesman.
I still have checking and a Visa with them, but don't direct deposit there any more. Simply to lazy to completely shut the account down, but I no longer have any insurance or investments with USAA.
Agreed. It felt like talking to a used car salesman.
.
YES EXACTLY! Every little thing... “hold a moment, I have to check with my manager”
Helped an aging relative call her insurance guy one time after one of her rentals had a pipe burst. The house had 2 inches of water everywhere in the house. I shut the water off to the house and before we started helping her push the water and mess out she said "let's call Joe Schmo insurance guy...."
She's all tweaked- old people don't do well in situations like that. So I call him, 2 minute very detailed explanation of how bad it is, ceiling falling in, 2 inches water everywhere, etc. Covered it again for good measure.
Sounding partially doped it he finally says "I'll get an adjuster out there, don't do anything yet."
Me- "you sure? You don't want me to push all this water out or something?"
Him- "no, if there is water there just throw a towel over it."
Me- "I'm guessing you didn't hear me, there is 2 inches water in the entire house, ceilings are falling down.."
Him- still sounding like nothing is an issue- "i'll try to rush the adjuster out there."
Elderly relative begs us not to do anything re: the water, is confident joe dumbarse insurance guy will handle things.
Two days later, adjuster comes out, looks around. A day after that insurance agent calls her and says "your not covered for that." This is the same arsehole that told me specifically NOT to push the water out of the house that has now been siting in there for almost 4 days...
So.... it could be worse..
Was she denied because she was not actually covered at all, or was it on a technicality? If on a technicality, that is where I would have gone back to make them responsible for the additional damage from following their instructions, as she reasonably thought she was covered. If she was just confused and had no such reasonable expectation (ie, no such policy) then,w ell, I guess it is too bad. But "Joe Schmo the insurance guy" should have come back and told her right away it was not covered, which makes it sound like some sort of "technicality" to me.
Anyway, sad story to hear about.
Don Robison
02-17-21, 19:14
Dumped them about 15 years ago. Best thing I’ve ever done insurance and banking related.
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Never had an issue in the almost 20 years i have been with them. All kinds of products, from home to all my insurance, investments, banking, and car loans.
I would not use any company other then USAA.
25 years of excellent service to me. We’re not going elsewhere any time soon.
Was she denied because she was not actually covered at all, or was it on a technicality? If on a technicality, that is where I would have gone back to make them responsible for the additional damage from following their instructions, as she reasonably thought she was covered. If she was just confused and had no such reasonable expectation (ie, no such policy) then,w ell, I guess it is too bad. But "Joe Schmo the insurance guy" should have come back and told her right away it was not covered, which makes it sound like some sort of "technicality" to me.
Anyway, sad story to hear about.
Basically her hubbie that had dementia before he died cancelled some of the insurance supposedly. The agent would have seen that immediately when pulling up the account when I was on the phone with him. I think it was a case of string along and give the bad news later type of deal. In other words, he knew it wasn't covered on the phone call but didn't say it then. It's that lack of comm and delay that created a bigger problem.
But yeah it was a $hit show all around. We could have lessened the damages immediately after finding it but were advised to let it be.
Averageman
03-19-21, 10:04
Well as you can see it has been over a month and USAA are still dragging their feet.
I live in Texas, I am dealing with a guy handling my claim who lives in Colorado, the adjuster (a contract adjuster for this emergency, non- USAA employee) low balled me in what I can only guess was an attempt to get me to drop my claim.
The adjuster was $ 1000 off on the carpet alone. The did the same kind of treatment with the bathroom cabinet and dry wall.
On top of this every contractor is slammed.
Averageman
03-19-21, 10:04
Double tapped there, but just a note;
Of the Contractors I have talked to, one immediately said, "I can't wait for USAA to cut a check, they are slow rolling payments."
So, just to add insult to injury, there is that...
edit to add;
I have a valuable personal property policy with them, I got some mail about it today, the last line reads;
"A history of claim activity may effect your coverage."
well that is comforting.
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