Very Distraught: USAA ACCT/CC'S CLOSED!!!!!!!

[shirleyland]

My membership and both of my cards(USAA AMEX Platinum MAC) from USA were closed due to me not being ineligible after all the speaking to Car's to clarify my particular situation. My father was retired army but never had any insurance or any other products from USAA. This was explained thoroughly to the CSR's and I was reassured I would be fine as long as he was a retired military and to go ahead and apply.  She encouraged me while on the telephone to apply for  the cc's  but told me I was ineligible for the insurance products.   I am totally Confused.

[striper]

Thats odd.  You were approved originally and now they changed their mind?

And they are relaxing their standards for membership too. 

I saw a notice that now friends of military can qualify.

[Anonymous]

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@shirleyland wrote:
My membership and both of my cards(USAA AMEX Platinum MAC) from USA were closed due to me not being ineligible after all the speaking to Car's to clarify my particular situation. My father was retired army but never had any insurance or any other products from USAA. This was explained thoroughly to the CSR's and I was reassured I would be fine as long as he was a retired military and to go ahead and apply.  She encouraged me while on the telephone to apply for  the cc's  but told me I was ineligible for the insurance products.   I am totally Confused.

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Did your father join first, so you could join and be eligible? I would be calling someone to see what happened.

PP- I see the 'offer' to invite 'friends and family', but bottom line is, if they aren't eligible to join, it isn't happening. They still have to fit the requirements. If it were that easy, I would have alot of friends.

[Anonymous]

This makes me nervous.  I just had my dad join online recently ( he is retired military from a long time ago).  He doesn't have any products with them yet - just became a member, but I did sign up and have a checking and savings account.  Was he signed up before you?

[llecs]

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@striper wrote:

I saw a notice that now friends of military can qualify.

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I'm a friend of the military, but I just checked their website and the same rules apply: generally, you must be in the military or be a child of a member. Almost makes me want to enlist.

[scottie_mommy]

I used to work for USAA in the loan dept.

I heard they recently became a lil lienient with the membership requirements but as far as I can remember...if you father retired from the military he must join, then you may join and your kids may join, and so on.  Until he joins, you may not join.  They define members as "people who carry any of their insurance products and/or are insurance eligible."  SO you can have a checking and savings with them but technically you are not a member.

Another way for you to join without your dad is if you live in Bexar County (TX)- then you may have banking products with them (checking, sav, loans, CDs, money mkt, CCs, etc) without any military affiliation.

Also, in NV the rules are a little different since USAA has a physical branch there due to state requirements.

[scottie_mommy]

Generally, the following categories are eligible: 

• Active-duty officers and enlisted personnel.
• National Guard and Selected Reserve officers and enlisted personnel.
• Officer candidates in commissioning programs (Academy, ROTC, OCS/OTS).
• Former military personnel:
  • Retired officers and enlisted personnel.
  • Former officers and enlisted personnel who separated on or after Jan. 1, 1996.
• Adult children of USAA members.
• Widows, widowers and former spouses of USAA members.

Please call us at 1-800-531-USAA (8722) to update your eligibility status.

word for word from USAA.com

I hope that helps.

[shirleyland]

I was told by CSR that I was ineligible due to my father not locking his membership in by purchasingany of their products (insurance). Upon membership process, I discussed this with the CSR and shestated that it would be fine to establish membership even though he had passed away. If you knowof any way I can obtain my membership it would be GREATLY APPRECIATED, scotty_mommy. I have called back several times and they said they are really sorry.

[stpn2me]

I saw a notice that now friends of military can qualify.

I think they are clamping down on the standards again with the economy like it is. Plus I know some military groups were putting pressure on USAA, saying it was diluting the benefit letting friends join. I dont think USAA will lower CL's and that is one benefit of this great company. I hope your father can help you out...

Stpn2me

[Anonymous]

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@stpn2me wrote:

I saw a notice that now friends of military can qualify.

I think they are clamping down on the standards again with the economy like it is. Plus I know some military groups were putting pressure on USAA, saying it was diluting the benefit letting friends join.

Stpn2me

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I'm very surprised that USAA was (recently ?) allowing friends of military to join. About a year ago they had stopped allowing non military-affiliated from joining. Those who were non mil.-affiliated who managed to join were frequently complaining about not being permitted access to some of the same banking services and features as the mil-affiliated. Their point was that, as a non mil.-affiliated, why be permitted to join at all if they were never going to be allowed the same access as the mil.-affiliated.

I wonder if permitting friends of military to join was due to some greed on the part of USAA ? On a site where USAA employees post, they've been complaining about the immense pressure to sell sell sell at the end of every phone call; I'm starting to get a little sick of the sales pitches,too. There's also apparently been a very high employee turnover rate for awhile now.

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@stpn2me wrote:

I dont think USAA will lower CL's and that is one benefit of this great company.

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That's what I've been told; USAA supposedly will only take adverse action for being late with USAA. But I'm not willing to test that. I have some upcoming medical bills, and if I'm going to be forced to max out a card then I've decided that I'll be safer maxing out my Capital One card rather than my USAA card.

Message Edited by MojaveMoon on 10-25-2008 02:25 AM