USAA Expands Membership to all honorably discharged vets

[Rustic23]

For me, the bloom is off USAA. While I do have my policies with them, I no longer look at them as 'a friend of the military member'. This has come through three separate dealings with them. When my brother was killed in a auto accident there were at least three companies involved. My SIL said that USAA was the only one that balked at paying the claim. When another brother died I tried to get USAA to extend insurance on his home until we could sell it, about 60 days, they would not. When I bought my present house dealing with their mortgage arm was a nightmare, so much so that they finally canceled their fee prior to closing. On the other side they serviced a claim for a home break in outstandingly. There phone service is always friendly. All in all, they have become just another big business, IMHO.

[ziggy29]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rustic23 For me, the bloom is off USAA. While I do have my policies with them, I no longer look at them as 'a friend of the military member'. This has come through three separate dealings with them. When my brother was killed in a auto accident there were at least three companies involved. My SIL said that USAA was the only one that balked at paying the claim. When another brother died I tried to get USAA to extend insurance on his home until we could sell it, about 60 days, they would not. When I bought my present house dealing with their mortgage arm was a nightmare, so much so that they finally canceled their fee prior to closing. On the other side they serviced a claim for a home break in outstandingly. There phone service is always friendly. All in all, they have become just another big business, IMHO.

When was this? I wonder if this was while Bob Davis was in charge. There were a lot of horror stories under Davis, often from the employees but sometimes also from customers.

Davis was a corporate beancounter type heading up a company whose corporate culture had more in common with government and military than with cutthroat private business. He was not compatible with the USAA culture; employee morale declined and the business was operating a little more, well, ruthlessly like an insurance company. By most accounts (including from a lot of employees) things have turned for the better again since he "retired" and Joe Robles took his place.

[Rustic23]

I believe most of it would have occurred under Davis. I don't know when Robles took over, but the latest incident took place about 4 years ago. Even then it would have taken some time for the old culture to change.

[REWahoo]

Like Rustic, my experience with USAA declined in the past few years. I had a homeowner's claim about 8 years ago (hailstorm damaged my three year old roof) and the claims process was - well let's just say it was "less than satisfactory". That was in marked contrast to my previous dealings with them. Fortunately I've not had an opportunity to test their claims customer service again other than a minor fender-bender a couple of years ago. They handled that one without a hitch.

I've done some comparison shopping on their rates from time to time and not found anyone substantially lower - especially when I factor in the annual check I get back from my Subscriber Savings Account.

[Rustic23]

Does anyone know if all USAA account holders get back a subscribers savings account check? The reason I ask is, I was told a long time ago when USAA started insuring other than Officers they had two types of memberships, and one did not get the checks. It would make a difference if new members were not getting it.

[lets-retire]

The only problem I've had with USAA is when I moved to Florida. They said they couldn't write a homeowners policy so close to the coast. They had an office building closer to the water than my house, so the DW asked who they had insuring their buillding. The underwriter placed her on hold for a short period then came back on and said they would write the policy if we completed two or three things on the house. All of the things were required maintenance I was planing to do anyway, so it was not problem.