USAA Homeowners Insurance Stupidity

[MasterBates]

I had a massive problem with USAA trying to get homeowners insurance.

Background:
PCS in December 08 from Kingsville to VAW-120 (E-2 RAG)
Like every other Cat II or Cat I, I have no idea where I am going for follow on. Pilots do not find out until they complete CQ at the end of the RAG.
October 2009, PCS orders to VAW-121 in Norfolk.

Squadron I went to was going on C2X 3 weeks after I checked in, home for 4 weeks, then gone on a 6 month (later 7 month) deployment to DirkaDirka land.

So I lived in the Puma through the RAG, and did the Puma (and Casa del Phrog) for the 2 months at home between the RAG and cruise. I planned on buying a house when I got back.

Get back from cruise. Find house. Make offer. Offer accepted. Clowns did not pay mortgage, house gets foreclosed before I can close. Backup houses also sell during this time. Wait out forclosure BS with a ridiculous selling agency based out of DC selling the house here, and taking forever to get it on market.

Make new offer. Have new offer accepted (not ratified yet, I'll be a lot happier when that happens).

I figure accepted offer is enough to start shopping for Homeowners and Flood insurance (it's on the beach in Willoughby Spit)

Call USAA.

Get asked "How long ago did you PCS into the area".. I answered December 08.

USAA tells me they cannot write homeowners or flood if I have moved into the area greater than a year ago. I did not even know I was staying here until 11 months ago. And was gone for 8 of the last 11 months.

I break it down Barney-Style to the USAA agent. They still give me the "I'd like to help, but our policy blah blah blah"

They pass me off to their "General Agency" where USAA will have a company they use (but I've NEVER heard of) write the policy.

They will do it, but there is a problem. The house is over 50 years old. They want me to pay for a "Five Point Inspection" ($500-1000) before they will even give me a quote. At this point, USAA has jumped the shark.

I told the agent that she was nice, and I understand this is company policy not her, but USAA has lost me as a customer and to please transfer me to policy service so I can cancel my car insurance. (Bike is already with Progressive because USAA stopped writing for bikes a couple years ago).

They got real apologetic in a hurry. I then talked to a manager, and told them in no uncertain terms that I would not have a dollar in business left with USAA by the end of the month due to this retarded policy. The bikes was stupid. This was the last straw.

Next thing I know, USAA's "Policies" are overturned by a Customer Service Manager who overrides all the rejected stuff with the quotes due to age and my time in the area.

While USAA's quotes were cheaper than the others I have gotten so far (Farmers, State Farm), I'm seriously considering telling them to fuck off.

I should not have to spend over 2 hours on the phone, just to get a quote.

Has anyone else encountered this?

 

[Schnugg]

Ask and Ye shall receive...is what my mother always said.


Wise words from a Saint.

 

[jus2mch]

I've had a problem with them, but it was for a renter dwelling policy on my property in FL., something that may be an issue where your at now if you decide to rent out when you leave. I was going to go the I will cancel all my stuff with you route, but I lost my sack because I didn't have time to F around an look for insurance on everything else. In the end the company that they recommended only charged me $14 more for the policy, so I wasn't to mad.
http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php/136505-Usaa-No-Longer-Offers-Fire-Insurance-Policies-In-Florida?highlight=

 

[The Chief]

.... Has anyone else encountered this?

In so many words, yes. USAA is no longer the company that it was "back in the day". Similar situtations, twice they called me a liar over the 'phone, no joke. Twice was enough to get my attention.

This is why I have Liberty Mutual insurance. Prices are comparable, and I think service much better. I have no connection with Liberty Mutual but have been insured by them for some time. Their response to damages from last years snowmageddon was impressive.

 

[phrogpilot73]

I have had to use the "I will no longer be a customer of USAA" when we wanted to switch our homeowner's policy in MD to a landlord protect/fire policy. They changed their tune. That's the only problem I have had with USAA in recent days. Two accidents down here in Norfolk - no increase in premium. Easy claims process. Great website, great iPhone app. Their pluses still outweigh the minuses for me.

 

[exhelodrvr]

My experiences have been good with them; they were very good with claims on three minor car accidents (one about two years ago, the others quite awhile back) and a small electrical fire in the home (about a year ago).

 

[MasterBates]

I just feel I should not have to do the "I'll not be a customer" routine, when apparently the override the "rejection" process is just someone pushing two buttons. Just a stupid policy, not an actual underwriting issue.

 

[Jim123]

FWIW, you have my sympathy. They subcontract their mortgages to two or three companies. The customer service people at the one I drew at least made me feel good about myself- I got the impression they had less business acumen than I learned by playing Lemonade Stand on the Commodore PET and Apple II. Really though, any contact with them about my mortgage over the simplest things has been invariably ridiculous. (The same mortgage company took billions in TARP- go figure.)

Big USAA stepped in and addressed those issues to my satisfaction. This is good yet sad.

 

[MasterBates]

USAA is not even doing the mortgage.. They won't touch me with a 10 foot pole. And for the life of me, I can't figure why, since I have never had a problem getting a mortgage anywhere else.

 

[helolumpy]

My office mate and I were discussing the decline of USAA services over the last few years. We're thinking that in an effort to expand they have opened the doors to many personnel who they would not insure before. These people have raised the total risk to USAA so the rates are reflecting this increased risk.

I had a question about my boat policy and they transferred me to Progressive insurance. It took about 15 minutes for the guy to finally understand that my boat policy is over 5 years old so it's still a USAA policy.

The customer service has really dropped over the last few year and this is another example.

 

[MasterBates]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought when I first got USAA 10+ years ago, I had to prove I was either 1-An Officer, 2-MIDN/ROTC/OCS Contracted BDCPer, or I think 3 was E-7 or above.

I know it's way more people than that now.. And I remember being told the reason the rates were so low (when I first joined) is "You are not underwriting the 18 year old E-2 with a new Ninja or Mustang GT"..

Not to sound elitist, but Officers are on average a lot more "Responsible" in their personal life, and I thought the rates reflected this back then.

Why did USAA go this route?

 

[PropAddict]

More policies=more profits. You roll them all in one box, sure some policies go sour, but most still pay off and you win. Kind of like the whole subprime mortgage deal.

Eventually, you realize your small profit margin on the "good deal" officer policies is not off-setting all the E-2's riding Hayabusas, and motorcycles look like a bad investment. Better get out of that market.

I could picture it all carrying over to their other markets.

And FWIW, I was given the same "You're an officer, so we're able to give you a lower rate" speech when I first signed up. One of my last policy renewals, I had to give them the Geico quote I had gotten to get them to knock the policy premium down to still be the cheapest.

 

[BACONATOR]

I've had a problem with them, but it was for a renter dwelling policy on my property in FL., something that may be an issue where your at now if you decide to rent out when you leave. I was going to go the I will cancel all my stuff with you route, but I lost my sack because I didn't have time to F around an look for insurance on everything else. In the end the company that they recommended only charged me $14 more for the policy, so I wasn't to mad.
http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php/136505-Usaa-No-Longer-Offers-Fire-Insurance-Policies-In-Florida?highlight=

I had this in Whiting Pines during the HTs, due to the recent hurricanes that swept the gulf coast... they didn't offer renter's insurance anymore. The 4rd party company was fine and inexpensive.

It's regrettable that this sticks in your craw so much. I honestly have had nothing but the best treatment from USAA. They gave a young kid with relatively little financial history a lot of opportunities and good rates that I would NEVER have found elsewhere. Car insurance was almost half the cost of any other company out there. My credit card is 10K at 7.75% (4% on deployment), which is enough to get any credit solicitation on the phone to admit defeat and hang up without a 15 minute speech.

The only thing I wish they had was motorcycle insurance and student loans to reduce my retarded consolidated rate. If you're that miffed, then more power to you, but I love USAA and wouldn't just reject all their services because of one bad experience.

 

[Boomhower]

I'm with Otto. I have just about everything through USAA. Mortgage, car insurance, homeowners insurance, and all banking.

I got out of their investment side a while back, though. Not due to lack of service, but because their Mutual Funds just plain suck. I learned that finance is best left to the big boys. Not companies that dabble in it.

Overall, I've been nothing but happy with them. The only thing I don't like about the banking is that I don't have a physical bank to walk into, but the new iPhone app has relieved a lot of that pain since I can instantly deposit checks through my phone.

 

[BACONATOR]

I'm with Otto. I have just about everything through USAA. Mortgage, car insurance, homeowners insurance, and all banking.

I got out of their investment side a while back, though. Not due to lack of service, but because their Mutual Funds just plain suck. I learned that finance is best left to the big boys. Not companies that dabble in it.

Overall, I've been nothing but happy with them. The only thing I don't like about the banking is that I don't have a physical bank to walk into, but the new iPhone app has relieved a lot of that pain since I can instantly deposit checks through my phone.

FACT. Coolest app ever!