USAA review: Auto insurance/vehicle storage discount

EXPLANATION OF EVENTS:

On 27 Apr 2024, one of my two vehicles was successfully placed in storage, vehicle #4 at a discount rate of 80%.

On 19 Jun 2024, I officially moved from TX to the state of NY and a new auto insurance policy was issued. This new insurance policy AUTOMATICALLY and WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE removed my vehicle from storage. In reality, my vehicle never left storage to this day.

On 19 Dec 2024, after 6 months, my policy was renewed, with no vehicle in storage, again. This is the second 6 month policy with it mistakenly not in storage.

On 23 Apr 2025, I noticed my 6 month premium for this vehicle was abnormally high and was unable to verify any indication that it was in storage. I immediately engaged with USAA via their online messaging platform and verified that the vehicle was indeed NOT in storage. The rep then put it in storage at that time and an associated adjustment was issued for the remainder of that 6 month policy and the future 6 month policy. The rep at the time stated they were unable to back date and correct the storage dates and that I would have to call in person.

On 22 May 2025, I contacted USAA via phone and attempted resolution. After about 3 hours of PAINFUL and EXCEPTINALLY REDUNDANT explanation of these simple facts that took me less than 1 minute to explain the first time (I say this with absolute seriousness and objectively), the second rep was finally able to acknowledge and follow along with the error made through all policy documentation. In addition, that rep finally acknowledged and stopped insisting that the vehicle has been in storage the entire time. The rep stated they are unable to go back that far to correct the error as it is simply against policy and they are just unable, as the time frame goes too far back. At this time, please note that I myself made an error in explaining these policy documents, I mistakenly translated an adjusted document to reflect that the vehicle was backdated to be put in storage on 19 Dec 2024. It was not, and simply put into storage the day I asked them to on 23 April 2025. You should find records that I asked this final rep to log that explains what we talked about over 3 hours. Their records may indicate that my vehicle has been in storage since 19 Dec 2024, but this was my error and was also not caught be the rep.

After 3 hours of exceptionally painful and horrendously redundant explanations without understanding and with great confusion, I have absolutely no capability to attempt to further resolve this through normal channels. PLEASE DO NOT SEND THIS COMPLAINT TO A NORMAL REPRESENTATIVE, this requires higher level understanding, and approval, than an average employee is not able work with, and I say that with the utmost respect, compassion, kindness, and objectiveness at having been through it with 2 reps already over 3 hours. I take great responsibility and duty to treat ALL people with respect, do not let any words in this complaint indicate otherwise.

Simple summary: I put my vehicle in storage on 27 April 2024, but for an unknown reason it automatically and without my knowledge was removed from storage on 19 June 2024 when I changed states. Although it is now in storage as of 24 April 2025, I have been charged for normal/fully-operating/on-the-road-driving/full-coverage insurance for 309 days, of which I should have been receiving an 80% discount as initially issued for a period of just 53 days preceding this event.

MY SIMPLE REQUEST:

PLEASE correct this error in full and provide adjustment that reflects the vehicle being in storage from 19 June 2024 to 27 April 2025, a period of 309 days.

CONSIDERTION:

I understand it is the duty of each customer to operate with their own due diligence, which may have led to me catching this far sooner. As an 11.5 year Air Force officer and military pilot, believe me, I deeply comprehend this. However, I humbly ask you to consider my abnormal life events that occurred during this time period.

Not only did I depart the military in Dec '23, but I did so after being indecorously deployed for 6 months preceding my separation; I deployed alone without my unit, and not doing the job I had grown so passionately about. The day I was told I would deploy I had 2 weeks to prepare for what should take months. I had no proper time to say goodbye to my family, it was a full force effort of non stop 12+ hour days focused on getting CBTs done and further outprocessing. That was the last day I ever flew, my last year in as a pilot, and I never flew again, no ceremony, no time to reflect, no time to say goodbye to the life I knew. I returned from deployment with a few months remaining till I separated. Most of the people I knew had already gone. I returned home to a unit I no longer recognized, to a family that wasn't mine, and to make it worse I was moved to a new squadron, making these claims absolute. Despite what time I had left there, those months were, yet again, spent preparing for my next and final departure. Although this does not reflect the time period where I missed the financial error, it merely sets it up.

From separating in Dec of 2023 till 21 April 2024, I greatly struggled to stay afloat emotionally, socially, and mentally, as I endured a failing relationship. On 21 April 2024, ONE WEEK BEFORE PUTTING VEHICLE IN STORAGE, I officially left that relationship. Any struggle I thought I was going through was nothing compared to the next several months. I never new the depths of the person I chose to spend the last 4 years with until I tried to leave them. The next 5 months were the absolute worst time in my life. I am still recovering from them. Constant threats. Threats to ruin my life. Threats to contact all my friends and family with out of context horrible statements and lies. Threats to be brought to court via 5 different areas of law, think Amber Heard vs. Johnny Depp, but with added and totally different areas of law disciplines. Threats to take everything I own. Threats to take half of my retirement (unmarried and no kids, by the way). Threats to my property. Threats to my literal life and physical well being. All this from someone I loved so dearly, all that from someone, even to this day, I believe is a good person deep down, all this from someone I was most vulnerable with. From my years in military service, I thought I was highly resilient. I was wrong. I didn't even know what resilience was. Now all of a sudden I was nothing. Imagine the mental health issues that could result of this, on top of the life transition I had just made away from my closest friends and military family, away from my purpose in life up to this point.

So, USAA, please consider these events and forgive my inability to catch the financial error on 19 June 2024. On top of this, please consider that I spent an excess of $17,000 on legal fees and fees associated with removing this good-person-consumed-by-evil-actions from my life. Even though, on 14 October 2024, events concluded with this person with our final communication and pay off, please understand that the path out of the mental health pit of darkness was far from over. I since learned that PTSD doesn't come only from combat, the military, or near death experiences.

An 80% refund for 309 days of vehicle 4 auto insurance may seem small to you and others, but please also consider my financial situation and behavior as a USAA consumer. Since I separated, I have held no job and have been living off a very small budget that has never included a place to live with heat, cooking, a toilet, a shower. I have spent months sleeping in my car, months sleeping in my mom's basement (literally). I tried to earn an income working construction with my father, but my feet literally burn to painfully for me to attempt standing for over an hour. I am rapidly getting my life and mental well being back together, to include costs of therapy. In the worst of days last year, I skipped meals in order to scrape together the funds to pay off and remove a person from my life most capable of terror.

As for my behavior as a USAA consumer. Please consider that I have never claimed and utilized auto insurance besides possibly one windshield replacement, despite many chances to do so, including hail damage. I have never utilized my renters insurance, despite many chances to do so. I have never taken advantage of the system, I have upheld my personal morals, my integrity, despite what lawful or commercial opportunities presented themselves that would grant me money, because I have believed in paying for it myself if it was simply "the right thing to do." Please, please uphold a set of moral bearing and Integrity that is not less than my own.

FINAL WORDS:

Back dating my vehicle storage to 19 June 2024 and issuing a credit to reflect that, you know it is simply the right thing to do. No matter what policy exists, you do have the power.

Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do. I have lived it and continue to do so...