USAA Insurance -- Opinions? (N/A)

RJM62

RJM62

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Geek on the Hill
I suppose I should have asked here first, but I switched my auto and home insurance over to USAA a couple of days ago. Anyone have any experience with USAA when it comes to claims, customer service, and so forth?

I started looking around because my previous carrier wouldn't cover me for hurricanes and other weather-related catastrophes. Apparently, they didn't like the fact that Irene washed a considerable chunk of my new ZIP code down the Delaware River last year. Neither were they impressed that my new place is on much higher ground than the village proper, nor that the house merely yawned as Irene passed through town.

So I shopped around, and USAA was perfectly happy to insure me against hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and the like. The policy's pretty comprehensive, and after the various discounts, came in at only about forty bucks a year more than what the previous carrier was charging me without the hurricane coverage.

Of course, I also had to transfer my auto insurance to USAA to get the discounts. The auto policy with USAA is about forty bucks a year more than what I was paying Geico, but the coverage limits are higher. Also, I was a 10-year customer with Geico with only one at-fault claim in that time, so I got a safe-driver discount.

Incidentally, every time my auto policy is up for renewal, I routinely get quotes from other carriers. No other company has ever even come close to matching Geico's rates. Most other carriers wanted roughly twice what Geico was charging me. So the fact that USAA was even in the same ballpark was impressive. I'll take the AARP defensive driving course next chance I get, and save a few more bucks.

Anyway, any thoughts on USAA from people who've actually had a claim (auto or home) would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Rich
 
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I worked with USAF personnel with USAA for over thirty years and never heard a complaint from anyone but I did not really ask. I have no personal experience since I was not eligible.

Cheers
 
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I've been with USAA for about 35 years. Had several auto claims, no complaints.

Ron Wanttaja
 
USAA has always been good. The are continually ranked in the top two or three nationally on claims and service.
 
USAA all my adult life. Several claims, home (including hurricane) & auto, never an issue. Wonderful customer service.
 
USAA as well for 13 years. Had a few claims including my wife's bad auto accident that was not her fault. USAA always handled things quickly. No complaints on the insurance.

Only thing I would say negative about USAA is to steer clear of some of their other products like investment funds and home loans. They still new at that stuff and not very good so far. Insurance is where they shine.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
40 years with them and very pleased with insurance. I've had a stolen vehicle claim that went well. As has been said, a few issues with other products, good folks,

Dave
 
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Thanks, everyone. Glad to hear I made the right decision.

-Rich
 
I switched to USAA last year, and had a not-at-fault accident in June. They had the money sent to the body shop the day after I got the estimate, even though I'd told them to hold off, because I wasn't going to pay the deductible, and would wait for the insurance companies to decide he was at fault. A few weeks later, they sent me a message that they'd determined that he had no insurance, so they were going to pay the claim under my uninsured motorist protection, no deductible, and they'd already sent the $1000 (my deductible) to the body shop as well.

My only complaint, and it may not end up being a complaint, is that when it came to the diminished value of my car, they sent a check for $57.14 without saying a word. I told them that they were crazy if they thought having "Moderate damage" on the carfax would only drop my value by $57.14, and sent them an appraisal for $1500. I'm still waiting (a week and a half later) for them to "review" that appraisal. I have another for $1200, and another for $800 waiting in the wings, depending on what they end up saying about the first one.
 
I've got USAA insurance and will probably switch my banking to them this year. Haven't had any claims but I get good rates.
 
USAA for 16 years this month. I married into it. We have filed 2 claims and they are great.
 
Home, autos and banking with them for a number of years. Great service in my opinion. The 100% online banking has worked great for me.

Got a new roof due to hail damage this year. No hassles.
 
Have insured with USAA all my life. Over that time, several auto claims, two homeowners' claims. They are a service-driven organization. I feel extremely happy with them.
 
My biggest complaint is that they will only insure one house in Florida per account. We have a second home, and have had no end of trouble with the multiple insurance companies we have tried on the vacation house.

So my complaint, in essence, is that they refuse to take the money I want to give them.
 
Thanks again for the feedback.

I have to say I was impressed by the young lady, Maria, who talked me through the enrollment process on the phone. I didn't feel at all rushed or pressured, and she explained the coverage very thoroughly.

She also quickly overrode a system "feature" that had prevented me from doing the registration online -- something it took the DMV five hours -- yes, FIVE HOURS -- to figure out. (The FAA is still working on it.)

The problem is that I have an unusual situation here that causes me to be unable to do certain things online. We don't get our mail delivered to our homes here. Everyone in town has a PO Box.

Now, that would be fine except for the fact that whenever a company or organization does a USPS verification, the street address (which does exist -- we just can't get mail at it) gets changed to the PO Box, which causes the form to be rejected.

Maria, the USAA agent, just said, "Oh, yeah, one of those situations," and overrode it. She didn't know that she'd half closed the deal just by doing that.

I looked at the actual policies today, and they do seem very comprehensive. But you can put whatever you want on paper (or a PDF file, as it were); so I wanted some feedback from experienced USAA insureds.

Thanks again,

Rich
 
RJM62 said:
I suppose I should have asked here first, but I switched my auto and home insurance over to USAA a couple of days ago. Anyone have any experience with USAA when it comes to claims, customer service, and so forth?

I started looking around because my previous carrier wouldn't cover me for hurricanes and other weather-related catastrophes. Apparently, they didn't like the fact that Irene washed a considerable chunk of my new ZIP code down the Delaware River last year. Neither were they impressed that my new place is on much higher ground than the village proper, nor that the house merely yawned as Irene passed through town.

So I shopped around, and USAA was perfectly happy to insure me against hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and the like. The policy's pretty comprehensive, and after the various discounts, came in at only about forty bucks a year more than what the previous carrier was charging me without the hurricane coverage.

Of course, I also had to transfer my auto insurance to USAA to get the discounts. The auto policy with USAA is about forty bucks a year more than what I was paying Geico, but the coverage limits are higher. Also, I was a 10-year customer with Geico with only one at-fault claim in that time, so I got a safe-driver discount.

Incidentally, every time my auto policy is up for renewal, I routinely get quotes from other carriers. No other company has ever even come close to matching Geico's rates. Most other carriers wanted roughly twice what Geico was charging me. So the fact that USAA was even in the same ballpark was impressive. I'll take the AARP defensive driving course next chance I get, and save a few more bucks.

Anyway, any thoughts on USAA from people who've actually had a claim (auto or home) would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Rich
Click to expand...
The very year I switched to USAA I had a no-fault accident, and had the claim rolling completely painlessly a few minutes after the cop told us we could leave.
I had a hiccup with the body shop after I returned the rental car (provided by insurance) and they reopened my file (no new claim; was easy) and they also got on the body shop's case when I reported they had still not yet replaced the snowplow blade a nearly two months after the accident.
I should have switched sooner, the cost difference for me was substantial.
 
I haven't had insurance with any other carrier since I joined in 1968.

WONDERFUL CUSTOMER SERVICE!

I now bank with them as well.

WONDERFUL CUSTOMER SERVICE!

I have voted with my feet. Need I say more?

-Skip
 
My step-father just priced USAA. He's a WWII vet. Their quite was better than twice his current Allstate. Being 88 may be a factor. I don't quality but I have heard very good things about them.
 
I don't have experience with USAA, but on a more generic note: My sister worked for State Farm for several years. She said that every insurance carrier she was aware of almost always had the capability to lower their published rates if you ask. Her advice was to never accept the rates you are offered on the initial quote. YMMV, of course.
 
I have had USAA insurance from the day I got my driver's license (my father was a naval officer). The've handled all sorts of insurance needs for me EXCEPT that they dropped the coverage for NAVIONS a few years back so I've not had my aircraft insurance.

They have always dealt with a "mobile" customer base so it was great when I was moving around a lot. You just called the 800 # and they knew who you were and were prepared to deal with you. They were pioneers in document imaging and as long as 20 years ago, you could draw pictures on the bill and then call them up and ask about it.

I wish they'd have found some underwriters other than USAIG (who was excellent until they started shedding the rarer aircraft).

Claim issues have always been dealt with well.

When I needed an actual copy of a homeowner's policy rather than just a binder for the next day closing, USAA fedex'd two copies of the policy with paid and full receipt (even though I'd paid nothing).
 
Homeowner and auto claims - never a problem and very helpful. Had USAA now for almost 35 years on my own (I grew up with it, too).
 
ejensen said:
My step-father just priced USAA. He's a WWII vet. Their quite was better than twice his current Allstate. Being 88 may be a factor. I don't quality but I have heard very good things about them.
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Eric, if you're interested in joining USAA, you ARE eligible through your step-father. My kids and step-kids are all on my list of "descendants". I don't know that descendants qualify for all of the benefits that they would if they had served in the military, but I know they do for some. Your step-father can enter your (and any siblings'/other descendants') names into the web site, and then you're eligible. IIRC I had to enter SSNs, but I couldn't swear to that.
 
hopmedic said:
Eric, if you're interested in joining USAA, you ARE eligible through your step-father. My kids and step-kids are all on my list of "descendants". I don't know that descendants qualify for all of the benefits that they would if they had served in the military, but I know they do for some. Your step-father can enter your (and any siblings'/other descendants') names into the web site, and then you're eligible. IIRC I had to enter SSNs, but I couldn't swear to that.
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Thanks, I did not know that.
 
Something I like about USAA: if you call to talk with a representative, of whatever area of services, several things stand out:

1. You don’t hold for long, if at all;
2. They are courteous and speak clearly (and are located here);
3. If (as can happen when you are dealing with a very large organization with many business units) you end up with the wrong person on the phone, they do not punt you by telling you to call a different number, or drop you into a new phone queue; instead, they will locate who you need to talk with, will call the new person themselves, and will introduce you by name to the new service representative. Only then do they leave the line. This is huge, IMHO.
4. Every dealing is respectful. I believe that they must treat employees at USAA with respect, because I always get that back from them in all my dealings.

Good outfit, in my opinion.
 
Well, I'm the opposite.

I have been with USAA since 1997 and just dropped them as my insurance company. They were $400 more than liberty mutual for my cars and twice as expensive for my house insurance. Although, I still do retain investment property insurance with them. Additionally, I've bought a few houses through USAA, but the house I'm building now is being financed through someone else because I refinanced with USAA and it took over 3 months. Also, I prefer to have my home loans with both the servicer and provider. I’ve also dropped my credit card usage with them to $0 from more than $0 J, but retain the card for longevity purposes. Also, their brokerage is not set up for active traders, as they do not currently offer software comparable to other investment institutions and cost more to trade. However, their basic banking functions are excellent.

In my opinion they have gotten too big, are investing too much in overhead (multiple spots in San Antonio, Arizona and now in DC), and are no longer aggressively pricing their products. They rely on their customer service (which is phenomenal, once you get past the initial automated service) to retain their customer base. Overall, it is a very good bank with great customer support and is multidimensional, but that is also it’s down fall in my opinion.
 
I've been with USAA for over 20 years now. Auto/Homeowners/Valuable Personal Property. No complaints at all.
 
Been with USAA my whole life, since I started driving with a permit at 15.

No complaints, and here are some highlights:

1. Customer Service. Real people, I can ask them anything. I never feel like a number.

2. Claims (renters). I had money in my bank account less than 24 hours after calling them regarding my car being broken into. I have renters insurance and didn't know what I'd lost, they walked me through it (I had no receipts) and estimated values for all that was stolen.

3. Claims (car). Unfortunately, my car was totalled when I was young. They wrote me a check for more than I bought the car! I then got another used Honda Civic.

4. Discounts. When I bought a motorcycle and combined it with my car insurance, I got money back. It was like they were paying me to have a motorcycle. The combined two cost less than the one!

5. Multiple products. I don't have the life insurance, but I have a rolled over 401k (IRA), a savings (Money Market Mutual Funds), a car insurance, a renters insurance, and a credit card. I would have car loans with them, but, every time I've looked my local credit union has them beat by a full percentage point or better.

6. Web / mobile. I like their website and mobile app.
 
I have been with USAA for 14 years, both home and auto. I currently bank with them as well.

I can not think of a single company I find more reputable to work with. I have 2 claims over that time, and both times they were awesome to deal with.

I also have my camera equipment worth over 10K insured with them, 100% deductible that covers stupidity (I leave it in a cab for example). That cost me 6 bucks a month.
 
Mafoo said:
I have been with USAA for 14 years, both home and auto. I currently bank with them as well.

I can not think of a single company I find more reputable to work with. I have 2 claims over that time, and both times they were awesome to deal with.

I also have my camera equipment worth over 10K insured with them, 100% deductible that covers stupidity (I leave it in a cab for example). That cost me 6 bucks a month.
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I have that too. If I drop my camera off the ledge, and it is my fault, I still get a new one.
 
Have used them for 20 years car/auto. Not the cheapest but good service.
 
SCCutler said:
Something I like about USAA: if you call to talk with a representative, of whatever area of services, several things stand out:

1. You don’t hold for long, if at all;
2. They are courteous and speak clearly (and are located here);
3. If (as can happen when you are dealing with a very large organization with many business units) you end up with the wrong person on the phone, they do not punt you by telling you to call a different number, or drop you into a new phone queue; instead, they will locate who you need to talk with, will call the new person themselves, and will introduce you by name to the new service representative. Only then do they leave the line. This is huge, IMHO.
4. Every dealing is respectful. I believe that they must treat employees at USAA with respect, because I always get that back from them in all my dealings.

Good outfit, in my opinion.
Click to expand...

I too am with them, and the above is the primary reasons I stick with them. Well, the prices are really good too. But the service is extremely top shelf.


I'll add to list of positive stories their excellent help with a claim for stolen personal property. About 9-10 years ago, my Ford Explorer was broken into an approximately $2500 worth of upper end scuba equipment was taken. A call to them to handle the broken glass issues under my auto policy quickly determined that my apartment renters policy provided coverage for this property.

That particular claim agent was once again over the top on being very helpful in guiding me through the claim process. I was able to replace everything and it was done so quickly and efficiently.

So if you're eligible for USAA, they are definitely worth checking into.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Consider looking into that soon. At your young age, and good health, a 30-year term policy for a big number will be super cheap from them.
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They asked too many questions and wanted a medical exam. It was too much hassle (when I told them I was a pilot / in training). I got $4 per quarter with AOPA for only a small amount to cover my funeral for my Mom. I have no family or assets so no need for a true policy. I think it is $10K or $20K if I die, it goes to my Mom. You can't beat $4 every three months.
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
They asked too many questions and wanted a medical exam. It was too much hassle (when I told them I was a pilot / in training). I got $4 per quarter with AOPA for only a small amount to cover my funeral for my Mom. I have no family or assets so no need for a true policy. I think it is $10K or $20K if I die, it goes to my Mom. You can't beat $4 every three months.
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Nope. You can't.

But when hubby, house, and kids come along, it can still scale up in your favor. Medical exam was simpler than 3rd class and its a traveling nurse filling out a questionnaire, stepping on a scale, getting your BP, and maybe a blood draw. Easy done. For me, getting $400k for a 30yr rearm was less than $40/mo. More than I needed at time, and more than I need now, but I wanted to lock in a low rate until I am able to replace with my own big savings.
 
AggieMike88 said:
So if you're eligible for USAA, they are definitely worth checking into.
Click to expand...

Their website has lots of little places where they say vague things about eligibility for "some" products for normally non-eligible folks. They need to put a chart up there.
 
RJM62 said:
Thanks again for the feedback.

I have to say I was impressed by the young lady, Maria, who talked me through the enrollment process on the phone. I didn't feel at all rushed or pressured, and she explained the coverage very thoroughly.

She also quickly overrode a system "feature" that had prevented me from doing the registration online -- something it took the DMV five hours -- yes, FIVE HOURS -- to figure out. (The FAA is still working on it.)

The problem is that I have an unusual situation here that causes me to be unable to do certain things online. We don't get our mail delivered to our homes here. Everyone in town has a PO Box.

Now, that would be fine except for the fact that whenever a company or organization does a USPS verification, the street address (which does exist -- we just can't get mail at it) gets changed to the PO Box, which causes the form to be rejected.

Maria, the USAA agent, just said, "Oh, yeah, one of those situations," and overrode it. She didn't know that she'd half closed the deal just by doing that.

I looked at the actual policies today, and they do seem very comprehensive. But you can put whatever you want on paper (or a PDF file, as it were); so I wanted some feedback from experienced USAA insureds.

Thanks again,

Rich
Click to expand...

USAA is really good about that stuff. They accepted "I don't have a physical address, I live on a boat in Indonesia" without a problem. When I got my first pilot's license I was living on a boat at anchor, the FAA had me draw a map of the anchorage and where my boat was.:lol: WTF, don't they realize that I can pick up anchor in 3 minutes and move my home?:dunno:
 
Well, I got a nice surprise from USAA this morning: a premium recalculation on my auto insurance that lowered my premium to $33.36/month, which is pretty darn low for New York State -- even out in the boonies where I live.

This is for liability and the various personal-injury and medical-type insurances (no comp or collision), but at limits that are much higher than the state minimums. Because I buy used cars and pay cash for them, I tend to splurge on all the coverages that protect people, but to skip coverages that protect only the machine.

Being out in the boonies, cars in general take quite a bit of abuse from the miles, the snow, the salt, the stones that get kicked up when driving on less-than-wonderful roads, tree sap, bird droppings, animals crawling on them at night, and so forth; so new cars start looking old pretty quickly. I'd rather buy used and pocket the savings.

Yeah, okay... I'm a tightwad.

-Rich
 
RJM62 said:
Well, I got a nice surprise from USAA this morning: a premium recalculation on my auto insurance that lowered my premium to $33.36/month, which is pretty darn low for New York State -- even out in the boonies where I live.

This is for liability and the various personal-injury and medical-type insurances (no comp or collision), but at limits that are much higher than the state minimums. Because I buy used cars and pay cash for them, I tend to splurge on all the coverages that protect people, but to skip coverages that protect only the machine.

Being out in the boonies, cars in general take quite a bit of abuse from the miles, the snow, the salt, the stones that get kicked up when driving on less-than-wonderful roads, tree sap, bird droppings, animals crawling on them at night, and so forth; so new cars start looking old pretty quickly. I'd rather buy used and pocket the savings.

Yeah, okay... I'm a tightwad.

-Rich
Click to expand...

I just buy cars that cost around $1000, can't even imagine covering the hul on that...:rofl:
 
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