1.6K views
New Reviewer
8 comments
Updated by user Feb 04, 2012

Eventually, a manager from USAA did get on the phone with me and is trying to resolve the matter.

Original review posted by user Feb 04, 2012

A USAA service representative referred me to a "preferred vendor" contractor - which turned out to be fraudulent. The contractor sent by USAA- working fraudulently under a REAL company's name, a company with which they are not actually associated - came and tore up my house - but did a partial job - leaving raw sewage from a sewage pipe backup in the bathroom.

This fake contractor handed me a folder he told me had paperwork about the job in it, and then he left. When I opened the folder this morning, IT WAS EMPTY. There's no contact information for the company - no address - nothing. He could have picked up a brochure from a coffee table.

The fake contractor sent by USAA had only given me a first name and a personal phone number. When I called the contractor's main headquarters to inquire about what was happening with the job at my house and my USAA insurance claim to which their company was responding, the headquarters team that the fake contractor told me he was with, and the real company's headquarters told me that they have received no claims from USAA. USAA connected me to a fake contractor that did a partial job!!! Although the USAA agent sent me to a fake company with one real company's name, she recorded in USAA's computer system that she had referred a totally different company, A COMPANY SHE NEVER TOLD ME ABOUT, OF WHICH I HAVE NEVER HEARD, AND WHICH HAS NEVER CONTACTED ME OR BEEN TO MY HOUSE.

The fake contractor USAA sent took my credit card information, tore up my house, and brought in three other contractors. One of the other contractors has a key to my house - which they have not returned, and their people come whenever they want, tear up the house, and do whatever without notifying me in advance and without telling me what they are doing. People were at my house doing something downstairs this morning - without telling me what they were doing. I called USAA today to let them know that I appear to be the victim of FRAUD - in which one of their USAA employees may be involved, and so far, USAA has kept me on the phone ON HOLD FOR MORE THAN ONE HOUR WITHOUT PROVIDING ANY RESPONSE TO MY CONCERNS WHATSOEVER.

Apparently, no manager at USAA thinks that this is important. I've been a USAA home owners insurance customer for SIX YEARS, and this is my FIRST CLAIM with them. I asked to speak to a USAA manager, and instead of referring me to a manager, the phone agent decided to KEEP ME ON HOLD FOR OVER AN HOUR.

NOW IT HAS BEEN AN HOUR AND SIXTEEN MINUTES, AND I AM STILL ON HOLD WITH USAA. It is clear that USAA does not care that there may be CRIMINAL activity going on inside their company.

Location: San Francisco, California

Do You Have Something To Say ?
Write a review

Comments

chat-icon

Please avoid publishing any personal information and promotional content

You will be automatically registered on our site. Username and password will be sent to you via email.
Post Comment
Nanami Ria

The Preferred contractor is forced to make concessions that will compromise the quality of the repairs performed to your property. All the insurance companies hide behind a third-party company.

One in particular used by USAA and serval others is called Crawford Contractor Connection (CCC). They provide the insurance companies with licensed and insured contractors. Then the insurance companies gives CCC a list of "guidelines" which will include ridiculous requirements like, "will only pay for 1 coat of paint," will only prime the square footage of the drywall patch, or they will require the square footage of the cabinets be removed from painting the walls, or drywall repairs, they require the removal of the cabinets for linoleum floors or carpet, they do not allow for labor line items, they do not allow for cleaning. they do not allow for demolition outside of the Xactimate line items, they do not allow for masking and additional protection - The list is long!!!

So, by the time the "Agreed Scope" - otherwise known as the estimate - is completed - CCC has managed to cut the cost of the repairs down substantially by cramming the insurance companiesโ€™ guidelines down the throats of their preferred contractors - under the threat of suspension or dismissal from their preferred vendor program. So naturally the contractors concede so as not to lose their preferred contractor status. The repair network has been effectively hijacked by CCC and they now control access to insurance companies repair networks for contractors. Then to top it off - CCC will charge the contractor 6% commission on the entire "agree scope " of repairs.

So now the contractor has to make that up somehow by cutting into the quality of the repairs to be performed to your property. Most Insurance companies require Xactimate price list on all line items with no deviation which is also detrimental to the homeowner because the price list is often obsolete and do not come close to what it will actually cost to do the repairs or reconstruction. Xactimate is the industry standard estimating program and area price list used by insurance companies. Unfortunately, they do not have the manpower or resources to update their price list to real world prices every day or market conditions on a daily basis, so the price list are years behind in true cost and pricing.

It is a joke and a system designed with ONE thing in mind and that is to save the insurance company money. Which is why the insurance companies use CCC and their preferred vendors. Xactimate price listing for the most part can work for cheap low end track homes, (not custom track homes) but even at its best you have to use the premium grade for everything in order to get close to the actual cost to replace or repair something. Some insurance companies will actual manipulate & change the way Sales Tax is applied and the homeowners will be completely unaware of this manipulation in the hidden perimeters of the software.

There are ways of manipulating the pricing, materials, Applied Profit and Overhead, and components list to the advantage of the insurance company that is impossible to detect unless you have your own version of the estimating program, input your ESX file, and know what to look for. A printed copy will not show the manipulated results or outline them for you. At the end of the day the contractor is not going to work for free and he is going to make up the lost commission payments to CCC and forced guidelines compliance requirements/reductions to the bottom line, by cutting corners, skipping procedures, buying cheap contractor grade products and material, instead of a good quality paint, etc...they have to make up the difference somewhere and 99% of the time it is by cheating the homeowner out of a quality repair. Or by putting fictitious line items that have nothing to do with the repairs at all to pad the estimate and make up for the insufficiencies elsewhere in the estimate cause by the "guideline requirements".

What people donโ€™t know is they do not have to except XACTIMATE pricing. You can get your own sub-contractor estimates or general contractors estimate and fight back against the ridiculously low balled estimate they provide you. But keep in mind, time is on their side, especially if you have been displaced from your home. The insurance companies will stall your claim and try and drag these claims on for months and sometimes years hoping you will give up and just take the money and go away.

If you have a large loss then the best advice, I can give you is "HIRE A PUBLIC ADJUSTER" do not worry about their fees, they will get you double what the insurance company wants to pay. Or hire an attorney, but do it in the beginning of the claim before you say something to the adjusters that are recording everything and shoot yourself in the foot.

The system is rigged against the homeowner. I know,...I'm in the business Show less

Nanami Ria

The Preferred contractor is forced to make concessions that will compromise the quality of the repairs performed to your property. All the insurance companies hide behind a third-party company.

One in particular used by USAA and serval others is called Crawford Contractor Connection (CCC). They provide the insurance companies with licensed and insured contractors. Then the insurance companies gives CCC a list of "guidelines" which will include ridiculous requirements like, "will only pay for 1 coat of paint," will only prime the square footage of the drywall patch, or they will require the square footage of the cabinets be removed from painting the walls, or drywall repairs, they require the removal of the cabinets for linoleum floors or carpet, they do not allow for labor line items, they do not allow for cleaning. they do not allow for demolition outside of the Xactimate line items, they do not allow for masking and additional protection - The list is long!!!

So, by the time the "Agreed Scope" - otherwise known as the estimate - is completed - CCC has managed to cut the cost of the repairs down substantially by cramming the insurance companiesโ€™ guidelines down the throats of their contractors under the threat of suspension or dismissal from their preferred vendor program. And naturally the contractors concede so as not to lose their preferred contractor status. Then to top it off - CCC will charge the contractor 6% commission on the entire "agree scope " of repairs. So now the contractor has to make that up somehow by cutting into the quality of the repairs to be performed to your property.

Most Insurance companies require Xactimate price list on all line items with no deviation which is also detrimental to the homeowner because the price list is often obsolete and do not come close to what it will actually cost to do the repairs or reconstruction. Xactimate is the industry standard and they do not have the manpower or resources to update their price list to real world prices every day or market conditions daily, so the price list are years behind in pricing. It is a joke and a system designed with ONE thing in mind and that is to save the insurance company money. Which is why the insurance companies use CCC and their preferred vendors.

Xactimate price listing for the most part can work for cheap track homes, (not custom track homes) but even at its best you have to use the premium grade for everything in order to get close to the actual cost to replace or repair something. Some insurance companies will actual change the way Sales Tax is applied and the homeowners will be completely unaware of this manipulation in the hidden perimeters of the software. There are ways of manipulating the pricing, materials, Applied Profit and Overhead, and components list to the advantage of the insurance company that is impossible to detect unless you have your own version of the estimating program, input your ESX file, and know what to look for. A printed copy will not show the manipulated results or outline them for you.

At the end of the day the contractor is not going to work for free and he is going to make up the lost commission payments to CCC and forced guidelines compliance requirements/reductions to the bottom line, by cutting corners, skipping procedures, buying cheap contractor grade products and material, instead of a good quality paint, etc...they have to make up the difference somewhere and 99% of the time it is by cheating the homeowner out of a quality repair. Or by putting fictitious line items that have nothing to do with the repairs at all to pad the estimate and make up for the insufficiencies elsewhere in the estimate. What people donโ€™t know is they do not have to except XACTIMATE pricing. You can get your own sub-contractor estimates or general contractors estimate and fight back against the ridiculously low ball estimate they provide you.

But keep in mind, time is on their side, especially if you have been displaced from your home. The insurance companies will stall your claim and try and drag these claims on for months and sometimes years hoping you will give up and just take the money and go away. If you have a large loss then the best advice, I can give you is "HIRE A PUBLIC ADJUSTER" do not worry about their fees, they will get you double what the insurance company wants to pay. Or hire an attorney, but do it in the beginning of the claim before you say something to the adjusters that are recording everything and shoot yourself in the foot.

The system is rigged against the homeowner. I know,...I'm in the business

Guest

sound like a bunch of BS,...i dont believe this blog. "A bunch of people in my house tearing it up " and she does not know whats going on....come on get real,....this sounds like someone trying to set up or scam USAA.......she could have easily stopped all work and changed her locks and taken control of the situation, rather than try and play dumb and poor old me I dont know anything, I am just letting strangers into my house to tear it up,...give me a break,,...BS

Guest

In the future dont use preffered vendors they work fir the insurance to low bAll cost and save insurance money this is nothing new. Hire a company that works for U.

Homeowners by law have the right to hire whoever they wont. Dont fall for the bullying tactics insurace do... by saying you have to use their preffered.

Thats bs. Accredited companies that are not on preffered vendors is because they choose not to play the politic games by discounting insurance companies to keep them happy.

Hows that beneficial to the homeowner? They all use the same pricing structure called xactmate. They still work with the insurance but not for them. They work and care for the homeowners.

In closing you pay them premiums dont let them dictate on who to use in your own house. Its illegal

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-853392

That over simplified answer has done nothing but shown your vast ignorance on the subject your talking about. I dont know why people on the internet feel the need to constantly talk about *** they know nothing about.

seriously why do you guys even wast the time? is it just to validate your own preconcieved opinions instead of actually taking the time to figure out what your talking about? What you said isnt even half true. The truth of the matter is ANY vendor worth a *** will try to work WITH not FOR the insurence company reguardless of weather they are on the preferred vendor program or not.

they do this because they want to get paid by the insurence company so that the home owner doesnt have to eat any of the cost themselves because the insurence companies are pretty particular on what they will pay for and what they wont. they do this out of CONSIDERATION for the home owner AND because it is less of a liabillity for them in case the home owner does not have the money to cover it. Vendors will always try be conscious of of what the insurence company will pay for on the customers behalf if they are worth a ***.

If a vendor is not on the preffered vendor list-

1.

they are not bound to xactimate pricing at all, and they can charge as high as they like and any cost that the insurence company doesnt want to pay will fall on the customer to pay themselves.

2. They dont have to be certified in ***. no joke.

I dont know what "accreditation" you think there is in mitigation but there isnt any. the idustry authority is called the IICRC and they issue certificates to campanies and individuals so that they CAN be on preffered vendor list, but this is by no means regulated by law. the preferred vendor list is desigend to make sure that the customer gets ahold of people who know what they are doing.

3. if a vendor is not on the preffered vendor list they can probably not be held accountable for any liabillity that may incur.

Its true. Mitigation and restoration vendors will ALWAYS have the customer sign a work authorization that releases them from any liabillity on they're part but to be on preffered vendor programs you must agree to pay for whatever damage directly cause outside of the scope of expected demolition.

there is NOTHING in the preffered vendor agreements that states vendors will work at a discounted rate for the insurence company in return for being on the preferred vendor list! all they ask is that vendors stick to the xactimate pricing and not go crazy.

your very wrong on all point you have made. get off the internet and adding to the collective ignorence of humanity. stop trying to convince people to do *** *** because your to lazy to figure out what your talking about before you spreading your nonsense opionions all over the internet. I hate what the internet is turning into because of the countless masses of people like you.

go read a book...

look at a tree, some ***. whatever you need to do to become enlightened enough to realize that you dont have to go counsoling people in need by offering advise on subjects that you are holistically ignorant of just to feel important or whatever your reason may be.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-853392

This is true. The insurance companies preferred contractor is forced to work for cheap, is controlled by the insurance company and forced to comply with there "guidelines" which are designed to rip homeowners off.

It is a sham. They try and force their insureds to use their contractors and claim there is a 3 year warranty on the work, but when you call for warranty work 2 years later, the contractor is long gone because they went out of business due to the lack of getting paid properly from the insurance company. Insurance Structural repair contractors pop up and disappear all the time because of the standard practice of getting underpaying by insurance companies. And the contractors that stay around, survive by cutting cost in the form of performing sub standard repairs.

One large national full service Structural repair company actually picks people up from Home Depot parking lots, throws company shirts on them an puts them in peoples homes performing repairs - and they are instructed to tell anyone that ask, them - the homeowners specifically - that they've been working for the company for years. its disturbing at the very least, ...especially when they throw these inexperienced guys and have them doing electrical wok on your house....

hire your own licences contractor. Stay away from the insurance companies contractors , they are not independent and do not have your best interest in mind.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-853392

Below is an example of how the insurance companies control their contractors - and forced them to make concessions to the insurance companies, and how insurance companies get their contractors to produce below industry standards estimates to settle with the insured. They are forcing sub standard type repairs to be performed by their contractors.

Estimate_Review_Comments from Crawford Contractor Connection,- the company that provided contractors to insurance companies, that the insurance companies send to your house. Please see the comments below and address each item. For items that will not be revised, please provide individual clarification listed out in an XactAnalysis note. If there are extenuating circumstances preventing the revisions from being addressed, please provide explanation and date in which the requested revisions will be made.

Even if no revisions are made to the estimate, please re-upload the estimate so that the status can be changed if necessary. 1. Please upload photos of the crawlspace to support insulation replacement. 2.

Line 7 DRY 5/8-: Please confirm that 5/8" drywall is present on wall areas. 1/2" is more commonly installed on walls. 3. Please deduct laundry room reference blocks for PF, W and F quantities.

4. Lines 9, 21, 35 PNT B>2: Baseboard has been estimated to be painted using the oversized baseboard paint line item. This line item should only be used for baseboards 6 or larger. Please revise accordingly.

5. Line items written at PF dimensions should be deducted by LF of doors, showers/tubs, vanities, cabinets, built-ins/bookcases, etc. Please revise accordingly. 6.

Lines 12, 21, 26 PNT: Pre-existing baseboard and shoe do not require seal coat. 7. Line 14 PNT TKS: Please revise quantity to 5 LF only as re-skin toe kick line item include stain and finish. 8.

Line 15 PNT DOR-RS: Scope of repairs in area does not warrant D&R of door slab. 9. Does area of drywall replacement in laundry room need to be sealed and painted? 10.

Line 18 DRY MASKLF: Please delete line item as there is no need to mask the walls as repairs are being completed on walls. Floor is already being masked in line 23. 11. Line 19 DRY TEX++: Please upload photos showing pin holes to support quantity of skim coat.

12. Line 20 PNT SP: Seal/prime coat should only be applied to the new drywall and/or stained area. 13. Line 24 PNT MASKLFP: It appears PNT MASKLFT would be more appropriate.

14.

Line 29 DRY TEX++: Why all all walls being skim coated? Guess, how this contractor is going to make up the lost revenue caused by having to make these concussions,....by doing sub standard repairs to your property.!!!

Guest

If USAA. Sent a contractor, they should not need a credit card number.

They should start work and ask for the deductable later. are you sure some random person didn't just show up at your door claiming, 'I'm from THE INSURANCE company,? Or perhapsenthe company contracted by USAA subed it out to the clowns. Either way, USAA normallynstands behind work they contract.

As for being on the phone an hour, that sucks! I would not wait that long before hanging up and calling back.

USAA Reviews

  1. 641 reviews
  2. 224 reviews
  3. 118 reviews
  4. 56 reviews
  5. 63 reviews
USAA reviews