Need USAA access to LIVE agent

2026JK

2026JK

Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2017
Messages
76
My cadet candidate (USMA) set up a USAA bank account in late February, but when he recently tried to log into the account online an alert came up saying his account had been blocked and that he needed to call 1800-531-8722. He has now spent a collective 4 hours on hold over the last 3 days, waiting for a live person to take his call. He's also tried 1800-531-4610 and 1800-548-6423 and 1800-531-2265. Each number asks him to enter his account number, which the system then says is invalid ... even though it's the correct account number. So ... he really needs a LIVE agent to talk with. I'm wondering if anyone on this forum knows a USAA agent who can assist. We made an initial deposit of $25 to set up the account, but if we can't get a LIVE agent to assist I think we'll take the $25 loss and set up an account for him somewhere else.
 
Such is the case these days with many customer service phone numbers, casualties of remote workers, ala COVID. My DS had a similar experience. As I recall, @Capt MJ offered a phone number to try? Perhaps she will chime in. Not sure if its one already provided. Also not positive it was her.
 
My remote diagnosis…full disclosure, I retired from USAA after retiring from my Navy career.

If someone is not yet in the DMDS military database, that can trigger the shutout. USAA is a chartered association that offers membership and financial services. Initial membership has to be for AD, Guard, Reserve or veteran. Once that is established, spouse and children can become members and start the legacy membership chain. There are USAA members today who are members because of a great grandfather who served after 1922, when they were founded. To preserve the charter compliance, every new member’s eligibility is checked. I used to know all the numbers to call, but with COVID and the shift to remote, I think all calls go to the same place.
Much depends on what he checked as his status when he created an account online. If he checked service academy cadet but does not yet have a CAC card in hand, he will not be in DMDS.

USAA is primarily a remote, online, phone or app-based company, to better serve members all over the world all hours of the day. But - traditionally, there has been a walk-in office in both Highland Falls on Main St. and Annapolis on King George St. I believe they have just re-opened. You can drop by there the day before the report-in day and straighten things out with people accustomed to working with SA cadets. You could even drop into Annapolis if by some chance you lived close by. Similar to most financial institutions these days, there is no branch phone number available. Be sure to have the report-in paperwork that essentially authenticates he will be entering AD on the report-in day.

Another glitch might be a requirement to upload what USNA calls the “permit to report” letter; I don’t know what USMA calls it. That usually provides the basis for the override by bank staff.

Another tactic is to NOT give the account number, but wait for an “other” option. If there are verbal cues, keep saying “Representative.”

They are known for their customer service, but this is a recurring bump every year, trying to ratchet the system to make an exception.

I regret I have no magic wand.

I won’t post a for-profit link, but google:
USAA service academy cadets
to get to the landing page and another phone number (but probably the same menu). Son should access as if he is new to USAA. Once he gets to a live person, surface the account issue. He should not hesitate to ask to escalate to a manager if he hears bafflement.
 
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Capt MJ said:
My remote diagnosis…full disclosure, I retired from USAA after retiring from my Navy career.

If someone is not yet in the DMDS military database, that can trigger the shutout. USAA is a chartered association that offers membership and financial services. Initial membership has to be for AD, Guard, Reserve or veteran. Once that is established, spouse and children can become members and start the legacy membership chain. There are USAA members today who are members because of a great grandfather who served after 1922, when they were founded. To preserve the charter compliance, every new member’s eligibility is checked. I used to know all the numbers to call, but with COVID and the shift to remote, I think all calls go to the same place.
Much depends on what he checked as his status when he created an account online. If he checked service academy cadet but does not yet have a CAC card in hand, he will not be in DMDS.

USAA is primarily a remote, online, phone or app-based company, to better serve members all over the world all hours of the day. But - traditionally, there has been a walk-in office in both Highland Falls on Main St. and Annapolis on King George St. I believe they have just re-opened. You can drop by there the day before the report-in day and straighten things out with people accustomed to working with SA cadets. You could even drop into Annapolis if by some chance you lived close by. Similar to most financial institutions these days, there is no branch phone number available.

Another glitch might be a requirement to upload what USNA calls the “permit to report” letter; I don’t know what USMA calls it. That usually provides the basis for the override by bank staff.

Another tactic is to NOT give the account number, but wait for an “other” option. If there are verbal cues, keep saying “Representative.”

They are known for their customer service, but this is a recurring bump every year, trying to ratchet the system to make an exception.

I regret I have no magic wand.
Click to expand...

Super helpful information. Thank you for taking the time to give some context, especially as it relates to those without a CAC card. We live in CA, so visiting a local branch until R day weekend isn't going to happen. :) I like the idea of continuing to say "representative." At this point we're almost ready to cut our losses and stick with our family bank. Again, appreciate your time.
 
2026JK said:
Super helpful information. Thank you for taking the time to give some context, especially as it relates to those without a CAC card. We live in CA, so visiting a local branch until R day weekend isn't going to happen. :) I like the idea of continuing to say "representative." At this point we're almost ready to cut our losses and stick with our family bank. Again, appreciate your time.
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My pleasure. No problem with doing that. At some point, most military people migrate to USAA, NFCU or other military-centric financial services companies. These companies do pre-deployment financial checklists with members to cover auto bill pay, who has access to accounts, note that credit cards will be used all over the world, reduce auto insurance premiums if car is living at parents’ house and only being driven occasionally, etc. I started with USAA and NFCU my first year in the Navy (20th c.) and have used no one else since.
 
And SUPER DUPER important, they rent to “underage renters” (think spring break trips, etc). The ‘normal’ rental agencies require a renter to be 25 yrs. Through USAA, my 19 yr old is able to rent.
 
We have had USAA accounts for, well several decades, and never had to wait that long for a representative. I have no idea how to solve your problem but I can assure you that is not the service you expect from them. I have called for everything from a flat tire to my card being used fraudulently...and always had very speedy, prompt, and helpful service. Stick with them you will not be disappointed in the end!
 
lettikay said:
We have had USAA accounts for, well several decades, and never had to wait that long for a representative. I have no idea how to solve your problem but I can assure you that is not the service you expect from them. I have called for everything from a flat tire to my card being used fraudulently...and always had very speedy, prompt, and helpful service. Stick with them you will not be disappointed in the end!
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Thank you for your reply. I have a current member who has offered to reach out to their agent on Monday and see if we can make some headway. We definitely see the benefit, but today (Saturday) when we called, we were merged into the wait line with a 26 hours wait time. That's not a typo. 26+ hours was the wait time given. Yesterday my son sat on hold for over 2 hours (2 hours of his spring break ... LOL). He finally had to hang up to get to a tee time with his dad. It's just not at all reasonable for this to be so difficult.
 
USAA Highland Falls, NY office number:
845-839-7021
Website indicates they may still be temporarily closed. Worth a try.

USAA Annapolis, MD (they understand all flavors of SA cadets and midshipmen)
410-919-9197

I heard from a former colleague they had recently re-opened the office. The staff there has been working SA cadet/mid issues for years.


And here’s the one in Colorado Springs:

If your son manages to get through, they may well ask for a copy of the official letter of appointment or the document directing him to report, as I mentioned above. It might be prudent to have that lined up ready to email a scanned copy. Easy to do with a scanning app for phone.
 
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28 year USAA member here. “Retired” from USAA insurance products 3 years ago and in the process of “retiring” from their banking products at the moment. Moving everything over to NFCU. For me, USAA has been drifting away from their core clientele for years and NFCU is a better fit for me now that I’m not traveling the globe as a military member any longer. Good luck!
 
Capt MJ said:
USAA Highland Falls, NY office number:
845-839-7021
Website indicates they may still be temporarily closed. Worth a try.

USAA Annapolis, MD (they understand all flavors of SA cadets and midshipmen)
410-919-9197

I heard from a former colleague they had recently re-opened the office. The staff there has been working SA cadet/mid issues for years.


And here’s the one in Colorado Springs:

If your son manages to get through, they may well ask for a copy of the official letter of appointment or the document directing him to report, as I mentioned above. It might be prudent to have that lined up ready to email a scanned copy. Easy to do with a scanning app for phone.
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UPDATE:
I texted my former colleague, who is associated with one of those offices but is still working remotely. She said the three offices near the 3 DoD SAs are still temporarily closed.

I shared the general outlines of what was going on. She said when new USAA members who are not yet in the military, such as SA appointees, open an account, they usually receive something in their USAA Messages box in their online account about what to upload to confirm their status. If that was not done within a requested time, the account eligibility could not be authenticated. “The system” macros no doubt kept on grinding.

She was sorry to hear of those wait times and was very surprised. She said the 8722 number is correct or 210-531-8722 can also be used.

I hope he can eventually get through and resolve it or at least retrieve the $25. USAA is very good but certainly not perfect.
 
Capt MJ said:
UPDATE:
I texted my former colleague, who is associated with one of those offices but is still working remotely. She said the three offices near the 3 DoD SAs are still temporarily closed.

I shared the general outlines of what was going on. She said when new USAA members who are not yet in the military, such as SA appointees, open an account, they usually receive something in their USAA Messages box in their online account about what to upload to confirm their status. If that was not done within a requested time, the account eligibility could not be authenticated. “The system” macros no doubt kept on grinding.

She was sorry to hear of those wait times and was very surprised. She said the 8722 number is correct or 210-531-8722 can also be used.

I hope he can eventually get through and resolve it or at least retrieve the $25. USAA is very good but certainly not perfect.
Click to expand...
Capt MJ for the win. Again.

OP try checking spam folders for that email! That actually IS ringing a bell. I have a vague recollection of that as part of the process my own dealt with. My mail has a search function. Maybe searching for it could help with a resolution.
 
Capt MJ said:
USAA Highland Falls, NY office number:
845-839-7021
Website indicates they may still be temporarily closed. Worth a try.

USAA Annapolis, MD (they understand all flavors of SA cadets and midshipmen)
410-919-9197

I heard from a former colleague they had recently re-opened the office. The staff there has been working SA cadet/mid issues for years.


And here’s the one in Colorado Springs:

If your son manages to get through, they may well ask for a copy of the official letter of appointment or the document directing him to report, as I mentioned above. It might be prudent to have that lined up ready to email a scanned copy. Easy to do with a scanning app for phone.
Click to expand...
Thank you for those recommendations! Appreciate your time.
 
Capt MJ said:
UPDATE:
I texted my former colleague, who is associated with one of those offices but is still working remotely. She said the three offices near the 3 DoD SAs are still temporarily closed.

I shared the general outlines of what was going on. She said when new USAA members who are not yet in the military, such as SA appointees, open an account, they usually receive something in their USAA Messages box in their online account about what to upload to confirm their status. If that was not done within a requested time, the account eligibility could not be authenticated. “The system” macros no doubt kept on grinding.

She was sorry to hear of those wait times and was very surprised. She said the 8722 number is correct or 210-531-8722 can also be used.

I hope he can eventually get through and resolve it or at least retrieve the $25. USAA is very good but certainly not perfect.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your research and findings. I'm sure this is a case of "the system," as your former colleague said. Unfortunately, the 8722 number is not helpful. Yesterday when he tried that number again there was a 26 hour wait time. That's not a typo. :( We did find a member who is going to do some legwork for us tomorrow. Hopefully we'll get a solution.
 
justdoit19 said:
Capt MJ for the win. Again.

OP try checking spam folders for that email! That actually IS ringing a bell. I have a vague recollection of that as part of the process my own dealt with. My mail has a search function. Maybe searching for it could help with a resolution.
Click to expand...
Searching now ... thank you!
 
2026JK said:
Searching now ... thank you!
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Unfortunately there don't seem to be any requests for additional information. He has about 10 emails from USAA in his inbox, but all of them speak to all the "things" he can now do since he has a USAA account. It all sounds great ... if only we could get access to his account and/or speak to a LIVE agent without sitting on line for hours. Oi vey.
 
2026JK said:
Unfortunately there don't seem to be any requests for additional information. He has about 10 emails from USAA in his inbox, but all of them speak to all the "things" he can now do since he has a USAA account. It all sounds great ... if only we could get access to his account and/or speak to a LIVE agent without sitting on line for hours. Oi vey.
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If they have 24 hr customer service, what about setting an alarm at a weird hour? I’ve done that with an estimated 4 hr wait before.

Another idea (couldn’t hurt) would be email costumer service. Also, I’ve had luck with using an app or website. The “contact us” function, chatting via a chat feature 💬. Throwing ideas out there.
 
justdoit19 said:
If they have 24 hr customer service, what about setting an alarm at a weird hour? I’ve done that with an estimated 4 hr wait before.

Another idea (couldn’t hurt) would be email costumer service. Also, I’ve had luck with using an app or website. The “contact us” function, chatting via a chat feature 💬. Throwing ideas out there.
Click to expand...
The "contact us" function only works if you log in ... which my CC is currently unable to do. Boo.

Maybe a good idea to try calling at a weird hour. Thanks.
 
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