HesNot
Member
So last October 11 someone hit my 2012 Jetta Sportwagon and it was subsequently declared a total loss by USAA. I had intended to get restitution and the emissions fix so I called and asked about the options before I accepted payment from insurance, explaining clearly that the vehicle was declared a total loss. I was told it could be 3/4 months before a buyback appointment would occur and the difference in buyback from VW vs USAA would have been consumed by the payments on the outstanding note - so I transferred title to USAA and thus began a now painful one year (and counting) journey.
I was told I needed to open a new portal and start over again and had the agent walk me through exactly what to do (buyback vs fix). I submitted all the information that was available to me at the time. I gave USAA POA to payoff the lien and take title which they then had to process through the DMV - for a period of roughly 4 months there was no available title to the car as I didn't have it, the bank didn't have it and USAA did not have it back from DMV - totalled titles being a relatively low priority as one would expect. After a month or two passed I called in and was told I had to submit the front and back of the title, which I explained was not available (I called USAA to confirm) and was told to submit the total loss letter instead. Another several months passed with no status update and no further information - so I called again and was told to submit the front and back of the title... at this point USAA had gotten it back so I submitted that. Weeks passed and I was told I had to submit an additional letter outlining when USAA took possession of the car (even though I submitted the title clearly showing the date of transfer from the bank to USAA and USAA receiving their title). I did that and began calling several times a week. I finally received an offer letter which I signed and returned - and weeks passed (again I called several times a week with no answers or updates). I was then told that they had to issue a different offer letter - as it had to come from the "total loss" team so the initial letter was rescinded.
I contacted plaintiffs counsel finally and they've been as helpful as they can be... shortly after contacting them I received an email asking me to call to confirm information (also including the first bald lies - that they'd tried to call me and my voicemail was full) which was apparently my address... which they've had for more than a year... so I confirmed that and... three weeks pass and no new letter. I get a message yesterday asking to call in to confirm more information - so I call in today and the notes only say they called me but do not let the call center know what information they need so the call was pointless... I emailed plaintiffs counsel again and apparently they need to confirm the car was a total loss (even though I submitted a total loss letter a year ago... and a proof of transfer to insurance in June). Unbelievable.
What is most frustrating is that there is zero ability to inquire about the total loss team - who is owning the process - who is accountable - what is the status of the claim - the only number you can call is the 98CLAIM number and they themselves cannot communicate directly with the total loss team. They only communicate, and obviously poorly, through system notes. The total loss team does not use the portal or update the portal. They will commit to no timeframes for any step of the process. They apparently have zero accountability and no way for a customer to register a complaint or elevate a claim because they have no connection to the claim center who are the only parties you can speak with directly. It is an epic bungling and mishandling of plaintiffs who have the same standing under the settlement and the same rights as everyone else.
So over a year has passed, and still no restitution payment. Only close to 100 hours of my time and energy exhausted on this.
Am I the only one who has experienced this sort of frustration?
I was told I needed to open a new portal and start over again and had the agent walk me through exactly what to do (buyback vs fix). I submitted all the information that was available to me at the time. I gave USAA POA to payoff the lien and take title which they then had to process through the DMV - for a period of roughly 4 months there was no available title to the car as I didn't have it, the bank didn't have it and USAA did not have it back from DMV - totalled titles being a relatively low priority as one would expect. After a month or two passed I called in and was told I had to submit the front and back of the title, which I explained was not available (I called USAA to confirm) and was told to submit the total loss letter instead. Another several months passed with no status update and no further information - so I called again and was told to submit the front and back of the title... at this point USAA had gotten it back so I submitted that. Weeks passed and I was told I had to submit an additional letter outlining when USAA took possession of the car (even though I submitted the title clearly showing the date of transfer from the bank to USAA and USAA receiving their title). I did that and began calling several times a week. I finally received an offer letter which I signed and returned - and weeks passed (again I called several times a week with no answers or updates). I was then told that they had to issue a different offer letter - as it had to come from the "total loss" team so the initial letter was rescinded.
I contacted plaintiffs counsel finally and they've been as helpful as they can be... shortly after contacting them I received an email asking me to call to confirm information (also including the first bald lies - that they'd tried to call me and my voicemail was full) which was apparently my address... which they've had for more than a year... so I confirmed that and... three weeks pass and no new letter. I get a message yesterday asking to call in to confirm more information - so I call in today and the notes only say they called me but do not let the call center know what information they need so the call was pointless... I emailed plaintiffs counsel again and apparently they need to confirm the car was a total loss (even though I submitted a total loss letter a year ago... and a proof of transfer to insurance in June). Unbelievable.
What is most frustrating is that there is zero ability to inquire about the total loss team - who is owning the process - who is accountable - what is the status of the claim - the only number you can call is the 98CLAIM number and they themselves cannot communicate directly with the total loss team. They only communicate, and obviously poorly, through system notes. The total loss team does not use the portal or update the portal. They will commit to no timeframes for any step of the process. They apparently have zero accountability and no way for a customer to register a complaint or elevate a claim because they have no connection to the claim center who are the only parties you can speak with directly. It is an epic bungling and mishandling of plaintiffs who have the same standing under the settlement and the same rights as everyone else.
So over a year has passed, and still no restitution payment. Only close to 100 hours of my time and energy exhausted on this.
Am I the only one who has experienced this sort of frustration?