Consumer complaint received 2020-09-22
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: TX
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Fees or interest
Sub-issue: Problem with fees

Complaint:
Dear Madam or Sir, I write out of concern for two incorrect fees assessed to my credit card account. I have called the bank twice and was told both times the fees would be corrected, but instead I was charged an additional fee. This is also the second time I have had a similar experience in the past three months, raising the concern that this is an endemic problem within the Wells Fargo system that others may be experiencing and/or overlooking. 

On XXXX XX/XX/2020, I was issued two statement credits for refunds. Two concerts to which I had tickets this summer were cancelled and the tickets refunded in the amounts of {$960.00} and {$980.00} for a total of {$1900.00}. As I had no other expenses on this card, I showed a statement balance of - {$1900.00}. 

On XXXX XX/XX/2020, I called and requested a credit refund. I spoke to a young man who told me it was his first day and that his manager was processing the refund by controlling his screen. I asked multiple times to confirm that this would not be processed as a cash advance, based upon a prior experience I will summarize below. He repeatedly assured me there would be no associated fees because it was a credit refund and not a cash advance. 

When I later checked my accounts, I saw I had a CASH ADVANCE TRANSACTION*FINANCE CHARGE* of {$78.00} from XXXX XXXX. 

I wrote to Wells Fargo customer service through the app and received a response on XXXX XXXX stating, I understand that you are requesting the {$78.00} cash advance fee to be waived that was assessed to your account on XX/XX/2020. With regret, your request for honored at this time. 

On XXXX XXXX, when I saw this message, I called Wells Fargo and asked for the fee to be reversed and to close the credit account. I was told the fee would be reversed and that the account was closed. 

On XXXX XXXX, I logged onto my Wells Fargo account and saw that rather than the fee being reversed, I was assessed a SECOND fee of {$78.00}, labeled, BANK ADJUSTMENT XXXX XXXX XXXX. Rather than reverse the fee, Wells Fargo assessed me a second fee. 

You are hopefully wondering why I was emphatic in the first call that I not be charged a cash advance fee on a credit refund. I have had tickets purchased with credit cards from other banks to other events cancelled, and those banks have processed credit refunds without any issue. But at the start of summer, I had another event cancelled on this same card, I requested a credit refund, and was assessed a cash advance fee of {$58.00}. Similarly, I called and was told the fee would be corrected, only to be charged a second fee of {$58.00}. By the time I had the fees reversed I had placed four calls averaging 30 minutes each ( including extended hold times ) to have this problem sorted out.

Now, I have placed two phone calls and written a message, and I am not giving Wells Fargo any more of my time to resolve incorrect fees. This appears to be a systemic issue and is likely being experienced by other customers. It needs to be resolved, and so I am appealing to the CFPB to aid not only in my resolution, but in ensuring that Wells Fargo is not, again, corruptly assessing fees from customers. 

I am attaching statements from XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX showing the previous fees as well as the refunded amount of - {$1900.00}. I am attaching screenshots to show the recently assessed fees, as that statement has not yet closed.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief