Consumer complaint received 2023-07-23
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: MN
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement

Complaint:
Re : Transaction id : XXXX ; posted date : XX/XX/XXXX ; card ending : XXXX On the evening of XX/XX/XXXX, I purchased over the phone 4 airline tickets from a travel agency named XXXX XXXX, which is a brand of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. The service I agreed to purchase was round-trip tickets from XXXX, MN, to XXXX, XXXX XXXX , and back to XXXX, MN. 

Once I provided my payment information and my card was charged, the travel agent told me that the trip would start from XXXX, IL, not from XXXX, MN, as agreed and promised before I provided my card information. The agent suggested that I purchase separate tickets for flights from XXXX to XXXX. I declined the suggestion and told the agent to cancel the transaction and the tickets and provide me with a full refund. The travel agent hung up the call. I called multiple times, but the agent didn't answer. Later in the evening of XX/XX/XXXX, the agent emailed, implying that they were going to refund my money. 

Concerned that the agent was not going to follow through, I contacted my credit card issuer, Wells Fargo, the next day, XX/XX/XXXX. I told them what happened, and I filed a dispute and also requested that my card be canceled because I was suspicious that the merchant was going to charge my card again. My card issuer confirmed receipt of the dispute claim in writing by sending me an email on or about XX/XX/XXXX. My card issuer also credited my account for the disputed amount, pending a resolution of the investigation. 

In early XX/XX/XXXX, I noticed that my card issuer reversed the credit amount. I called my card issuer to ask them why. They said the merchant sent them a document stating that the tickets were non-refundable. My card issuer said that based on their review of the merchant-submitted document, they determined the charge to be valid. I expressed disagreement with the decision and asked my card issuer to send me a written decision letter and any documents used to make the decision for my review and decision as to my next step. 

My card issuer sent me the decision letter and the merchant-provided documents about the transaction, including their terms of service. Soon thereafter, I renewed my dispute, and my card issuer affirmed their decision. My card issuer told me to submit any documents showing that the tickets were refundable. 

Following that, I emailed a detailed letter and supporting evidence to my card issuer on XX/XX/XXXX. After hearing no response, I followed up with them on or around XX/XX/XXXX. My card issuer told me they didn't receive my letter and evidence. They provided me with an email address to re-send the information to, which I did right away. 

In my letter, I provided two reasons why the charge was invalid. One, the tickets the merchant delivered were different than what I agreed to purchase and what the merchant promised. In support, I provided copies of other tickets I bought from another travel agency soon after the disputed transaction occurred. The replacement tickets from the different travel agency were for round-trip tickets from XXXX to XXXX and back. This clearly proved that the first travel agency did not provide the service it promised, and I agreed to purchase, and because of that, I had to buy another set of tickets from another merchant. 

Second, the very document the merchant submitted to support its claim that the tickets were non-refundable showed that the transaction included an additional fee for a service that allowed, among other things, the ability to cancel the transaction within 24 hours from the booking time. This information, coupled with my request for cancellation and refund made within minutes of the transaction plus the email from the merchant 's employee implying that they were processing the refund request plus my contacting my card issuer the next day after the transaction showed the tickets were subject to 24-hour cancellation and I took steps to cancel the transaction within 24-hours. Notwithstanding the aforementioned overwhelming evidence confirming the tickets were subject to refund within the first 24 hours and my making such request within 24 hours, which the merchant confirmed, my card issuer continued to insist on their incorrect decision which stated that tickets were categorically non-refundable. 

With my letter, I provided my card issuer with evidence that showed that the merchant recorded its calls. And so, since the transaction was done over the phone, I provided my card issuer my call log history so that they could request from the merchant the recording of the conversation between me and the merchant 's employee, which would provide impartial and dispositive evidence as to what exactly happened concerning my claim that the tickets the merchant delivered being different than what was agreed upon. 

Further, with my letter, I provided evidence showing the tickets were subject to 24-hour cancellation because of having paid additional money for the ability to cancel and get a refund even though the base ticket was non-refundable. I also provided my card issuer evidence of the merchant 's confirmation of my request via email. Moreover, the recording of the phone calls between the merchant 's employee and myself would show that I requested cancellation and refund. 

Despite all of the efforts described above to show why the transaction was invalid, my card issuer arbitrarily decided to side with the merchant. And in doing so, my merchant failed to consider the weight of the evidence which unequivocally supports my position. In other words, my card issuer had failed to do a reasonable investigation as required by law. 

In short, my card issuer made an incorrect decision and has refused to correct its erroneous decision despite it being arbitrary, unreasonable, and contrary to the weight of the evidence.

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 explanation