Consumer complaint received 2023-11-30
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: CA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
Without any warning ( text, notification in the App, email, certified letter, letter, phone call, etc ) Wells Fargo Bank WFB closed any account associated with my wife and me on about XX/XX/XXXX. That included our joint checking account which we opened in XXXX and have been excellent customers of WFB ever since. My wife XXXX XXXX and I spoke to the Branch Manager in XXXX XXXX, near our home by phone on or near XX/XX/XXXX, because our Wells Fargo Bank accounts have been frozen or suspended. We needed to know the status of this account, specifically why our money is not accessible and when this will be resolved. 
The total amount of these accounts is close to {$100000.00} which can not be accessed. 
To recap, we have no idea why our accounts were frozen on or about XX/XX/XXXX. To this date, there has been no warning from WFB notifying us that our account might be frozen. Apparently, a USPS non-certified letter to verify our address was sent to an address where we were not staying, so logically we could not receive it. When I asked WFB to read me the contents of the letter, they said they could not. So, WFB sent a non-certified letter to an address to where we were not living and asked for urgent information which probably caused our accounts to be frozen. The letter probably never stated our accounts might be frozen. When I asked customer service to send us a copy of this letter, they refused. Today, WFB Customer Service also refused to read the letter, saying they do not have access to it. 
Everyone we have told this story to can not believe it. We have discussed this with WFB branches in New York, the Trust Department of WFB, and advisers from XXXX XXXX, XXXX  XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX. All say this is very strange. Bordering on illegal. This is our money and for an institution-especially one as large as WFB- to freeze the cash is not consumerism bordering on illegality. 
We are currently on vacation in XXXX. The branch manager in XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX suggested flying back to the United States at our own expense ( almost {$1000.00} ) and presenting identification, like a passport, drivers license and proof of residency to a WFB branch. He said this might help but could not guarantee it would unfreeze the account. This solution would be expensive and unreasonable He called back the next day to say that there was nothing he could do. Considering WFB has a legal ( and ethical and moral ) responsibility to maintain accurate records and disclose information, this requirement is clearly not being met. 

To date, we have incurred late fees, and early withdrawal penalties to pay bills due to this WFB mistake. XXXX XXXX told us he would waive any late fees on the WFB side, but as you know, late fees accrue on both sides. My credit score stands at an outstanding XXXX of XXXX and I refuse to have WFB decrease my score for a mistake they have made. 
Apparently, last XXXX this agency ordered WFB to pay {$3.00} XXXX in mismanagement of funds. Other articles and cases cite a computer glitch which has caused accounts to be frozen.

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