Consumer complaint received 2016-04-17
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: CA
Product: Credit card
Issue: Credit card protection / Debt protection

Complaint:
I disputed a charge for approx. {$1400.00} on my Wells Fargo Credit Card for an unauthorized charge with XXXX ( the merchant ). From the first phone call with Wells Fargo, I clarified to them that I did not authorize the charge. Wells Fargo subsequently concluded and found that XXXX had knowingly, and willingly, bypassed an authorization and confirmation process to force the charge through. Wells Fargo, thereby, confirmed my claim that I did not authorize the charge. Wells Fargo still refused to reverse the charge, saying I had to deal with the merchant. Even when I communicated with the merchant ( XXXX ), they agreed that they had knowingly and willingly bypassed the authorization and confirmation process to force the charge through. Subsequent analysis by me found that Wells Fargo had n't categorized it as an unauthorized charge when I had explained that to them over and again. Finally I got them to treat it as an unauthorized charge and they said they 'd look into it. I just received a letter from Wells Fargo, and their claim is that they say that I authorized the charge, when I 've been telling them from day 1 that that is not the case. Even XXXX ( the merchant ) has permanently suspended the customer account associated with the charge due to the fraud associated with this charge. XXXX is so adamant that the charge was fraud, that they wo n't even unsuspend the account upon request. Wells Fargo does not have the legal authority, especially with the prevailing evidence, to declare the charge as " authorized '' and especially in contradiction to my declaration that it was not. Even Wells Fargo closed my account and gave me a new card! This has been going on for months because they are committing an act of " willful blindness '' to the facts of the situation. I was legally entitled to have the charge refunded to me back in XXXX 2015! Even the merchant sees the matter as fraud, yet Wells Fargo refuses to categorize it as such. Wells Fargo does not have authority to ignore Federal Law regarding " unauthorized charges '' on a credit card! If they are permitted to do so, think of how many other times they will simply ignore people 's claims, and unjustly enrich themselves and their merchants. Now Wells Fargo is just bullying me to pay for an unauthorized charge because they 're the big bank that can attack my credit and cancel my credit card and harm me financially, instead of admitting they made a mistake from the beginning in how they categorized the dispute. It is likely if they had categorized the matter properly in the beginning, that they would have back-charged the merchant, but since they unnecessarily dragged out the process, pursuant to their agreement with the merchant, they can no longer do that. Now, to save themselves the cost of the unauthorized charge, they bully me into footing the financial bill for their mistakes ... probably because they believe the chances are slim to none that I, or anyone else for that matter, will pursue them in any significant manner if they do n't resolve the situation in accordance with Federal Law.

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