Consumer complaint received 2023-12-12
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: NJ
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Problem using a debit or ATM card

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2023, I used my Wells Fargo debit card to retrieve {$200.00} from an ATM issued by XXXX XXXX XXXX ( who also need to be investigated ). The ATM is located at a XXXX XXXX in XXXX, NJ. My transaction was approved, and I was charged an additional {$2.00}, for a total of {$200.00}. After the approval, the machine shutdown and the dispensing process never begun. I immediately requested help from the two workers in the store. The woman inside powered the ATM back on, and once it was booted up there was an out of service message and an error code on the screen. This was at XXXXXXXX XXXX and I have time-stamped photo proof of all of this. The woman then proceeded to call her son who owns the store, and he advised that I call the number at the bottom of the ATM and report my issue to XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ). I returned to the store two hours later ( I have more time-stamped evidence ) and the error message was still there and no money was ever dispensed. I called XXXX XXXX and after answering their automated number prompts, I was immediately forwarded to the claims department at Wells Fargo and told them every detail. The bank credited my account about two days later.

Fast forward two months later in XXXX, and I am notified that my claim was denied and the funds were taken back from me. The claims department says that the ATM issuer ( XXXX XXXX ) provided them with sufficient evidence which was a transaction log and they said they had no evidence of a jam ( which I never said was my issue ). I plead with Wells Fargo multiple times to please understand that the money NEVER left the machine or touched my hands. My transactions on my account even reflect that I had to go to another ATM a few doors down to requests another {$200.00} because I needed the cash for an appointment. I even have message proof of when I asked my nail technician if she could possibly accept XXXX instead because the first ATM took my money. Wells Fargo refuses to do any further investigation on my behalf even though I am telling them the evidence sent to them was not sufficient. 

My next step was to file a XXXX claim against XXXX XXXX, which was submitted on XX/XX/2023. They responded to my claim on XX/XX/2023 and just said they sent it to the department who deals with that stuff and that the XXXX may I have caused a delay. I was then contacted by phone from a gentleman from the company. I explained my situation and how the transaction logs they provided my bank were not sufficient because they just prove a transaction was approved, but not that the money physically came out. Someone was either supposed to audit the machine to see that the money was still there and/or check some sort of surveillance footage whether it was from the machine itself ( which they don't provide ) or the store where the incident happened. He let me know he understood exactly what I was saying and that he would look further into it and I never heard from him again. Unfortunately, there was no direct phone line for their dispute department issued to me. 

Now, as of yesterday XX/XX/2023 I was back on the phone with Wells Fargo letting them know that I was basically robbed and begging them to please look back into my case. I asked would I need some type of video proof and I was told if I was able to provide some type of surveillance, they might CONSIDER re-opening my claim. So, I returned to the store and was greeted by the same two older people ( the parents of the owner ) who remembered me and could back up everything I've been saying for the past THREE months. I asked the woman to please call her son like she did the last time because she didn't understand XXXX well, and since he was the owner, he would be able to assist me further. Once she called her son and I explained how the issue was still ongoing and I was in need of surveillance footage, he physically came to the store to check if the footage was still viewable. Unfortunately, since the first incident occurred a few days shy of three months, the footage was no longer available. My last plea to the owner was for him to call the number on the ATM and report my issue and this is when I finally received the answers I was looking for. We spoke to a man named XXXX in tech support, and after asking me my debit card number he was able to see my transaction. He was also able to see that the balance of the ATM went down {$200.00}, WENT OFFLINE FOR SOME TIME, and then the balance of the ATM goes BACK UP {$200.00}. This proves the point I've been trying to make since day one that the funds never left the machine! This frustrated me because if he was able to see this information, why did the company withhold it from my bank? If they would have submitted this evidence my claim should have never been denied. I asked XXXX if there was any way for him to send me proof of that, which he said he was unable to do. I also requested if he could possibly resend it to my bank or talk to them on a conference call. XXXX from tech support let me know that all he could do was escalate it to the dispute department, who at this point I am very skeptical of. However, I was grateful that he could see that information, and I just left a call-back number. 

Today, XX/XX/2023, I called Wells Fargo AGAIN letting them know that the same company who provided them with evidence that goes against my claim has contradictory evidence that SUPPORTS ME. All claims associates just keep re-iterating that the decision is final no matter how many times I try to tell them that XXXX XXXX has evidence that the balance of the machine matches my story. They're telling me I need to take it up with the ATM issuer but neither of them are helping and I'm still out of {$200.00} plus Wells Fargo fees. Please help me, I feel hopeless and taken advantage of.

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