Consumer complaint received 2018-09-15
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: CA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems
Sub-issue: Problem with rewards from credit card

Complaint:
Overview : The Wells Fargo Signature Visa Card advertises that points are worth {$1.00} per 100 points when redeemed for cash and {$1.00} per 100 points when redeemed for airline tickets. Last year I redeemed points without any issues. This year I redeemed points that were redeemed and charged per the above conversion rate of {$1.00} per 100 points for airline tickets. However, per the following details, Wells Fargo actually obtained super discounted group block rate tickets with major restrictions beyond standard airline tickets, the most extreme being the inability to select or confirm seats until check-in. 

My initial written complaint to Wells Fargo was rejected, based upon their interpretation of terminology contained in one of their many on-line Terms and Conditions. 

I then filed a complaint with the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX. After this complaint was filed, I was called by representatives of Wells Fargo who indicated that some type of " error '' had occurred. My flight ( leaving for XXXX XX/XX/18 XXXX was already overbooked so they could not fix the " error '' by reserving any seats on my flight, which seems to indicate that the type of tickets Wells Fargo reserved were somewhere between standard tickets and standby tickets. They said that I would probably have seating somewhere on the airplane due to the early date of my reservation, but that even if seats were available at check-in the odds of having 2 seats together were minimal. 

Wells Fargo finally replaced my XXXX reservation with one on XXXX XXXX on the same dates but not at as convenient a time. This time with reserved seats but not the airline I originally chose. 

Several issues remain : 1 ) I consider Wells Fargo 's action as to me personally as more of a Mitigation of Damages than a Full Resolution of my issue. 

2 ) The most important issue is that Wells Fargo initially defended their actions as consistent with their standard business business practices, but then only contended there was an " error '' after I filed a formal Complaint w/ XXXX XXXX XXXX ( I am not sure what the current status of that Complaint is, but they also suggested I share the same information with the CFPB ). My strong suspicion is that Wells Fargo is also using the same process for thousands of their other customers and will continue doing so until the issue becomes public and you require Wells Fargo to stop this procedure. 

3 ) Airlines may be also be knowingly or unknowingly complicit in this process by delivering E-tickets to customers showing the full price of their standard retail tickets. This might have the legitimate purpose of keeping discounts and/or rebates secret from full price customers. It might also be a process similar to when auto manufacturers provide " list price '' documentation to dealers to assist sales negotiations - but everyone knows how this works. For Wells Fargo to advertise a credit card based on a specific rewards value process, redeem points based on the full retail cost of standard airline tickets - but then actually deliver discount tickets one step above standby tickets is dishonest and probably fraudulent. 

These are the details : I located a XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) flight from XXXX to XXXX, XXXX for XX/XX/2018, returning from XXXX to XXXX on XX/XX/2018. Instead of purchasing two round-trip tickets, total price {$1600.00}, I asked Wells Fargo 's Go Far Rewards to get the tickets for me based on redeeming some of my credit card points. 

The reservation was done at some point, and my account was charged XXXX points based on an advertised conversion rate of 100 points per {$1.00} of tickets ' price. For some time I was unable to get verification from XXXX that reservations were actually made, so I called Wells Fargo for assistance. After several revised confirmation letters from Go Far Rewards, Wells Fargo finally claimed in writing and during a phone call from their executive offices that my reservations were appropriately made pursuant to what was allowed per their standard Terms and Conditions. 

It appears that Wells Fargo has been using a travel agency called XXXX XXXX to outsource airline ticket purchases. It turns out that XXXX XXXX did not make reservations for and purchase the XXXX XXXX tickets I requested, but instead purchased super-discounted agency tickets from XXXX with special restrictions. This information was confirmed by friends in XXXX who contacted XXXX directly and confirmed that the tickets that had been reserved for me were not standard XXXX tickets but instead special discount tickets. XXXX would not verify the exact amount of the discount but only said this class of ticket was considerably discounted from their standard ticket 's retail price. 

The area of most concern is that with the tickets purchased by XXXX XXXX, seat reservations cant be made until flight check-in, contrary to standard XXXX tickets where seats can be reserved and even upgraded immediately. This means that its possible there may not be any available seats by check-in, and even if seats are still available, there's no way to confirm people can sit together. I had enough concerns having 2 seats in separate areas of an airplane for an almost 12 hour international flight. Imagine the same issues for a family of 5? 

It appears these super-discounted tickets are meant for corporate travel management companies and group tours handled by travel agencies where the travel management company or travel agency coordinates seating and obtains discounts to lower overall airline costs, what their clients are concerned with. This doesn't work for individuals making travel plans assuming they are actually getting standard airline tickets. 

Last year when I redeemed points for 4 airline tickets from XXXX XXXX to XXXX XXXX XXXX my points were redeemed for standard tickets. I was able to immediately reserve airline seats to ensure we all sat together. One strange did happen however. Because of a slight change in airline departure time, I was given written notification of the change, but for some reason notification re : 2 tickets came from Wells Fargo and notification for 2 of the tickets came from XXXX XXXX. Im assuming they were undergoing some issues with a transition. 

What seems to have happened over the past year is that at least a portion of the work of Wells Fargo 's Go Far Rewards Fulfillment Department has been outsourced to XXXX XXXX. My understanding if that XXXX XXXX primarily provides Corporate Travel Management Services to Wells Fargo to manage and reduce costs for internal Wells Fargo business travel. They may also  operate in some situations as a regular Travel Agency. Im not sure what type of financial arrangement Wells Fargo has with XXXX XXXX, but its clear that Wells Fargo does not generally make their existence public, except for notification within their on-line Terms and Conditions. All written documentation now comes on Wells Fargo letterhead, and when you call Wells Fargo about a Go Far Rewards travel issue, you will probably eventually be transferred to a XXXX XXXX employee without any notification as to who they are. When XXXX XXXX supervisors have called me they identify themselves as calling from Wells Fargo 's XXXX XXXX. I'm not sure if this general lack of transparency as to the existence of XXXX XXXX is relevant, but it might be something to note. 

Wells Fargo seems to possibly be defrauding at least a portion of their Signature Visa Card customers. It is possible that my situation is an isolated incident and individual " error. '' However, based on the details of my complaint and Wells Fargo 's recent track record, it seems probable there are many other cases involving other Wells Fargo customers. 

I would greatly appreciate your assistance.

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