Consumer complaint received 2020-08-19
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: VA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: International money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
XX/XX/2020 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Dear Sir/Madam : The purpose of this letter is to seek your help in obtaining return of {$6200.00} that I had my wife to send by international wire transfer via Wells Fargo Bank on XX/XX/2020. Wells Fargo did not send the money yet refused to return the funds on the fallacious pretext that the transaction was not cancelled within 24 hours of placing the order. 

Indeed, in XX/XX/2020, I asked my wife who has an account at Wells Fargo Bank, XXXX, VA to send a wire transfer of {$6200.00} to XXXX XXXX in XXXX, XXXX ( Attachment 1 ). Mr. XXXX XXXX, the Wells Fargo employee, who did the transaction told my wife that the money would arrive in 10 ( presumably ) working days, that is by XX/XX/2020. This ten-day delay came and went by. 

My wife sent a copy of the transaction paper ( Wire Transfer Services Outgoing Wire Transfer Request of Wells Fargo ) provided by Mr. XXXX XXXX to Mr. XXXX for follow-up with his bank, XXXX XXXX in XXXX. Mr. XXXX bank said that the information contained in this Wells Fargo paper was not enough to track the transfer. In particular, it did not show the international swift code. That code was essential for tracking the transaction. When my wife reported to Wells Fargo International Wire Transfer Department ( WFIWTD ) that an international swift code was needed, the staff Ms. XXXX, first said that there was no other number than the one shown on the transfer paper. Then, she said that Mr. XXXX who is in XXXX must ask his bank to contact the correspondent of Wells Fargo in the US without giving to my wife the name of the said correspondent, let alone the swift code. My wife reported to Mr. XXXX who, in turn, returned to XXXX XXXX XXXX to say that Wells Fargo asked that it ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) contact its correspondent in the US. XXXX XXXX XXXX responded that it has many correspondents in the US and could not contact any of them without any specific information about the transaction. My wife reported to the WFIWTD and it was only upon her insistence that finally the staff said that the correspondent of Wells Fargo for XXXX was the XXXX XXXX in New York. To facilitate the investigation and follow-up by the XXXX XXXX XXXX, my wife requested that Wells Fargo give her a paper showing that it sent the money to XXXX XXXX New York and that the latter acknowledged receipt, and that Wells Fargo provides the international swift code. The staff of the WFIWTD said without any explanation whatsoever that the bank could not release that paper to her, let alone the international swift code. 

Faced with this lack of cooperation from the WFIWTD, my wife returned to Wells Fargo XXXX and insisted on talking to the Manager. At that meeting which took place on XX/XX/2020, my wife requested a cancellation of the transfer and full reimbursement of the money. The Manager, Ms. XXXX XXXX responded that she would recall the funds and refund the {$45.00} wire transfer fee charged by Wells Fargo. 

On XX/XX/2020, Wells Fargo XXXX called my wife to say that the investigation was still in progress and that the funds would be returned to her. Since then, all efforts to collect the money turned fruitless. 

Under these circumstances, I sent the letter dated XX/XX/2020 to Mr. XXXX XXXX, CEO of Wells Fargo Bank to request reimbursement. 

On Friday, XX/XX/2020, a female staff of the Executive Office of Wells Fargo called my house at XXXX XXXX Eastern Time to speak to my wife. The summary of their exchange was that Wells Fargo would not return the money ( i.e. XXXX XXXX dollars ) because my wife signed a small-print form that precludes return of wire transfer funds unless the transaction is cancelled within 24 hours of initiation. That is a transfer made on XX/XX/2020, must be cancelled by XX/XX/2020 otherwise it will be forfeited even though the transacting company said that 10 days must be allowed for the money to arrive at destination. Mr. XXXX XXXX did not inform my wife of a 24-hour cancellation clause for refund. Assuming that such a clause exists, the Wells Fargo Executive Office caller provided no response to my wifes question as to how was  she expected to know that a transaction that she initiated on Wednesday, XX/XX/2020 and scheduled to settle by XX/XX/2020, would not settle so as to cancel it on Thursday, XX/XX/2020? 

The claim, after the fact, that the service must be called off before the deadline given by the contractor ( Wells Fargo ) makes no sense. Refusal to return the {$6200.00} in full is tantamount to robbery. I would most appreciate your help in assisting me to recover my money in full. The Power of Attorney of my wife authorizing me to act on her behalf is available for your information. 

I thank you in advance for your cooperation and look forward to hearing from you soon. 

Sincerely, yours

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 non-monetary relief