Consumer complaint received 2023-09-01
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: NM
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Closing an account
Sub-issue: Funds not received from closed account

Complaint:
This is my third complaint regarding Wells Fargo. This one is new and totally different. At this point, Wells Fargo is refusing to acknowledge that they MUST return my money and they are saying they will resolve this in 10 days. I need MY money now. The Bank has no excuse nor reason to hold on to it. I don't know how this is not called theft. 

On Saturday, XX/XX/XXXX, I went to Wells Fargo to deposit a check for {$370.00}, I transferred an amount to a family member via XXXX at XXXX. I received an email saying the transfer went through. At XXXX XXXX  I tried to open my account and it didn't exist!! I called Wells Fargo 's support number and they said they were worried about XXXX payments made from XXXX ( where I was this year. ) They said they put a " hold '' on my account for my safety but I needed to contact XXXX XXXX Escalations Representative again and they wouldn't open until Monday, XX/XX/XXXX. I called and I was informed that Wells Fargo had decided to close my account effective XX/XX/XXXXXXXX  but I wouldn't have access anymore ( beginning XXXX. XXXX. ) I submitted a complaint to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on XX/XX/XXXX and was advised to close my account. I went to Wells Fargo in XXXX, the representative could not close yet and we made an appointment to close on Wednesday XX/XX/XXXX. This is what happened then and this is what I sent again to Wells Fargo 's Enterprise Complaint Management Office 's person in charge of my case : XXXX XXXX XXXX, Today I must add to my complaint. Since the filing of Wells Fargo case number : XXXXAccount number ending in : XXXX Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, case number : XXXX, more issues have taken place. I can not believe the amount of time I have spent dealing with your bank online and IN PERSON since you put a hold on my account which meant you blocked me completely. 

1. On Monday, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX  ET I called Escalation Representative XXXX XXXX. ( I believe XXXX ) as instructed by a person who called from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX on Sunday. This person told me there was a block in my account due to logins from XXXX but she believed this could be resolved on Monday. The Escalation Representative who talked to me on Monday at XXXX XXXX MT informed me that Wells Fargo had made the decision to close my account and that it was a final decision. She said the account would be closed on XX/XX/XXXXXXXX  and, at this point, I had no more access to my money, log in, or the history of my account. I asked why was it called a hold if the account was obviously closed to me since I could not use it again or log in. I also explained my concern that the {$330.00} I transferred via XXXX to my relative, and it appeared as completed yet he did not receive the funds. XXXX XXXX explained that those funds were frozen so it would not go through and I would have to wait until after XX/XX/XXXX when my account would be closed. I said I needed these funds to get to my XXXX father and that I didnt understand the difference between a hold and the account being closed and XXXX XXXX hung up on me . 

2. I contacted the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency by telephone and was advised to file a written complaint against Wells Fargo XXXX and close the account and request my money back since there were no transactions left and everything was on hold. 

3. On Monday, XX/XX/XXXX I went to the nearest Wells Fargo office at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, NM XXXX. The Associate Personal Banker, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, was EXCELLENT. It was the first professional and very kind Wells Fargo employee who did everything to help me close the account. We found out that WF was waiting for a check to clear, I had deposited this check in Wells Fargo from XXXX my other financial institution, on Saturday. We decided to wait until Wednesday, XX/XX/XXXX to close the account. I checked my XXXX account and the check for {$370.00} had gone through so it was now with Wells Fargo. 

4. On Wednesday, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXXXXXX XXXX. I met with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX again to close my account. She had to call the office in charge of closing accounts but this office explained that the XXXX transfer to my relative for {$330.00} had been completed. You, at Wells Fargo Escalations, know this is NOT true but have no records available to local offices that show that you are holding on to the {$330.00}. You do have the recording of my call to XXXX on Monday who told me the transfer was held and would not go through, my family never received the funds. It is outrageous that a local office has to go through the embarrassment of telling me they dont know where that money is. At the WF Branch, the Representative tried to call your number several times and no one responded. She also attempted to contact XXXX XXXX at XXXX and not only was there no response but her mailbox was full! Your letters say that your hours are between XXXXXXXX XXXX and XXXXXXXX XXXX. ET but we had NO REPLY. This is unbelievable, considering that it is Wednesday and you are the Enterprise Complaints Management Office. 

By this point, I have spent HOURS in person, on the phone, and now writing this addendum to my complaints. It is outrageous that a bank can be so dismissive of a customer. There is NO explanation for your hiding {$330.00} and not returning my money. This money is NOT in the middle of a XXXX transaction because you stopped it, you blocked me from XXXX and from any access to information about my account, m as if I were a criminal. Meanwhile, I can not provide support to a father who needs medical attention. 

This has been the worst banking experience I have had in my life. I am an honest retired school teacher, a person with an impeccable record and a great credit score ( you can see all that. ) I have worked hard all my life and after opening an account to help my father by paying some of his bills using XXXX, I get treated worse than the criminal who scammed me in XXXX. Yes, I have logged in from XXXX. However, when I have used my credit union ATM card in other countries, the credit union has called me to ask me if I am abroad when I forget to inform them of my travels and I really appreciate the concern. But they never have CLOSED my accounts and held on to my money and never have the employees been ignorant of where funds may be. 

Your responsibility right now is to return my money and clear my phone number from XXXX so I can continue helping my family and community and can let go of the horrible stress I have experienced by opening an account at your bank. You can research me as a consumer, I have always tried to resolve issues directly with kindness. I had never filed a series of complaints of this magnitude before.

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