Consumer complaint received 2019-08-22
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: SC
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: International money transfer
Issue: Money was not available when promised

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2019 we made an on-line international wire transfer payment to one of our contractors in the amount of XXXX euros that was promised to be delivered by XX/XX/2019 per Wells Fargo Bank. 
That has not happened and the funds are still in limbo today ( XX/XX/2019 ) with no specific reasons being given by the bank for the delay or who actually has possession of the funds. 

On XX/XX/2019 the contractor stated they still had not received the wire transfer. I called Wells Fargo Customer Support ( XX/XX/19 ) and after a long hold was told that " someone '' had started a case file, but that " someone '' did not have a name. I was given a file number and was told I had to go into the branch to get any further information. 

I took the case # to the XXXX XXXX branch and was assisted by XXXX to try and figure out what was going on. After passing through about 4 or 5 people, she found someone who knew what the number meant and they told her it was held because of the Invoice number in the " Description '' area of the wire. The description area has nothing to do with the routing of the wire. The " Description '' area does not allow symbols like hyphens, commas, periods, etc and all the description held was the written invoice number with a space where the period would have been and project name. The invoice number was written as " XXXX XXXX XXXX ''. I was told it had been delayed all this time because they did not know what XXXX was. XXXX said she would answer the emailed question sent to her and all should be fine. Later that day she called to say it was still not processed for released and to check back the next day. 

When I called the next day XXXX was out and XXXX said she would check and get back to me. The following day ( XX/XX/19 ) XXXX called and said she thought it had been released. 

Today ( XX/XX/2019 ) I get a call from someone named XXXX who said he was with Wells Fargo and wanted to discuss a wire transfer but he needed personal information. Since, I did not know XXXX I asked for alternatives. He gave me a case number and said to call the Wells Fargo 800 #, hit 0, and request a banker to give the number to. I did that and got XXXX in on-line business banking. I gave him the case # that XXXX gave me ( different than the one received earlier ) and XXXX said that my birthdate, name, and position with the company were required to complete the wire process. He could not tell me what issues were holding up the transaction. Wells Fargo already has my info on file, so this could not be delaying this process and I am no closer to getting answers. 

I have an unhappy contractor who has not been paid and threatens to cease work that will be detrimental to our project deadline. I need to issue another payment and was waiting to clear this matter up and avoid the same issue on the next payment. I want the true issue disclosed and corrected and I want to know that this will not happen every time I send a wire to this company. If we have backlash from this issue that causes us to fail to meet our deadlines, I want Wells Fargo to be willing to cover the damages caused by their internal issues and inability to function and carry out their duty to deliver this wire in a timely manner. If there was an issue, I should have been contacted on day one. They had not contacted me before I approached them on XX/XX/19 to discuss the missing funds. They have my information on record. We have not had access to these funds since XXXX XXXX. Where have they been and who has been benefiting from their delay? 

Please help us get these funds delivered quickly to avoid repercussions caused by this delay that will be costly and in the millions. 

Thanks,

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