Consumer complaint received 2023-01-28
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: AL
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
On or around XX/XX/XXXX or so I ordered a XXXX bag from XXXX XXXX  XXXX ( XXXX XXXX  XXXX ) as a gift for my partners XXXX birthday. That purchase triggered the designer ; XXXX XXXX, to contact me on XX/XX/XXXX. He stated his appreciation for my order and I stated how proud I was to have ordered and how happy I was to meet him we talked for almost XXXX. He then invited us to XXXX for his spring fling called XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. He stated he wanted to show me how profitable the business is and the potential it already had as a small business. I told him I be interested in that and then he stated that my partner would receive what was called an XXXX XXXX at the show. This is when he personally presents the bag of your choice in a custom box with personalized information on it. I went and it was some hitches but non that triggered any issue with the designer. The experience ended up happening the next day at the XXXX XXXX in XXXX, XXXX. After the interaction we discussed some of the items we saw the day before at the show and possibly becoming an investor of the company he said the spirit was leading him to deal with me. I of course thought this is about to be an unbelievable opportunity. That was the end of the conversation this happened on XX/XX/XXXX. We spoke daily for the next XXXX days about the investment opportunity. He initially asked for XXXX investment for a percentage of the company ; if that wouldnt work, he then stated I could be a XXXX XXXX  and gain XXXX XXXX commission on all sales when my particular code was presented at checkout ; I would have to purchase the full collection Backpack, purse, and wallet. I had already expressed interest in a bag that I saw at the show so he said he would make the collection around the one I was going to order, and we would speak in more depth about the way the XXXX XXXX  or even if I was going to be able to invest directly into the company worked because he would be delivering the collection to me in XXXX, XXXX, where I reside in XXXX weeks from the time I ordered. So, I ordered the collection first payment invoice {$9500.00} with the option to pay by debit credit or wire transfer, I selected wire transfer. The payment was completed on XX/XX/XXXX. ( please see original copy of transaction attached ) Sidenote : because of the amount the bank made me come inside the branch to complete the transaction. I sent proof of payment and things seemed to progress accordingly. We had scheduled to speak about XX/XX/XXXX about the investment or XXXX  opportunity, I was supposed to let him know where I was comfortable by then if I was interested. We held a phone conference on that day for about XXXX minutes and I decide I would like to take the opportunity to become a brand ambassador for the company. We agreed and were supposed to finalize my access to a XXXX account where my commissions would go automatically, and I would be able to track the code to ensure we were on the same page once the products where delivered. Sidenote : My order communications happened through his girlfriend XXXX XXXX most times, the discussion of investment and XXXX  happened directly with XXXX. The delivery would not happen until the final payment was made which was supposed to be XX/XX/XXXX but I didnt get to make it until XX/XX/XXXX. This wire transfer was for the remaining {$3500.00} owed towards the collection I made it through my Wells Fargo mobile app because it was less than {$5000.00}. ( There is no original transaction document for this due to using the app so I have provided my bank statement showing the transfer along with the invoice the transfer was requested to be paid to. ) The delivery was supposed to happen on XX/XX/XXXX. I was given several pushbacked dates by XXXX in the early onset of discovering that I had been defrauded out of my money. After the conversation between XXXX and I started to get more intense with my asking questions and she is giving loose answers, XXXX started being the XXXX calling pushing the date back this started from him in late XXXX after XXXX failed delivery dates. I started to have difficulties getting a respond from either person, XXXX or XXXX around this time and the final XXXX date was missed and XXXX contacted me to say the issue was that he hadnt created my collection due to not having the material because it was so exclusive, he ran out of it. He sent me an alternate option I let him know I was no longer interested because this wasnt what we discussed, and I would just like my money back. He called and apologized and said that he could refund me for the purse and the wallet but because I asked for the bag from the show, and he had missed several opportunities to sell the bag or accept others who were eagerly awaiting the opportunity to work with him as XXXX  he would not refunding me that portion. We exchanged words and he disconnected the call and blocked me from contacting him. He then posted the entire collection on his social media the next day and I was livid and made a buyer beware post under it and he blocked me but not before I was able to get the screenshot of the item. I immediately contacted my bank who advised me that what I described seemed to be fraud to them and they opened a fraud claim and instructed me to contact the authorities in my local county and where the designer was located. Thats what brought us here.

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