Consumer complaint received 2023-08-10
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: NC
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Other transaction problem

Complaint:
I used the Wells Fargo Online banking application to register XXXX XXXX XXXX as a payee and scheduled a {$300.00} electronic payment to be delivered to XXXX XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. When the payment was not posted to my XXXX XXXX XXXX account, I raised an inquiry to Wells Fargo on XX/XX/XXXX and received an acknowledgment and a reference / payment confirmation number. In their acknowledgment Wells Fargo listed steps they would take, which led me to believe they would only involve me if required by XXXX XXXX XXXX. Note that the reference / payment confirmation number is also used as Wells Fargos proof-of-payment. 

On XX/XX/XXXX Wells Fargo sent me an update on my inquiry where they listed steps they would take to help me to resolve the issue, including working with XXXX XXXX XXXX to determine the information XXXX XXXX XXXX needed to locate the payment. I have no evidence that Wells Fargo ever contacted XXXX XXXX XXXX independently to get this information. I was on several calls separately with XXXX XXXX XXXX and on 3-way calls where Wells Fargo conferenced in XXXX  XXXX  XXXX XXXX My payment was never found in the XXXX XXXX XXXX system using the Wells Fargo proof-of-payment. 

On XXXX XXXX, in Wells Fargo Online Claims, left me a voice mail to call, although I had already worked with XXXX and XXXX in Online Claims and my inquiry remained unresolved. Fifteen minutes later Wells Fargo sent me a message notifying me they had closed my inquiry. The message also said they needed me to contact XXXX XXXX XXXX directly and they tried to contact me, but could not. On XXXX I requested the evidence that Wells Fargo used to close my inquiry and was later informed that it would be provided in 30 calendar days. Also on XXXX I spoke to XXXX in Wells Fargo Online Claims and told him that XXXX XXXX XXXX would only accept the banks routing number and account number to start researching the missing electronic payment. XXXX told me that he was aware of problems with XXXX XXXX XXXX accepting Wells Fargos proof-of-payments. On XXXX I spoke to XXXX in Wells Fargo Customer Service and requested they retrieve the payment from XXXX XXXX XXXX and return it to my account, since by then I paid XXXX XXXX XXXX another way. XXXX did not comply and after several escalations XXXX XXXX, an Executive Office Case Specialist, wrote on XX/XX/XXXX that a 3-way call was Wells Fargo Online Claims only way to communicate with XXXX XXXX  XXXX due to privacy concerns. 

After waiting 30 calendar days, the evidence that Wells Fargo used to close my inquiry had not arrived in the mail. On XX/XX/XXXX I wrote a letter to Wells Fargo Online Customer Support to again request the return of my payment. On XX/XX/XXXX Customer Support requested more time to respond and targeted to reply to me on XX/XX/XXXX. I received an electronic reply on XX/XX/XXXX from XXXX XXXX, an Escalations Representative. XXXX repeated the need for a 3-way call with XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Attached to XXXX reply was the evidence used to close my inquiry, which never arrived by mail. The claim was denied because Wells Fargo processed the payment according to my instructions and without error. 

I have the following complaints against Wells Fargo : 1. Wells Fargo had not taken steps to establish its proof-of-payment as a viable means to resolve XXXXXXXX XXXX  XXXX payment issues XXXX 
2. Wells Fargo failed to disclose the known issue with XXXX XXXX XXXX accepting Wells Fargos proof-of-payments before allowing me to register XXXX XXXX XXXX as a payee . 
3. Wells Fargo mislead me by claiming they would take actions ( such as working directly with the payee ) in their written communications, but failed to take those actions in my case. 
4. Wells Fargo made a misleading or untrue statement when they claimed their only method to contact XXXX XXXX XXXX was through a 3-way call with me, the customer, due to privacy concerns.

5. Wells Fargo wrongly limited its investigation to its own records when it had a preexisting, established relationship with XXXX XXXX XXXX. 
6. Wells Fargo failed to use information at its disposal to resolve the issue with XXXX XXXX XXXX or provide me with the same, so I could resolve the issue myself.

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