Consumer complaint received 2019-02-25
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: VA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account
Sub-issue: Transaction was not authorized

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX, we noticed a transaction for {$60.00} had been taken from our checking account via XXXX XXXX. As we do not have the app, we reported it to our bank Wells Fargo. We then discovered 11 other transactions totaling {$84.00} had been taken over a period of 3 months. We opened a claim with Wells Fargo and were told they would normally only go back 60 days, but it would be sent to a special team with a view to getting a total refund. Was also told that the pending {$60.00} could not be stopped and would have to go through our account. Making the claim was no easy task and my wife was refused access to speak about it, even though the account in question is in her name also. Was also told that if we wanted to avoid fraud, not to use Wells Fargo debit cards. 

We then contacted XXXX XXXX with a view to highlighting this fraud and after a few emails, they stopped replying. They have now been reported to the XXXX XXXX XXXX, with no resolution so far. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, Wells Fargo refunded us just {$74.00}. This time we were told that the bank would only pay for transactions 60 days from the first fraud date - not 60 days back from the claim date as we were told. Essentially they agreed that the entire list of transactions were fraudulent, but they would only refund half of them as they had not been reported in a timely manner. This is despite us being covered by zero fraud liability and reporting this whilst a fraud was pending. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, we visited our branch and spoke with the manager who assured us that zero liability means just that and he escalated our complaint to the Resolutions Teams. We provided a chronology of events, names, discussions and lies we had been told by Wells Fargo customer service agents. This was photocopied by the branch manager and sent to the Resolutions Team. We were assured we would have an answer within 1 business day.

3 business days later, we were informed after chasing them that our complaint had been forwarded to Operations Executive Office and they had until XX/XX/XXXX to respond. 

On the XX/XX/XXXX, again we chased them and again, the agent dealing with our claim was unavaiable. Undeterred, we waited on the phone to speak to someone else. We were then informed that a decision had been made on XX/XX/XXXX ( but no one had bothered to contact us ) The decision was that they refused to refund the outstanding {$70.00} as it wasnt reported in a timely manner, despite the FACT it was reported while the charges were pending. We were told this is as far as we could go with Wells Fargo. 

There was no mention about the test of the complaint or how we had been treated and lied to. We then contacted our bank manager with a view to shutting down all 4 of our Wells Fargo accounts and he could offer no compromise. We deem this necessary has Wells Fargo can not and will not safeguard our money. We have been the victim of fraud through Wells Fargo many times in the past, but naively chose to stay. After 35 years of loyalty, they will lose a customer over {$70.00}.

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