Consumer complaint received 2020-07-06
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: FL
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Card was charged for something you did not purchase with the card

Complaint:
ON XX/XX/XXXX, I purchased a XXXX XXXX XXXX treadmill, a floor mat, and assembly for {$1900.00} online on the XXXX website using my Wells Fargo visa card. The treadmill and mat was delivered and assembled without problem. Before I had run 50 miles ( roughly 7 runs ), the roller broke and the treadmill stopped working. I repeatedly called XXXX and was put on hold for long periods of time, as long as 1 hour and 20-30 mins waiting. After finally getting someone to answer, they did a video call with me and sent me what they guessed was the defective part. Their expectation was for me to fix their defective treadmill for them. After multiple attempts, I got the new part installed and was able to use the treadmill for a short period of time before it broke down again. After being put on hold for long periods of time again, I gave up and was resigned to the fact that I had been ripped off for {$1900.00}. However, that was only the beginning. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, a year after I had purchased the treadmill, a charge for more than {$400.00} that I had not made appeared on my credit card. I discovered the charge when another unauthorized charge appeared on my statement. I called Wells Fargo. They told me they would remove the charge and an investigator would be in touch. I had made no visits to XXXX website. I had not called to purchase any product or service. I had not authorized anyone to use that card for any purpose or any amount. 
I then received a new credit card from Wells Fargo, which I did not activate because I did not trust them after having allowed multiple unauthorized charges. And, access to my original account disappeared. I have no way to check dates of purchases because they eliminated my online access. I then received a form letter from Wells Fargo asking if I had made the charges. I immediately answered, again stating clearly that I did not make or authorize any charges in XXXX. I simply would not have authorized a company that had already ripped me off for {$1900.00} to make another charge, let alone one for over {$400.00}. No Wells Fargo investigator spoke with me. No one from Wells Fargo even bothered to ask me a single question about the authenticity of the charges. After a period of time, I received a bill from Wells Fargo for that unauthorized charge including interest. 

Wells Fargo allowed a predatory vender to use my credit card to make a transaction without my authorization. They acknowledged my report of unauthorized charges by sending me a new card and closing my original account. If they investigated, it was a sham investigation that did not involve all parties because no one spoke to me. I dont know if Wells Fargo is colluding with XXXX  in their predatory scheme to rip off consumers or if they simply side with large corporations in every dispute but I have been ripped off by XXXX  and Wells Fargo not only enabled them to get away with it but they are also trying to profit off of the scheme by charging me interest.

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