Consumer complaint received 2022-09-12
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: FL
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Store credit card
Issue: Getting a credit card
Sub-issue: Card opened as result of identity theft or fraud

Complaint:
XX/XX/XXXX CPFB Sirs : Please see the copy of letter with the incident which brought about this complaint. I must add the actual date that the physical card was received which was XX/XX/XXXX. Thanks and see below. 



XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, FL. XXXX XX/XX/XXXX Credit Bureau Dear Sirs : Please use this letter as my official response regarding a fraudulently submitted Credit Inquiry and Credit Card application submitted by a XXXX XXXX  Dept Store Associate at the XXXX Mall in XXXX, FL on XX/XX/XXXX. On the aforementioned date, a XXXX XXXX Men 's store Associate asked me about applying for a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX after a debit card purchase. I immediately asked him if that was a Credit Card or just a loyalty card. He replied that it was not a Credit Card and it would not require a credit inquiry. 
I then advised him that with the housing crisis in XXXX, it would be unwise to have any credit inquiries as we may have to move and we didn't want an unethical or unqualified person using simple inquiries as their justification for rejection despite us having an excellent credit score. He also agreed and we proceeded with what I thought was to be a normal documentation process for a Non Credit Card Rewards program based on customer loyalty. During the paperwork process, he asked for income, which again I asked if this was a Credit card application. He again assured me that it wasn't. Shortly afterwards he advised that they had rejected me. Since it was stated that this was not a Credit Card application, I figured that the store probably had an income requirement that was higher than I had supplied as I did tell him that I was going to give him a lower amount as we had supplied it to an Apartment Complex last year, and they tried to manipulate us. Shortly afterwards I received a Dillard 's American Express card in the mail and I immediately contacted the telephone number on the card and told them I had not given anyone any authorization to apply for a Credit Card despite during the application process I was lied to regarding signing my signature during the paperwork process which was supposed to be a Non Credit Card Rewards Program. Numerous times during the process I told the Associate that I would not apply for a Credit Card and he always stated that it was not. My wife witnessed the entire process. After the telephone Associate processed his documentation for the dispute he told me that I could cut up the card, which I did. 

In conclusion, under the Uniform Commercial Code any transaction contracted by illegal means is " Null and Void ''. The XXXX XXXX  Associate used Fraud and Misrepresentation to submit this Inquiry and Credit Application. Any reasonable investigation into my Credit will show that it is highly improbable that I did give someone authority to apply for a firm 's store Credit Card as the interest rates are always higher ; I have enough clean credit cards to make purchases, and with the housing market in XXXX, it would truly not be wise to attempt that These things in addition to the Associate saying the application had been rejected truly seems to be highly abnormal and strange behavior on the part of the XXXX Store Representative. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX

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 non-monetary relief