Consumer complaint received 2022-06-15
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: PA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Getting a credit card
Sub-issue: Sent card you never applied for

Complaint:
In XXXX, unbeknownst to me, I was fraudulently signed up, by Wells Fargo ( hereafter WF ), for a credit card, the Credit Defense Platinum service, and the Overdraft Protection service. While signed up for said credit card, at that time I never received one in the mail. Therefore, I had no idea. 

In XXXX, I received a credit card in the mail from WF and this was when I started using it. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, I complained to XXXX XXXX, a Personal Banker/Lending Officer at the WF Bank in XXXX PA XXXX about an unrecognizable charge I noticed on my credit card statement for something called, Credit Defense Platinum XXXX hereafter, CDP ). A few days later, I received a signed letter, dated XX/XX/XXXX, from XXXX XXXX, Senior Vice President, Consumer Financial Services, stating that the CDP service was being cancelled. 

In XXXX, while complaining to the branch manager at my bank, XXXX XXXX XXXX, about a problem with my brokerage account, I mentioned to him what happened to me with the CDP service years before. He asked if I wanted to file a complaint with WF. So, I did. I asked XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, when I first complained to XXXX XXXX about the unrecognizable CDP charge, why didnt he offer to file a complaint? XXXX XXXX said he did not know. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I spoke with XXXX XXXX, a research and remediation analyst with WF, about my complaint regarding the unrecognizable CDP service charge on my credit card statement. He reminded me that I received a benefit from the CDP service and then said he was willing to reimburse me {$68.00} for the months I unknowingly paid for the CDP program. He asked if its okay. Unsure how to answer I responded along the lines of, What if I say no? He then offered me {$190.00}. He asked again if this was okay. I answered the same way. He then said, Since WF has no documents to prove that you signed up for the CDP program, as a customer courtesy WF will give you {$310.00} The check will be cut after XXXX. 

This marked the first time anyone from WF told me that I had never signed up for the CDP service. To say the least it was unsettling. Even more disturbing was that if I had taken the {$68.00} or {$190.00}, XXXX XXXX would not have told me WF has no documents to prove that you signed up for the CDP program and the deceit would have continued/went unnoticed. WF wanted to save money, while keeping me blind to the truth. 

Confused, I told XXXX XXXX I needed time to think about his settlement offer. After which he began to bully me to get me to say that I agreed to his offer. He was literally like an angry used car salesman who wouldnt take no for an answer, desperate to get me to say yes. When he saw that I would not cave to his aggressive behavior, XXXX XXXX then gave me an ultimatum that I had until the end of the day, XXXX time, Friday to decide. He said this translated to Monday morning, because he wouldnt get to my case until then and if he did not hear from me that I will be receiving the settlement money no matter what, meaning I agreed to his terms. So, I had until XX/XX/XXXX to decide, which I found out later was a blatant lie. It was the phone call with XXXX XXXX that made me start to investigate. 

To make a long and horrendous story short, in XXXX thru XXXX, after filing XXXX complaints I discovered that in XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, Senior Vice President, Consumer Financial Services, strategically and deceitfully withheld evidence that would have proven that I was fraudulently signed up for not only the Credit Defense Platinum service, but also for my credit card and overdraft protection service. Instead of being transparent ( as ordered by the OCC ), through a series of manipulative letters she led me to believe that I qualified for only one benefit in the CDP service, when in fact I qualified for several more. So, WF not only withheld the CDP service application that proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was fraudulently signed up for said service, but also manipulated me to believe I only qualified for one event/benefit by strategically hiding the benefits from me. Absolutely devious. 

And then in XXXX, XXXX XXXX and two other research and remediation analysts, XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX also withheld this piece of vital evidence from me during my complaints because they too did not want to make me aware of the scam that WF perpetrated against me. In other words, WF continued to bank on my blindness. It was only during my third complaint, filed with XXXX, when WF understood I was on to their scheme that they gave me as evidence the CDP service application that I was fraudulently signed up for. Most likely they were concerned I would take them to court and WF did not want to be accused of withholding evidence. 

For sake of clarity, XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX, three WF research and remediation analysts, were obviously picking up where XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX left off. They were all continuing to perpetrate the scam by withholding vital evidence. 

WF beyond a shadow of a doubt did not want me to see the CDP service application because it would have made me realize I was fraudulently signed up for said service. NOT TO MENTION that written on the CDP service application were all the events/benefits that XXXX XXXX. XXXX strategically kept hidden from me in XXXX. 

It took me YEARS to learn the truth about what WF did to me and what I went through was absolutely insane. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I attended a mediation session run by XXXX. At the beginning of the session, I asked the mediator if he read the documents that I sent to WF and that I was told they forwarded to you titled My Wells Fargo Fiasco and the Wells Fargo Evidence Book. As he began to search for said documents it became evident, he did not read them. And then when he found said documents it became clear that WF tampered with the evidence I sent them. How? They pasted the PDFs all into one document along with other material. This changed the page numbering of both documents which would have made it extremely difficult/frustrating for the mediator to follow. Also, within the pasted together document WF placed the evidence book first, which would have made it even more confusing for the mediator to follow/search through. Whether or not this was done with bad intention, who knows? However, WF should have given to the mediator the evidence EXACTLY how I submitted it to them. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received the results from mediation. XXXX XXXX, the WF rep, stated WF was willing to reimburse me for XXXX accounts and services. Until I received the reply from the mediator, I was only aware of one account ( credit card ) and two services ( CDP and Overdraft protection ). What are the other two? Also, after reading my documents, the mediator wrote that the parameters of this dispute resolution program can not encompass much of ( my ) complaints. 

The mediator, XXXX XXXX, offered me {$4000.00} for some of the time I spent on this fiasco and explained that I maintained all legal rights to XXXX WF for compensation more in line with my demand. He also recommended that I file a complaint with the CFPB, so here I am. 

On Monday, XX/XX/XXXX, I received a letter in the mail from WF stating that they accepted the mediators proposal. I signed the document and sent it back to WF on XX/XX/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 explanation