Consumer complaint received 2016-04-01
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: SC
Product: Prepaid card
Sub-product: Gift or merchant card
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
On or around XXXX/XXXX/XXXX, I ordered my son a personalized gift card from Wells Fargo Gift Card Services in the amount of {$150.00}. I was told it would take 10-14 business days for the card to arrive. 

I paid for the gift card with my Wells Fargo Visa charge card. My card was charged for the purchase on or around XXXX/XXXX/XXXX. 

XX/XX/XXXX, I called Wells to inquire about the card, as I had not received it. I was having it mailed to me, rather than my son, to include it with other gifts for his birthday. I was told to give it another week. 

I waited another 10+ business days. I called the card services center again. I was told " that card is lost, you will not be receiving it.. we need to cancel that card and order a replacement card '' ... so I did.. On or around XX/XX/XXXX, I called to inquire about the replacement gift card, I was told that I would receive it any day. 

I received the card. I mailed it via XXXX to my son.. On XXXX XXXX, my son called to tell me that he attempted to activate the card. He got a recording that said " thank you, this card has been cancelled ''. Turns out.. the initial card I had ordered did arrive and that is the card that I mailed to him ... the replacement card never arrived ... 

As a result, I went to XXXX XXXX and wired my son the {$150.00} cash as a replacement for the intended gift card. 

I then cancelled the XXXX gift card, which still had not arrived .... and never did arrive. 

Another phone call to Wells, the Rep informed me that since I was cancelling the gift card purchase, I would pay a {$15.00} cancellation fee. A check would be issues to me, in my name, rather than my son 's, and it would take 3-5 weeks. The refund check never came. 

I called sometime in XX/XX/XXXX to inquire, I was told the refund was requested, but never issued. It was to be issued to me right away.. Again ... I was the purchaser, so the refund was to come to payable to me ... for {$130.00}, rather than the {$150.00} purchase price, because I cancelled the order.. Oh my ... OK. 

The refund check came payable to neither me, nor my son.. It is made payable to XXXX XXXX XXXX. So ... on or around XXXX/XXXX/XXXX, I called and explained that the check was to made payable to myself, XXXX XXXX. Additionally, my son 's name is not XXXX XXXX XXXX, his name is XXXX XXXX XXXX, and that the check is issued to a XXXX address, while my son 's address is in XXXX. 

I was speaking to a supervisor named XXXX. He said that he completely understood, would reissue the refund, waive the {$15.00} cancellation fee, issue in my name, as I was the purchaser, and mail it to me. 

On XXXX/XXXX/XXXX, I called to inquire about the replacement refund check. I again spoke to XXXX who told me that early in the month, the replacement check was denied. That they could not change the name. 

I have a check that I can not do anything with ... I have called the gift card service center approx. 10 times in the course of 3 months. 

I have a check made out to the wrong person, for a gift that I paid for, by which I replaced out of my pocket. 

I am out {$150.00}, I have a check made payable to someone that does n't exist in the amount of {$130.00}. 

I have paid for the gift card, paid for the XXXX XXXX wire fee to replace the gift that I did not send my son, been penalized {$15.00} for the cancellation, and am stuck with a check that I can do nothing with. 

I ca n't understand this.

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 monetary relief