Consumer complaint received 2017-07-30
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: FL
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Check cashing service
Issue: Unexpected or other fees

Complaint:
I received a check in my name for {$840.00} issued to me for a reimbursement of money. I wanted the cash and also wanted to avoid charges at my bank especially if the check bounced for any reason. So instead of depositing the check at my bank, Saturday XXXX XXXX, 2017, around noon I went to the bank branch stated on the face of the check : WELLS FARGO XXXX XXXX Branch XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, FL, XXXX. Phone : XXXX. I presented the check for payment to the teller ( a XXXX XXXX ). As requested I stamped my fingerprint on the check ( XXXX XXXX provides the ink but nothing to clean it with ), gave teller two photo IDs ( US passport and FL drivers license ), which teller reviewed, approved, and proceeded to counting money. At that point he asks if I 'm a customer of Wells Fargo, I answer no, and he informs me there is a {$7.00} fee for cashing the check. I demanded several times to be paid in full the amount stated on the face of the check which I believe is their obligation. He refused several times and later bank manager came and also refused several times stating it was bank policy. I said I was being ripped off as they were not doing what the check instructs them to do " Pay to the order of ... the amount of {$840.00} ''. Not minus {$750.00}. Simply, they were refusing to pay the full amount thus not honoring the check. Then a third bank employee, a women much taller and larger than me, came up from behind and began verbally harassing me in a loud menacing tone. I asked the bank manager who this person was, she answered just an employee and pushed the check and my IDs back at me. All this while the employee kept behind me more and more loudly almost shouting to the back of my head. Then a fourth women employee standing several feet away started to call at me and a fifth employee, a man in an office behind me stood up and came to his office door. At that point I felt threatened as I saw no other customers in the branch except me. I did not raise my voice or make undue threats, only demanded bank do what check says. I asked if I could take a photo and record their negative with my cellphone. They said I should put cellphone away because it was against the law and I did as told. I asked if their was a policeman around. The woman standing behind me rudely said no but that she would call the police in a menacing tone. I was shaken and decided to leave, harassed, feeling afraid and angry, and without cashing the check. I felt I should lodge a report with the police and may still do so for the bullying but also believe this bank 's practices of charging for doing exactly what they are supposed to do and likely charge their customers for is outrageous. If this is an accepted practice then from now on one should demand checks be issued with the plus amount of whatever the bank charges for cashing the check. This sounds impractical if not impossible, which all the more makes me believe the bank acts improperly not honoring the check drawn against them. Please tell me what are my rights?

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