Consumer complaint received 2016-08-15
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: GA
Product: Credit card
Issue: Billing disputes

Complaint:
I bought a rug in XXXX on XXXX XXXX, 2016 using my Wells Fargo Visa card. Before buying, I confirmed with the vendor ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) that they had a return policy in place for shipments to the US and they agreed. When the carpet was delivered in XX/XX/XXXX, I found there was a disconnect between the size I had been talking to them about and what was delivered. After phone and email exchanges, we came to a mutual decision that I would return the rug to a designated location in XXXX, CA. This I did, via XXXX ( and out of my own pocket ), requiring a delivery signature and insuring the rug during transit. The vendor indicated that once I had returned the rug, I should merely dispute the charge and they would reverse it. I have documentation for all email exchanges ( including descriptions of the return process and address, XXXX confirmations of delivery and signature copies verifying the rug was properly returned ). The vendor ( XXXX ) refused to reverse the charges despite the evidence that the rug was returned to them ( which, given the evidence, makes them thieves guilty of theft by taking ). Wells Fargo let me know that they had contacted the vendor about my contesting the charges and that the issue was going to arbitration (???!!! ). I had given WF ALL of my evidence and they had no questions, making the verbal statements that it was " just procedure ''. The only other communication I eventually got from WF was a statement saying that XXXX had denied WF 's arbitration and WF subsequently re-charged my account for {$4000.00} ( on XXXX/XXXX/2016 ). I went ballistic and demanded reasoning but got XXXX from WF. After several calls, I managed to get them to reluctantly provide an " escalation path '' -- which fundamentally did nothing more than go back to their arbitration function and confirm what I already knew. Wells then just threw up their hands and said " that 's our procedure and we do not do anything else. '' HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO BE DENIED DUE PROCESS AND STOLEN FROM SIMPLY BECAUSE I WIELD A CERTAIN BANK 'S CREDIT CARD? AND, GIVEN MY EVIDENCE, HOW DID ANY SANE ARBITRATOR COME UP WITH A DECISION WHICH SEES ME BILLED FOR SOMETHING WHICH HAS BEEN RETURNED ( AS CORROBORATED BY A REPUTABLE THIRD PARTY )????? This is beyond anything I have ever experienced. And when I tried to pursue this with XXXX, I was stonewalled by a customer service organization which offered NO other paths to appeal. ( They even originally just sent me back to Wells Fargo -- which would be funny, except it 's not. ) In short, XXXX large banks and a vendor have managed to at least attempt the same kind of blatant thievery which sent outlaws to the gallows in the old West -- XXXX XXXX would be pround of them. The FTC/CFPB have GOT to set this right -- and why do I have to go through all these shenanigans for something which is so patently a case of a vendor gone larcenous ( and XXXX large banks being accomplices in the dirty deed )???

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