Consumer complaint received 2020-06-19
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: TX
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: International money transfer
Issue: Other transaction problem

Complaint:
XXXX XXXX, XXXX. 
XXXX XXXX, Texas XXXX XXXX XXXX XX/XX/2020 CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU To whom it may concern, I would like this document to be used as a cover letter which will explain the nature of my request to Wells Fargo Bank, as I have been instructed  to do so by my legal advisor in regards to my unresolved situation regarding a wrongfully processed transaction. The following is a description of the events that followed from the XXXX of XXXX and supporting evidence of the facts : On the XXXX of XXXX at XXXX I logged into my Wells Fargo online account and carried out an online transfer from my account number XXXX to my clients account with name XXXX XXXX XXXX sort code XXXX, account number XXXX for the sum of GBP XXXX. As I was about to complete the transfer the system took me out of the page and showed a message on screen that read Error, try again later this happened repeatedly 3 or 4 times. I never received confirmation that the transfer had successfully taken place and indicating that there had been an error in the transfer being processed. 
As instructed by the Error, try again later message at XXXX I again logged into my account and tried to carry out the transfer for the same sum, GBP XXXX to the same client account number. The transfer was successful and I received confirmation that the transfer had gone through. Attachment 1 is the print out of the confirmation I received for the successful transfer. 
At XXXX : XXXX I log into my account to carry out another transfer from my account number XXXX to my clients account with the name XXXX XXXX, with XXXX code XXXX and account number XXXX for the sum of GBP XXXX. Once the transaction had been completed and I had received the confirmation, I noticed that my account balance did not reflect the outgoing of my previous transfer of GBPXXXX only the GBPXXXX had been debited from my account. Attachment 2 is the print of the confirmation I received for the successful transfer. 
At XXXX I logged into my Wells Fargo account and I noticed that the transfer for GPB XXXX was not reflected in my account balance, even though the transfer for GPB XXXX which I conducted afterwards was applied to my balance. 
Although I found that odd, I also presumed the transfer could be delayed and the amount would appear withdrawn the next day as I had the confirmation. 
On the XXXX of XXXX at XXXX I logged into my Wells Fargo account to check my balance, expecting to have the two transfers from the XXXX of XXXX applied to my account as per confirmations received, as previously noted I saw that the confirmed transfer for GPBXXXX had been deducted from my balance, however now there were TWO transfers for GPBXXXX each, totaling GBPXXXX  being shown as pending transactions, this seemed unusual as normally a wire withdraws the funds immediately from the account. Please see Attachment 3 showing the two separate transactions. 

Transaction 1 Reference number- XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Amount in USD- {$15000.00} Transaction 2 Reference number- XXXX   XXXX, Srf & Rfb XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in USD- {$15000.00} Immediately on the XXXX of XXXX at XXXX I called the Wells Fargo online customer service line ( XXXX ). The customer service agent was a Female agent. I asked for both of the transactions to be cancelled as they were showing pending or in the worst case scenario to cancel one of the transactions for GPBXXXX as it was obvious it had been wrongfully carried out. She said that the bank would do their best to cancel the transactions and issued the following case number for future reference : Case # XXXX Please note the call lasted 56 minutes and 09 seconds. 
On the XXXX of XXXX at XXXX after not having heard from Wells Fargo for more than 48 hours, I called Wells Fargo customer service line ( XXXX ) to follow up on my case as I had not get any news in the following 48 hours of my call requesting the bank to cancel the transactions. A Female agent answered and proceeded to explain that the cancelation and reimbursement of my money could take up to 30 calendar days and dhe also told me not to worry about receiving my money back again. The call lasted 57 minutes and 13 seconds. 
On the XXXX of XXXX at XXXX XXXX I called the Wells Fargo customer service line ( XXXX ) to again follow up on my case as I had not received any update or correspondance from the bank for 10 days since my last call on the XXXX of XXXX. Again I was reassured that there would be no problem, the money would be returned to my account and was asked not to worry. I was also explained that the delay was likely due to the transaction being an international transfer and that they took longer than usual to return the money to the account. The call lasted 25 minutes and 57 seconds. 
On the XXXX of XXXX at XXXX I dialed the Wells Fargo customer service line ( XXXX ) to again follow up on my case as I did not receive any information and we are approaching the 30 calendar days since the transfers were made. I was hoping to hear an update about it. The gentleman who answered offered me to resolve the issue after I explained to him the situation, he left the call three or four times, and after he told me that there was nothing he could do to help me. The call lasted 1 hour 14 minutes and 58 seconds. 
On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX I received a call from XXXX XXXX, it was a courtesy call. He is a Brokerage Advisor for Wells Fargo Bank at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, Texas, XXXX, he asked how things were going with the Covid19 and was checking in on me, so I explained to him all the details of the transfers and the previous conversations with his colleagues. He offered to call the online wire transfer department on my behalf and to check in on what was going on. Unfortunately he called me back 2 hours later and told me that there was nothing new to report. 
On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX I again called Wells Fargo customer service line ( XXXX ) but after 21 minutes 52 seconds I hung-up because nobody would take my call. 
On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX from XXXX XXXX XXXX me a message, I have checked my online statement and only one payment of GBPXXXXXXXX is showing. This does not mean you did not send the second payment. We have an overly regulated bank system here in XXXX. If the payment is not expected against our sales ledger it gets rejected. Not the first time. 
On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX I called Wells Fargo customer service line ( XXXX ) after a Female agent read my case, she tells me I did everything wrong. That I should have two different case numbers, one for each of the wires and that I should have been calling online wire transfer at Wells Fargo, and that she was going to switch me to that extension, XXXX takes the call, reads the notes on my case and transfers me to XXXX. XXXX then tells me that my case will be resolved very soon. That they are waiting for more information from the Bank in the XXXX, because all they know is that the beneficiary of the wires is not answering the bank calls. The call lasted 1 hour 02 minutes 36 seconds. 
On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX I received a call from Wells Fargo Customer Care ( XXXX ) the agent name is XXXX. He told me that my case was closed because they had tried to reach me a couple times and that I did not answer their calls, I asked what phone number did they use and he gave me a number that I did not recognize, I told him so and then he tells me that he is reopening my case. He also told me that the bank from XXXX did respond to them and told them that the recipient of the wires did not answer any calls from the bank and that he had received both wires. I asked him if he could put that in writing and send it to me, he told me that was impossible to do. Later in the morning I received an email from him with the new case number. Attachment 4. 
Case # XXXX On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX I received a call from XXXX XXXX from Wells Fargo Customer Fraud Detection , he gets all my information and tells me that he will be reviewing my case and gives me a new case number. 
Case # XXXX On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX I received a call from XXXX ( Wells Fargo Customer Care ) the same XXXX from XX/XX/XXXX and he tells me that they are really trying to help me that he was going to send my case to Executive Resolution Office and XXXX XXXX was going to be the agent in charge of my case, he introduced me to him and we talked and he also gives me a new case number. 
Case # XXXX On XX/XX/XXXX I received a message from XXXX at XXXX XXXX, I have chased my bank this morning to locate this 2nd payment and they are useless. They still have not gotten back to me and I am in a queue waiting for the investigations team to resource the search. 
On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX I received a call from XXXX XXXX ( Wells Fargo Executive Resolution Office ) he ask again about all the things that had happened and told me that they were trying very hard to help me to recover the money. At that point I started to get frustrated as I felt I was going around in circles having to explain over and over again the same things. 
On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX I received a call from XXXX XXXX , after 8 minutes of going nowhere, we hung up and he called me again at XXXX and asked if I would be available to go to the Wells Fargo Bank here in XXXX XXXX XXXX sometime this week to try and resolve this problem, I told him that I would be happy to go that same day, as I am anxious to resolve this matter. He called the Bank and got me an appointment with the Branch Manager XXXX XXXX at XXXX. At XXXX we arrived at the bank and were greeted by XXXX XXXX, my daughter XXXX was with me, and asked to have the Manager there with us. She spoke on the matter and also advised we are prepared to seek Legal Counsel. It was obvious they knew nothing of what was going on and the  money is still untraceable. To be frank, it is very frustrating to waste one 's time and not be prepared to discuss the matter at hand. The only thing they could offer was to contact the Executive Office again, therefore another complaint was filled. Attachment 5. 
On XXXX the XXXX Early in the morning I received an email from Wells Fargo Complaints Executive Office with a new case number. Attachment 6. 
Case # XXXX On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX We received a call from Wells Fargo Complaints Executive Office , the agent is XXXX XXXX He was condescending and going around in circles telling us that the Bank in XXXX can not force their client to return the money and that I am responsible for all this, because it was my mistake for sending those two wires. Does he really think I did this on purpose? It was WELLS FARGOS COMPUTER GLITCH that caused all this chaos and should have been stopped while the transaction was on pending. 
On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX I received a call from XXXX on my cell, he was really trying to force me to accept the responsibilities for this case stating that the amounts in USD are different, he kept forcing the matter on me to accept responsability. This is absurd, I sent GBPXXXX. and he can not say otherwise. He also told me that the reason the bank did not inquire on the two pending  wires, was because the dollar amounts were different. I repeatedly explained I did not do the wire transfer in Dollars, your system gives you the ability to input the currency that you want your wire to be sent in this is not my first or last foreign wire transfer that I have completed. 
It is evident from the description of events leading to my plea to review my case that the nature of the issue was a transaction that was wrongfully processed by the bank, without a confirmation being issued to me. My client with the name XXXX XXXX sort code XXXX and account number XXXX has confirmed to me that he only received GPBXXXX. into his account. 
I would like to ask for your support to look into the matter and resolve the issue, as the sum is quite substantial ( GBP XXXX ) and from the facts described above you can see that the transaction was wrongfully processed as no confirmation was issued to me, instead a system error notice asking me to try again later appeared on the screen, which is what I did. This all happened in a span of 10 minutes, and I immediately the next day gave instructions to the bank to cancel the transactions while pending. 
I look forward to hearing from you and appreciate your assistance in this matter. 
Best regards, XXXX President

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