Consumer complaint received 2016-09-14
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: NV
Product: Bank account or service
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Problems caused by my funds being low

Complaint:
Wells Fargo used overdraft protection to pay a XXXX phone bill that was not yet due. I had {$9.00} in my account when the bill came in for {$250.00} a few days before the due date. This had happened in the past where XXXX tried to take the payment early. If the money was not there, Wells Fargo did not pay it and there were no penalties from either entity, they would then deduct the payment on my actual due date after informing me that there would be a one time payment of what the amount was for that month. I waited at the bank for almost two hours while a banker ran back and forth between the manager and myself. I never saw the manager although there were XXXX in the building. Upon calling the fraud department shortly after leaving that branch I discovered nothing had been done. She told me my account needed to be frozen and I was under the impression she was actually doing that when I was in front of her. I explained my claim to the fraud department and double checked that my accounts were frozen. I was told they would be frozen during the claim period and I would be contacted in 10 days to 2 weeks. The over draft department kept contacting me. I told them about the claim. They said they can not see that there is a claim on my account because they use different computer systems. That makes no sense. They kept calling me through the month and when I asked them to transfer me to the fraud department after a couple of weeks, that is when I found out that my claim had been closed. No one had called me. They denied my claim and offered me XXXX % of XXXX overdraft charges! This was not my doing to begin with and they offer me XXXX? I made an appointment and went to speak with a banker. She got the manager so I could explain it yet again to another Wells Fargo employee. She said that it is mandatory overrdraft protection and they could pay what they wanted at their discretion and best judgement. I asked her how that was in good judgement. I had {$9.00} and they paid out {$250.00}. They never paid it before. During the claim period Wells Fargo emptied my accounts. Their explanation that they were trying to cover the negative balance of several hundred dollars with {$80.00} is just stupid. There was not much in them but they took my savings, the debit account they had told me I was required to have, that I had to pay monthly fees on, AND my pre-paid Visa card account. Oh, they never put a hold or a freeze on my account. Never, even though I verified it. The manager and banker tell me oh there should have been a freeze on the account!!!! I asked them to deduct all of the fees that happened after they supposedly put the freeze on the account. The manager actually suggested that I go talk to the first girl I spoke to. I was pretty upset at this point. I do n't have the luxury of time, I have to work or I cant survive. This took hours out of my work time. They got me to leave by saying that they would look in to deducting all the charges after the freeze and would call me in a day or two. I also at this point had a message in with the fraud/claims department to have a manager call me. No one ever called me back. They ruined my credit, took all of the few dollars I had and wrote me off. Banks are supposed to protect our money, right? I am dumbfounded. Talking to a Wells Fargo employee is as effective as talking to a wall, but way more frustrating. I want my accounts back with the balances where they were. I almost told them that I would not worry about the stuff prior to the date the Freeze was supposed to be put on my account. But no way! I do not need to pay for their mistakes. When they fail to disclose important info about your money or account it is FRAUD.

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