Consumer complaint received 2016-10-03
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: PA
Product: Bank account or service
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
Wells Fargo has a published policy about funds availability on wire transfers into your customer account at the bank. It is clear, and states that a wire transfer is the same as cash ... ..available immediately. I sold my airplane and had a wire for {$53000.00} sent to my Wells Fargo account. It came in the morning and I verified it 3 times on the phone and on line that it was available. I live in XXXX and it is a 2 hour drive to their nearest branch. I had called earlier that day and asked if I could do the wire on the phone and while they knew I lived 2 hours away, they told me I had to come in. I drove the 2 hours to get there and after I had filled all the stuff out and given them my ID, they told me the funds were not available. I told the branch manager of the XXXX XXXX branch that it was and that I had verified it 3 times before driving to the branch. I was rebuffed and asked if they could process the wire and send it tomorrow ... ..when it " posts ''. I was rebuffed again and was told that I had to be physically there. I asked her to call the regional VP to make an exception. She would n't budge. I left the bank to drive the 2 hours home really frustrated. 
I called the district manager of wells fargo in Macon XXXX, and he was out. I called the branch back to again implore the branch manager to call a higher up. She had gone to lunch at XXXX in the afternoon. I then called the regional VP in XXXX XXXX for another discussion. Each time I was told that wires had to " Post '' before they were available. I was told by the XXXX XXXX office that someone would call me back by XXXX that day. At XXXX I got a call from a XXXX " XXXX '' phone number and did n't take it til the next day. 
It was the district manager who again told me that the wire had to post before it was good. I told him that was contrary to the banks written policy and I sent him a copy. I had also called the banks customer service number and was told by them that wires were as good as cash and did n't need to be " posted '' to become good. I told this to the district manager and he seems to be quoting some secret unpublished policy about " posting ''. 
The next day I drove to a different Wells Fargo branch in XXXX XXXX. I talked to the branch manager, XXXX, before I drove the hour and a half to that branch. She even quoted the " posting '' policy as a security measure. Since the funds had posted overnite, she was able to handle my wire without any drama and waived the wire fees. 
I texted the district manager of the XXXX office that the wire had gone through and that I wanted a definitive answer about the secret/unpublished " posting '' requirement in lite of the clearly stated funds availability policy. 
I also provided him with additional information that the funds available policy is very hard to find on the internet, and customer service was not able to find it either. However, my newly opened XXXX checking account has it clearly publised in their new account paperwork. 
In closing, it seems that Wells Fargo applys secret and unpublished requirements when they publish a policy that is deceptive and their actions are deceitful.

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