Consumer complaint received 2016-10-01
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: MI
Product: Bank account or service
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Account opening, closing, or management

Complaint:
XX/XX/XXXX, I opened an essential checking account with Wachovia Bank ( XXXX ) that was non-fee bearing. After Wells Fargo bought Wachovia in XXXX XXXX, I was grandfathered into Wells. In XXXX, I opened another non-fee bearing account at Wells so I could conveniently send money to my daughter XXXX. Both of these checking accounts were never supposed to have service fees. In XXXX, I noticed a fee on my accounts. Wells had arbitrarily switched my accounts to fee bearing, changing the type to way-to-save accounts. The bank claims it had the right to do this when it did not. The bank had a fiduciary responsibility to me as a customer not to change the existing banking agreement. Does Wells not know what grandfathered means? Secondly, Wells falsely advertises that " it provides services that customers want and need ''. I never wanted nor needed Wells ' bait and switch of my accounts. Third, my fees have gone to line the pockets of employees at the bank including the marketing and credit card development department. Who ever developed a red credit/debit card with silver stagecoach and embossed silver lettering which is n't legible is n't doing their job. The card looks like I am a customer of XXXX instead of Wells, and this is NOT WHAT I WANT. Wells informed me I could create my own card but when I tried this multiple times Wells ' website would not accept my pictures, saying they were the wrong size. I would think that a multi-billion dollar corporation would correct this problem as I 've been asking them to for 13 months. Fourth, I now have XXXX accounts with Wells. The bank has been cross selling me products and using my information to better its stock share, impress investors, and make money, again to line the pockets of management and to further illegal actions of employees at the bank. Fifth, in XXXX XXXX, XXXX, I entered Wells located at XXXX XXXX Branch XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, OR XXXX. Purpose of my visit was to cancel my debit card after a hotel I had paid and left was continuing to take small amounts of money from my account at XXXX & XXXX. The banker told me that even cancelling my card the bank could n't guarantee there was n't some item in the system still waiting to be paid. I had {$250.00} to deposit. The banker suggested I put this on my credit card. After I did and walked outside, I had reservations about the appropriateness of Wells ' suggestion since I owed nothing on my credit card and did n't want to start presenting it to vendors. Noticing a line had formed inside, I stepped up to the the ATM and withdrew {$240.00}. For the last 13 months Wells has charged me 24 % interest on their mistake in advising me incorrectly, and on my own money. It was n't like Wells had borrowed money from the Fed at 0 % interest to lend to me. Last week, XXXX in credit card services ( case XXXX ) told me he was n't going to remedy my situation, and suggested I go back to the branch that it occurred, that they would be able to help me. Yesterday, I did that and they refused to make this right. Going back to when I was a Wachovia customer. I took out XXXX {$5000.00} loans with a co-signer. These loans were paid off 1 year and the other 6 months early. I was told this would help my credit, which it did not. Wells had access to this positive credit information but when I asked them for a credit card they said I would have to secure the card with a minimum of {$1000.00}, which I did. The bank charged me 17 % interest on a card I backed with cash that was NO RISK to them. Wells is continuing to charge me 17 % and 24 % interest on the credit card when I have 60 months of PERFECT on time payments. This has n't helped my credit. When I have asked for a {$300.00} or {$500.00} increase in credit, I was denied. XXXX XXXX 's testimony shows management has been robbing customers longer than recently.

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