Consumer complaint received 2024-02-22
Product: Checking or savings account — Savings account
Issue: Managing an account — Deposits and withdrawals
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY (MD)

I have been a customer of Wells Fargo Banking for over 18 years. I opened an account after coming to the area for my first year of graduate school. In early XXXX, my father passed away and I received an inheritance from his estate in late XXXX. After being a customer for his many years, once I receive the check from my late father 's estate, I went into the XXXX XXXX XXXX  of Washington XXXX to deposit this with the assistance of a banker there. At the time they informed me there was no manager present, but the banker directed me to deposit a {$100000.00} check into the ATM instead of doing at the desk. I deposited the check, and it was accepted into the ATM. Two days later I received two emails stating all my account will be closed in 7 days due the large deposit. I then called back a representative who stated the same. She stated that I must present a letter with deposit information from the original bank in order to receive my funds and for my accounts to avoid closure. I went ahead and began to receive this letter from the original bank holding the estate account in New Jersey. I then went into the XXXX XXXX branch to further understand what would happen to my accounts and if they could assist me in avoiding the closure of my accounts. The Banker there repeatedly stated after making calls to what he called the " back office '' that because my savings account had little to no activity in it, they were not going to allow the deposit to go through without information from my brother who handled the account from the original bank. I had already waited several hours through this first day to speak to the representative there, XXXX XXXX, who then provide this information. I spent almost XXXX hours in total missing work hours remaining in the branch. After I confirmed that I would receive this information from the New Jersey bank, I provided this and then following day he receives that in the morning. I never received a call from him confirming her received it or if it was insufficient. As XXXX was coming, I waited for his call the day after XXXX to tell me if the letter was sufficient and to return my call. He did not. I then took off an additional day of work after XXXX  to go to the bank and understand what happened to the original letter. They did not have anyone present to assist me and gave me the number to call a district XXXX who by email stated that I must provide the following additional information from the new jersey bank as the original letter was not sufficient in an email as follows : " Good XXXX XXXX XXXX 
Previous letter has been received, just called our Backoffice and there is information missing. 
Please see below, Proof of Payment information needed : 1. Letter in a Bank letterhead, 2. Bank address, 3. Representatives information Banker name, title, and contact information, 4. Statement of why the check was given from acct holder to payee 5. Check information ( check number, dollar amount, date, etc. ) 6. Payee name and relationship to account holder 7. When the check issued cleared other financial institution Im copying the XXXX XXXX XXXX so we all can have the letter in case of anything. 
Thank you! 
XXXX XXXX '' -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - The bank in New Jersey stated they had never provided any information like this before and therefore did not know if they could provide this without the legal department involved. Again, I had no idea what would happen with the XXXX deposit and also, I had no access to my accounts as they were frozen. All bills were being rejected as well as my direct deposit form my employer. 
The bank in New Jersey bank stated several times that were uncertain as to why the fraud department was not handling this rather than the information that was being asked of me. They were not able to provide that by the third day with what was needed above. I now worried that my father 's estate money was going to be divided up in cashier 's checks over the course of many months while my accounts would close or that it would be frozen indefinitely. This is because at no point in any letter, phone call, or communication was it communicated to me that the deposit would become available on certain date. No banker communicated this to me until on the fourth or fifth day of aiming to talk to a manager of the XXXX XXXX XXXX. I then took another off another half day of work to call and track down a regional manager who finally returned my call. XXXX XXXX, regional manager and XXXX XXXX, called me back and stated that the deposit may become available the following day but that they will close my accounts. He stated he is uncertain if I would be able to retrieve any funds if I do not provide the above information. He said without the letter with the exact information that was requested the bank can do what they want with the funds and send whatever is leftover in the account after closing the accounts. I let him know that the New Jersey bank stated they had never been asked to prove the relationship by which the check was written, in this case, my brothers relationship with me on bank letterhead. Therefore, I was not sure if they would write this. He then stated then they will close my accounts and provide small cashiers checks over the course of months of the money leftover in the account. 
I was extremely bereft with sadness and loss due to the thought of possibly having lost my and uncertain about my father 's estate given to me. I was in a stated of emotional loss and distress. 
After this harrowing phone call, I decided that maybe I should just call Loss Prevention and the fraud department. Finally on Tuesday XX/XX/XXXX, a loss prevention associate state that none of this was need3ed and a simple phone call to the bank in New Jersey would verify the existence of the bank. As they were on the phone, they simply verified the bank existed and did not ask for any proof of who my brother or a statement of why the check was given. They verified that there was enough money in the account. She stated my funds would be released immediately. They at no point required that my brother was related to me and why the estate was being sent to me. They said they do not ask another bank at any time to provide this type of information on behave of a customer to another bank. 
Additionally, at no point, did any banker or customer service repetition tell me that the money would be released or how to unfreeze my accounts or how to avoid having eh leftover money to be sent in some months after in cashiers checks. I only received letters several weeks later stating that the deposit was going to be released on certain date. 
In total, I deposited this check on XX/XX/XXXX and the ordeal ended on XX/XX/XXXX. I lost XXXX days of work in total completely cancelling clients and patients as I had no sense of what would happen. 
I field several complaints to Wells Fargo and they simply sent me letters stating that the funds were released on X Date after a brief hold complete dismissing the emotional duress that I went through along with the loss of work and compensation, as I work as a consultant. I am also a working mother and I deserve to be compensated for my work in loss of income. 
I have also extensive notes on what transpired, emails, and phone numbers if needed.