Consumer complaint received 2026-07-07 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Cashing a check
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: VA

Complaint narrative:
Subject : Request for Investigation Refusal to Cash Valid Check and Potential Discriminatory Treatment To Whom It May Concern, I am requesting a formal investigation into Wells Fargo 's handling of a transaction involving a check that I personally wrote to a XXXX who had completed work at our home. On XX/XX/XXXX, during a period when outdoor temperatures exceeded XXXX degrees, our XXXX, an XXXX XXXX man, presented our Wells Fargo check ( XXXX XXXX ) for payment at a Wells Fargo XXXX. Rather than verifying the check with us or following what we believed would be standard banking procedures, the branch refused to cash the check and instructed our XXXX to return the check to us and have us contact the bank. At no point during this process did anyone from Wells Fargo attempt to contact us, despite the fact that : We are the account holders for almost XXXX decades. The account contained sufficient funds to cover the check - at any given point, our accounts average between {$25000.00} and {$32000.00}. The check was legitimate and written by XXXX XXXX XXXX. We were readily available by telephone and could have verified the check immediately. Instead, our XXXX was turned away and required to leave the branch without payment for work he had completed. As a result, he was forced to return to our home in extreme heat carrying a check that should have been honored or, at a minimum, verified with us before service was denied. Afterward, we filed a formal complaint with Wells Fargo. Rather than addressing the specific circumstances of what occurred, we received a generic form letter stating only that " banking procedures were followed. '' The response did not identify : What specific procedure was followed, Why was the check refused, Why no effort was made to contact us, Or why our XXXX was instructed to return to us, rather than the bank performing even the most basic verification. This response failed to answer any of the questions we raised. Because our XXXX is XXXX XXXX, and because of Wells Fargo 's well-documented history of discrimination and disparate treatment involving minority customers, we are deeply concerned that race may have played a role in how he was treated. We recognize that we can not determine the reason for the bank 's actions, which is precisely why we are requesting an independent investigation. We respectfully request that investigators determine : Why was the check refused despite sufficient funds being available? Why did Wells Fargo fail to contact us before denying payment? What policies or procedures were relied upon? Whether those procedures were applied consistently and without regard to race. Whether similarly situated customers presenting comparable checks receive different treatment. We also request that Wells Fargo preserve and review all records relating to this transaction, including : teller notes, branch manager notes, fraud or verification flags, transaction logs, surveillance video, and any internal documentation explaining why the check was not honored. As customers, we expect Wells Fargo to treat every individual fairly and professionally. We also expect legitimate concerns to receive meaningful responses rather than generic form letters that fail to address the issues raised. Our purpose in filing this complaint is not simply to seek an explanation for this one incident but to ensure that no customer or XXXX is subjected to unnecessary barriers or potentially disparate treatment in the future. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, XXXX XXXX

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