Consumer complaint received 2026-05-18 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Savings account
Issue: Managing an account — Banking errors
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
XX/XX/XXXX Subject : CFPB Complaint ID : XXXX, XXXX Wells Fargo Case Number : XXXX CFPB Complaint Update Concerns Regarding Wells Fargo Safe Deposit Box Investigation Process , Repeated Case Closures, Claimed Authorization Issue, and Credit Card Cancellation Dear CFPB Representative , We respectfully submit this update regarding our ongoing complaint involving missing contents from my XXXX mothers Wells Fargo safe deposit box. Our family remains deeply concerned that Wells Fargo has not provided a meaningful, transparent, or independent review of this matter. Instead, Wells Fargo appears to have repeatedly closed or limited complaint reviews, issued boilerplate responses, and redirected responsibility back to the same XXXX branch involved in the events. The missing contents were discovered on XX/XX/XXXX, shortly after a visit to the Wells Fargo XXXX branch to retrieve valuables from the safe deposit box. The matter was reported to the XXXX branch the same day, and a police report was promptly filed. Since then, our family has submitted extensive documentation, including inventories, affidavits, photographs, receipts, serial numbers, Power of Attorney documents, and supporting explanations. One of our major concerns is Wells Fargos repeated position that it did not have permission to share information with the CFPB. My Power of Attorney authorizes me to handle my mothers financial matters and communicate with Wells Fargo on her behalf. In addition, our family filed complaints with the CFPB specifically to request the involvement of the government agency responsible for oversight of consumer financial matters involving banks. We understand that Wells Fargo may have internal requirements for authorization. However, Wells Fargo has not clearly identified what specific separate form, signature, or authorization it claims is missing. Instead, the banks repeated closure or limitation of complaint reviews on this basis has the effect of preventing the CFPB from obtaining meaningful information, while leaving our family without substantive answers. We respectfully ask the CFPB to require Wells Fargo to clearly identify any specific authorization it claims is needed, rather than allowing Wells Fargo to rely on a vague no permission explanation while avoiding a substantive response. Our concern is that Wells Fargos handling has not addressed the substance of the complaint. Specifically : 1. Wells Fargo has repeatedly closed or limited complaint reviews while stating that it did not have permission to share information with the CFPB ; 2. Our family has submitted Power of Attorney documents and has attempted to cooperate fully ; 3. Our family filed CFPB complaints to request government oversight and involvement ; 4. Wells Fargo has not clearly identified what exact additional document, form, or signature is supposedly needed ; 5. The repeated closures have the effect of preventing the CFPB from obtaining information from Wells Fargo ; 6. Wells Fargo continues to direct safe deposit box questions back to the Houston XXXX XXXX, while the branch has not provided any investigation updates to our family. We are also concerned that the investigation does not appear sufficiently independent. The alleged loss occurred in connection with a safe deposit box at the branch, yet Wells Fargo continues to indicate that the branch is handling the claim directly. We respectfully believe that a matter involving alleged missing contents from a bank-controlled safe deposit environment should receive independent review by personnel or departments outside the branch directly involved. Another serious concern is Wells Fargos slow and incomplete cooperation with law enforcement. The branch provided safe deposit box vault entry records to our family and the police but has not provided any surveillance videos and names of the staff members who assisted us with vault access during relevant visits. Wells Fargo should have records identifying which employees serviced customers at the vault. In a police investigation involving alleged missing safe deposit box contents, those records are highly relevant. In addition to the safe deposit box matter, Wells Fargo later cancelled my mothers credit card. The cancellation letter listed reasons that appear inconsistent with my mothers actual financial and payment history. My mother had an excellent credit score at the time of card cancellation ; she also has sufficient equity, income, and savings to pay her debts. She has always paid on time. Her monthly payments on her Wells Fargo credit cards were many times above the minimum payment, if not paid in full. The particular Wells Fargo credit card that was cancelled reportedly carried no balance since XX/XX/XXXX. Therefore, Wells Fargos statement that her payments were too low relative to the Wells Fargo balance appears unreasonable and troubling. We understand Wells Fargo may deny that the credit card cancellation had any connection to the safe deposit box dispute, police report, or CFPB complaint. However, the timing of the cancellation, during an unresolved safe deposit box investigation and active complaint process, creates a reasonable concern of possible adverse treatment after my mothers family raised serious concerns against Wells Fargo. We are not claiming proof of retaliation at this time, but we respectfully believe the timing and circumstances should be reviewed carefully and independently. The credit card cancellation significantly affected my mothers credit profile and added additional emotional distress during an already difficult unresolved dispute with Wells Fargo. Our concerns are not limited solely to my mothers financial loss. This matter raises broader consumer protection concerns for elderly and vulnerable customers, including senior XXXX customers who may face language or cultural barriers and may not know how to defend themselves when valuables go missing from a safe deposit box they believed was protected by a major financial institution. We respectfully request that the CFPB ask Wells Fargo to : 1. Explain why the complaint has been repeatedly closed or limited without meaningful findings ; 2. Identify exactly what authorization Wells Fargo claims is missing, if any, for communication with the CFPB ; 3. Confirm whether an independent department outside the branch is reviewing the safe deposit box matter ; 4. Preserve all relevant records, vault access logs, surveillance materials, employee handling records, and safe deposit procedures ; 5. Cooperate fully and promptly with law enforcement, including providing relevant staff names and requested evidence ; 6. Provide a clear explanation for the credit card cancellation in light of my mothers payment history and zero balance on the cancelled card since XX/XX/XXXX ; 7. Confirm whether the safe deposit box dispute, police report, CFPB complaint, or related internal complaint activity had any role in the credit card cancellation decision ; 8. Provide a substantive response addressing the facts and evidence submitted, rather than repeated boilerplate letters. Our family remains willing to cooperate fully. We respectfully ask that this complaint not be closed until Wells Fargo provides a meaningful explanation of its investigation, its handling of law enforcement requests, its claimed authorization issue regarding CFPB communication, and its credit card cancellation decision. Thank you for your attention and assistance.

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