Consumer complaint received 2025-11-12 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Opening an account — Unable to open an account
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: FL

Complaint narrative:
DISCRIMINATORY BUSINESS ACCOUNT DENIAL - COMPARATIVE EVIDENCE OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION I am a XXXX male entrepreneur who was discriminatorily denied a business checking account for my Wyoming XXXX ( XXXX XXXX  XXXX ) at Wells Fargo XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX ) on XX/XX/XXXX, despite meeting all of Wells Fargo 's documented requirements. The identical application was approved at Wells Fargo XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, proving the denial was based on discrimination, not policy. 

CRITICAL BACKGROUND : EXISTING WELLS FARGO CUSTOMER In XXXX XXXX, I successfully opened business checking and business savings accounts for my XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Wells Fargo XXXX XXXX using my Alaska driver 's license XXXX The business savings account remains open and active today. This establishes that Wells Fargo accepts Alaska driver 's licenses and out-of-state LLC structures. I am an existing, successful Wells Fargo business banking customer in good standing. 

SATURDAY, XX/XX/XXXX - XXXX XXXX XXXX ( DISCRIMINATORY DENIAL ) XXXX XXXX  Appointment. XXXX : XXXX XXXX, XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX. 

I provided all required documentation : XXXX  Articles of Organization ( state-filed, verified on XXXX Secretary of State website ), Federal EIN Letter from IRS, Operating Agreement, and Alaska Driver 's License.

Islam initially was conversational, but his demeanor changed after I mentioned I formed the XXXX  LLC myself and obtained my own EIN directly from the IRS. 

Islam then : Questioned my document legitimacy, stating condescendingly " looks like it's legit '' regarding my state-verified Articles of Organization. 
Claimed my Wyoming physical address and Florida mailing address " don't match '' and showed concern about this discrepancy. 
Provided a Wells Fargo requirements document and highlighted a section about address verification, despite my Wyoming Articles DO accurately reflect the physical address. 
Demanded I provide a utility bill for the Wyoming registered agent address. Wells Fargo 's own LLC requirements document does NOT list utility bills as required. The requirements state : " You will need XXXX of the following original or certified business documents : Articles of Organization, Certificate of Organization, or Certificate of Formation. '' I provided Articles of Organization. 
Consulted XXXX XXXX ( NMLS XXXX ), who verbally claimed to be a " senior banker '' despite his business card showing " Associate Personal Banker. '' This false authority claim was used to intimidate and legitimize the denial.

When I stated " you're creating a barrier to access, '' Islam appeared shocked - indicating discomfort with me asserting my rights.

After my pushback, Islam stated he COULD open the account but it would be " flagged and closed '' unless I provided the utility bill. This is constructive denial through intimidation threatening consequences to discourage me from proceeding. 
I remained professional throughout, stated I was frustrated with the situation, and wished them a good day before leaving. 

MONDAY, XX/XX/XXXX - XXXX XXXX BRANCH ( IMMEDIATE APPROVAL ) XXXX XXXX  Appointment. XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXX, NMLS ID XXXX. 

I provided the EXACT SAME DOCUMENTATION to XXXX : XXXX  Articles of Organization, Federal EIN Letter, Operating Agreement, and XXXX  Driver 's License. 

XXXX 's response was completely different : She immediately stated XXXX  LLCs are " fairly common '' indicating this is routine, not unusual. 
She encountered the same system error XXXX XXXX mentioned but used a workaround to open the account successfully. 
She opened the account immediately with no utility bill demanded, no threats, no questioning of legitimacy. 
She established an ongoing professional relationship, stating " I'm your personal banker now. '' She offered proactive services : business credit card, strategic advice on using it with the account to avoid fees and earn points, ensured I received the new account opening bonus. 
She professionally discussed my business plans and future banking needs. 
IRREFUTABLE COMPARATIVE EVIDENCE OF DISCRIMINATION Same applicant ( me ). Same/similar documentation. Same company ( Wells Fargo ). XXXX different outcomes : XXXX XXXX XXXX : XXXX  XXXX + XXXX  DL = APPROVED ( account still active ) XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX : XXXX  XXXX + XXXX  DL = DENIED ( with threats ) XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX : XXXX  XXXX + XXXX DL = APPROVED This proves the XXXX XXXX denial was not policy-based but discriminatory. If Wells Fargo had legitimate policy concerns, they would apply consistently across branches. They don't. 

WELLS FARGO 'S DOCUMENTED REQUIREMENTS - I MET ALL CRITERIA Wells Fargo 's LLC requirements explicitly state : " You will need XXXX of the following original or certified business documents : Articles of Organization, Certificate of Organization, or Certificate of Formation. '' I provided Articles of Organization. I exceeded requirements by also providing Operating Agreement, Operating Agreement, and EIN Letter. Wells Fargo 's requirements do NOT include utility bills or address matching.

RACIAL DISCRIMINATION CONTEXT As a XXXX male entrepreneur, my experience fits Wells Fargo 's documented pattern of discriminating against XXXX business owners. Wells Fargo has paid over {$500.00} million in racial discrimination settlements : {$170.00} million ( XXXX ) : DOJ settlement for charging XXXX and XXXX borrowers higher rates and fees {$330.00} million ( XXXX ) : XXXX discriminated against XXXX minority borrowers Multiple ongoing class action lawsuits alleging discrimination against XXXX mortgage applicants The CFPB released findings on XX/XX/XXXX showing XXXX entrepreneurs receive less encouragement for business services compared to white entrepreneurs with weaker financial credentials, and face higher scrutiny even with better qualifications. 

My experience reflects this pattern : I came over-prepared with excess documentation because as a XXXX man in America, I'm accustomed to " dotting every i and crossing every t, '' knowing the finish line gets moved. It happened anyway. 
Islam immediately questioned my state-verified documents ' legitimacy.

After I met all requirements, Islam demanded documentation beyond policy ( utility bill ).

When I identified the discriminatory barrier, Islam appeared shocked discomfort with a XXXX customer asserting his rights. 
XXXX XXXX also XXXX ) approved me immediately, proving Wells Fargo CAN serve XXXX business owners without discrimination when bias isn't involved. 
XXXX XXXX AND INTIMIDATION TACTICS XXXX XXXX falsely claimed verbally to be " senior banker '' despite his business card showing " Associate Personal Banker. '' This false authority was used to intimidate me and legitimize the discriminatory denial. 

Islam 's threat that my account would be " flagged and closed '' is constructive denial through intimidation technically offering service while threatening consequences to discourage acceptance. XXXX  XXXX XXXX paid millions to settle identical tactics. 

WELLS FARGO 'S HYPOCRITICAL DOUBLE STANDARD Wells Fargo demanded a utility bill for my Wyoming registered agent address while Wells Fargo itself : Uses XXXX XXXX corporate offices Uses XXXX XXXX. box mailing addresses Operates centers in XXXX, XXXX, XXXX Does not provide utility bills for their P.O. boxes Wells Fargo demands requirements of customers it doesn't meet itself.

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