Consumer complaint received 2024-05-21 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — Store credit card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems — Other problem
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: PA

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/XXXX my husband and I met with a sales agent from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX ( the Merchant ) and were interested in purchasing replacement windows and siding through using their financing. It was explained to us through the sales agent that we would be applying for a credit card for the financing at 0 % interest for 24 months if paid in 24 months and then the rate would increase. We were also advised after the 24 month term we should try obtain a home equity loan to pay the remaining balance left after 24 months. I did not receive anything in writing regarding the terms of the loan at that time. I also did not apply for the credit line myself the sales agent completed the application. 

The work to our house was started and completed the Spring  of XXXX. Shortly, after the completion of the improvements we received a billing statement in the mail that indicated the payment terms were equal payments over the course of 24 months. This was not the terms that were verbally told to us in XXXX. 

I contacted the credit company, Wells Fargo to explain that I never signed or received anything outlining the terms of the credit loan and that my husband and I were told that it was NOT 24 months, but spread over a longer period of time, but we wouldn't pay any interest as long as it was paid in full by 24 months. Wells Fargo opened a dispute and then closed it after contacting the merchant and sending us a copy of " Invoice '' with my signature. 

I have since received a copy of the merchant " Invoice '' from Wells Fargo which has my signature however, as I previously stated, I was never informed that these were the terms. There are several options for financing listed on the document ( including the one that was explained to us ) and I can only deduce after seeing terms in writing that the sales agent completed the full document, after he already made the sale. Further evidence of tampering are evident in the date. 

The instructions on the " Invoice '' state that the applicant must sign and date the signature portion. Well I never dated the document, someone else did. It's in the exact same handwriting as the date on the top portion of the document. I also never received a copy of the document ( probably because it was incomplete at the time of sale ). I have all of the documents that were provided to me at the time of sale ( and subsequent documents from Wells Fargo ) but a " cardholder '' copy was never furnished to me by the sales person. 

Now since I only have only a copy it's hard to know if different pens were used to complete the form, but to me it does look like the form was completed using two different pens. Obtaining the original or a color copy might better indicate if two different pens were used. 

My husband has contacted the sales agent last week to explain the situation and the sales agent tried to gaslight him into thinking that's not what he told us and kept referencing the paper ( which again we never even had a copy of until the bank provided it during our dispute ). At least we know it wasn't a simple mistake and is something more nefarious. 

We believe that Wells Fargo is negligent in their policing of their financing to their merchants and they are turning a blind eye to it.

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