Complaint Review: Wells Fargo

On 1 January 2014 I made a mortgage transfer and several paid several online bills using their website. All the transactions I made were double-billed, meaning two payments were withdrawn for each payment. Online bill payments and transfers are made though different web pages, which indicated a technical problem on the bank’s part. The bill payments were fixed the same day; however, the mortgage transfer was another matter. I called customer service the same day (Jan. 1) and was told they could not reverse the transfer, but the mortgage services could, so they transferred me to that number. The customer service representative did not tell me the mortgage service department was closed for the holiday before transferring me.

I called the mortgage service department on Jan. 2 and was told the payment could not be reversed until the payment had been posted, which would take approximately 24-48 hours. On Jan. 3 I called and was told the payment had been posted, but it would require a “work order” to reverse the payment, and it would be approximately five business days before that could even begin. By this time my checking account was overdrawn because of the additional withdrawl. The following day (Jan. 4) my account was charged an overdraft fee. I called mortgage services on Monday the 6^th and was told the payment would “probably” be returned to my account by Friday the 10^th as the soonest. I informed the customer service representative that my account was now overdrawn because of this, had been assessed an overdraft fee, and could not make any bill payments until the funds were returned. The operator’s reply was, “That sounds like a real bummer.” If I wanted the overdraft fee cancelled, she told me, I would have to print a copy of my checking account transactions and mail it to customer service. The fee would be cancelled if the bank were “willing” to do so. In the meantime I would have to wait for the funds to be returned.

Today, Jan. 6, I was assessed another (second) overdraft fee by Wells Fargo. I have never experienced such callous and incompetent customer service in my life. How is it possible for me to make an immediate transfer to a bank, but for a bank to take 10 days to transfer the funds back to a customer, particularly to correct a mistake of their own making? I can only infer that customers only matter when it comes to getting money FROM them. I’m equally dismayed at the bank continuing to assess a customer overdraft fees for a bank error, particularly when there is a record (they keep electronic records of all phone calls customers make to customer service) that the customer has repeatedly brought the matter to Wells Fargo’s attention.

Here is where I stand as of today. The transfer still has not been returned to my account after six days, I have been assessed two overdraft fees, and I am unable to pay any bills. This is Wells Fargo banking.