
Mary of Berryville, VA on May 1, 2012
Satisfaction Rating1/5
Because of some automatic payments that were being taken out long after they should have, I was told by the Wells Fargo representative that they have no control over ACH transactions and the best thing to do was to open a new account and close the old one. On March 29, I opened a new account but I was unable to close the old one due to a pending transaction from the phone company. On April 2, that transaction was not anywhere in my online statement - not pending, not paid. I assumed because there was not enough money in that account, it was returned to AT&T. I then made two transfers to get the remaining money out of that account and to close it, and borrowed money to pay the AT&T bill.
On April 3, according to my online statement, that AT&T payment had been made, leaving me overdrawn. On top of that overdraft fee, there were now two fees for the transfers I had made based on the information online. On April 18, as I sat in Critical Care waiting room waiting for my son to get out of brain surgery, I received a call from the Wells Fargo overdraft department. She asked when I would be paying that overdraft amount on the old account and I said that I got paid on the 20th, so it would be $100 after that date. She said that was fine - no mention of anything else.
A few days later, checking my account I saw that a transfer was made from my Way-to-Save to the overdrawn account. I thought I had seen it as $45, and then I transferred another $65 to make up for the amount that I had said I would pay. Still in critical care with my son, on the 29th, I left for a bit to get some lunch. I attempted to get gas and my card was declined. I checked online and saw that on April 27, Wells Fargo had transferred $531.56 from the new account to cover the overdraft in the old account. I had absolutely no warning about this - I had used the debit card the same day as the transfer, which doesn't show up until after midnight. I had written checks. Now I was looking at not only not having money as I sit in a hospital with my son still in critical care, but the overdraft fees coming in for the purchases I had made thinking I had money. With a payday coming up, a good portion of my check will now be eaten up with these fees and I'm not sure we will be able to pay the rent.
I called Wells Fargo on April 29, obviously upset and was told basically, sorry that's too bad - it's stated in the deposit agreement that we could do that. I explained that I had spoken to someone on the 18th about a payment and was told it was fine. According to the representative, this is what happens when you don't keep your promise. When I had thought the Way-toSave transfer was $45, and then transferred $65 to more than make up the $100 I had said, I had read it wrong and there was only a $25 transfer from the Way-to-Save. So really, I only paid $90 rather than the $100.
I tried, tearfully I'm afraid, to explain my situation, my son in the hospital, my money being gone, etc. I was given no help, no sympathy and was told it's in the agreement. If I have a problem I can write and mail a letter. I asked to speak to her supervisor or someone else. She told me that anyone else would tell me the same thing and did not transfer me. I asked what the hell she expected me to do now that they had stolen my money, and she told me she would hang up if I continued to be abusive. I do regret that, but I was calling from an intensive care waiting room, where my son has been for almost 2 weeks, and I had basically had my money stolen from me by my bank.
I called back the next day, and that representative did express a little empathy, but told me the same thing - it's in the agreement, write a letter. When I expressed my frustration that no one could help me, I've been a customer for years, and was she telling me that it was all the computer and there was no way a human could help me, she said that she could reverse it, but then she would receive an email that it was not a bank error and she should not have reversed it and she would get in trouble for that. I could write a letter and maybe they would reverse it and I would get a refund in that case, but in the meantime, yes I was going to be hit with overdraft fees for money I had spent not knowing they had wiped out my account.
I have emailed the rep who opened the newest account, as well as the rep who opened my other accounts. I have had no response from anyone, and it is hard for me to make a phone call from the critical care unit. Not to mention I'm under enough stress, without dealing with this and getting on the phone and basically being told I don't count for anything to them, other than the ridiculous amounts they make off overdraft fees because their online system doesn't represent that day accurately.
Today, I have several transactions that have posted, and 6 overdraft charges. I get paid Friday, but several hundred of that will be gone due to these fees. My son is still in the hospital and I am not at work. Is there any other recourse?