Wells Fargo, your Billboards have changed, but your culture of lies has not.

Russell Mckee
Sep 6, 2018 · 4 min read

I recently deposited a $980 check that Wells Fargo decided to hold for seven days. When pressed the exact reason for the hold on my check, I was met with lies, misinformation, and hostility during every step. Something that really wasn’t necessary, and caused me to look foolish to my business associate.

Here is a summary:

8/31/18 Receive a TD Bank check from client for $980. I deposit over Wells Fargo Mobile App

9/5/18 Notification their is hold on check until 9/12/18. I call client telling him to make sure money is his account. He says money left his account on 8/31/18.

Call Wells Fargo Agent #1 — Wait 5 minutes, listen to music, enter bank number, last 4 digits of social, address…..

Lie #1 I receive from customer service agent. The check has been flagged on the issuer’s end, suspicion of fraudulent activity. Probably from lack of funds, we don’t have the money, just have the guy write you another check.”

Call client 2nd time “Hey they said your check no good I need another check.”

Client says “Thats Bullshit, the money left my account 8/31/18 ”

Call Wells Fargo Agent #2 — Wait 5 minutes, listen to music, enter bank number, last 4 digits of social, address…..

She tells me the money may arrive sooner than 9/12 . I explain wells Fargo has the money and I would like it released today, She connects me to Supervisor…

Call Wells Fargo Agent #3 — Wait 5 minutes, listen to music, enter bank number, last 4 digits of social, address…..

I tell the Supervisor that the money left TD Bank on 8/31/18, Wells Fargo has the money. Please release the funds to me. The supervisor explains to me very directly Lie #2 … “ We did not flag the account, TD Bank flagged the account, and we do not have the money, TD Bank has the money”

Now that statement made to me by a Supervisor of Customer Service was a blatant lie. At this point Wells Fargo had already had the funds since 8/31/18. She simply told me this to shut me up and get me off the phone.

Call client 3rd time telling him his bank is holding the funds, now he is pissed!

Client calls TD Bank, and has a copy of my endorsed check from Wells Fargo emailed to me. He confirms to me that TD Bank no longer has these funds. Wells Fargo has these funds since 8/31/18.

Call Wells Fargo Agent #4 — Wait 5 minutes, listen to music, enter bank number, last 4 digits of social, address…..

Now I am pretty angry and simply ask for someone who can help in this situation, she connects me to Fraud and Loss Prevention department.

Call Wells Fargo Agent #5 — Wait 5 minutes, listen to music, enter bank number, last 4 digits of social, address…..

Fraud Customer Rep looks into situation, than tells me… “Okay we can release you the funds today, just have issuer of check write a letter stating he wrote the check, have letter notarized, provide copies of checks and all account numbers and dates. Than fax all that stuff to this number…”

“Im not doing that, why do I have to do that, I thought TD Bank is holding up the check?’”

“Sir, Im not required to tell you anything”

“Can I speak to someone who know more”

“Sure you can speak to someone in ‘Executive Offices’ ” …

Now I’m getting somewhere!

Call Wells Fargo Agent #6 - Wait 5 minutes, listen to music, enter bank number, last 4 digits of social, address…..

Now I’ m talking to the “Executive” who will get to the bottom of this. She finally informs me that…

Wells Fargo has the funds and put a flag on the check for Suspicion of Fraudulent Activity on my account… Probably because I deposited the check through the Mobile App. Something I do all the time. But she is going to call TD Bank to get check approved and release funds to me today. Awesome! The truth shall set you free, why did everybody else lie to me?

So I Wait 5 minutes, listen to music, and she comes back on the phone “Im sorry TD Bank will not release information to 3rd parties”

“No problem, I can have check issuer call TD Bank and we can do a 3 party call.”

“Sir, that is not our process”

“Did you even call? What kind of executive are you?”

After that I hit my 3rd profanity word rule, which she had previously explained to me. She informed me that call was being disconnected, She hung up on me.

So I give up trying to find out the truth.

I understand fraud takes place and banks need to protect themselves, and that I may have set off a flag depositing a $980 check through the mobile App, requiring a hold.

What I do not understand is Wells Fargo’s culture of happily lying to their customer’s faces over and over again just to shut them up and get them off the phone. I had to talk to six people, and most of them lied to me. This is a toxic culture that is not re-establishing itself very well. If their blatantly lying to me over simple account activity, they are probably doing it to everyone else.

I hope I don’t lose my client over this.

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