Shame on Wells Fargo Bank

By James Gaskin, NetworkWorld.com, 12/28/04

I have to use Wells Fargo bank because my lovely wife Wendy's school district only puts direct deposit payroll checks into WF for some stupid reason. WF doesn't have free bill pay, which is why I use Bank of America for my business account.

Imagine my surprise when I received a direct mail four color fancy flyer from WF saying, "Now Bill Pay Is FREE* for You!" right below my name and address on the flyer. Wonderful. So I went online and started the signup process.

Of course, the Terms of Agreement said WF could do no wrong, and if I mistyped an amount and asked them to help me fix it they can legally come to my house and horsewhip me first (really, I think I have the printout somewhere…). But we little guys have no recourse, so I agreed.

Then it listed the conditions under which I could get the free online bill pay service. What? They used to have conditions, one of which was a $6.95 per month fee if I didn't keep $5,000 in my account and the family jewels, silver, and pirated Spanish gold pieces in their safety deposit box. How could they have conditions on free online bill pay?

Imagine my surprise when I read the details and found out the online bill pay service is STILL $6.95 per month, and hasn't changed a bit. I counted six different FREE* words on the flyer. But while the capital letters giveth, the * taketh away. I immediately logged out of my online banking session.

Too late – I had put in enough information for them to sign me up to the FREE* online bill pay service. So I called their 800 support number to complain and cancel.

Seems when I joined the bank, I missed their free online bill pay service by about seven weeks. Yep, seven weeks earlier and I would have had free (really free) online bill pay all this time. But that little detail eight years ago cost me, and they refused to comp my online bill pay.

They did ask me to fax them the flyer, hoping to blame the "confusion" on a local branch doing something they shouldn't. No such luck – this flyer came from the WF California headquarters. I told them if they didn't have access to their own marketing materials online internally their computers were behind and their management should be embarrassed.

The support person then said other banks, "maybe like Bank of America but I'm not saying that," charge up to $20 per hour for research into bill pay problems.

I've used Bank of America's online bill pay service for several years and never had a problem. I can call up any transaction online, including images of checks I sent, any time. I told the WF lady she should be ashamed of herself for saying that and she should tell her supervisor I'm insulted they put that in their support telemarketing script.

I then told her that when the school district supports direct deposit into Bank of America, I'm gone. Pass that on to your supervisor, please, along with this: Shame on You.

I hate hypocrites. Online bill paying saves the banks money, but Wells Fargo wants to squeeze another $6.95 per month out of me, along with $.40 per check if I write too many. And they wrote a special direct mail piece to try and trick me. Sad, and sleazier than normal, even for a bank.

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Comments

It's too bad you are required to hold your wells account just for direct deposit purposes. If you are able to escape this someday, I would suggest checking out First Republic Bank. For a $2500 minimum average balance, you not only get free bill pay (unlimited # of bills) and your checks back with your statement as well as images online, but you also get free ATM withdrawals anywhere in the world. They simply reimburse any fees charged to you by other banks or even stand-alone ATMs.

Posted by: Steve on January 7, 2005 06:53 PM

When Wells Fargo took over First Interstate Bank of Denver, I was informed that I could up these checks. However in November 2004, my checks were returned without any explanation. On phoning them, they gave unsatisfactory requests that I must give them details of my last deposit, otherwise they would not entertain my call! Problem is I give all my friends in USA who wants to pay me to send o deposit into my account. So how can I know. It cost me a bomb to call from Singapore with such unsatisfactory service. Could you kindly give me the name of the other bank in USA which I could use without all the hassles. Many thanks in advance.

Posted by: C. K. Leong on January 14, 2005 07:13 AM

I solved my Wells Fargo dilema. I contacted the local Wells Fargo brnach here in Jacksonville and fimrly and directly requested that I receive "no" more letters, emails, communiques of any kind from their company . Two weeks later, I received a letter stating as such from their headquarters. Now if they screw with me , I can contact the Feds and let them deal with this anatomically correct company. Why I cannot answer this question:But they seem to thrive on hasseling their customers?

Posted by: george milo on February 4, 2005 07:51 AM

2/4/2005
You:
Wells Fargo
Attn: Persons in charge of courtesy and customer service.

Me:
Margaret Reinhardt
530 East 7th Ave
Sun Valley, Nevada 89433
775-674-6446
CK Acct # 0834842155
Customer approximately 25 years.

Today at aprox. 1:35 pm I went in to the Sun Valley, Nevada branch make a deposit. There must have been 10 people in the line. A girl came in and got in the back of the line. She then stepped over to the counter and asked someone to let her mom know she was “here”. They did the wave and the “girl” stood in line for a few minutes. No one liked waiting in line especially the “girl”. The “girl” asked one of the tellers if she could get a deposit slip as she said she didn’t have one. The teller replied “sure”. As the line got a little shorter the “girl” got out of line and walked up to a closed window and reached inside and grabbed a deposit slip. She filled it out. She then stood there with the rest of us in line wondering why she could just “cut in”. The “girl” was taken care of immediately. The lady in front of me got her turn at a teller and she asked, “Why does “she” get to cut in line?” The teller said because she is “her” daughter. I couldn’t believe this so I asked, “Why does “she” get to cut in line? The teller replied saying again “because she is HER daughter”. My turn comes up right next to the lady complaining. I made a 500.00 deposit. I asked this teller, a different one than the one that replied because “it is her daughter”, why “she” got to cut in line. She replied “ because “she” is her mother. I said who is “she”. She said Jody. I wrote that down and asked “Jody who”. She replied “Wolfe”. I wrote that down. They accepted my deposit.

I left and Jody Wolfe’s daughter left. We were both parked out front. Jody Wolfe’s daughter yelled at me saying you don’t need to get so upset just because I got to go in front of the line, my mother works there. I said, “That was rude”. She kept going on and I said it is still rude. She pealed her car out in front of me missing my vehicle by about 3 inches.

I live 2 minutes from there. My phone was ringing when I got home. It was JODY WOLFE: Jody said you asked for my name and phone number at the bank. I corrected her saying no, I only asked for your name. She conceded to that. She explaining that the woman had been waiting in the drive up and she couldn’t complete her transaction through the drive up so she had to come inside and in that case she gets to go to the head of the line because she had already waited in line outside. I said that woman was your daughter right. She admitted that it was. She then said that she could not accept my deposit because it was a 2 party check made out to a business that I have a legal fictious name to operate. They have accepted my checks before but now instead of apologizing she insults me with this lame and made up excuse for allowing her daughter to go to the front of the line. She said I had to open a business account and pay some additional fees or they would not honor anymore of my deposits. I signed the check Art Matrix Web Design, then, Margaret Reinhardt. She did this as a deliberate act of retaliation. She herself (JODY WOLFE) has accepted checks from me before in the same manner.
Summary:
1. Jody Wolfe is using her position as assistant manager to insult the other customers by allowing her family to go to the head of the line. (Unless this is a common Wells Fargo benefit)
2. Jody Wolfe retaliated against me for not liking it by refusing my deposit. (Don’t try to tell me that it was just a coincedience that they had just now caught something that is not allowed that had been going on regularly before) Otherwise you are then insulting my intelligence as well as my person.
3. Jody Wolfe was rude on the phone when I asked what I had to do to put the check in my account.
4. Jody Wolfe was not the least bit polite with her “excuse” of why her daughter gets to go ahead of everyone else. She was uppity and rude
5. A large business like your behaves in such a immature manner when it (Jody Wolfe) is caught cheating with the line.
6. I did NOT complain at the bank. I only asked who “she” was. I was verbally accosted by “she’s” daughter. They knew they did wrong.
7. Shame Shame on you.
B of A gives free safety deposit boxes
B of A gives free checking when they mortgage your house. You turned me down once. No one has better credit than me!! Go check it out.
B of A will let me put Art Matrix Web Design and Margaret Reinhardt on my “free” checking account. Jody Wolfe and Wells Fargo don’t allow that kind of account. Said so by Jody Wolfe.

I have never seen such rudeness from a business. It came from a supervisor who has been delegated the authority to be rude so this reflects directly on the “Wells Fargo” image.
I tried to call Janida Black at 746-0631 to discuss a possible remedy but there was only a message machine to listen to me.
You have no readily available customer service ready to help or take action.
This letter is not completely complaints about your slap in the face service.
I want to “thank you” for the free checking account I will be getting at B of A with both Art Matrix and Margaret Reinhardt on it. THEY want my deposits.
And, I want to “thank you” for the free safe deposit box I will be getting at B of A.
Also, last but not least, “thank you” for the lower interest credit card from B of A.

Now I am sure you can guess the result of Ms. Jody Wolfe’s fine presentation today.

Sincerely, another happy B of A customer.
Margaret Reinhardt

Addition; Janida Black returned my phone call. I was away from the phone so she left a very apologetic message and stated that she could tell by the message I had left her that I was quite upset. Janida left a professional and courteous message. I am sure she is an asset to Wells Fargo or any business. Even though Janida acted appropriately I cannot and will not ever go back in the Sun Valley Branch of Wells Fargo and look at that rude manager again except to clear out my safe deposit box.

CC.
Corporate Officers
Janida Black
Others

Posted by: Margaret Reinhardt on February 4, 2005 09:21 PM

2/4/2005
You:
Wells Fargo
Attn: Persons in charge of courtesy and customer service.

Me:
Margaret Reinhardt
530 East 7th Ave
Sun Valley, Nevada 89433
775-674-6446
CK Acct # 0834842155
Customer approximately 25 years.

Today at aprox. 1:35 pm I went in to the Sun Valley, Nevada branch make a deposit. There must have been 10 people in the line. A girl came in and got in the back of the line. She then stepped over to the counter and asked someone to let her mom know she was “here”. They did the wave and the “girl” stood in line for a few minutes. No one liked waiting in line especially the “girl”. The “girl” asked one of the tellers if she could get a deposit slip as she said she didn’t have one. The teller replied “sure”. As the line got a little shorter the “girl” got out of line and walked up to a closed window and reached inside and grabbed a deposit slip. She filled it out. She then stood there with the rest of us in line wondering why she could just “cut in”. The “girl” was taken care of immediately. The lady in front of me got her turn at a teller and she asked, “Why does “she” get to cut in line?” The teller said because she is “her” daughter. I couldn’t believe this so I asked, “Why does “she” get to cut in line? The teller replied saying again “because she is HER daughter”. My turn comes up right next to the lady complaining. I made a 500.00 deposit. I asked this teller, a different one than the one that replied because “it is her daughter”, why “she” got to cut in line. She replied “ because “she” is her mother. I said who is “she”. She said Jody. I wrote that down and asked “Jody who”. She replied “Wolfe”. I wrote that down. They accepted my deposit.

I left and Jody Wolfe’s daughter left. We were both parked out front. Jody Wolfe’s daughter yelled at me saying you don’t need to get so upset just because I got to go in front of the line, my mother works there. I said, “That was rude”. She kept going on and I said it is still rude. She pealed her car out in front of me missing my vehicle by about 3 inches.

I live 2 minutes from there. My phone was ringing when I got home. It was JODY WOLFE: Jody said you asked for my name and phone number at the bank. I corrected her saying no, I only asked for your name. She conceded to that. She explaining that the woman had been waiting in the drive up and she couldn’t complete her transaction through the drive up so she had to come inside and in that case she gets to go to the head of the line because she had already waited in line outside. I said that woman was your daughter right. She admitted that it was. She then said that she could not accept my deposit because it was a 2 party check made out to a business that I have a legal fictious name to operate. They have accepted my checks before but now instead of apologizing she insults me with this lame and made up excuse for allowing her daughter to go to the front of the line. She said I had to open a business account and pay some additional fees or they would not honor anymore of my deposits. I signed the check Art Matrix Web Design, then, Margaret Reinhardt. She did this as a deliberate act of retaliation. She herself (JODY WOLFE) has accepted checks from me before in the same manner.
Summary:
1. Jody Wolfe is using her position as assistant manager to insult the other customers by allowing her family to go to the head of the line. (Unless this is a common Wells Fargo benefit)
2. Jody Wolfe retaliated against me for not liking it by refusing my deposit. (Don’t try to tell me that it was just a coincedience that they had just now caught something that is not allowed that had been going on regularly before) Otherwise you are then insulting my intelligence as well as my person.
3. Jody Wolfe was rude on the phone when I asked what I had to do to put the check in my account.
4. Jody Wolfe was not the least bit polite with her “excuse” of why her daughter gets to go ahead of everyone else. She was uppity and rude
5. A large business like your behaves in such a immature manner when it (Jody Wolfe) is caught cheating with the line.
6. I did NOT complain at the bank. I only asked who “she” was. I was verbally accosted by “she’s” daughter. They knew they did wrong.
7. Shame Shame on you.
B of A gives free safety deposit boxes
B of A gives free checking when they mortgage your house. You turned me down once. No one has better credit than me!! Go check it out.
B of A will let me put Art Matrix Web Design and Margaret Reinhardt on my “free” checking account. Jody Wolfe and Wells Fargo don’t allow that kind of account. Said so by Jody Wolfe.

I have never seen such rudeness from a business. It came from a supervisor who has been delegated the authority to be rude so this reflects directly on the “Wells Fargo” image.
I tried to call Janida Black at 746-0631 to discuss a possible remedy but there was only a message machine to listen to me.
You have no readily available customer service ready to help or take action.
This letter is not completely complaints about your slap in the face service.
I want to “thank you” for the free checking account I will be getting at B of A with both Art Matrix and Margaret Reinhardt on it. THEY want my deposits.
And, I want to “thank you” for the free safe deposit box I will be getting at B of A.
Also, last but not least, “thank you” for the lower interest credit card from B of A.

Now I am sure you can guess the result of Ms. Jody Wolfe’s fine presentation today.

Sincerely, another happy B of A customer.
Margaret Reinhardt

Addition; Janida Black returned my phone call. I was away from the phone so she left a very apologetic message and stated that she could tell by the message I had left her that I was quite upset. Janida left a professional and courteous message. I am sure she is an asset to Wells Fargo or any business. Even though Janida acted appropriately I cannot and will not ever go back in the Sun Valley Branch of Wells Fargo and look at that rude manager again except to clear out my safe deposit box.

CC.
Corporate Officers
Janida Black
Others

Posted by: Margaret Reinhardt on February 4, 2005 09:29 PM

get a life!!!! If the best thing you have to do is complain about the small print you didn't read in the first place you should have to pay the monthly fee. And it is not Wells Fargo fault that your wife’s employer will only direct deposit into a wells Fargo account. That is their fault - I didn’t see you make any negative comments about the knife the butters your bread!

Posted by: Sue on February 7, 2005 02:46 PM

Just read your comment about Wells Fargo. I bank at Charter One Bank and they have a no balance required for their checking accounts. I can have as low as $10.00 in my account. The bill pay on line is also free,I get free checks and free ATM/debit card. You might want to try them if you have a branch near you.

Posted by: Kathy on February 9, 2005 01:36 PM

I too am pretty PO'd. They also claim that the first two months are free. But not so, I've been charged for the first two months.

I stopped the bill pay service and made them reverse the charges.

I had tons of money in the account and they have the nerve to charge a fee.

Posted by: Sharlene on February 13, 2005 03:31 PM

this bank is really sorry they don't know how to treat people right and thay stink

Posted by: pancreasia on February 17, 2005 12:30 PM

I've been banking with Wells Fargo for several years and I never have any problem. I bank with BofA before and everything was such a mess! All the banks have their own way to charge their customers. It's true that you might be paying the bill pay service fee for wells fargo but do you ever realize that there are tons of fees that BofA charges!! And the thing is you don't really know much about it. Here in Nevada... Bank of America has the worst customer fees and has the worst fees and i'm not quite sure if it pertains to all the BofA locations across the country

Posted by: brendan on February 24, 2005 02:13 AM

I've been banking with Wells Fargo for several years and I never have any problem. I bank with BofA before and everything was such a mess! All the banks have their own way to charge their customers. It's true that you might be paying the bill pay service fee for wells fargo but do you ever realize that there are tons of fees that BofA charges!! And the thing is you don't really know much about it. Here in Nevada... Bank of America has the worst customer fees and has the worst fees and i'm not quite sure if it pertains to all the BofA locations across the country

Posted by: brendan on February 24, 2005 02:18 AM

I would also recommend VirtualBank as well. No minimum balance required for free services. Free online bill pay. $6 allowance on ATM fees each month. The only drawback is depositing money outside of direct deposit. Hence the name VirtualBank they are virtual but send you prepaid envelopes to deposit money. Another bank that sounds appealing is Compass Bank, everything is supposedly free and unlimited checks for life. I was burned a while back by BOA and am with WF, but am seriously considering going back to BOA.

Posted by: Will on March 1, 2005 05:07 PM