WHOAH! I just had a little "talk" with a Wells Fargo rep

[DawnM]

I called to report my upcoming travel and explained that I will not have my phone with my phone number available to check for "suspicious activity" text messages.

I already had an issue when I tried to book hotels overseas, I had to call them to tell them that yes, it was me and I need to book these hotels.   It took 2 days to straighten it out.

I don't want to be stuck without a way to pay and have to deal with this.  

So I called.   The woman who answered had an attitude of, "What do you want?   I am trying to enjoy my coffee break here!"

Her, "What can I help you with?"

Me: Explain situation

Her: (think response with an eye roll voice attitude) "Just a minute while I check"

Me: Ok

Her:   I have never heard of anything taking 2 days, you need to keep your wifi on and you can check your app.

Me: Well, you have heard of it now because it happened to me! (in sort of a haha tone)

Her: "Ma'am, it you are going to be unprofessional, I am disconnecting this call"

WHAT?   First of all, *I* am not the one who needs to be professional!   This is YOUR job, not mine.   Second of all, how dare you speak to me that way with your, "I really hate my job anyway and I definitely don't give two craps about you" manor, and third of all, YOU are the one being RUDE!

I am floored!  What is with this group of young adults?   It is nuts.

I didn't get a name or I would have called back to report.

[stephanier.1765]

Ugh, I hate people like that! Did you call back and get everything sorted with your travel plans? Don't let her bother you a second longer. She doesn't even deserve your frustration or anger. I really, really do hate people like that.

[SKL]

I'm curious as to why you won't have your cell phone with you.

Next time, try to get the name!  Even just asking "may I please have your name in case I need to follow up" can have magical results.

For this time, just tell yourself the lady probably has both constipation and diarrhea and also perimenopausal period gush today.  And go look up "cute babies laughing" on the internet.

[Arcadia]

4 minutes ago, SKL said:

 

I'm curious as to why you won't have your cell phone with you.

For my case, my ancient prepaid plan doesn’t have autoroam and I can’t pay to add it.  I use Citibank’s credit card and they are easy to deal with. My local Wells Fargo counter staff are nice and helpful but the bank itself has issues like the fake accounts scandal/lawsuits. 

[marbel]

Ugh. Watch for a customer satisfaction survey. (It might go into your spam folder.) When I worked in a bank (not WFB) every customer got a survey after every call. Negative responses from customers were taken seriously: since all calls are recorded, a manager would listen to the call and the employee would be "counseled."  Obvs I don't know if WFB does this. 

Getting the name helps, but if you want, you can also call back and complain about a previous call; it should be in the CRM (customer relationship management) system. And that will give visibility to the bad call. 

But also... yeah, I'd chalk it up to her having a very bad day. I sometimes had brutal calls that made me want to rage or cry, but I had to just take the next one. Of course she may just be a crappy rep. 

Re: not having cellphone when traveling overseas. When both my kids traveled, they got SIM cards for the country/ies they were visiting, and were not able to use their local phone number. 

Edited June 18 by marbel

[DawnM]

52 minutes ago, SKL said:

I'm curious as to why you won't have your cell phone with you.

I will have my phone with me, but will get a local SIM when I get there, won't have access to my phone number.

52 minutes ago, SKL said:

Next time, try to get the name!  Even just asking "may I please have your name in case I need to follow up" can have magical results.

For this time, just tell yourself the lady probably has both constipation and diarrhea and also perimenopausal period gush today.  And go look up "cute babies laughing" on the internet.

I know,  I just didn't think to get it.

[Amira]

I usually can’t get text messages from US numbers, so I use email alerts for my credit card.  I generally manage to find a way to check my email while traveling. I caught a fraudulent charge that way, in the middle of international travel, and was able to sort it out pretty quickly.

[wisdomandtreasures]

How dare you distract her from watching TikTok videos whoile pretending to actually work! 😉

[Matryoshka]

I have AT&T and I can receive texts while abroad, no charge unless I do outgoing.  I get their international day pass plan for emergencies if I have to call or text out ($0 unless you use it; $12 for 24 hrs of call/text if you activate it by using outgoing text).

Mostly I get by with WiFi and use WhatsApp, but I can still get text alerts on my US number at no charge.  This came in handy a few times when abroad buying tickets for attractions - the ticket website wanted confirmation that I was who I said I was, and I needed a code from my credit card company - the website redirected me and a code was sent to my cell via text.  Worked fine, no charge to me.

[JustEm]

My dh is an onboarding manager for one of the big banks in their customer service department.  You do not need her name to make the complaint.  That phone call will be recorded and connected to your account.  So, anyone with access, like the woman's manager, should be able to pull that call up and listen to it by you just telling them your information and when you called.  

[City Mouse]

Several years ago, My dad had so much trouble with Wells Fargo when traveling that he closed all his accounts at Wells Fargo and put his money elsewhere, and it was a substantial amount of money. 

Edited June 19 by City Mouse

[DawnM]

2 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

I have AT&T and I can receive texts while abroad, no charge unless I do outgoing.  I get their international day pass plan for emergencies if I have to call or text out ($0 unless you use it; $12 for 24 hrs of call/text if you activate it by using outgoing text).

Mostly I get by with WiFi and use WhatsApp, but I can still get text alerts on my US number at no charge.  This came in handy a few times when abroad buying tickets for attractions - the ticket website wanted confirmation that I was who I said I was, and I needed a code from my credit card company - the website redirected me and a code was sent to my cell via text.  Worked fine, no charge to me.

I need to be able to text out every day, I am not paying $12/day for 24 days.   I will just get a SIM there for $15 and get 20gb of data and 1500 min. calling and unlimited texting.  I also need to make calls.   We have several people we are visiting and such and need the capability to do all the things.

[DawnM]

3 hours ago, Amira said:

I usually can’t get text messages from US numbers, so I use email alerts for my credit card.  I generally manage to find a way to check my email while traveling. I caught a fraudulent charge that way, in the middle of international travel, and was able to sort it out pretty quickly.

I can check my email but last time it took TWO FULL DAYS to remedy the situation and it wasn't an immediate email to respond to while I am in a shop or restaurant trying to use my card.

[DawnM]

2 hours ago, wisdomandtreasures said:

How dare you distract her from watching TikTok videos whoile pretending to actually work! 😉

right?????

[Clarita]

I've totally hung up on rude representatives (or representatives having a bad day) to call back and hope for one in a better mood. Sure the representative might be having a bad day, but also if I'm calling a financial institution chances are it's not a good day for me either. 

[Matryoshka]

3 hours ago, DawnM said:

I need to be able to text out every day, I am not paying $12/day for 24 days.   I will just get a SIM there for $15 and get 20gb of data and 1500 min. calling and unlimited texting.  I also need to make calls.   We have several people we are visiting and such and need the capability to do all the things.

Yeah, that's what I use WhatsApp/wifi for.  I always make sure where we're staying has good wifi, and at least in Europe even when you're out it's easy to find at cafes and shops. Everyone I keep in touch with has WhatsApp,  Skype, or Discord so I don't need actual cell service except in emergencies. 

Edited June 18 by Matryoshka

[KungFuPanda]

I would call back and have the whole interaction with another operator. I don’t trust that first lady AT ALL.  I’d also call the phone company and just pay to have service for the trip. Could they have a monthly rate where you come out ahead of the daily rate?

[Scarlett]

I had a big issue with the hospital billing a year or so ago. I almost lost my mind. I got so many different stories from so many different cs reps. 

And I have been getting all these calls from CVS  Pharmacy. I have asked them to take me off their list because there are no cvs pharmacies near me. This last guy said, ‘ok but can I get your health insurance info?’

😵‍💫

No. no you can’t. 

[DawnM]

10 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

I would call back and have the whole interaction with another operator. I don’t trust that first lady AT ALL.  I’d also call the phone company and just pay to have service for the trip. Could they have a monthly rate where you come out ahead of the daily rate?

ATT said they have discontinued their monthly overseas plan and it is $12 per day.   $6 for each additional line.   So, we will be paying $720 for 3.5 weeks for the 4 of us.   Or, we can pay a total of $60 for 4 SIM cards in country.   So, no, we won't be doing that.

ETA:  Oh wait, I am not seeing there is a Cap of $100 for international.   I need to find out if that is per line or per account.   

Edited June 19 by DawnM

[DawnM]

13 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

Yeah, that's what I use WhatsApp/wifi for.  I always make sure where we're staying has good wifi, and at least in Europe even when you're out it's easy to find at cafes and shops. Everyone I keep in touch with has WhatsApp,  Skype, or Discord so I don't need actual cell service except in emergencies. 

I can't predict the wifi and won't; have it on the road.   We are going all over the country and many times to rather remote areas.  I have WhatsApp and will use that, but I need to be able to have a way to call and text.   This trip is not a European vacation in major cities.

[DawnM]

14 hours ago, Clarita said:

I've totally hung up on rude representatives (or representatives having a bad day) to call back and hope for one in a better mood. Sure the representative might be having a bad day, but also if I'm calling a financial institution chances are it's not a good day for me either. 

True.

I don't know who "pissed in her cornflakes" but it wasn't me and projecting your need to be professional on a client is not acceptable.   Sigh.   But now I have more important things to worry about so I am just not inclined to pursue dealing with it any longer.  I have a long drive today and a funeral for the person who gave me life.   

Need to just shake it off.

[Matryoshka]

1 hour ago, DawnM said:

I can't predict the wifi and won't; have it on the road.   We are going all over the country and many times to rather remote areas.  I have WhatsApp and will use that, but I need to be able to have a way to call and text.   This trip is not a European vacation in major cities.

That is indeed an entirely different story!

[SanDiegoMom]

2 hours ago, DawnM said:

ATT said they have discontinued their monthly overseas plan and it is $12 per day.   $6 for each additional line.   So, we will be paying $720 for 3.5 weeks for the 4 of us.   Or, we can pay a total of $60 for 4 SIM cards in country.   So, no, we won't be doing that.

ETA:  Oh wait, I am not seeing there is a Cap of $100 for international.   I need to find out if that is per line or per account.   

There’s a cap of 10 days during the billing cycle. 

“Hi, it's AT&T. Great news! You have our best international package, International Day Pass, on this line.

This means you can use your phone like you do at home with unlimited talk text and the data included in your AT&T plan for $12/ day. Pay only for the days used abroad with a max of 10 daily fees per line per bill. Additional lines used the same day are only $6/ day. For details, go to att.com/.“

 

[KungFuPanda]

4 hours ago, DawnM said:

ATT said they have discontinued their monthly overseas plan and it is $12 per day.   $6 for each additional line.   So, we will be paying $720 for 3.5 weeks for the 4 of us.   Or, we can pay a total of $60 for 4 SIM cards in country.   So, no, we won't be doing that.

ETA:  Oh wait, I am not seeing there is a Cap of $100 for international.   I need to find out if that is per line or per account.   

It never occurred to me that they’d make you hook up every phone in the family. I was thinking just your phone. It’s been a decade since we’ve done this so I’m not sure how they do it today. 

[katilac]

On 6/18/2024 at 9:24 AM, DawnM said:

 I am floored!  What is with this group of young adults?   It is nuts.

 

Flag on the play: you have no idea that this was a young adult. 

 

[dirty ethel rackham]

@DawnM I'm sorry you had such an unpleasant experience.  That is so frustrating. 

 I'm wondering if it would be worth it to keep your phone as is since it is the number that they would use for any potential fraud alerts.  Then either borrow or pick up another cheap phone to use for a SIM card.  That way, you can have all your in-family communication with the local SIM cards, but only have to use international charges for the one phone and not every day.  Does that make sense?  

When my son went to NZ for a year, a friend gave him an older phone to use for a local SIM so that he could set up banking and housing (they need a local number.)  He kept his US phone which he used mostly on WIFI with a few days of purchasing international roaming when WIFI would be limited.  \

1 hour ago, katilac said:

Flag on the play: you have no idea that this was a young adult. 

 

I had to laugh when I saw this.  My dad and brothers were football refs (both on the field and armchair 😁)

[marbel]

1 hour ago, katilac said:

Flag on the play: you have no idea that this was a young adult. 

 

When I worked in the call center, which served several banks plus insurance companies and some other types of businesses, the vast majority of the employees were over 40, with lots of folks over 60 (like me).  The few young adults that came through generally didn't stick around long. 

[OH_Homeschooler]

14 hours ago, katilac said:

Flag on the play: you have no idea that this was a young adult. 

 

Or really, the intense pressure many of these workers are under to meet quotas and act friendly when they are getting screamed at for things they have no control over. I understand this was a negative interaction for OP and that is unfortunate, but please let's not assume the worker is a negligent young adult and extrapolate that out to an entire generation, okay?

[Scarlett]

I think it would be great if we don’t nit pick Dawn right now while she grieves her birth mom death and attends to her funeral.  
 

As for cs workers I am constantly amused when they put me on hold to ‘check these details’.  I am pretty sure a good portion of those ‘on hold’ times are spent going to the bathroom or getting a child or a pet settled down. Especially when I can hear said pet or child in the background.  We live in a new age now so I don’t even mind.  Rudeness like Dawn experienced does need to be reported though. 

[Arcadia]

Just received a scam email supposedly from Wells Fargo. The irony to me is that my local Wells Fargo branch is just across the street. 

“WELLS FARGO

Recently, we discovered unusual activity or updates on your account that we believe may be unauthorized. For your protection, we have temporarily suspended use of this account until you verify the activity; you will not be able to use the ATM/Debit Card linked to this account for withdrawals or purchases until we hear from you.

What you need to do

Please confirm your recent activity or to let us know if you think this account was used without your permission.

·This suspension is temporary, to unlock your account visit wellsfargo.com and follow the instructions provided.

·By phone: Call us at 1-855-731-2017, 8am EST – 8pm EST, Monday through Friday”

[Scarlett]

1 hour ago, Arcadia said:

Just received a scam email supposedly from Wells Fargo. The irony to me is that my local Wells Fargo branch is just across the street. 

“WELLS FARGO

Recently, we discovered unusual activity or updates on your account that we believe may be unauthorized. For your protection, we have temporarily suspended use of this account until you verify the activity; you will not be able to use the ATM/Debit Card linked to this account for withdrawals or purchases until we hear from you.

What you need to do

Please confirm your recent activity or to let us know if you think this account was used without your permission.

·This suspension is temporary, to unlock your account visit wellsfargo.com and follow the instructions provided.

·By phone: Call us at 1-855-731-2017, 8am EST – 8pm EST, Monday through Friday”

Obviously I believe it is a scam.  But is wellsfargo.com not a real website?  I sometimes get curious how the scams work…..

[Arcadia]

14 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

Obviously I believe it is a scam.  But is wellsfargo.com not a real website?  I sometimes get curious how the scams work…..

It is a clickable link so the link may not go to the actual website.  Either way, it is safer to go to the actual website than click on links in emails. 

ETA

https://www.wellsfargo.com/privacy-security/fraud/report/phish/

Edited June 21 by Arcadia

[Scarlett]

6 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

It is a clickable link so the link may not go to the actual website.  Either way, it is safer to go to the actual website than click on links in emails. 

ETA

https://www.wellsfargo.com/privacy-security/fraud/report/phish/

Oh I did not realize it was clickable…so it probably doesn’t really go to WF. 

[73349]

The email it's from ends in .info instead of .com, a red flag.

 

 

Both Consumer Reports and TrustPilot say customers dislike WellsFargo. It might be time to switch banks and contact corporate to tell them why you did.

[OH_Homeschooler]

17 hours ago, Scarlett said:

I think it would be great if we don’t nit pick Dawn right now while she grieves her birth mom death and attends to her funeral.  
 

As for cs workers I am constantly amused when they put me on hold to ‘check these details’.  I am pretty sure a good portion of those ‘on hold’ times are spent going to the bathroom or getting a child or a pet settled down. Especially when I can hear said pet or child in the background.  We live in a new age now so I don’t even mind.  Rudeness like Dawn experienced does need to be reported though. 

Some of us hadn't seen that other thread when we posted, and I think what I said was important for many people to read and try to understand things from another human's point of view.