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James
James (@guest_2051982)
April 30, 2025 11:40

I received my $525 bonus on 4/17.

However, yesterday via snail mail, I received a letter from Wells Fargo stating:

Your inquiry regarding a promotional offer for your checking or savings account ending in XXX

Dear James Lastname,

We appreciate your interest in our promotion. After carefully reviewing your request and the requirements for this offer, we found that your account was not eligible to receive the bonus due to the following:

  • insufficient information was provided for research.”

lol

Gadget 🕵️‍♂️ Bank Bonus Geek 🔗
April 30, 2025 14:13

The CSR probably selected the wrong code on the form letter… or, there was no code for… bonus has already been paid.

James
James (@guest_2052119)
April 30, 2025 14:23

The funny thing to me is that I didn’t submit a complaint, call them, or anything at all. I did nothing except email my banker about the promo.

Gadget 🕵️‍♂️ Bank Bonus Geek 🔗
April 30, 2025 14:36

I’d guess that emailing a banker was enough to initiate a ticket.

CredWallet
CredWallet (@guest_2052784)
May 1, 2025 15:05

Congrats! Can you share how long did it take to get paid? Did you also stack the great promo rate? If yes, did you do it at the same branch, on same day along with applying $525 promo code?

James
James (@guest_2052843)
May 1, 2025 16:58

11/8/24 – account opened and banker applied both the $525 promo (first) and then the 4% APY promo together in same visit. She didn’t express any concern at all and had more of a “let’s see if it’ll take both” curious demeanor. The two codes were entered in different areas of their computer system

11/27/24 – $25k+ transfer posted

2/28/25 – pulled majority of funds (over 90 days from $25k posting)

3/5/25 – pulled remaining down to $3,500 balance

3/27/25 – downgraded to Way2Save and left $300 in account

3/27/25 – first e-mail to my banker about the missing promo payout. I attached the hardcopy application she gave me when I opened the account to my e-mail and politely asked her if she knew why I didn’t get the $525 bonus (the $525 bonus code was on this hardcopy). She immediately wrote me back and said she’d forward my request for research.

4/9/25 – I hadn’t heard back so again e-mailed her and just asked if she’d heard anything yet. She wrote me back immediately and asked for the offer codes (plural) we used. At this point I judiciously decided to only provide her the $525 code and didn’t say anything about the APY stack/other code (not sure if she remembered or cared anyway though). 

4/15/25 – she wrote back that bonus will post by Friday of that week

4/17/25 bonus posted

Jack
Jack (@guest_2052795)
May 1, 2025 15:33

I won’t repeat my sob story, but similar thing happened to me in 2023. lol
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/wells-fargo-525-savings-bonus-with-25000-deposit-in-branch/#comment-2051688

James
James (@guest_2052810)
May 1, 2025 16:05

That’s hilarious

JL
JL (@guest_2051804)
April 30, 2025 01:22

Just missed the $525 by a hair. It seems like it might or not comeback anytime soon.
How is 4% compared to $525, if I’m planning to keep the account?

Gadget 🕵️‍♂️ Bank Bonus Geek 🔗
April 30, 2025 14:01
  JL

Why would you keep 4% when you can get higher elsewhere, unless you really like the “brick & mortar” feel? Also, you have to get a in-branch banker to apply the 4% offer, so you will get to check it out.

JY
JY (@guest_2050511)
April 27, 2025 18:09

To echo Looney’s comment below mine, I just logged into my account to see that Wells credited my account with the $525 on 4/24/25 as ‘Promotion Bonus – Credit 08.’ My timeline is below:

  • Opened my Way2Save account back on 11/12/24, did the Platinum conversion route two days after, and was not paid the bonus.
  • In March, I called into the Premier line to open an inquiry, and the rep told me that I was denied for the $525 because I was paid a bonus within the past 12 months on ANY promotion.
  • My original banker disappeared so when a Premier banker reached out to me for business purposes, I ended up emailing her to start an investigation on 4/9/25.
  • I get multiple voicemails from the ECMO office saying that they have started investigating my concern.
  • On 4/23/25, I finally get a secure email from the ECMO representative saying they ‘need more time to complete our research’ and they will follow up with me by 5/7/25.
  • I don’t know if it mattered in the end, but I still have my Premier checking account active with the $250K+ balance to complete the Autograph Journey Elite bonus. I also just recently downgraded to the Way2Save on 4/20/25.
Jack
Jack (@guest_2050540)
April 27, 2025 20:19
  JY

Autograph Journey Elite bonus?

Looney
Looney (@guest_2050206)
April 26, 2025 12:51

After filing the CFPB complaint on 4/16, received the $525 bonus on 4/25. Also still showing the 4% rate

James
James (@guest_2050215)
April 26, 2025 13:21

That’s great! Would you like to share what you write in the complaint ? Looks like many of us who got 4% would have to do this.

Looney
Looney (@guest_2050480)
April 27, 2025 16:18

Sure. I first explained to them about opening the Platinum Savings account in branch for the $525 offer using a promo code and a week later going to a different branch to increase the rate to 4% using a different promo code after seeing the advertisements for the increase both online and in the branch, I wrote them this.

“I have been receiving the 4% interest rate but when I inquired about not receiving the $525 bonus after meeting the requirements, I was informed that the 4% promotional rate overrode the $525 bonus code and that I could not get both the $525 and the 4% on the same account. This isn’t specified in any of the terms of the offers nor was I advised of this upon adding the promotional rate code to my existing savings account. The terms of the 4% offer only state that if I already had a promotional rate in place, then the new bonus code would override the previous promotional rate bonus code, but that didn’t apply to me and nothing was said about it overriding the $525 bonus code since the codes are entered in a separate system (according to that banker).

These are two separate offers and I am entitled to both the $525 bonus for opening the Platinum savings account and the 4% promotional interest rate added on a separate occasion. Nothing in the terms prevents me from receiving both since I wasn’t a current owner of a Wells savings account, nor had I received any other savings offer bonus or promotional rate requiring a bonus code in the past 12 months (per the terms of the $525 offer) and nothing in the terms prevents me from also getting the 4% promotional rate (per the terms of the 4% offer)”.

James
James (@guest_2050492)
April 27, 2025 17:06

Thanks! That was helpful!

Novacat05
Novacat05 (@guest_2050667)
April 28, 2025 09:51

Thanks!

I am getting my ducks in a row for my fight coming up, 120 days for me is up in a week. I’m going to start with the branch manager(my banker was clueless) where I did the $525 bonus initially, and not mention the 4% applied three days later in a diff branch. When they tell me that supposedly invalidates the $525 offer, I’m going to focus on the fact that eligibility is satisfied at account opening, and at that time I didn’t have any bonus or promo rate paid out within last 12 months. The $525 terms state you can’t combine with another offer, which I didn’t, I combined with a promotional rate.

Not sure if i try the second branch, when I did 4% I didn’t mention the $525 bonus at all. That banker though was very helpful and a 30+ year Premiere banker so I feel like he would be helpful.

If/When I am denied I’ll try the CFPB that you did. I only ever had to do this once in 7 years of churning, I recall one of the questions was if you have attempted to resolve with the bank directly.

I have all printouts showing bonus code was attached for both $525 and 4%.

I’ll be sure to post/recap how it goes to provide another DP.

Jack
Jack (@guest_2050698)
April 28, 2025 10:50

About to be in the same boat. I assume it won’t post. Are you just going to email the branch manager? Novacat05

Novacat05
Novacat05 (@guest_2050782)
April 28, 2025 13:11

Yes, I find it’s easier to lay out facts in an email first to start the conversation, that way both sides have specific talking points to discuss on a phone call if needed, but I prefer a paper trail for something like this since emails can be included in a future submission to CFPB.

A branch manager’s name and email were listed on my account opening printout.

Looney
Looney (@guest_2050825)
April 28, 2025 14:35

Good luck in your quest Novacat05 . I started with my banker and the branch manager that I used in my attempt to resolve with the bank directly before filing the complaint.

Didn’t bother going through the second banker though but directly to the complaint form as I knew they would send it to the Executive Office at Wells Fargo and that’s where you want the complaint to get to for results.

Some comments indicated they called the executive office directly, but I really didn’t want to talk to anyone (I don’t do well on the phone in these matters) and mine was resolved without my having to do so (Ashley who was handling my complaint left two messages that I simply ignored).

Looney
Looney (@guest_2051572)
April 29, 2025 16:52

UPDATE:

Here’s a new twist to this. Just got an email from the CFPB stating that Wells needs more time to respond to my complaint and also just got a secure message from Ashley in the Executive Offices handling my complaint mirroring what the CFPB said about needing more time to act on my complaint.

Now wonder if the bonus paid out automatically and not as a result of the complaint I filed? Wonder if I should move all the money out in case they want to claw back the bonus? Wonder if I wait I’ll get another $525 bonus from them?

Gadget 🕵️‍♂️ Bank Bonus Geek 🔗
April 29, 2025 16:59

Highly doubt you would get a claw back… if the system agreed, you earned the bonus. Have you ever seen a deposit account bonus clawed back? I haven’t. (other than in the case of duplicate payments, which is what you are dreaming of)

Doubt you will get another bonus, but you can certainly reduce the balance, and convert the savings to the lower tier while waiting to see what happens.

Looney
Looney (@guest_2051585)
April 29, 2025 17:08

Yeah, probably won’t get clawed back unless they somehow issue me a second bonus.

Been trying to decide on where to put that money now though 4% for two more months isn’t bad.

Gadget 🕵️‍♂️ Bank Bonus Geek 🔗
April 29, 2025 17:11

Live Oak & CIT have comparable offers…

Looney
Looney (@guest_2051612)
April 29, 2025 17:28

Currently in both.

Novacat05
Novacat05 (@guest_2051739)
April 29, 2025 22:15

Sticking with Wells Fargo, the current biz bonus is decent.

Citi has a smaller list of states where you can earn 4.3% while parking funds for a bonus, but their service is simply put, awful.

Santander has a combined checking and savings(that earns 4%) but you need a promo code from a mailer.

I’m eyeing up all of the above. You can always try to open up Andrews CU for 5.5% w/ 15 debit trans(I think they have a SUB now too) up to $25k.

Jack
Jack (@guest_2051688)
April 29, 2025 19:30

Looney

When did you hit 120 days? How many days past did it take for the bonus to post? I don’t think it was automatic. I think it’s just a case of not everyone being on the same page. Had something similar happen when I did this promo for the first time in 2023.

I opened my accounts and tried to apply the code the very last day of the promotion in July 2023. Banker’s computer wasn’t allowing her to enter a code, so she opened an incentive not received (INR) right then and there.

I was paid out for the everyday and premier bonuses in October 2023. Opened a CFPB because nothing posted for the savings bonus. I went through the whole rigmarole for weeks. No one wanted to help me (even though I had the INR). It actually became comical because every time I called, they would open ANOTHER INR, even though I told them I already had one. I was having trouble getting a hold of the Executive Office too.

In late December, bonus finally posted. That same day, my banker called and said I wouldn’t get the bonus because, even though it was noted on my account, the code was not applied before the promo ended. I just told her thank you for her time and closed out my accounts ASAP in case they were scrutinized.

Looney
Looney (@guest_2051726)
April 29, 2025 21:14

The 120 days was on April 21 though I filed the complaint on April 16 because I was going to be incommunicado until April 25 when the bonus posted (so 4 days past the 120 days).

Looney
Looney (@guest_2052705)
May 1, 2025 13:24

FURTHER UPDATE:

Wells sent me another secure message saying that the promo code was applied properly but they had an error on their side that didn’t pay it out on time but it was credited on April 25th, case closed!

Nice canned answer but nothing to worry about now.

Jack
Jack (@guest_2048441)
April 23, 2025 06:14

Well, both my everyday and premier bonuses posted. Still no savings. I assume it won’t post either.

Ashley
Ashley (@guest_2048505)
April 23, 2025 09:43

When did you open your account? I opened mine on 1/22 and I’m just wondering. I haven’t gotten either my checking or savings bonus yet.

Jack
Jack (@guest_2048787)
April 23, 2025 16:13

I opened my everyday checking on 1/3 and premier checking/platinum savings on 1/6.

Raymond 🔗
Raymond 🔗 (@guest_2047394)
April 21, 2025 13:58

I am still within the 30-day window for the bonus posting. I did write to my banker, and she told me that I likely stacked the codes – it could be a possibility that the $525 bonus isn’t available. However, she said she would try and wants to “help me” get the bonus.

Given that, should I wait until the 30-day bonus deadline passes before asking her to escalate it or file a CFPB complaint today? I never mentioned the 4% code, yet she did her research and found out that I have it added to my account.

Gadget 🕵️‍♂️ Bank Bonus Geek 🔗
April 21, 2025 14:19

I wouldn’t submit a CFPB complaint when you have someone at the bank actively working on it. The complaint system should be used when you have exhausted other avenues. You haven’t even hit the payout deadline and may have posted on it’s own.

Raymond 🔗
Raymond 🔗 (@guest_2047433)
April 21, 2025 15:31

Understood. But she sounded very unpromising. I’ll wait till she comes with some response.

Jack
Jack (@guest_2048442)
April 23, 2025 06:16

If Raymond used the Great Rate promo, I just assumed it wouldn’t post? Seems like everyone who stacked after Dec haven’t received the bonus without fighting for it.

Liana
Liana (@guest_2046080)
April 18, 2025 10:31

when do we think this bonus might come back?

Gadget 🕵️‍♂️ Bank Bonus Geek 🔗
April 19, 2025 02:19

Plausible, but no way to know. Also maybe it never comes back. Maybe they got tired of people double dipping with the $525 offer with the “Great Rate”? Or, they aren’t in need of more large sum deposits right now, and enough people are using the “Great Rate” or just weathering the market volatility at the regular rates.

James
James (@guest_2044248)
April 15, 2025 11:38

PaulinTexas fdic Gadget - Bank Bonus Geek 🔗

My banker e-mailed me back this morning:

“I have great news :). They have completed the research request for your missing bonus offer and they stated that you should be receiving it into your account by this Friday.

I apologize for the delay and thank you for your patience during this process. I hope you have a wonderful day.”

To catch anybody use else up to speed –

11/8/24 – account opened and banker applied both the $525 promo (first) and then the 4% APY promo together in same visit

11/27/24 – $25k+ transfer posted

2/28/25 – pulled majority of funds (over 90 days from $25k posting)

3/5/25 – pulled remaining down to $3,500 balance

3/27/25 – downgraded to Way2Save and left $300 in account

3/27/25 – first e-mail to my banker about the missing promo payout

4/18/25 – alleged $525 payout finally?

PaulinTexas
PaulinTexas (@guest_2044259)
April 15, 2025 11:56

James That is great news!!

Jack
Jack (@guest_2044386)
April 15, 2025 14:57

That’s awesome to hear! Any tips for me when I have to do the same (I assume)?

James
James (@guest_2044405)
April 15, 2025 15:31

Not specifically other than just being friendly and patient. Of course, every situation is different but in my case:

3/27 – I first e-mailed my banker and wasn’t accusatory/mad/anything – just attached the hardcopy application she gave me when I opened the account to my e-mail and politely asked her if she knew why I didn’t get the $525 bonus. She immediately wrote me back and said she’d forward my request for research.

4/9 – I hadn’t heard back so again e-mailed her, again very pleasant/laid back and just asked if she’d heard anything yet.

She wrote me back and asked for the offer codes (plural) we used. At this point I judiciously decided to only provide her the $525 code and didn’t say anything about the APY stack/other code (not sure if she remembered or cared anyway though). This $525 code is what was on the paper hardcopy application that I attached to my first e-mail but she may not have viewed the attachment. In my case, when I opened the account, she applied the $525 code first and then in a separate section of their computer system she added the 4% code.

4/15 – she wrote me back with the news that they’ll credit it by Friday.

Jack
Jack (@guest_2044525)
April 15, 2025 18:16

Thank you! I think this will come in handy.

Looney
Looney (@guest_2044531)
April 15, 2025 18:28

Unfortunately my banker, also very friendly, refused to take it any farther, just said the second code over road the first code and that was that (I had the great rate promo applied at a different branch).

Not sure where to take this now, maybe call?

Jack
Jack (@guest_2044587)
April 15, 2025 19:56

Looney How did she know about the other code? Did you mention it?

Looney
Looney (@guest_2044596)
April 15, 2025 20:09

Yeah, that was probably a stupid mistake on my part because she said that they were confused how the second code got applied to my account, guess I should have just shut up about it and let that play out.

Don’t think it would have mattered though since with the second code, the results would have probably been the same.

Jack
Jack (@guest_2044647)
April 15, 2025 21:33

Maybe you should try opening a CFPB case or you can always jump straight to contacting the Executive Office.

Looney
Looney (@guest_2045623)
April 17, 2025 13:53

I did file the complaint yesterday and someone from the Wells executive offices responded back today saying they’ll respond back within 10 business days, so will see what happens.

James
James (@guest_2045439)
April 17, 2025 10:26

Just to follow-up my own post here, the $525 posted today 4/17.

It displays as “Promotion Bonus – Credit 08”.

Jack
Jack (@guest_2044241)
April 15, 2025 11:27

With the slow turnaround time, is it worth opening a CFPB ticket now? With all these DPs, it seems like I probably won’t get the bonus automatically (used Great Rate promo a week after I signed up for the $525). My 120 days isn’t until May 5th.

Siena
Siena (@guest_2052866)
May 1, 2025 17:48

On the same boat. Are you waiting until your 120th day passes?

Jake
Jake (@guest_2043572)
April 13, 2025 22:39

 Chuck The link is for savings rate promo and not the $525 bonus.The best bonus page direct link for this shows expired.