Sacramento man fights bank error over $4,000 check mistake

Gerald Monroe Mann, a longtime customer of Wells Fargo Bank, faced a significant issue when a check he wrote for $400 was mistakenly processed as $4,000 due to an encoding error. This error left his account in the red, causing him to lose access to his funds. Mann expressed frustration over the bank's response time, as he was informed it would take 10 business days to investigate the matter, which he found unacceptable. He went without his money for eight days, highlighting the inconvenience caused by the bank's mistake. The federal Office of the Comptroller of the Currency defines such errors as encoding mistakes, where a computer misreads the check amount. Despite the bank's lack of explanation for the lengthy investigation process, Wells Fargo stated that once they identified the error, they credited Mann's account within four business days. This situation raised questions about the efficiency of banks in handling errors and the impact on customers. Fortunately, Mann did not incur any overdraft charges or fees during this period, as he had other resources to manage his bills. He emphasized that when banks make mistakes, it should not be the customer's burden to resolve the issue. This incident serves as a reminder of the potential pitfalls in banking processes and the importance of customer support during such errors. For those who find themselves in similar situations, it is advisable to request provisional credit from their bank, which allows access to funds while the investigation is ongoing. This case underscores the need for banks to improve their error prevention measures and customer service protocols.