One accidental slip-up led to a major financial mishap.
An educator from Peninsula, Linda Mathiesen, found herself in a predicament after mistakenly leaving a $5,000 tip at a vape shop. The incident occurred when she made a $129.28 purchase for CBD gel to alleviate shoulder pain at a Bay Area store last year. Mathiesen intended to leave a $5 tip but struggled to see the credit card pad clearly due to her height.
She recounted, “He says enter a tip — so I did… I push what I thought was only two zeroes. Ended up being three zeroes.” Despite her attempts to correct the error, the clerk processed the charge without voiding the tip. Mathiesen’s bank statement later confirmed the $5,000 charge which left her in disbelief.
Mathiesen reached out to her bank, Wells Fargo, multiple times in distress. After months of frustration, the bank intervened and promised to refund the amount along with interest.
In a statement, Wells Fargo assured that they are dedicated to resolving such issues and working with customers to find solutions. The vape shop, under new ownership since January, declined to comment on the incident.
