Wise holding ~€3,000 after transfer from my father’s Turkish bank account – what are my legal options in Germany/EU?

Hi everyone,
I’m currently living in Germany and I’m having a serious issue with Wise involving approximately €3,000 worth of TRY.
I wanted to transfer money from Turkey to my German EUR bank account using Wise. The money was intended to be part of the funds I need for a down payment for an apartment in Germany.
The problem is that the TRY payment to Wise was sent from my father’s Turkish bank account, while the Wise transfer was created under my own Wise account/name.
Wise therefore did not process the transfer because the sender’s bank account name did not match my Wise account name. I understand the reason for this compliance check.
However, the money has already left my father’s bank account and reached Wise.
For the last two days, both my father and I have repeatedly provided Wise with the requested information/documents and bank account details. Despite this, I still cannot get the money transferred or properly refunded, and I have not received a clear explanation of:

  1. Where exactly the funds are currently being held;
  2. When the money will be refunded;
  3. Which bank account it will be refunded to;
  4. What exactly is still preventing Wise from releasing/refunding the money.
    This is particularly stressful because I planned to use these funds as part of the down payment (Eigenkapital) for purchasing an apartment in Germany, so access to the money is time-sensitive.
    I am a resident/customer in Germany, so as far as I understand my Wise services are provided by Wise Europe SA in Belgium.
    Has anyone experienced a similar situation with Wise where a transfer was funded from a family member’s bank account?
    More importantly, what would be the best formal/legal escalation route in Germany/EU if Wise continues to hold the funds without resolving the issue?
    I’m considering:
    ● Filing a formal written complaint with Wise;
    ● Escalating the case to Ombudsfin in Belgium;
    ● Contacting the relevant financial regulator/consumer protection authority;
    ● Consulting a lawyer if the funds are not returned promptly.
    I’m not disputing Wise’s right to reject the original transfer because of the name mismatch. My concern is that once they rejected it, I need the approximately €3,000 returned promptly and I need a clear timeline for that refund.
    Any experience with Wise complaints or Ombudsfin would be greatly appreciated.

Posted Sep 12, 2026, 8:39 AM UTC

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