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WESTERN UNION Complaint - Western Union abuses its monopoly position - money transfer
money transfer - Complaint
ENGLEWOOD COLORADO, COLORADO -- We used Western Union to send money to a student in Uganda. After completing the whole questionnaire online, I spent two days speaking to various WU reps to complete the transaction.
Most of them had no clue and I was bounced from department to department. I had to answer to way more security questions than any other bank would ask. And ultimately they REFUSED to complete the transfer. In essence, CUSTOMERS are treated as potential CRIMINALS. It seems for WU management any African country is suspicious.
It is an abuse of their dominant positon that they:
- Charge a very high fee for simple electronic transfer
- Apply off market fees and exchanges rates on currencies
-Arbitreraly decide whether to complete or not a valid transaction
Let s hope this injust and abusive monopoly breaks down and the poor people that have to transfer remitances get a fair service one day!
Most of them had no clue and I was bounced from department to department. I had to answer to way more security questions than any other bank would ask. And ultimately they REFUSED to complete the transfer. In essence, CUSTOMERS are treated as potential CRIMINALS. It seems for WU management any African country is suspicious.
It is an abuse of their dominant positon that they:
- Charge a very high fee for simple electronic transfer
- Apply off market fees and exchanges rates on currencies
-Arbitreraly decide whether to complete or not a valid transaction
Let s hope this injust and abusive monopoly breaks down and the poor people that have to transfer remitances get a fair service one day!
Comments:
Posted by MSCANTBEWRONG on 2009-08-13:
With all of the scams out there I can see where they may be leery but if you satisfied their security questions I don't see why they wouldn't complete the transaction.
Posted by KenPopcorn on 2009-08-13:
It could be that they got a match when they ran the transaction through OFAC. That will stop it dead in its tracks. They don't necessarily know why the name is flagged, but if it is they will not send any money. No exceptions.
Posted by MSCANTBEWRONG on 2009-08-13:
Good info Ken. I didn't know that.
Posted by bargod on 2009-08-13:
It must have been all those money orders that you sent to the former Nigerian finance minister.
Posted by PepperElf on 2009-08-13:
you said "A student"
was this student someone you actually knew? The way you wrote it, there's no indication you actually knew this person.
And yes, sending money - even to someone you know in the US - requires a LOT of security questions. And you have to answer them accurately.
To be honest, at least 3/4 of the work you went through... is standard for EVERYONE. The rest of it is probably because of the country you're sending money to.
was this student someone you actually knew? The way you wrote it, there's no indication you actually knew this person.
And yes, sending money - even to someone you know in the US - requires a LOT of security questions. And you have to answer them accurately.
To be honest, at least 3/4 of the work you went through... is standard for EVERYONE. The rest of it is probably because of the country you're sending money to.
Posted by zzrokk on 2009-08-13:
Did you try "Moneygram?"
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