Back on June 2020, I have lost my job due to covid 19. While I was checking my Instagram, I happen to see a Saudi Princess who is helping the people who were affected by covid, so I contacted her & she promised to send me some money. She gave me a contact number in Jordan & asked me to contact them and they will inform me about the steps of collecting the monetary amount.

I contacted them & they asked me to transfer 1,750 AED in order to authorize someone to collect the amount from Jordan Central Bank.

On September 8,2020 I transferred the amount of 1,750 AED from Al Ansari Exchange in City Life Al Tallah, Ajman. The amount was sent to a person who I found out later that she belongs to a group of scammers.

After sending them this amount, they asked me to send them another 2,000 AED. I felt something is wrong, so I asked one of my Jordanian friends to go & check if this company exists in Amman as they have informed me about their address. After few hours, I came to know that this is a fraudulent case & the company that I am dealing with in Jordan does not exist.

I contacted Al Ansari immediately & requested their help to stop this transaction & reverse it, but they could not do anything as the remmittance was already collected. They just advised me to report it to Western Union.

After reporting the above, I was surprized that Western Union have blocked me from using their services again. Despite several follow up with them, nobody was able to sort out my case. This proved to me that Western Union supports scammers & whoever reports scams will definitely be blacklisted and will never be able to use their services again.

If I could give them zero star I would. I am writing here a terrible terrible experience I kad with WU and the way they decide to handle things. In my experience WU doesn't show no duty of care, they are not bothered what situation you are going through. They can keep your money for months and get interest rate on it or lend your money to others, whereas on other hand you will be begging for your own hard earned money from them.
I transferred £2001.99 (included fee) to from my bank account to make a transaction on 15/12/23. I received a response within day or two to say they have declined my transaction the reason which they won't share. On 19/12/23, they said a refund has been processed and make take 7 working days. As its holiday season so waited till 02/01/2024. No money was received. I logged onto my account to check the status of my refund as i didn't receive no further emails from WU to let me know about any delays. On my account, it said that that I should be able to collect my money in cash from some WU location and no details were shared and that I should wait for the email confirmation.
On 03/01/2024, I called WU to check the status of my refund. They told me the refund was processed on 19/12/23 and ot should have been transferred directly into my account and I should check with my bank.
My bank Santander had confirmed to me on same day that no money is received or being held for any reasons. I called WU union back. The customer service said they had escalated the case and I should receive a response within 4 working days by 09/01/24.
No email, no contact what so ever by WU by 09/01/24. I then contacted on 10/01/2024 to get an update, no further info. Was shared just that the team is working on it. I have shared the Financial difficulties I was going through. I was going back home to meet my family, I did not have any spending money, my brother had accident si my parents were in financial difficulties, plus the cost of living is already making it difficult to make ends meet, I shared all this with them and told them I needed my money before 13/01/24, as that's the date I was flying away. They just told me to wait to say they have made record of all this. Again, no response, no contact, no care was shown by WU. I flown back to home. I had to borrow money from relatives. I never ask for any help especially financial help. So you can imagine how difficult it would have been for me.
I returned back and on 02/02/2024, again contacted WU. At this point they told me that an email was sent toe on 19/01/24 requesting my bank statements to prove that i did not receive the refund. I was constantly checking my emails, and I again checked my spam folder, my trash folder no emails were located.
Apparently they use some system to send an encrypted message, where you need to get yourself registered to check the messages. Anyhow, on 04/02/24, I sent them my bank statements which would prove I didn't receive no money.
Today, its nearly been two months, I am still chasing my money. The only response I get from them sorry for inconvenience, its been escalated and team dealing with it.
I wonder if this how they deal with escalated cases and this long it takes them with escalations, how long would they take with normal cases.
It is so pathetic, the way they are handling my cases with no care the financial difficulties I am going through. I needed to pay people who I had borrowed from - they also have bills to pay. And now I'm behind with bills.
Thus is the worst worst experience I had with any company so far in my 40 years life. Where such a big corporation doing this kind of fraud, they hold onto people's money by declining the transaction for no reason, so that they can have the money and use it to lend or have it in their own account to earn interest.
Such a disgrace and so shameful of WU. I do jot have no choice bit filing a fraud case against WU now. I think I have given them enough time to resolve this. A week ago they got hold of my bank statements and week after they still do not have no solid response for me. I have not seen single penny of my money back from them.
SHAME SHAME SHAME WU

WELL I DIDN'T READ THE GUIDELINES, THIS SHOULD MAKE IT THREW TO AND JOINED WITH ALL OTHER COMPLAINT'S, I HAVE A SUGGESTION FOR YOU, SO PLEASE CONSIDER THIS AS USUALLY WORKS, IF NOT THEN I WILL TAKE AS AN ASSUMPTION OF FACTORS! FILL OUT A COMPLAINT WITH THE BETTER BUISNESS B. THIS USUALLY RATTLES THERE HEADS. TAKE HEED, THERE MAYBE AN AFFILIATION BETWEEN THE TWO ENTERPRISE'S. IT IS A KNOWN FACT THAT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT ENTERPRISE'S HAVE COMMITED PIRATING AGAINST THE CITIZENS OF THE AMERICA'S. I TO HAVE MY EXPERIENCE WITH WU. I SENT A MONEY ORDER TO ONE OF MY BILLS, THE RECIPITANT NEVER RECIEVED I CANCELED THE MONEY ORDER AND WAS CHARGED A $ 15 SERVICE CHARGE FOR A $ 35 MONEY ORDER. I RECIEVED THE REFUND CHECK FOR $ 20. I WENT TO WALMART TO CASH IT & WAS TURNED DOWN CORRUPTION THERE THEY MUST HAVE SOME KIND OF BOND WITH WU, I CALLED WU THEY TOLD ME TO CASH AT A CHECK CASHING STORE, I DID SO YESTERDAY AND TO MY THEN DETERIORATE MENTAL AND PHISICAL HEALTH, I AM 66 A SENIOR, DISABLED HEART, THEY ARE TAKING TIME OFF MY LIFE, AND I AM PARTICIPATING IN PLAYING THIS GAME, GAME CHANGER ITS THERE TIME NOW AS I AM NOT PLAYING THERE EVIL UNDER THE TABLE GAMES. I WILL SUCCEED AND TAKE BACK MY LIFE AT ALL COSTS. THERE LOSS AND COMPANY AND ALL THERE AFFILIATES WILL BE EXPOSED. THANK YOU ALL I WILL UPDATE AFTER OUR! OUR OVERDUE RESPECTED NOTICE. NOT LEAVING THE COPY OF MY REFUND CHECK ON THIS WEB SITE AS THERE IS A TRUST ISSUE.

I was scammed as well in bitcoin investment over $50k and I was able to get back my money through the help of GRAVCAPITAL

I've transferred some money from Malaysia to US on 17th of February 2023. The agent told me the receiver will received the fund to his account after 1 working day. Since i sent the money on Friday the receiver should received the money on next week Tuesday(21.02.23). But the receiver didn't received any funds until Friday(24.02.23).

Then i called their customer care and they told me the money has been delivered to the receiver bank on 22nd of February 2023. So they told me to check with the receiver bank and gave me a transaction code. To get this email from them, i hade to wait for almost weeks i think. So i informed my receiver to contact the bank(Citizens Bank in US) and show them the transaction code which provided by the western union customer care. My receiver went to the bank and showed them the code, but the bank said they didn't received the fund and couldn't reached to such transaction code.

Then i called the western union customer care again and they kept on telling the same that the money has been delivered to the receiver bank. So i told them to check with the bank and give the proof of bank reply, that the bank has received the fund. Then i could show the proof to the bank. They said they open a case and checking with the bank. After 1 week, they replied me the same again that, the fund delivered to the receiver bank and told me to check with the remittance banh of the bank.

My receiver went again to the bank again. He even go the head office of the bank at New York. Bank replied the same they didn't received such fund. Then my receiver went to the western union office at New York and they said money hold from Malaysia side, so I've to check here.

After that, i kept on calling them and they kept on replying me the same. At one point, i thought i've lost my money, because customer care not helping me not even replying my email. I even email their international customer care service for many times, but there is no response except a automatic reply(https://prnt.sc/FIz4k4UJY46k).

Then i checked with the agent here in Malaysia. The agent talked to the customer care of western union and told me that, the money confirmed transferred to the receiver bank. So the receiver might lying to me. The agent told me to get the receiver bank statement and give to the western union. So get the receiver bank statement and give to them. The statement showed that, there is no such transaction.

I gave them, then they replied me with new story, that the money transferred on 16th of March 2023 with a new transaction code(https://prnt.sc/g-uKS_1Q79TL) and as usual told me to check with the receiver bank again. So i gave the new transaction code to the receiver and sent him again to the bank. Bank replied the same, they didn't received the fund and can't trace such transaction code.

So revert to the stupid customer service of western union again and told the story. Then they said they check again and let me know. But there is no news for almost 2 weeks. They just reply me once and said that need to check with the bank. After that they just closed the ticket. So even i reply them several times there is no response at all. Then i have to call the customer care and they will re-open the ticket, then they reply me the same.

Finally, i managed to address a customer care office at Malaysia and told them that, i'm going to do police report, because i gave you all the proof from the receiver bank account. Which clearly showed that the receiver didn't received the fund. And why you always asking me to check with the receiver bank, while i paid you to transfer my money to the bank. Meaning the receiver just need to wait for the money to in his account. But because of them my receiver went to the bank 5/6 times. Which is really disgusting.

At last on 21st of April 2023, they reply me and give me a MTCN number to collect the refund(https://prnt.sc/VJV3A14Ce-Tr).

SO, I STRONGLY ADVICE YOU TO BE CAREFUL BEFORE USING THIS SERVICE. I REALLY HAD A VERY EXPERIANCE WITH THIS SERVICE.

I had to transfer 280 Euro from Bulgaria to my wife who is in Germany (she needed money to pay for her hotel.)

Everything seems fine until Western union in Germany told her that they could not pay her the money because the transfer had been put on hold, because they needed additional information from sender or receiver.

No one in Germany could tell why the transaction was put on hold, or what kind of information was needed. As sender, I did not receive any information about the issue in form of emails or calls

Nonetheless, I managed to find Western Unions Webpage with a phone number. I got hold on a call center agent, who was rude and acted like a semi-programmed robot. All she would tell me was that I needed to upload my ID card and send an additional email to another department with my ID. When I asked about if my wife also were required to upload ID, she refused to provide information about my wife and told me she needed to call herself.

When I told that, my wife could not call a Bulgarian free call number from Germany she told me that she could find a paid number based in Lithuania on the webpage. So my wife called Lithuania where after she received a so called "know your customer form" with many personal questions.

We waited for hours and still the payment was on hold. Once again, I called the call center. This time a more polite employee told me, that my wife also needed upload her ID and that a review approximately would take 9 hours.

Therefore, after having provided the same ID cards three different places, my wife could pick up the money next day. ….

At least so we thought.

However, no. The payment was still on hold.
So once again, I talked to the customer service. Now they told that my wife needed an interview with an agent from the call center. As she was in Germany she was told to use a new German (Lithuanian number). My wife called and was told that Germany did not have any issues with paying out the money and she should call the number I used in Bulgaria.

Another call to customer service to explain that my wife could not call them. This time I had the honor of being transferred to a department that could take some action and promised to call her within half an hour. No one called. So one more call to the call center, where I had to pray to be transferred to the department, which had promised to call. Here I talked to another person who promised to call my wife right away. She did so and told my wife, that they had to review the case further and get back in two to three business days with an answer.

We could obviously not wait for that (as my wife had to pay a Hotel) so I would like to get my money refunded, and all would be fine.

But no

One more call to the call center, where they told me that my wife had to call the call center again for a new interview so I could get my money back. I insisted that that seemed very strange as it formally was my money and I was the sender. I was put on hold, and I was then told that I could get my money back within one week. Thus, that agent would cancel the transfer.

So end of story... Wrong!

The agent came back and told me that my wife now has picked up the money in Varna, Bulgaria.
What? 5 minutes ago, I saw my wife in the streets of Frankfurt, so if true she must have used a high quality green screen on the WhatsApp call we made.

The agent admitted that it was strange / impossible that my wife had been at Western Union in Bulgaria, and promised to open an investigation where I will receive the conclusion after 21 days.

So why use Western Union? Because it is easy and fast… but no way! In reality, it is HOURS of phone calls, wasted time, investigative questions as if you are a criminal, and call center employees who are not allowed to do anything or provide any useful information.

So why was the transfer on hold? No one was allowed to tell (but from reading on the internet, it could be because I have made to many small transfers to my wife this month). I just wonder, is it up to Western Union to judge whether I am allowed to transfer money to my own wife.

Finally where are my money now?... Apparently, no one knows

So what could WU do better?. Set focus on customer service, design less time consuming rigid procedures, and give some competences to the call center employees. It cannot be right that I have to take two days out of my calender because a transfer of 280 Euro, (where all I achieved is that money now has disappeared)

Western Union (WU)has some real problems in making money transfers safe and efficient. I had an emergency situation because my grandmother had passed away at 99 years young, and I needed to travel from California to Georgia to help with burial and funeral preparations.

So since I had just paid my mortgage, I didn't have the kind of money needed for a flight with my family to Georgia. My aunt attempted to send me money, and even though it was over $2,000, that is no excuse for poor customer service in an emergency situation. The first problem was that most pickup places did not have that amount of money on hand. But this makes no sense if you're a business knowing that people can send all kinds of amounts of money to be picked up. So any business working with WU should be able to handle most reasonable amounts. The second problem I ran into was that after I first attempted to pick up the funds, my CA ID was not good enough. All of a sudden another requirement popped on the screen requesting my social security card?

Normally, that would not have been a problem, but this time I had long ago misplaced my social security card. That's purely my fault, but before I went to pick up funds a second time, WU should have informed me that an additional ID requirement was needed. A Check into Cash personnel called a supervisor and opened up the way for me to use my passport in connection with my social security number and a picture of my social I had made just in case I misplaced the original. But of course, the passport had recently expired, so I could not use it. So the Check into Cash supervisor was good enough to allow the photo of my social security card to be used with my CA ID.

But of course another problem arose because once again, a "hold" was put on the transfer after the first failed attempt to pick up the money. After the second try, I figured that it is a standard procedure with WU that if the first attempt to pick up he cash fails, an automatic "hold" is placed on the transfer. What does this mean? It means more insane and absolutely ridiculous delays in getting emergency funds because now the sender is required to call from the phone number that was put on the sending form (nowhere else!), so that a WU representative can call the sender and "verify" that he or she sent the money to you. In this situation, the sender was sick and had to check out of the hospital to send the money, and then had to deal with all kinds of problems with WU making it too difficult to receive needed funds.

Two representatives were supposed to call the sender, but when I called her I was told that no call came in. So I called WU again and spoke with "Ivan" about 5:41pm. He said he would call, but after an hour or more, still no call was made. I am totally disgusted with the complete and utter incompetence of the transfer of larger amounts via WU. What makes this so absurd is the fact that this cannot be the first time that WU has ever dealt with people trying to send larger amounts. So there can be no excuse for this level of incompetence and asinine customer service.

The funeral is approaching and I'm still stuck in CA and it looks like I might miss my own grandmother's funeral. This is sickening and disgusting, and I am convinced to never ever again use Western Union for any other money transfers. I will do all I can to make sure Western Union never again causes this level of pain and problems for people in emergency situations. I will complain all over social media and make sure WU pays for my pain and emotional distress because people will stop using the service.

So I do not recommend using WU for sending a dime or a dollar, and while I understand they need to guard against possible fraud, there is no excuse for putting people through too many hoops just to get needed funds. Go with another service like MoneyGram or something else. My grandmother passed away on December 4th. The first attempt to send money was on December 5th. It is now December 7th and I STILL do not have a dime of that money sent due to an unnecessary and unreasonable technicality and disastrous Western Union procedure. This is absolutely sickening. Stay away from Western Union!

Western union is ranked on my top 3 list for crappiest companies ever!

Money transfer has a very long history, longer than I can even remember. In my country remittance is an income for some people. Families go abroad and send remittance to other family members here to take care of their daily expenses. Remittance has a great significance in the growth and development of developing countries, in terms of receiving and having a steady flow of foreign currency in the country. It has become a very important source of Foreign exchange and balance of payment support. Remittance generates positive effects on the economy by stimulating demands for other goods and service.

Western Union has been one of the most relied on Remittance Service, and the best so far in my Country. I have benefited many times, I have both received and transferred cash through Western Union and one thing I can say about them is that they are fast, efficient and a very reliable service. I have never had a bad experience with them. They will do everything to protect your money and their name. In my Country we would say "You can put you pot on fire for them." Meaning you can rely on them, if someone sends remittance the moment they call you, you can go to the office it is there waiting for you to collect. So you can understand what I mean when I say these wired services are a great help to many countries and nations of the world.

With the changing of time though this once reliable, trustworthy service has become a little "scary", if I have used the correct word. With the advent of "Lotto Scamming" people have become a little weary of Western Union because most of the scammers direct their alleged victims to Western Union to perform their transaction. It was just yesterday that I received a Junk Mail with one of them asking me to send remittance to them and it was just a week and a half ago someone was trying to scam me through an online service and I was asked to wire the money through Western Union. This has made it a lot more difficult to receive remittance, the stakes get a bit higher. As a result Western Union has to change the way they do things several times but nothing changes.

I always think too that with all the money we have been spending with Western Union and the thousands or millions of dollars of profits that they boast annually could they do a little more for us their customers, in terms of offering a more comfortable service. For example, could the customers get a little text message to say the money has reached. If the sender does not call to say so the remittance could be there at the office for days or even weeks with no notification.

The big question though is can Western Union do a lot more to protect its customers or is it the fault of the people to allow themselves to be scammed. Can they do more in terms of advertisements not just focusing on their profits but focus more on protecting their customers from these unscrupulous people. I don't know I may be wrong but that is just what I am thinking. If you depend on me and I depend on you shouldn't we protect each other? I certainly think so.

Overall though Western Union has the larger share of the market in my country and they are doing a very good job in taking care of the remittance needs of the people in this country and I think they will continue to sour to greater heights especially if they address the real needs of the customers.

This is the safest way to pay!
Ok, they are a bit expensive, but cmon! :D