Western Union Kept Me On Hold, Canceled My Transfer, Still Has My Money, Bad Customer Service Greenwood Village Colorado Nationwide

Tran wrote:
''1st - Why did I have to be put on hold to validate the transfer?''

I've used WU online and over the phone a lot. Whenever I have used it online and got the message about needing to call to complete the transaction, I would always have to speak to 2 people to complete it.

Why? I have no idea but whenever I couldn't complete the whole transaction online and had to call, I always was transferred to the 2nd person before it was completed.

Just stating this so you know it's 'routine' in my experiences with them.

The long hold time - yes, that seems par for the course with WU, regardless of whether you are calling in response to a notification like this, or because you are calling to do the transfer over the phone in its entirety. I don't like it, but again, just wanted you to know that the hold time seems like their usual practice. They may be very busy, this is true, but it is annoying as all get out to a customer.

Why I could complete 4 out of 5 transactions online, with no difficulty, and then on the 5th, get the notification to call, I don't know that either. Different reasons, all annoying, but none out of line, as far as the reason given.

That you had to call back, and they had cancelled it, and gave you so much trouble, that DOES surprise me. For one reason or another, I have had to call back, right away like you indicate, and finished 'incomplete' transactions.

This isn't to say ''I never had a problem so you are full of baloney'', I just wanted to say that the 2nd person verification is 'normal', but I do also agree that you shouldn't have had it cancelled and your money floating around out there. I do hope you get it resolved quickly, that IS a lot of money to be missing.

Thanks for your response.

I think I just expect honesty, no matter how ugly it is. They could have been upfront about things.

I called yesterday and the woman informed me the "hold" on the funds would "fall off" on midnight of the night the transfer was placed and then declined.

This morning, that money is still not in my account. I called my bank and they verified Western Union still had hold of it and probably would for 3 business days. I called Western Union back just to see about the "fall off". And the operator apologized sincerely (what a phenomenon) and said what I should have been told was that it would take at least 3 business days before the hold was released and my bank would have to pick up on this release before it was back into my account.

I also found this site and learned that so many others have had the same or similar experience with basically their transfers being declined and their money being in limbo for days and sometimes weeks.

Seems like if western union is that afraid to do business, it's time to close up shop.

BTW from reading the comments on that site, another factor may have been that I was sending the money to Guam. Although it wouldn't make sense since Guam is still a U.S. Territory. They pay US taxes just like the rest of us.

sorry, …allowing you to give a competitors name would instigate others to just file against their competition, to only come back later to suggest their company… your comments on this policy are welcome! CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

Hi Tran! I'm sorry to hear that you are still in WU limbo!! But at least you got some semblance of courtesy with the one operator. I worked in a bank call center for several years, and when people called with problems, I always tried to let them know that it DID MATTER, to me, that they were having problems, even if I couldn't fix everything. People did seem to appreciate at least someone was acknowledging that there WAS a problem, and it wasn't all their fault, and I honestly did care that their money wasn't available to them, for whatever reason. It's not much, really giving a darn, but it makes me feel better, and it did seem to help the customers feel a little better.

I am not surprised to hear there are more complaints like yours, I just haven't seen WU written about extensively on this particular site. Sending the money to Guam wouldn't seem to be a problem, as you noted, but WU DOES try to stop people from falling for all the phony sweepstakes stuff and all that, so maybe they are going overboard?

In any event, I sure am glad that you got some info, although it still isn't cash in your account. Good luck, and if you have further info on the matter, I'd be glad to hear how it turns out. Hopefully with your money where you need it much sooner than expected. I've had THAT happen lololol, unrelated to WU, and may it happen for you as well!