Western Union

placidmaker6 said:Nah, Walmart is basically just there for people who don't have bank accounts—or can't get to them for some reason, like when they're traveling elsewhere.

thanks 🙂
so you're telling me I just give my info to the person sending the money, then I just head down to the Post Office to pick up the cash?

Hey, I need a hand here!

We’re heading out to a new spot near the mountains and we've gotta wire over a 20% deposit via Western Union or a standard bank transfer...

The amount we're sending is $200, so I was just wondering if anyone knows the best way to handle that through Western Union versus just doing an IBAN transfer...
thanks.

What specific details do I need to have ready to send money to someone—and where and how exactly can they pick it up? Thanks!

Carl Nguyen5 said:What specific details do I need to have ready to send money to someone—and where and how exactly can they pick it up? Thanks!

Just the first and last name plus the city—you can head to a Post Office or a bank... you'll get a tracking number to send to the recipient, and then they just take that number to a bank or wherever they have a Western Union agreement to grab the cash. You can send up to $3.25
max.

hey
thinking about ordering some kicks from Eastbay or Foot Locker online.
they're basically the biggest sneaker shops out there.
since I'm here in the States, I gotta send the cash through Western Union
(mostly because I don't even have a credit card right now)
so I grabbed this Western Union form at the Post Office to fill out, but
they won't take it. they told me they only accept the specific
Quick Pay Form—the one where you list the company name, whereas this local one asks for a person's full name instead.
I tried explaining that the Post Office told me it was totally fine...
that once I send the money, I just email them the multi-digit code, then whoever the recipient is just shows up, gives their name and the code, and grabs the cash.
but they were dead set on it...
basically said they can't touch any other form except that blue one, aka the
Quick Pay Form
They suggested if I can't find that blue form anywhere—which I can't, checked the Post Office, various banks, even called Western Union—then my only option is an international money order.
so I got two questions:
1. does anyone know where I could snag that blue Western Union Quick Pay Form?
2. regarding that international money order thing they recommended... how does that actually work? Does the money hit their account as fast as a Western Union transfer?
thanks in advance for the help

Gregory Bishop47 said:hey
thinking about ordering some kicks from Eastbay or Foot Locker online.
they're basically the biggest sneaker shops out there.
since I'm here in the States, I gotta send the cash through Western Union
(mostly because I don't even have a credit card right now)
so I grabbed this Western Union form at the Post Office to fill out, but
they won't take it. they told me they only accept the specific
Quick Pay Form—the one where you list the company name, whereas this local one asks for a person's full name instead.
I tried explaining that the Post Office told me it was totally fine...
that once I send the money, I just email them the multi-digit code, then whoever the recipient is just shows up, gives their name and the code, and grabs the cash.
but they were dead set on it...
basically said they can't touch any other form except that blue one, aka the
Quick Pay Form
They suggested if I can't find that blue form anywhere—which I can't, checked the Post Office, various banks, even called Western Union—then my only option is an international money order.
so I got two questions:
1. does anyone know where I could snag that blue Western Union Quick Pay Form?
2. regarding that international money order thing they recommended... how does that actually work? Does the money hit their account as fast as a Western Union transfer?
thanks in advance for the help

If none of the Western Union agents—you know, the people at the local Post Office or some random bank—have even heard of the Quick Pay Form, then honestly, even if you actually had one in your hand, they’d probably still find a way to screw up the transfer.
And this second thing? In America, they call it something else. A remittance? Really? Any bank can pull this off. All you need is the company name, their address, account number—or IBAN if you're dealing with the EU—the specific bank code, and the exact amount and currency you're paying. The cost? Practically nothing. $17.

placidmaker6, thanks a ton for getting back to me
so I called Western Union today and they basically told me we don't even have that blue form here in the States because our local branches
only signed contracts for the one I’ve got and apparently some green one too...
whatever, long story short, the only way I can get money to them is through this international money order
I think the lady at Western Union I was talking to, while she was walking me through the whole international money order thing
mentioned an IBAN (honestly, over the phone I thought she said eBay)
both shops are located in America,
can you walk me through how to actually send money this way? It's my first time ever ordering anything like this
don't want to mess anything up
just a heads up, I'm currently out of work and don't have a debit card, so let me know if that's gonna be an issue
also, is sending money this way just as fast as a standard Western Union transfer (where once I
send it, it supposedly hits in like 10 minutes)? And is it 100% safe or am I taking a risk here?
thanks in advance for the help
best

Every single month, I receive money via Western Union sent over to the States. But this month, I'm actually traveling through Thailand, and since the transfer went through just like it does every other month, I naturally assumed I could just pick it up anywhere in the world... So, I tried doing that at a local bank here, but they're telling me their system can't locate the transaction because it was originally sent to the US... Is that actually possible???

Hey,

Can someone walk me through what a sender actually needs to do when sending money via Western Union?

Fill out the info on the Quick Pay Form, and then what else...

Do I need to show my ID, Social Security number, or something else to the staff?

Just my ID, social security number, and the cash, obviously.

Can I get a quick answer here?
How much would Western Union charge in fees for sending 4 $0.00? Thanks.

Hey everyone, fingers crossed I get an answer tonight 🙂 So, here’s the situation: I’m currently living in Canada, but I’m still using my American ID since I haven't received my local one yet. Can I actually pick up cash here in Canada using an American ID? Also, does the person sending me the money need to list my American address—the one on my ID—for the transfer to go through, or is there some other way? Thanks in advance.

I’m expecting a wire transfer from the US, but I’m currently dealing with several legal garnishments against my accounts. Is there any realistic way to collect those funds without a bank or some other institution immediately seizing them? Thanks!

Is there any way I can find out if they actually picked up the cash, and if so, when?

Hey there! So, if I'm receiving something like $100 from overseas, what kind of exchange rate is the local Post Office going to use to convert that into dollars for me?

And just curious, what's the deal with the conversion rate when sending money back, like if I'm sending $333 over to Germany—will they be paying him out in euros based on the standard cash and check selling rate?

A quick word on Western Union security

The Cantonal Court in Ottawa ruled in favor of Zorica Bambulović and Predrag
Petrović
After eight long years, they finally got their lost Western Union money back

Bambulović sent 3,000 EUR via Western Union to Petrović, but some random stranger picked it up in Italy—when she confronted the "New Bank" where the transfer originated, they just brushed her off, claiming it wasn't their problem and they weren't liable.

Zorica Bambulović and Predrag Petrović from Brčko spent eight grueling years fighting a legal battle against Raiffeisen Bank Ottawa and New Bank Ad Bijeljina—the institutions responsible for the disappearance of their Western Union funds.

Even the Banking Agency didn't bother looking into the blatant violation of banking laws here. It’s all right there on the Western Union receipt—specifically on the back of the form (which you barely see when signing because the print is tiny and faint), where they try to dodge any responsibility if the transaction isn't handled correctly.

What went wrong:
Back in 2006, Bambulović used a New Bank branch in Brčko to send 3,000 EUR via Western Union to her husband, Predrag, who was in Italy at the time. Because of a massive blunder during the transaction, some unknown person managed to snatch the cash.

"When I tried to pick up the money in Italy, I found out it had already been collected. No one could tell me how or with what ID someone else walked away with money sent in my name. My wife contacted New Bank in Brčko, but they just told us it was our problem and they had nothing to do with it—even though the paperwork clearly shows they messed up several steps when processing the transfer," says Petrović, who finally has his money in hand thanks to the court's decision.
Petrović and Bambulović also reached out to the Banking Agency of RS, but despite pointing out numerous violations of basic banking principles, the agency refused to hold the bank accountable.

Covering the costs
According to Azur Prnjavorac, the attorney representing Bambulović and Petrović throughout this marathon legal fight, the final ruling from the Cantonal Court in Ottawa mandates that Raiffeisen Bank—acting as the Western Union representative—must not only return the missing funds but also pay statutory interest and legal fees totaling 2.4 miles.

A warning to everyone
I don't know if this is the first time Western Union money has vanished like this in the US, but it’s definitely a wake-up call for anyone using this method. Honestly, it’s shocking the Banking Agency didn't act on the clear breach of banking laws regarding Western Union operations we pointed out. Basically, the back of those payment forms—with that nearly invisible fine print—claims Western Union isn't responsible if things go sideways. That’s exactly why we sued both their local representative and the bank where the money was deposited, according to attorney Azur Prnjavorac.



You can find the full ruling under the judicial practice section here: https://advokat-prnjavorac.com

So, since I’ve never actually used Western Union before, I could really use some advice here.

Here’s the situation:

Long story short, I’m looking at buying a car in Germany and importing it back to the States. Everything seemed pretty solid at first—the car itself, the price, and the seller was super cooperative (he’s totally fine with any inspection, even agreed to a DEKRA check—honestly, it might be *too* good, which is my main concern). We’ve managed to hash out all the details without a hitch. At least, up until now. However, this private seller just threw a specific condition my way: he wants a guarantee that I’ll actually show up at the agreed location so he doesn't get left hanging with travel costs. He claims he’s coming from somewhere like Denmark to meet me in Hamburg, and says "this happened to him once a month ago" and he can't let it happen again because "his wife won't let him." Personally, I think that's mostly just a story, along with everything else. To "guarantee" my arrival, he wants me to send a money transfer in my name (my family member would be sending it, obviously, since the sender and receiver can't be the same person) to Germany. We're talking several thousand dollars. The idea is that by sending the money, I'm proving I'll be there to pick it up. He says he'll do the same for me (and even cover the commission later)—he even sent over a scanned form to prove he's already done it. He didn't even try to hide anything on the form, not even the MTCN (??). He even sent a scan of his passport beforehand. The thing is, I've read plenty of stories about scammers using Western Union exactly like this, and my gut is screaming that this is FAKE. I'm honestly ready to walk away from the whole deal. I'm assuming these people wouldn't even blink at forging an ID or whatever else they need. But, since this setup is surprisingly convincing, I have to ask those of you who know more: is there any actual chance this isn't a scam? And hypothetically, how would this person even get a hold of that money if I made the transaction without providing any sensitive key data?

Bryan Taylor said:So, since I’ve never actually used Western Union before, I could really use some advice here.

Here’s the situation:

Long story short, I’m looking at buying a car in Germany and importing it back to the States. Everything seemed pretty solid at first—the car itself, the price, and the seller was super cooperative (he’s totally fine with any inspection, even agreed to a DEKRA check—honestly, it might be *too* good, which is my main concern). We’ve managed to hash out all the details without a hitch. At least, up until now. However, this private seller just threw a specific condition my way: he wants a guarantee that I’ll actually show up at the agreed location so he doesn't get left hanging with travel costs. He claims he’s coming from somewhere like Denmark to meet me in Hamburg, and says "this happened to him once a month ago" and he can't let it happen again because "his wife won't let him." Personally, I think that's mostly just a story, along with everything else. To "guarantee" my arrival, he wants me to send a money transfer in my name (my family member would be sending it, obviously, since the sender and receiver can't be the same person) to Germany. We're talking several thousand dollars. The idea is that by sending the money, I'm proving I'll be there to pick it up. He says he'll do the same for me (and even cover the commission later)—he even sent over a scanned form to prove he's already done it. He didn't even try to hide anything on the form, not even the MTCN (??). He even sent a scan of his passport beforehand. The thing is, I've read plenty of stories about scammers using Western Union exactly like this, and my gut is screaming that this is FAKE. I'm honestly ready to walk away from the whole deal. I'm assuming these people wouldn't even blink at forging an ID or whatever else they need. But, since this setup is surprisingly convincing, I have to ask those of you who know more: is there any actual chance this isn't a scam? And hypothetically, how would this person even get a hold of that money if I made the transaction without providing any sensitive key data?

All you had to say was that you were communicating through Njuškalo and that settles it. I know far too many people who have been scammed in this exact manner—whether they were buying cars, tractors, or even pets—and not a single one of those cases ended well. I might be wrong in this specific instance, but if everything were legitimate and he wasn't using fake (stolen) documents, the payment would likely go to a bank account. That is the only way you can verify someone's actual identity.

Rebecca Green7 said:All you had to say was that you were communicating through Njuškalo and that settles it. I know far too many people who have been scammed in this exact manner—whether they were buying cars, tractors, or even pets—and not a single one of those cases ended well. I might be wrong in this specific instance, but if everything were legitimate and he wasn't using fake (stolen) documents, the payment would likely go to a bank account. That is the only way you can verify someone's actual identity.

Yeah, and honestly, the whole car situation feels a little too good to be true... It wasn't from Njuškalo; the car was listed on mobile.de. The guy is a foreigner (a Dane living over there, and the car was used in Germany). This payment isn't even for the car itself, but supposedly as a "guarantee that I'll actually show up." I decided to pass. Let someone else try their luck...

Smart move 👍