Consumer complaint received 2019-03-31
Company: MONEYGRAM PAYMENT SYSTEMS WORLDWIDE INC
State: FL
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Money was not available when promised

Complaint:
( **PLEASE COMMUNICATE WITH ME VIA EMAIL ONLY** ) Miss XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. ) XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Florida - U.S.A. 


Federal trade commission, XXXX XXXX XXXX , XXXX XXXX XXXX, On XX/XX/2019 I purchased a money gram send money service at cvs located at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, New York, NY XXXX for amount of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( {$470.00} ). on XX/XX/2019 i received an email from the intended recipient of the fund XXXX XXXX XXXX that he was denied by money gram due to incorrect middle initials as result of my error. he informed me via email that his correct middle initial was XXXX.. i immediately contacted money gram via their website platform for online chat customer service. i was denied service on this chat & instructed to call their customer service. i asked the agent to please request a call back service. multiple online chat representatives informed me that they do not call back & i must call them. i attempted to use their website to send a message. their website message intake did not function due to technological error. i then used the email address for their customer service customerservice@moneygram.com. i sent them three emails with a detailed message explaining the error with the initial, the complete information that i has used to initiate the transaction, the correct information, my contact phone number with a note stating that since it was a dormitory room i was able to receive only incoming calls that my access to phone was limited & i requested a call back from their customer service. the emails included copy of the purchase factor as an attachment. on XX/XX/2019 i received a phone call at my instructed number in the email to money gram + XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX the representative said she will not help me & i have to go find a phone that is able to make outgoing calls & call them. i immediately proceeded to the nearest pay phone. 

my initial call from the nearest pay phone to my residence was at approximate time of XXXX - XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX in the first conversation with a male representative he asked me the following questions : the purpose of the transaction, my relationship to the receiver, number if years i have known the receiver, my method of communication with the receiver, last time i have seen the receiver, if i am a u.s.a. citizen, my phone number, if i work for a government entity. after answering all the questions i requested to refund the transaction. he placed me on an extensive hold after which he issued me reference number XXXX he told me that i must email to him copy of my id. to email address XXXX. upon returning to my residence in less than 15 minutes i sent him the id. via email & he called me & confirmed that he received it. i do not recall how our conversation ended exactly as i was in a rush to pick up the funds that i had an obligation to send to the intended recipient. 

due to medical issue i had to use a taxi to & from the location which cost me {$10.00}. 

i promptly went to the original location of the transaction as i proceeded to receive the funds the screen of the cvs staff showed an error message that prevented me from obtaining my funds. i waited at the location for 30 minutes. the error displayed on the register of cvs & on the money gram machine on site. 

i proceeded with my injured foot & hands to the nearest pay phone. i placed 3 calls to the company & each time was denied service due to claim that they could not hear me. 

i asked to use a mobile phone from a local business who is a witness to the approximately 7 calls placed betweenez approximately XXXX - XXXXXXXX XXXX to money gram. 

each time i used the mobile to call money gram i was placed on hold between 15 - 25 minutes. each time i received confirmation that the funds were ready for pick up. 

each time i returned with my injured foot & hands from the cvs to the local business to use their phone. this took according to the cvs store staff about three hours. 

in the last two calls they told me that they are not sure why the transaction is in review after extensive hold & repetitive confirmation they issued me reference number XXXX i returned to the store to pick up the funds. they screen for the cvs register still showed there was an error. 

i walked down with my injured foot to the local business & made the last call at about XXXX. the agent did not give me a proper reply as to why the transaction incurred so many issues. at time of roughly XXXX on XX/XX/2019 i was able to pick up the funds. 

after the first conversation from the pay phone that i decided to cancel the transaction for a refund i believe that the nature of the questions specifically the question how do i communicateate with XXXX XXXX & when was the last time i saw XXXX XXXX was extremely unusual. the initial call about XXXX - XXXX XXXX from money gram agent who refused to help me & said i must use a pay phone was also unusual. the cvs store staff found very unusual the number of hours & complication with this transaction. 

i would like to report this business for discrimination, intent to fraud, unprofessional conduct, & the appropriate category for reporting personal information as referenced in the paragraph above. 

if there is a recovery fund for this claim against this business please allow me a financial award. 

my sole intention is to report this business for cessation of all their activity without any ability for any reconciliation. in the many years i have lived in the united states of america i have not dealt with a customer service team such as the team for money gram with exception of XXXX XXXX   which operates along the same unethical, negligent lines of conduct. 

i hope that their business is ceased by the government & no additional persons are harmed by their outmost unprofessional manner of business. 

please find copy of factors for the transaction on the following pages. 

XX/XX/2019 > Original reference number XXXX XX/XX/2019 > second issued reference number XXXX XX/XX/2019 > third issued reference number XXXX respectfully, Miss XXXX XXXX XX/XX/2019 2019

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation