Consumer complaint received 2018-01-21
Company: Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express)
State: CA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Check cashing service
Issue: Problem with customer service

Complaint:
ON XXXX THE XXXX XXXX I WENT IN TO THE ACE CHECK CASHING LOCATED IN XXXX IN XXXX, CA. TO DEPOSIT A MONEY ORDER SENT TO ME. iT WAS A XXXX. MONEY ORDER OF {$1000.00} THE CLERKS ON DUTY KNOW ME SINCE I HAVE HAD AN ACCOUNT WITH THEM FOR 5YRS. THE FIRST QUESTION ASKED WAS UP TO DATE PHONE NUMBER. i GAVE IT TO HER AND THEN SHE PROCEEDED TO CALL IN TO CHECK IF THE MONEY ORDER WAS REAL OR FAKE. I PATIENTLY STOOD THERE LISTENING. EVERY QUESTION THEY ASKED SHE RESPONDED AND EVERYTHING ON THE MONEY ORDER SEEMED TO BE OK. THEY TOLD HER THEY COULD NOT TELL HER IF IT IS REAL OR FAKE THEY COULD ONLY VERIFY THE NUMBERS AND AMOUNT. 
THE CLERK WAS NOT HAPPY WITH THAT ANSWER SO SHE SAID SHE WASNT GOING TO GIVE ME BACK MY MONEY ORDER UNTIL SHE SPOKE TO HER SUPERVISOR. i ASKED WHY SHE SAID SHE FELT IT WAS FAKE.. I ASKED HER TO PLEASE GIVE IT TO ME AND I WILL GO TO POST OFFICE LOCATED IN XXXX AND HAVE THEM CASH IT FOR ME. SHE THEN SAID THE PERSON ON THE PHONE TOLD HER TO KEEP IT NOT TO GIVE IT TO ME. i KNOW SHE WAS LYING BECAUSE I WAS THERE WHILE SHE SPOKE TO THEM I HEARD EVERYTHING SAID. SO I SAID OK KEEP IT ITS GON NA BE NEW YEARS I WILL COME BACK IN 4DAYS IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE MY NUMBER PLEASE CALL ME. SHE SAID SHE WOULD RIGHT AFTER SHE SPOKE TO HER SUPERVISOR. I AGAIN ASKED HER TO PLEASE CALL ME PLEASE. I RETURNED HOME AND CALLED THE USPS AND ASKED ABOUT THE MONEY ORDER TO VERIFY ALL THAT THE CLERK HAD SAID. THEY EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THEY CAN NOT TELL HER IF IT WAS REAL OR FAKE THEY DIDNT HAVE THE MONEY ORDER IN FRONT OF THEM TO CHECK IT AND THAT THEY DO NOT TELL THE CLERKS TO KEEP OUR MONEY ORDERS. THAT IS THEIR DECISION ACCORDING TO THEIR POLICY. I VERIFIED THE INFORMATION ON THE MONEY ORDER AND EVERYTHING WAS GOOD. 
SO I CALLED ACE CHECK CASHING AND ASKED THE CLERK WHY SHE KEPT MY MONEY ORDER IF THEY DID NOT SAY THAT. THAT SHE SHOULD OF GIVEN IT TO ME BECAUSE THEY NEVER SAID IT WAS FAKE. SHE SAID GO PICK IT UP IF I WANT BUT THEY WILL NOT CASH IT. I SAID OK. BUT THEY WERE ALREADY CLOSING SO I SAID I WILL BE IN MONDAY THINKING THEY ARE CLOSED SUNDAYS. 
i HAD TO WORK MONDAY SO I WENT IN TUESDAY AND ASK THE CLERK FOR MY MONEY ORDER. SHE RESPONDED THAT IT WAS SHREDDED. I ASKED WHY SHE RESPONDED THAT IT IS THEIR POLICY TO SHRED EVERYTHING AFTER TWO DAYS.  SHE NEVER TOLD ME THAT. AND SHE NEVER CALLED ME TO TELL ME SHE WAS GOING TO SHRED IT. I ASKED HER WHAT HER SUPERVISOR HAD SAID AND DID SHE SAY FOR THEM TO SHRED MY PROPERTY. HER SUPERVISOR DIDNT SEE IT BECAUSE SHE HAD SHREDED IT BEFORE SHE SEEN HER SUPERVISOR. SHE SAID SHE FELT IT WAS FAKE SO SHE SHREDDED IT. 
NOW I AM LEFT WITH NO MONEY ORDER AND OUT {$1000.00} THAT WAS PAID TO ME FOR MY CAR. I ASKED THEM WHAT WAS I GON NA DO NOW HOW CAN I GET THE MONEY NOW. THEY SAID THEY DONT KNOW BUT THEY FELT IT WAS FAKE. 
I SPOKE TO WHOM SENT ME THE MONEY ORDER AND THEY TOLD ME WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED AND I CALLED THE POST OFFICE WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED IN XXXX AND THEY ALSO VERIFIED TO ME THAT THE MONEY ORDER WAS NOT FAKE IT WAS REAL AND THEY DONT UNDERSTAND WHY IT WAS SHREDDED WHEN THE CLERKS AT ACE CHECK CASHING ARE NOT TRAINED TO IDENTIFY AND OR QUALIFIED TO MAKE A DECISION IF OR IF NOT THE MONEY ORDER WAS REAL AND SHRED THE PROPERTY OF A CUSTOMER WITHOUT NOTIFYING THEM.. 
MY QUESTION IS WHERE DOES IT SAY THAT THEY HAD THE RIGHT TO SHRED MY MONEY ORDER WITHOUT LETTING ME KNOW? AND WHERE OR WHO IS GON NA PAY ME MY {$1000.00}.? 
I HAVE SENT 3 EMAILS TO ACE ELITE CUSTOMER SERVICE ON LINE AND HAVE HAD NO RESPONSE FROM ANYONE IN REGARDS TO THIS ISSUE INSTEAD THEY HAVE SENT ME EMAILS ABOUT PAST OVER DRAFTS AND REFUNDS PLACED BACK INTO MY ACCOUNT. BUT NOTHING IN REGARDS TO THE MONEY ORDER.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation