Consumer complaint received 2018-06-01
Company: RIA FINANCIAL
State: NJ
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: International money transfer
Issue: Other transaction problem

Complaint:
I used XXXX XXXX transfer services to transfer money international through their app. The 3 transfers went with no issues and the recipients got the money. This was on XX/XX/XXXX for {$190.00}, XX/XX/XXXX for {$370.00} to XXXX, and XX/XX/2018 for {$400.00} to the XXXX. 
on XX/XX/XXXX, I put another {$50.00} transfer to XXXX, Ref XXXX at XXXX in the morning. I received notification and was told will be notified when the money is available. Few hours later the same day I got an email the transfer was cancelled. I called customer service and was told a widespread system glitch caused it to many people and I should retry in 24hrs. In the meantime, the app is telling me a refund will come in 5-7 business days. I retried and at each time it says to me " Sorry your transaction has failed. Please try again later ''. I tried, this time using a previous recipient. I have the same error. 
SO I decided to call them after few days. I was told some verification system that is confidential has excluded me from online transactions and I am only allowed to transfer at a physical location. I was in shock and asked why. Then the guy was telling me " IT'S CONFIDENTIAL. NO ONE IS GON NA TELL YOU ''. And I asked if there were a number I could call or an address I could write to and know what was said about me so bad I am literally banned from online transfer. The answer was " NO '' So after having all my confidential information, name, DOB, address, CC number and everything else, XXXX XXXX is banning me from their online system and I have NO right to know I used XXXX XXXX transfer services to transfer money international through their app. The 3 transfers went with no issues and the recipients got the money. Small amount from {$190.00}, {$370.00} and {$400.00} to XXXX and XXXX. 
When I attempted to put another {$50.00} transfer to XXXX, they cancelled the order in few hours after receiving it, saying a refund will come in 5-7 business days. I called customer service and was told a widespread system glitch caused it to many people and I should retry in 24hrs. I retried and at each time it says to me " Sorry your transaction has failed. Please try again later ''. I tried, this time using one of my previous recipients. I have the same error.

When I called them after few days, I was told I was banned from online transactions by some verification system that is confidential, and I was now only allowed to transfer at a physical location. I was in shock and asked why. Then was told " IT'S CONFIDENTIAL. NO ONE IS GON NA TELL YOU ''. And I asked if there were a number I could call or an address I could write to for the information as why I am banned from online transfer. The answer was " NO '' So after having all my confidential information, name, DOB, address, CC number and everything else, XXXX XXXX is banning me from their online system for obscures reasons and I have NO right to know XXXX Hello, First of all, when a customer places an order with you, the first thing you should do, like every decent business, is to send an automatic email to inform the order was received and the terms of the transaction. I NEVER received a notification of any kind, which is unheard of. All I know so far is from calling Second what you are saying is so stupid, but yet should have been preeminently displayed on the screen when I was making the selection. I went with the cheaper bank account option which was {$5.00} versus {$64.00} for the debit card. I would NEVER have gone with this option, and would absolutely have changed that and pay the higher fee to get the money transferred within minutes. 
WHY WOULD ANYONE JUMP ON AN ONLINE TRANSFER TOOL, THEN WAIT FOR 5 DAYS FOR THEIR MONEY TO BE PROCESSED? 
Finally, after 4 days of waiting and calling, I was finally told because this was my first order and the {$2400.00} amount was substantial, you needed to verify the authenticity of the transaction, and you have been trying to reach me using an outdated phone number. I updated my account with my new number and you confirmed to me the transaction will now move forward and the recipient will receive the money within 2 hours. After 9 hours of waiting, when I called you back, I was told a different story. Now the recipient will receive the money Tuesday of next week, XX/XX/XXXX, 5 days after the order was posted on XX/XX/XXXX. 
So I cancelled the transaction because I can not wait for that long and all of a sudden, you took the {$2400.00} from my account, causing an overdraft. However, you didnt take the money to deliver it to the recipient, but just to hold on it for 7-10 business and return it back to my account. 

This is a real mafia operation, and I just learned about your insidious practices from the tens of thousands of complaints against you. I should have visited the consumerfinance.gov and learn about your XXXX up practices You can count on and will respond to my complaints coming to you You are real suckers. XXXX, Racketeers In Action XXXX XXXX XXXX On XX/XX/2018, I placed a transfer order from XXXX for {$2400.00}. This was for a transfer money to XXXX The order was immediately " in Progress '', and stayed so for days. And in the meantime, in the order details page in my account that I attach a copy of, it was strangely said the money will be available XXXX, but possibly sooner. Finally, after 4 days of waiting and calling, I was told because this was my first order and the amount was substantial, they needed to verify the authenticity of the transaction. And they have been trying to reach me using an outdated phone number. I updated my account with my new number and they confirmed to me the transaction will now move forward and the recipient will receive the money within 2 hours.

After 9 hours of waiting, when I called again, and this time, I was given a different  story. Now the recipient will receive the money only Tuesday of next week, XX/XX/XXXX, 5 days after the order was posted on XX/XX/XXXX. And the explanation was because I opted to use my bank account instead my debit card. Please note the detail page still says XX/XX/XXXX or earlier. 
I told the agent even though what he was saying is so stupid, it still should have been preeminently displayed on the screen when I was making the selection. I went with the cheaper bank account option which was {$5.00} versus {$64.00} for the debit card. I would NEVER have gone with that option and would absolutely have paid the higher fee to get the money transferred within minutes. 
I requested right away a cancellation, so I could find other means to send that money. Then immediately, after the cancellation, THEY TOOK THE {$2400.00} FROM MY ACCOUNT, causing an overdraft. However, they didnt take the money to deliver it to the recipient, but just to hold on it for 7-10 business and return it back to my account.

First off, when a customer places an order with you, the first thing every decent business does is to send an automatic email to inform the order was received and the terms of the transaction. I NEVER received a notification of any kind, which is unheard of. All I know so far is from calling, and one late email after my intense argument with their customer service rep Second, WHY WOULD ANYONE JUMP ON AN ONLINE TRANSFER TOOL, THEN KNOWINGLY WAIT FOR 5 DAYS FOR THEIR MONEY TO BE PROCESSED? 
Third, if they display on my details page the money will be available XX/XX/XXXX which is still 2 days after placing the order, how can they go around and say it's going to be available 4 days later on XX/XX/XXXX? 
So they advertise one thing ( transfer within minutes ), they display another thing in my account ( Money available XX/XX/XXXX or earlier ), then tell me another story ( delay due to verification ), then change the story to XX/XX/XXXX process date, then finally hold my money hostage for 7-10 business days Fourth, if they did not take the money out of my account for 4 days, why would they just take it out and keep it for 7-10 business days, simply because I cancelled the operation?

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation