Consumer complaint received 2020-07-31
Company: WESTERN UNION COMPANY, THE
State: MA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: International money transfer
Issue: Other transaction problem

Complaint:
Since XX/XX/2020 I have been blocked from transfer funds from my account in XXXX XXXX XXXX  ( a XXXX  XXXX XXXX  ) to me in XXXX, XXXX XXXX, though I had been making monthly transfers for some 7 years, excepting for the 3 to 5 months that I am in the US for VA XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. My income is very limited so I extend it by staying in XXXX where the cost of living is enormously less. Returning to the US only for my medical care that as a Veteran is covered by the VA. 

My funds were being transferred by Western Union ( WU ) through XXXX of this year. But as stated beginning XX/XX/XXXX I was unable to execute a transfer -- it allowed me into my account & to proceed with the request to transfer but it did not allow the transfer to be executed, it just stopped. Repeated calls to WU customer service produced no result and no answers. 

Frustrated I searched the Internet for WU SEC 10Q report. Found a list of senior officers and got to leave a voice message explaining the problem & requesting assistance. 

One XXXX or XXXX XXXX, WU Escalation, called explaining that all complaints would go to her, said in a peevish voice. I had spoken with her once before but she did nothing except offer some reward points. Seemingly totally uninterested in my quandary. 

Her second call in mid-XXXX  at the behest of the same senior WU officer caused her to be more active or so I thought. And though I voiced that the reward points issued was nice I was much more concerned that I was unable to execute a money transfer from my XXXX XXXX XXXX  account to me in XXXX as that was my sole source of funds -- early on the trouble number given was XXXX -- she said that the same trouble number would apply and told me to ignore the others. I have since found that this was a lie as it only applies to the reward points issue. 

Worse. Just yesterday I was told by the alleged WU agent XXXX ( no last name given ) previously identified as being in XXXX that WU was constrained by US order not to comply with my requested transfer funds or words to that effect. 

This supposed XXXX WU agent first called some 7 to 10 days ago leaving only a name of XXXX ( no last name ) & two numbers both strange : XXXX ( there are no 11 digit number in the US ) and XXXX with extension XXXX. These numbers caused me to call WU to verify the numbers legitimacy & was told that the XXXX number was legitimate. I first tried to call the XXXX ( as I never call an unknown number ) but the extension was bogus ( since I found that WU requires a nine digit extension. ) The called WUs XXXX number & selecting customer service requested transfer to the XXXX extension. I was informed that there was no answer and they would forward my attempt to return the call. During these attempts is when I was informed that so-called WU agent was in XXXX with a different time zone & I needed to call between XXXX & XXXX XXXX  to reach him. 

Telephone tag ensued while I attempted to return calls of a supposed WU agent until yesterday when the alleged XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX called & I had XXXX connected. We went back & forth until he said his " ... only reason to call was to obtain permission to share my personal information with the police of other countries ... '' in a tone that implied a threat. I told him that I had nothing to hide and he could share the information that WU had but only for this instance. I gave no other information and he could not get off the call fast enough. He gave me the XXXX WU number to call regarding the blocked transfers. Also implying that the blocking of transfers was due to government, though did not say which. 

Along the way in XXXX I telephoned my XXXX XXXX XXXX  asking if there were some sort of government hold on my account. I was told in no uncertain terms that there was none and that could do as I wished with my funds including transferring them overseas if I so wished. 

Also in late XXXX I opened a XXXX account and tried to make transfer of funds but could not. Speaking with their customer service people I was told that I could not make a transfer while I was overseas. That I could only transfer funds from the US while in the US. And would hear nothing about the ridiculousness of my looking to transfer funds from my XXXX XXXX  to me while I was in the XXXX where I could simply walk up to a cashier window or it's equivalent and request my money. 

Having two entities that make money transferring funds tell me or act to block told me that some other entity or person is the cause of the blockage of my funds. The question is if this blockage is occurring in the US or the XXXX  end. 

The XXXX  end XXXX be as an element has been trying to remove me from my court appointed position of Administrator of a large estate that has been XXXX by one heir and the board of directors while I insist that the succession will not end until I track all missing assets -- I'm unpaid by the estate which that matters little to me but makes it difficult to find fault with me. HOWEVER, this scam can only operate if the US WU allows it by refusing to process a transfer as my bank in XXXX accepts same day WU transfers! I'm surmising that by cutting my source of funds they reason that I could not continue with the investigation into millions of dollars of embezzled funds! 

XXXX that is something else. At this point I simply want WU and/or XXXX to stop the unlawful blockage of my funds. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX WHAT FOLLOWS ARE COPIES OF MINUTES OF TEL-CONS MADE and/or RECEIVED WITH DATES, though not all : -- XX/XX/2020 : two tel-cons to Western Union. The first as it would not accept earned credit points ; the second as it refused to print the RECEIPT as shown on the screen ( only a partial print ) AND to ship me a copy to my email! One XXXX then had me cancel the transfer alleging that funds and reward credit would be automatically returned ( supposedly the only option ) ; the second named XXXX could only escalate the matter as this time I could see the RECEIPT on screen BUT COULD NOT PRINT IT AND NEITHER DID IT EMAIL A COPY AS STATED ON THE SCREEN! Alleged that I would be contacted within 24 hours. We'll see ... ; -- XX/XX/2020 : tel-con WU re : 1- unable to apply reward points ; 2- unable to obtain a receipt for $ transfer from US account to me in PY ; 3- unable to access account ; 4- for three days repeatedly refused provide a trouble number until today. XXXX ; -- XX/XX/2020 : tel-con WU headquarters, XXXX ; spoke with XXXX voicing my frustrations with WU Cust Care & the failure to address the problems with transfer of funds from US account to me in PY : 1 ) making use of reward points ; 2 ) receiving a copy of my receipt in my email as the on screen receipt would only print half when toggling the PRINT BUTTON ; 3 ) accessing my account as it did not accept my account and/or email address though both were identified a s correct by WU customer service agents ; WU agents refusal to provide trouble number alleging " not necessary '' AND impossible to obtain escalation via Cust Care agents. This call to corporate was via accessing SEC 10K report for corporate number. Supposedly a corporate officer will call in 48 hours. We'll see ... 

-- XX/XX/2020 : tel-con WU, XXXX 4 times selecting options ; XXXX answered & I voiced my frustration ; after some time he found that there was a prior trouble number, XXXX & a XXXX who he called to transfer my call ; XXXX alleged ( falsely ) that she called me twice ( supposedly on the XXXX & XXXX, BULL! as she left NO VOICE MESSAGE OR NAME & NUMBER! ) This time she gave me her supposed " direct number, XXXX '' & that she would call back today or tomorrow. We'll see! I told her that if I did not answer she was to leave her name & number & I'd call back. Pure XXXX! 

-- XX/XX/2020 : tel-con XXXX, Western Union ; XXXX atended me ; I demanded what in XXXX   was WU doing with my complaint filed on XX/XX/XXXX and jerked around by XXXX XXXX since that date! From what I surmised my original complaint was flagged as only unable to make use of Rewards ; she provided a new case # XXXX AND an email direct to IT : XXXX ; -- XXXX XXXX : telcon XXXX ; returned call to XXXX XXXX ; did not answer and is not likely to call back since she never does unless I escalate ... 

-- XX/XX/2020 : emailed WU tech support using email address provided by XXXX ; will see what they do ... 

-- XX/XX/2020 : tel-con WU, LEFT MESSAGE TO ESCALATION REPORTING THE WU CODING PROBLEM WITH FUNDS TRANSFERS TO PY ; DOUBT THEY'LL FIX OR CALL BACK ; -- XX/XX/2020 : Western Union CASE # XXXX ; tel-con WU FRAUD ; TOTAL NIGHTMARE OF REPETITIONS & WASTED TIME ; FIRST FRAUD GUY WENT OFF-LINE THEN DISAPPEARED ; SECOND WAS XXXX WITH WHOM I HAD TO REPEAT & REPEAT THE STORY ( usual process of interrogation so as to trap inconsistencies ) ; finally he provided hotline XXXX for me to follow up! MORE THAN THE USELESS XXXX XXXX EVER THOUGHT OF DOING! 

-- XXXX XXXX : tel-con WU, XXXX ; follow-up on email seen today but with a XXXX date ; XXXX took the call ( damned Cust Support ) demanded Tech Support but passed me to XXXX a supervisor in Cust Support ; XXXX LET IT SLIP THAT WU DID NOT START TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM UNTIL XXXX! W-T-H! DEMANDED THE PROBLEM FIXED! XXXX is sending another email to tech and will copy me. We'll see ... 

-- XX/XX/2020 : Exceedingly frustrated I reactivated an old XXXX bank account and deposited a check for {$3000.00} ( to transfer much needed money from the US, {$33.00} is transfer fee, hoping not more but there might be ) can withdraw in XXXX weeks -- XX/XX/2020 : tel-con WU, XXXX, a XXXX  number re case # XXXX ; after three calls today beginning at XXXX AM with no answer I selected exec support ; spoke with XXXX who also could not get to XXXX so he left a message ; I was told to call back tomorrow between XXXX & XXXX XXXX  EST ; -- XX/XX/2020 : XXXX XXXX XXXX finally got XXXX, alleged supervisor ; she asked that I request a transfer which I di while she was on line ; it gave error message " Were sorry, we can't complete any of your transfer requests. Please send an email to " XXXX '' with your full name and tracking number XXXX XXXX XXXX, if available, for instructions on what to do next to be able to use our services. XXXX [ XXXX ] ''. XXXX instructed I email to the address provided and insert XXXX followed by my name in the subject line. Exactly what I did previously but was ignored. I am to receive a call in some 24 to 48 hours, she said. Well see ... 

-- XX/XX/2020 : tel-con WU, repeatedly, re : case XXXX ; a XXXX then XXXX requesting connection to XXXX who called asking I return the call to XXXX or XXXX XXXX ; neither worked. XXXX traced the problem & gave me XXXX XXXX as the number to call in XXXX  suggesting I wait one hour before calling ; NOTE : EXCEPTING THE THREE CALLS FROM XXXX XXXX AND THE TELEPHONE TAG WITH THE ALLEGED XXXX   WU AGENT NO CALLS WERE RETURNED or if they were no voice message was left ; XXXX instructed that I was only to use trouble code XXXX as IT INCORPORATED ALL PROBLEMS. APPARENTLY ANOTHER LIE AS I WAS INFORMED THIS DAY THAT IT ONLY REFERS TO THE " REWARD POINTS. ''

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation