Consumer complaint received 2023-02-02
Company: MONEYGRAM PAYMENT SYSTEMS WORLDWIDE INC
State: TX
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: International money transfer
Issue: Other transaction problem

Complaint:
XXXX This complaint number was filed on XX/XX/XXXX and was closed last month. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a text message from my sister, the receiver of the money I sent through Moneygram, informing me that while she was at the receiving band, a call was placed to Moneygram. During the call, she was asked several questions to which she gave the correct answers. At the end of the call, Moneygram instructed her to tell me, the sender, to give them a call and for me to send an email with my ID attached. I sent the email to the email address Moneygram provided and I followed up with a call to Moneygram. The Moneygram associate verified the email address I sent the email to, I read it off to him and he confirmed that the email was correct and that I will get a resolution from Moeygram in two calendar day, which will be XX/XX/XXXX. On the same day, XX/XX/XXXX. I received an email from Moneygram asking me to call them AGAIN. I did and was on hold for 34 minutes no one attended to me so I hung up. Took a screenshot of evidence of my call and sent via same email to Moneygram. I woke up the next day, XX/XX/XXXX and saw a reply from Moneygram informing me that they have processed a refund and I should call them. I called and was give ref # XXXX. I went to the closest XXXX to where I worked that day to pick up the money. After the number was typed in, it showed " RECEIVED. '' HOW? WHO REVEIVED IT? WHERE WAS IT RECEIVED? WHEN WAS IT RECEIVED? I called Moneygram while I was still at the XXXX location with the XXXX associate. The store XXXX, XXXX, got involved. During the call, Moneygram said that the money HAS NOT been received, that it was a glitch in Moneygrams system. And that in order for them to make the money available, XXXX should call Moneygram using XXXX phone. They tried severally but could niot get a live person to speak with, XXXX, the store XXXX asked what number could he call to get a live person since Moneygram would not give the instructions via my phone. The XXXX associate ( XXXX ) gave XXXX different numbers but none of those numbers worked. I waited patiently for a little over XXXX hours, thinking that this will certainly be resolved and the refund picked up. Moneygram did not resolve it. They now said to give them two to four days for it to be resolved in their system as the issue as now been escalated. I intentionally waited till the fifth day, which was yesterday XX/XX/XXXX before calling Moneygram. On the call, I was asked to go back to the same XXXX location and that a note was being typed in that would let whoever takes the call know what to do. So, I went to the same XXXX location BUT Moneygram refused to release the money even after spending over an hour there. I asked if they asked mw to send an email with my ID so they can used it to claim the money in their system, they refused to answer that question. I asked why refund the money to me WHEN they know that the money was already picked up by my sister. The money was to be released to the bank. But they refused to release to the bank. Since the bank is STILL NEGATIVE {$2100.00} I will have to resend the same amount so the bank can then credit their account. That was exactly what Moneyfram did with the other transaction. It was for {$1200.00}. They refused to release to this same bank rather Moneygram refunded me the money. I in turn, resent the {$1200.00} and the bank was able to credit their account of that money. All these months, I asked Moneygram to refund as was done with the previous transaction, they refused. After given the impression that they would release to the bank, they now email that it would be refunded to me. WHY TO ME? In the same vein. they claim it has been received. This is deceptive business practice! I am exhausted and unduly stressed by Moneygram. This is causing me nightmares and punctuating my sleep, I need HELP from CFPB!!! I will reach out to investigative department a TV News channel to take on Moneygram, How many people have they done this to? NOT AGAIN! See the attached for screenshot of email communications.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation