Consumer complaint received 2018-11-20
Company: XOOM CORPORATION
State: KS
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: International money transfer
Issue: Other transaction problem

Complaint:
I am writing to alert the CFPB of the most egregious actions by a financial company I have ever had to endure. 

I have been a verified XXXX customer since XX/XX/XXXX. I previously used Xoom to make transfers during a trip to XXXX in XXXX 

My wife and I began a 6 week trip to XXXX XXXX in early XXXX this year. We started our travel in XXXX - bringing US cash, XXXX Pesos from a layoff in XXXX, Visa and MasterCards, and ATM cards for cash. We soon discovered our ATM cards would not communicate with our bank and credit card acceptance was scarce. After a week traveling in remote areas of the country, our cash was spent and we had only had a little borrowed money from our XXXX host in XXXX   XXXX remaining. We arrived in XXXX and Xoom became our last resort option to get cash to complete our trip in XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I was able to login and request an authorized transaction from my checking account to send {$400.00} US dollars to a XXXX XXXX  in XXXX. Between XXXX and XXXX I took the confirmation number to local banks, but they were unable to locate the transaction and I was told to return the next day.. 

The next morning ( XX/XX/XXXX ) I logged in to reconfirm the status and was unsure if it was indeed complete. This inadvertently generated a second transaction, which I then cancelled after realizing how to appropriately confirm the first transaction. I called Xoom via our hotels wifi and had to answer several questions about my account and our upcoming travel plans and money transfer needs over the next month. After spending some time answering questions and providing details, it appeared the transaction would be approved and available. 

I went to the local XXXX XXXX in XXXX to collect. The bank refused to honor the transaction because the Xoom receipt did not include my full middle name, which appears on my passport. The transaction was listed as first and last name, which is how my name appears on most of credit cards and drivers license. My passport lists my full middle name ( First middle last names ). Despite showing six IDs, the bank told me they could not honor the transaction because it did not exactly match. I showed them the Xoom website and that middle name was not an available field in the app. The bank would only process if I updated the transaction and asked me to populate the first name field with both first and middle name, which they would then honor. I complied and went to a restaurant next door to call Xoom via XXXX to find out how long it would take to process. 

Xoom apparently flagged the transaction and put it on hold. We needed the money that day. We had to purchase bus tickets and pay for our hotel bill in XXXX and have funds for travel back to XXXX XXXX and onward to XXXX 

Despite my previous conversations assuring me my account was in good standing, Xoom said it would probably not be processed that same day and I needed to verify my account again. The Xoom representative requested a copy of my passport and current bank statement. I told them they already verified my bank account and my statements were at home in Kansas. They told me without proof they could not process. My account and transaction was placed on indefinite hold. 

At this point, I am furious and my wife ( who had been sick the previous two days ) and I returned to the hotel figure out how to send the requested information. Xoom actions during the remainder of the day were infuriating, unprofessional, in my opinion, criminally negligent. 

The hotel scanned my passport and I emailed the pdf to Xoom. In XXXX, I did not have copies of my bank statements but could get account balance details with my banks app. I downloaded app and sent screenshots of my accounts with balances and transaction history. 

During the call to confirm receipt, I was now told the screenshots were not acceptable. Now I was told they needed the paper versions. I called my bank to see if those were available. They attempted to generate but said their system could not export via the internet. They suggested logging in via their website and to get full documents. I did this and sent pictures of those documents via email. 

At this point, the Xoom rep told me that the passport pdf was not valid. He needed a picture of the passport. Then I was told the bank statement copies were not acceptable because they were jpgs and the rep wanted pdfs. The exact opposite standard than the passport request! The contradicting standards now appeared to be simply stonewalling my request. Regardless, I took a photo of my passport and sent the jpg via email. I also began to convert the downloaded bank statement files to pdf and forwarded. 

At this point, the Xoom rep told me everything I sent was rejected with nothing I could send would be adequate. Despite spending nearly the day entire trying to collect a previously approved transaction, calling Xoom, my bank, working with the hotel staff, emailing requested documents, and explaining how dire our situation was without money ; I was then told the transaction was now going to be the denied. 

I continued to ask what Xoom needed. I continued to point out I sent all requested information multiple times in multiple formats. I was explicit to the fact we were out of money and Xoom was leaving us in a perilous situation and endangering our safety. I was in fact begging for assistance. I was again told there was no amount of information that I could send that would suffice. Despite pleading with the rep, emphasizing that we were out of money in a foreign country with no means to buy tickets to leave, the rep HUNG UP!!! I called back, provide my account info, asked for the manager, and was hung up on again. I called back, asked to be transferred - and the representative again hung up. 

I attempted a few more calls, but could no longer get connected to Xoom. Apparently, Xoom blocked my phone number. I emailed again that my phone calls were being rejected. These chaotic actions rise to potentially criminal liability since Xoom managers were made aware of the danger they were creating for us. 

I sent wifi texts to my sister back in the US to find out how to send us cash. She had to leave her work, go to a XXXX XXXX office, and figure out how to wire funds to us before the banks closed. We were just able to get money in time to purchase overnight bus tickets and restart our travel. 

In summary, Xooms processes cost us nearly two days of lost vacation time. The companys actions caused us extremely high levels of anxiety and anger. My wife was ill during the day. Xooms management decisions and actions indeed placed us in danger. The funds that Xoom had approved the previous day, were egregiously, callously, and recklessly cancelled and left us stranded in a foreign country without money. We were left to call relatives in the US to figure out how to wire money to us. 

I have worked 23 years in XXXX XXXX and am keenly aware of processes of verification, OFAC sanctions, and researching red flags. I am completely dumbfounded by the incompetence and even malicious behavior displayed by Xooms representatives in their cancellation of my transaction and account. The companys actions deserve regulator scrutiny and investigation. 

It is not hyperbole to state Xoom put our safety and lives in danger. I am completely disgusted by how we were treated by Xoom. I don't know what would have happened if we hadnt borrowed money from our host in XXXX XXXX, or that our hotel was able to arrange credit card acceptance despite accepting us as cash guests, or if my sister didn't drop everything to wire us money. 

This complaint is filed through the US consumer protection bureau. I will also copy my Congressman and Senators to request they look in on Xoom and XXXX business practices that endanger US citizens traveling abroad. My online research has revealed our situation has not been unique. There are a significant number of complaints filed with similar details of disregard to consumer protections. 

I am planning to cancel my Xoom account. I would like to why I shouldnt also cancel my XXXX account. I eagerly await a reply with specific remedies to address the issues raised.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation