Consumer complaint received 2023-01-09
Company: RIA FINANCIAL
State: TX
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Other transaction problem

Complaint:
SUMMARY : I initiated a money transfer with RIA Money Transfer services through their partnership with XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. I cancelled the transaction the same day over the phone and the transfer shows as cancelled on XX/XX/XXXX. However the money was still taken from my account on the following day and has not been returned. I have spent several hours on the phone with RIA support and I never received anything but a promise to call back until I sent a written explanation and complaint. I have provided ( again ) my banking information for the return transfer but it has not been sent. It has now been 27 days since the company took money from my account and On XX/XX/XXXX I was on vacation in XXXX XXXX, New Mexico and needed to get some extra cash from my bank. My bank did not have a local branch there so I looked online for possible ways to transfer cash to myself in a way that would allow me to receive it the same day. 

As I looked at different options the information I found online seemed to point to RIA Money Transfer services through it's partnership with the XXXX brand. I went to the XXXX website and checked the XXXX site for information about how long this type of transfer would take. 

The site claimed that the funds could be available in 10 minutes so I signed up, registered my bank account with RIA and transferred {$2000.00} to myself as the recipient. 

Upon arriving at XXXX to collect the funds, I was told that my funds weren't available and given a handwritten number to contact RIA by phone. My call with RIA services was very frustrating because the person helping me didn't speak fluent English and we struggled to communicate but, in the end, I was assured the transaction was cancelled and that all I had to do was wait for my funds to be transferred back. I was told that could take up to 10 days. As you can see by the images below, the transaction was cancelled on XX/XX/XXXX. 

After that call, I simply waited but the promised refund never materialized. I noted that the funds were withdrawn from my account THE DAY AFTER THE TRANSACTION WAS CANCELLED. 

So I began calling again in XXXX and after spending over a XXXX hours on the phone and speaking with XXXX representatives over XXXX calls, I was left with nothing but promises to call me back. After I began sending written complaints to the help section on the website I finally received an email and eventually a call back from XXXX, who had promised to CALL ME BACK " IN XXXX MINUTES '' XXXX DAYS PRIOR. 

I completed the attached form and sent it along with a canceled check. 

The following day, I received another email with the same request and an almost identical form. I also completed that form and returned it with the copy of my canceled check. 

It has now been 27 days ( as of Monday, XX/XX/XXXX ) since my transfer was cancelled. I still haven't received funds or any estimated time of delivery. I'm worried that I'm being scammed by the employees of this company. There seems to be poor communication, I received XXXX different versions of the same form from XXXX separate departments that I dealt with. They all received the requested information ( including my unencrypted bank account information ) and, other than a brief email promising to send it to the next department, I have not been contacted.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation