Consumer complaint received 2024-07-15
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Foreign currency exchange
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: Remitly, Inc. (CA)

I needed to do a foreign exchange transfer from my XXXX XXXX  account to my XXXX XXXX  account. After researching options I chose to do this with XXXX. 
I set up an account and submitted a transfer request for XXXX pounds on XX/XX/XXXX and immediately ( XXXX am ) used their link to transfer the money directly from my account to the Remitly link to initiate the transfer. I immediately received an email confirming the transfer was in process and required a review which would take an hour. My account said the funds would arrive in my XXXX XXXX  account on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX. Later this was changed in their 'Track transfer ' link to XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX am. My money did not arrive at that time. I received emails on XX/XX/year>, XXXX requesting more details from me. I complied with these requests, each one asking for additional info. The final info needed was my photo ID. I had to email photos of passport and drivers license on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX pm after other methods to upload my ID had not worked. The Remitly rep ( XXXX ) I worked with to do this confirmed that they had all the details they needed and that he would escalate my case to their compliance section for approval and that I would receive funds in less than 24 hours. 
On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX pm, the funds had still not arrived. My Remitly account continues to say the funds will arrive on XX/XX/XXXX. 
I spoke to another Remitly rep and she confirmed they had the required documents from me and that compliance would take XXXX hours to do the approval, even though my case had already been with compliance for XXXX hours. She also confirmed that they work XXXX. She was unable to give me a day and time when I would receive the funds. The only options she provided was to wait for my funds or cancel the transfer. At this stage Remitly had my money for 3 days. 
Today, XX/XX/XXXX my money had still not arrived in my XXXX XXXX  account. I called Remitly customer service at XXXX pm and was told by XXXX that she could not do anything. I asked to speak to a manager. I waited a few minutes to be transferred during which time I got a text saying my FX transfer had been cancelled. I was returned to XXXX and she confirmed that my transfer was cancelled, because I had not responded when they tried to reach out to me on XXXX XXXX to obtain additional info. She claimed they had called me on my phone, but I received no calls. All previous communication from XXXX had been by email and I did not receive an email communication either. She suggested that I resubmit the transfer but I could see the money had not been returned to my original account. She said that because of the fast transfer mechanism I was using the return would take up to XXXX minutes. The money was not returned XXXX minutes later. I called customer support again ( XXXX ) and was told the money would take XXXX hours to be returned. XXXX promised to call me back. 

At this point I don't know when or if I will see my money again. I am worried. 

My complaints are : XXXX. Remitly should not take the funds out of my account until they have collected all the info they need from me and completed their compliance process to confirm who I am. When I submitted the transfer I had no idea that they would need additional info which could delay the transaction.

2. Throughout the process of setting up and confirming the transfer, and on calls to customer reps, Remitly has made promises of when I will see my money and so far they have all been incorrect.

3. The third party app to upload photoID did not work despite over XXXX attempts, it finally gave an error message.