Consumer complaint received 2026-03-11 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Money order, traveler's check or cashier's check
Issue: Lost or stolen money order — 
Company: WESTERN UNION COMPANY, THE
State: MA

Complaint narrative:
am filing a complaint against Western Union regarding the improper denial of a money order refund that appears to have resulted from a malfunction in Western Unions online refund request system. On XX/XX/year>, I submitted an online refund request for a Western Union money order ( number ending in XXXX ). Before allowing me to proceed with the refund request, Western Unions website required me to verify the status of the money order. The system confirmed that the money order had not been cashed and had not been refunded, which is the only reason I was allowed to proceed with the refund request. During the submission process, the website froze at the final stage of the form, and I did not receive a confirmation number or confirmation email. Because the system appeared to fail before completing the submission, I restarted the process and submitted the request again. The second submission was accepted and I received confirmation reference number XXXX. Shortly afterward, Western Union emailed me stating that my refund request was denied because a refund has already been made for the money order. This explanation is inconsistent with the facts : I am the person who submitted the refund request. I am still in physical possession of the original money order. Western Unions own website confirmed the money order had not been cashed or refunded at the time I filed the request. The website malfunctioned and froze, which likely caused their system to record two requests submitted by me. Western Union appears to have incorrectly interpreted the duplicate request as evidence that the refund was already processed, when in fact it was the result of their system error. If a refund had actually been issued, Western Union should be able to provide documentation showing : The date the refund was processed Who the refund was issued to How the refund was paid Any transaction or check number associated with that refund Western Union has provided none of this information and instead issued a blanket denial without investigation. Because I still possess the original money order and no refund has been received, Western Unions response suggests either : A system error caused by their website malfunction, or A failure in their internal refund tracking system. I am requesting that the CFPB require Western Union to : Conduct a full investigation into the status of this money order. Provide documentation proving that a refund was actually issued, including the payment method and recipient. If no refund was issued, immediately process the refund associated with my request ( reference # XXXX ). Correct any system errors that caused the duplicate submission and improper denial. I attempted to resolve this directly with Western Union but received only a generic denial email directing me to a phone number without addressing the underlying issue. I am seeking a prompt investigation and resolution, as the denial appears to be the result of Western Unions system malfunction rather than any legitimate basis for refusing the refund. Sincerely, XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation