Consumer complaint received 2024-11-12 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Money order, traveler's check or cashier's check
Issue: Problem with customer service — 
Company: WESTERN UNION COMPANY, THE
State: GA

Complaint narrative:
XX/XX/XXXX I purchased a {$270.00} Western Union money order at a XXXX in XXXX, Ga and mailed with USPS to my XXXX in XXXX XXXX, XXXX Money Order # XXXX My statement from the XXXX as of XX/XX/XXXX showed the debt outstanding. 

XX/XX/XXXX I submitted a lost request with USPS and had to wait 30 days for a response. 

XX/XX/XXXX I go to the Western Union website and found it very difficult to find a number to call customer service. Finally at the very bottom of website is the " Contact Us '' and I attempt to call ( XXXX ) and get left on hold and after XXXX0 minutes hang up. Life happens and 2 weeks later I try to call again and same thing, no CSR in a timely manner. I go back to the website to try and get information about a refund and nothing is directly listed. I finally go to " customer care '' and through searches of refund of money order and cancellation of money order I find an online form to 'stop payment '' of the money order and I complete it on XX/XX/XXXX with all my contact information and wait 30 days. 

I get no communication from WU at all within the 30 days. I go back on their website and search again under customer care and find a " money order tracing/refund request '' form and download it. The font size on their form for the directions is literally size 8, so small and the boxes to put my information is not much better. However, I get it complete and it says I have to mail in the original money order stub and pay " {$15.00} non-refundable processing fee '' and do not send cash and no place for cc information to get the refund so I send the form with a check on XX/XX/XXXX. 

The check made out to Western Union was cashed on XX/XX/XXXX. I did not receive any communication from them at all. 

XX/XX/XXXX I call the customer service number on the tracing/refund request ( it is different than regular customer service XXXX ) and after 20 minutes on hold get a person. He tells me they mailed me payment on XX/XX/XXXX. I explain I didn't mail the request until XX/XX/XXXX and my {$15.00} payment didn't clear until XX/XX/XXXX. He says he will " escalate '' my request to the " RMO Department '' and I should call back in 72 hours to get the status. This case number was XXXX. 

XX/XX/XXXX I call when I get home after work around XXXXXXXX XXXX and get XXXX who says the payment is " in process '' and I need to speak to the " Money Order Department '' but they are only open XXXX EST. 

XX/XX/XXXX and got XXXX ( XXXX?? ) who seemed helpful. He now tells me they have a " new service '' and he gives me the online website to fill in all the information to get cash payment from any WU location. He says it will take 2-3 days to process, I will get an email with a confirmation number to take to the location and stays on the phone with me while I complete the information and submit. The website is XXXX XX/XX/XXXX I call to follow up as I didn't get an email and XXXX tells me I should get a check in 3-5 days. I tell them I signed up for the cash option at a WU location. Then he puts me on hold, comes back and says yes I should get an email in 3 days with the 10 digit number to take to a branch. This is case number XXXX XX/XX/XXXX I call again and am told a check for {$260.00} ( which is the correct amount due ) has been mailed but they don't know when it was mailed. 

XX/XX/XXXX I call the same number I have been calling ( XXXX ) and when I go through the prompts I get an automated message of " there seems to be a problem '' and the call is disconnected. 

XX/XX/XXXX I call XXXX again and get the same " there seems to be a problem '' and get disconnected. I go back to square XXXX and call the XXXX on their website ( XXXX ) and talk to XXXX who says I must now email the " escalation team '' at XXXX. 

I have email them XXXX, XXXX, XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX ( yes on the holiday ) and have not gotten ANY response. 

I am due the {$260.00} ( which technically they are double deducting the {$15.00} processing fee, once from the check I mailed and {$270.00} - {$15.00} = {$260.00} refund they say they are sending me )

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation