Consumer complaint received 2025-03-19 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — International money transfer
Issue: Money was not available when promised — 
Company: WESTERN UNION COMPANY, THE
State: NC

Complaint narrative:
I am filing a formal complaint against Western Union for failing to complete my international transfer and provide an adequate response regarding the status of my funds. Despite multiple attempts to resolve the issue, my money remains unaccounted for, and Western Union has not provided essential transaction details that could assist my receiving bank in locating the funds. 

Transaction Details : Date Initiated : XX/XX/year> Amount Sent : {$1300.00} ( converted to XXXX ) Sending Institution : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Texas XXXX XXXX XXXX Receiving Institution : XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX My Personal Account Western Union Tracking Number ( XXXX  ) : XXXX XXXX XXXX Case Numbers : Original Case : XXXX XXXX XXXX ( closed without resolution ) Escalated Case : XXXX XXXX XXXX ( still unresolved ) Timeline of Events & Communications : XX/XX/year> Via a phone call with Western Union where I confirmed receiver/sender information, they informed me that the transfer would be completed that day. Shortly after, my Western Union account marked the transaction as " completed. '' XX/XX/year> After verifying with XXXX XXXX  in XXXX, I confirmed that the funds had not been received and there were no pending transactions. I called Western Union, and a representative named XXXX stated that she could only confirm the transfer was completed. When I requested : The XXXX  confirmation number The transaction reference number Any details that could assist my bank in tracking the funds XXXX stated that Western Unions system does not have that information available. She escalated my case and created XXXX # XXXX XXXX XXXX, stating that the investigation would take up to 20 days. 

XX/XX/year> Since I had received no follow-up from Western Union and XXXX funds were still missing, I called again. I spoke with Supervisor XXXX, who informed me that : Case # XXXX XXXX XXXX had been closed without notifying me. 
The Western Union Back Office was handling the transfer all along. 
The transfer appeared to be on an internal hold for an unclear reason. 
There was no rejection from XXXX XXXX, meaning the delay was on Western Unions side. 
XXXX opened a new case ( Case # XXXX XXXX XXXX ) and requested that Western Union : Provide XXXX  with the UETR ( Unique End-to-End Transaction Reference ) to assist in locating the funds. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX  directly at XXXX to provide transaction details. 
XX/XX/year> ( Today ) I called Western Union again and spoke with XXXX XXXX. She stated that my transfer is under investigation because Western Union has reason to believe it needs further review. However, she : Did not specify the reason for the investigation. 
Provided a XXXX turnaround as a timeline for resolution. 
Confirmed that no written/email notification has been sent to me regarding this investigation. 
Requests Made and Not Received : Completion of the Transfer The funds have not been received by my XXXX XXXX  account, despite Western Union marking the transaction as " completed. '' A Full Refund of {$1300.00} Since the funds were never received, I have requested that the amount be refunded to my XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX account. Western Union has not processed the refund. 

Transaction Reference Number and SWIFT Confirmation Number On XX/XX/year>, I requested these details to help XXXX locate the funds, but Western Union claimed they do not have this information available. 

UETR ( Unique End-to-End Transaction Reference ) XXXX XXXX  directly requested this XXXX me to assist in tracking the funds. I provided Western Union with the correct email ( XXXX ) where they should send the UETR, but they have not confirmed that they have done so. 

A Clear Explanation of the Hold on the Funds Western Union has provided no written explanation as to why my transfer is under investigation or why my money remains on hold. 

Follow-Up and Resolution from the First Case ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) Western Union closed my original case without notifying me or providing any resolution. This forced me to escalate my complaint and open a new case ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ), which still remains unresolved. 

Notification of Any Action Taken Western Union has failed to inform me whether they have : XXXX XXXX XXXX  to resolve the issue Sent the requested transaction details to XXXX Released my funds or processed a refund Desired Resolution : I request that Western Union : Immediately release my funds via a full refund of {$1300.00} to my XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX account, as I no longer trust Western Unions ability to transfer my funds without delay. 
Provide a clear and documented explanation of why my funds have been placed on hold and why my transfer is being investigated. 
Provide the UETR number and any relevant transaction details to aid in tracking the funds and notify me once this has been sent. 
Improve their communication and handling of international transfers to prevent further financial distress for customers. 
As a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX living in XXXX, I depend on my XXXX  funds for daily living expenses. The continued delay and lack of transparency from Western Union have placed me in unnecessary financial hardship. 

I request that the CFPB intervene immediately to ensure Western Union either delivers my funds or processes a full refund.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation