TheSamba.com :: View topic - Question about Western Union money orders

Tue Jan 29, 2008 4:24 pm

I recently told a buyer that i wanted a postal money order and he sent me a western union money order.I went to western union to see if they would cash it and they said "no" at two different western union stores.I then told him i would just send the money order back (this was on a sunday i beleive)he then stated to me that he had to go back oversee's and he would could not wait and that he was leaving to go back oversees by that friday.My question is it normal for western union not to cash there own money orders?It just seemed to fishy to me.

Tue Jan 29, 2008 4:52 pm

forgery

Tue Jan 29, 2008 5:31 pm

Return it and wash your hands. If he is really going overseas, how would he expect to get what he bought anyway.

Tue Jan 29, 2008 6:05 pm

Western Union does not cash their own money orders. You have to deposit them in your bank.

It's stupid.

Tue Jan 29, 2008 8:29 pm

after selling something on the samba i received a western union money order. i went to cash it at a western union office. they let me cash it but charged me a fee!!!!!!!! i believe it was about ten bucks for a $75 m.o. i told them forget it and took the m.o. to my bank and deposited it there. they suck.

Tue Jan 29, 2008 8:31 pm

Western Union does not stand behind their product.

US Postal Money Orders are the way to go. If you screw someone over the Postal cops come and knock on your door.

Tue Jan 29, 2008 10:02 pm

I too have rec`d W.U. payments. The local WU office was willing to cash it but for a high fee which seemed a bit steep at the time so I opted to just deposit the payment to my bank acct and sit on it till it cleared as would a personal check. I also informed the buyer because he did not send my preferred method of payment (PayPal or US post office m.o.) he was to wait till actual payment was made to my acct. Why people don`t follow simple rules/requests is beyond me. Is PayPal or a US post office money order too much to as for?? I may accept other forms of payment BUT ONLY IF it has been previously agreed to by me.

Marks VW Haus

Wed Jan 30, 2008 6:10 am

thanks guys,i did send the m/o back and told the guy i was not going to sell to him ,(to many inconsistant stories)he should have just sent me a postal m/o like i told him in the begining,but he insisted i take the western union but he did not want to wait till it cleared (because he had to go back oversee's)

Wed Jan 30, 2008 2:46 pm

I work at Albertsons in So-Cal, and I handle a large amount of money orders and Moneygram. My company for whatever reasons are really weird about cashing other money orders such as Western Union and even bank and postal ones too. We cannot cash any money orders other than our own, like it has to say Albertson's Moneygram money orders. If I get a Moneygram M.O from Walmart, we can't accept it either. Pretty much the only thing to do is to is put it in your checking account and hope it goes through. Or if you're really smart you can call the 1(800) number from their website or on the back of the M.O and call it in to see if its good for the amount on there, all you need to know it the M.O number on the check and the amount, and no questions asked.

Eric

Wed Jan 30, 2008 8:01 pm

Unsecure cashing of any type of "check/money order" is risky to anyone/bussiness but the issuer, because the issuer is really the only source to identify a forged check or to verify funds. With that said, if you cash it at your bank, your account is at risk of covering the funds. It copuld take many weeks befor a forged/counterfit check make it to orginators (issuers bank) and be detected and investigate as fraud. The best and easiest place would be the US Post office, they scan the checks for forgery/fraud prior to cashing it in front of you.

x

Thu Apr 03, 2008 11:45 pm

I am currently in the process of selling an item here, the buyer is in mexico, I told him I will only accept paypal payment. I think it would be the safest way. He replies with this;

Do you accept money order? if so i need your account number your full name and address.
western union.....sorry to ask, but why not? are you a drug dealer or are you on the fbi most wanted list?
western union is as simple as you find an office of western union you identify your self and you give them a secret number
that i will give you. Pay pal sorry no way last time i used didnt see that the http adress was distinct in one letter so i entered transfer money and the next thing i know all of my savings of all my life were emptied from my bank account.
The bank didnt take any responsability.
i lost a lot of money.
so only the amount you require ill transfer. NO PAYPAL SORRY. I wont make you rich by giving to you all of my life savings.
Just will transfer 200 usd + 120 usd .
any other payment option?
suggest another if you know any.

Why would he need my account number? 'm not feeling to comfortable selling to him now. thanks for any help

Thu Apr 03, 2008 11:47 pm

I forgot to mention in a previous email I sent to this person I told him I would only use paypal, and I would not accept any money order.

Fri Apr 04, 2008 5:27 am

xeno wrote: Unsecure cashing of any type of "check/money order" is risky to anyone/bussiness but the issuer, because the issuer is really the only source to identify a forged check or to verify funds. With that said, if you cash it at your bank, your account is at risk of covering the funds. It copuld take many weeks befor a forged/counterfit check make it to orginators (issuers bank) and be detected and investigate as fraud.

What he said!

My bank told me to forget about the "5" or "10 business day" hold as being an absolute "all clear" signal, when depositing things like Western Union money orders, or personal checks in your account. They said that the thing can be declared "bad" at virtually any point, at which point it is *your account* that will be debited for the amount of the bad WUMO/personal check.

Like Glenn said, United States Postal Service Postal Money Orders are the way to go, in order to not have to put your own funds at risk (ref. the scenario outlined above).

But there is another possible "bugaboo" with USPS Postal Money Orders: If you try to cash one at a Post Office for a *large* amount, they may not be able to do it for you, since they only have the cash that's in their drawers, and they *won't* "go and see the manager" to get more cash to give you. And you don't want to "f" around with Post Office workers too much--they'll *go off* on you (speaking from personal experience here)! I finally did find one helpful USPS worker, however, who called to another local "inner city" USPS office, where evidently lots of people with low incomes (and/or drug money incomes?!) go to *buy* lots of USPS Postal Money Orders, with which to pay their bills, and what-not. *That* place happened to have a lot of cash in the drawer, and was finally able to cash my large-sum USPS Postal Money Order. So, maybe another suggestion would be to ask the buyer to supply you with a few lower-dollar-value USPS Postal Money orders, if you're selling a "big ticket" type of item.

Fri Apr 04, 2008 5:55 am

even if the check looks good and they cash it,you are still responsible for that check until it clears.

Fri Apr 04, 2008 8:45 am

If he is talking about a Western Union money order, I would say no.

If he is talking about wiring you money via Western Union, which it sounds like it is since he talks about a "secret number," this is ok. You go to the local Western Union Office (grocery store or wherever) with this pick-up number and they give you cash in your hand.

He does not need any of your bank information for this. He does need your full name and address because they verify who you are when you pick up the funds.

I don't know what he is talking about with Paypal, it sounds like maybe he fell victim to a phishing email and gave someone all of his personal information. This is not Paypal's fault, this is his mistake.

Fri Apr 04, 2008 12:14 pm

Thanks, If he is wiring money, I will accept, but when he started asking for my bank account I thought that wasn't necessary. Again thanks.

Fri Apr 04, 2008 1:51 pm

Western Union Money Orders are a complex issue. I ask for USPS Money Orders only for the reasons mentioned in the earlier posts, however, it's not always a simple matter. Turns out that many local and regional grocery chains sell Western Union Money Orders. They do this because it brings in business from people who do not have a bank account or who wish to send money out of the country without having to deal with the US Postal Service and its Money Orders. I have received several Western Union Money Orders- all for small sums. When this happened I was faced with the choice betweensending the payment back and offending the buyer or cashing the money order at my bank before sending payment and hoping the money order was legitimate. As the amounts were both small, I accepted the risk. However, I am very clear about accepting ONLY USPS money orders in all of my emails and ads. At this point, I don't think it's worth the added trouble or the time to deal with Western Union Money Orders for any reason.

Fri Apr 04, 2008 2:05 pm

But can a buyer outside the U.S. purchase a USPS money order?

Fri Apr 04, 2008 6:04 pm

buyer from outside the US can buy a Western-Union-Money-Transfer. That is the one with a number you have to provied to get the money. The fee the buyer has to pay is high, but that is just the way it is.