Western Union

[Corvus]

Has anyone got any experience with sending money using Western Union?

We got a leaflet at home that basically said that our post office is offering the Western Union money service, but it\'s missing a lot of information, for example what it costs

So does anyone have any experience with this? What\'s the price of this thing? How does it work?

Thanks,

-Gerrie.

 

[Equus]

Think it\'s a wire transfer service. You can wire money to someone somewhere else, and I think the fee depends on what you\'re sending and the amount. Here\'s their FAQ for Belgium:

http://www.westernunion.com/info/faqMT.asp?country=BE#faqIntl9

Last time I had money wired to me was back in college. I think the fee was something like $10 US or so, but that was being wired from the credit union that my father manages to my bank account, so the fee was pretty much just cost for the wire itself without any additional administrative stuff.

 

[marineboy]

Western Union Instant Money Transfer is just what it sounds like... you go into a Western Union office, plunk your cash on the table, fill out the form and send the money into the system. The sender is furnished with a code that he/she gives to the receiver, that can draw the cash at any Western Union office throughout the world. Note that fees vary according to the amount sent and that you may be losing on the exchange rates.... not sure if the cash goes directly from Burundi rupees to Polish zloties, or if it is converted into US dollars first then from US dollars second. Check that out.
It works well and is fast,. Very painless, apart from the fees.

Western Union\'s auction tool, Bidpay, also works good for those who have issues with Paypal or who have used up their available balance before becoming verified (been there, done that). Note, though, that Bidpay is only fast within the US, checks drawn on Western Union may take a long time clearing in Europe. Used it a couple of times while waiting to verify, one check took six weeks to clear at a British bank.

Western Union is okay, Paypal is the better option if viable.

 

[supervike]

all I know about it is....

this:

OH SORRY...Thats Western ONION...my fault!!

 

[marineboy]

Originally posted by supervike
this:

OH SORRY...Thats Western ONION...my fault!!

lollollollollollollol

 

[Etherion]

Yes its fast. It gets anywhere within 30 minutes in the currency of the receiving country.

BUT

The Fees are just unbelievable, bordering on insanity.

Use Wire transfers or paypal if you can and avoid western union.

If it\'s really pressing, like: your Buddy just got robbed on vacation in some country and needs a hundred bucks asap. Then by all means - ok. Otherwise avoid.

Cheers

 

[Corvus]

okay thanks for the info guys

I\'m pretty happy with PayPal, and I thought it would be good to also offer Western Union, if that is cheaper for me of course

But from what I read here, it seems to be a bit more expensive...

thanks

 

[marineboy]

If you\'re thinking about using Bidpay as a payment option for people buying from you (and you\'re living in the states, sorry fogot to look) you can be registered and payment will go directly into your checking account, I believe. Cheaper than a money transfer and pretty painless, buyer pays handling fees. A good option for those not wishing to use paypal.