Don't Use Money Orders (Especially Western Union)

[Flagg]

Just a preface: If a mod or admin doesn't feel this is an appropriate forum, please HoS it but I'd appreciate if it were not locked unless it deteriorates.

So over 6 months ago we sent our rent via a Western Union money order as usual, finally catching up on our rent after being behind due to our car being totaled (2 in the span of less than a year). However, it was stolen, badly forged (a sharpy was used to cross out my mom's name and another name that's barely legible was written with a ballpoint pen) and either the fuckwit who cashed it was blind or in on it. We don't know who stole it (my guess is that it was someone at the Coldwell Banker Bain office) but we have the carbon copy and that's all you'd need to get you $1000 back, right? WRONG!

So we are notified that we have to fill out a shitton of forms, had them notarized and faxed (Really? Faxed? Is this 1985? Does Marty McFly need to go back?) everything required in June. So it's 5 months later, well past the 90-100 days Western Union said it would take to investigate and decide whether to refund the stolen money. That's right kids, the giant corporation gets to decide whether or not they will refund you when one of their agents (as far as I'm concerned the dust-queefers behind the Western Union money order counter are essentially their agents even if they get paid by Fred Meyer) fucks up to the extent they did, assuming they weren't in on it (which considering how badly forged it was is a giant assumption but I'll give Grandma Moses the benefit of the doubt for now).

So now it's November and... Western Union claims they never got the paperwork despite faxing it with the person notarizing it and 3 other witnesses at the local rental office (we have to mail the rent to the office 20+ miles away) present. And we know they got it.

Now we get to wait for another set of paperwork from Western Union, fill it out, get it notarized, and fax both the carbon copy and the copy of the horribly forged money order again, and wait another 90-100 days for them to "investigate" (which should last 30 seconds and consist of simply looking at carbon copy, then horribly forged copy, then sending a check) it and decide if they want to send a check.

So don't use money orders. If you do, the "safest" are postal money orders, but that's relative. And never use Western Union.

On Monday my mom is calling legal aid to try and get advice (we can't afford a lawyer since we're on a fixed income) and if it comes to it, calling the local media since Western Union is fucking with an Army Vet on disability due to having Lupus, and her disabled son.

[LadyTevar]

Nitram had a check stolen out of our mailbox, it was one of the big reasons we left the East End. It was cashed in another town, at a grocery store, with a forged signature that looked nothing like Nitram's, and the bastards at the store took 3 months to admit they'd fucked up and cashed a stolen check, even with the WV State Treasury breathing down their necks.

[Soontir C'boath]

There is a con happening now where people are fishing USPS mailboxes for checks that people drop in and then cashing them.

[General Zod]

File a claim in small claims court against Western Union. The fees are minimal and if you have enough evidence getting a settlement is doable. At least one person I know does this regularly when he gets fucked over.

[Broomstick]

There is a con happening now where people are fishing USPS mailboxes for checks that people drop in and then cashing them.

That's not new, it's just coming around again after a few years' hiatus.

[Flagg]

File a claim in small claims court against Western Union. The fees are minimal and if you have enough evidence getting a settlement is doable. At least one person I know does this regularly when he gets fucked over.

That's something that we'll be talking about with legal aid. The problem is that we may have to file where they are based and it could very well cost more than was stolen.

[Broomstick]

When I went to small claims court the filing fees were under $100. I can't speak to what they are in your area, but they may be less than you fear.

Do talk things over with legal aid.

[General Zod]

File a claim in small claims court against Western Union. The fees are minimal and if you have enough evidence getting a settlement is doable. At least one person I know does this regularly when he gets fucked over.

That's something that we'll be talking about with legal aid. The problem is that we may have to file where they are based and it could very well cost more than was stolen.

That may be a tactic they use to discourage suits but there's no reason you can't file against the branch that issued the money order. Or the manager in charge of the store that let it get cashed.

[Elfdart]

Use US Post Office money orders. They are prompt and thorough if there's ever a problem.

[Starglider]

I assume this is due to the ludicrously uncompetitive US consumer banking market, where direct funds transfer costs $30ish. The cost in Europe is usually free and worst case $5ish (for up to $20000). Still hard to imagine that messing around with slips of paper and signatures and ID and physical cashiers is cheaper than just an online banking click and a handshake between two bank databases.

[Edi]

The US badly needs to leave the stone age and finally ditch checks in favor of an interoperable electronic banking system, chip cards and other modernity.

[General Zod]

The US badly needs to leave the stone age and finally ditch checks in favor of an interoperable electronic banking system, chip cards and other modernity.

Unfortunately that would require a significant banking regulations overhaul that isn't likely to happen under President Trump. Especially since banks love to nickel and dime people to death for their profits.