Anyone used Moneygram?

[Raucous]

I'm trying to buy T3 using Moneygram but they have asked me to call to give more information before processing it. Has anyone else had this and if so what do they ask for? The company said that they can refuse to make the payment if it is for purchasing medication so i wondered what I should tell them it is for if they ask?

[Raucous]

So I have just called Moneygram to process my payment and they asked what my relationship to the person was and what I was sending money for. I said it was a business relationship and I was purchasing nutritional supplements.....WRONG thing to say. They declined my transaction. Help! Was I too honest? what have other people done?

[Hidden in reply to Raucous]

I've used Western Union, paid in person with cash at a supermarket chain. No questions asked.

[Raucous in reply to Hidden]

Yes I thought I'd try paying in person - I think Moneygram is slightly cheaper so I'll try that first!

[Hidden in reply to Raucous]

The first time I made a bank transfer it was over £30 in charges although some banks were only charging something like £10. WU charge around £11 I think.

[Raucous in reply to Hidden]

The Moneygram charge was £4.50 but if I can get my western union account verified it seems to be £2.90 if you do it online by bank transfer rather than £4.90 for credit or debit card...was £11 for doing it in person at a Western Union location?

[jade_s]

I paid online via Western Union. Bank transfer was way more expensive (and slower), and I didn't check Moneygram. I said it was a gift.

[Raucous]

I don't mean bank transfer via my bank, but once on western union site having said I wanted to pay cash to Greece, there is a choice of making the payment by credit/debit card - £4.90, bank transfer - £2.90, or faster payments bank transfer - £2.90. I've not completed this request yet as I still have to send documents to verify my account but that was the price I was given when opting to send 40 euros to Greece.

Maybe I will discover it changes when i actually try to make the payment.....

[Hidden in reply to Raucous]

I didn't want a WU account or anything linking my bank cards hence paying cash in person. Found the WU site difficult to use and understand.

[AndiRiley]

I told them the payment was for collectable postage stamps and that although I had not dealt with the person before - he came highly recommended on one of the stamp collecting web forums I use Lies lies lies

[Raucous in reply to AndiRiley]

Very inventive AndiRiley! Might use that if I need to

[Zephyrbear]

I just said it was a business transaction for 'goods' supplied. Didn't specify what goods... Good news is now you can do your Moneygram transactions in your local Tesco store as they now act as their agents. So you can now get your T3 from Tesco!!! Every little helps!

[Raucous in reply to Zephyrbear]

Unfortunately I have no Tescos nearby!

[Hidden in reply to Raucous]

I used Sainsbury's.

[Raucous]

I'm waiting to get my WU account verified and will the see how I get on...

[Hillwoman]

I used Western Union a few months ago to make a credit card payment to Greece. The WU website wasn't very user-friendly, but I got through it eventually with instructions from the seller. I think I just had to state to WU that it was a commercial transaction. The cc issuer blocked the payment until I told them I knew the person I was sending the payment to. Not true, of course, but the seller has been recommended by members here, so an off-white lie.

I haven't had to verify my WU account yet. Does anyone know at what stage they request more info from you?

[Raucous in reply to Hillwoman]

When I registered It told me that I couldn't make a payment online until my account was verified - you can probably make payments in person without verifying your account. They emailed almost straight away and asked for copies of driving license or passport & a utility bill in order to verify my account.

[Kitten1978]

Yes, they asked me to call them as well. I was asked whether I personally knew the person I was sending money to and what it was for. I told them it was a friend of mine and I owed them some money. They also asked me whether I was planning to send "my friend" more money in the future. I said that perhaps but not in the very near future. I wasn't too happy about having to go through the grilling over the phone - it made me fell like I was doing something wrong! They authorised my money transfer.

[Gcart]

I just said it was a gift. No questions asked.