Genuine Reasons to Use Western Union or Moneygram?

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Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 9:40 am

Ok, so i've been thinking of a potential way to reduce the risk of people getting scammed and figured that one way would be to compile a list of what people who genuinely and routinely use WU or Moneygram actually use them for and for who... My plan is to educate people that YES, WU or Moneygram can be useful (and i'm sure you will give many reasons how they can) but when alarm bells should start ringing and you shouldn't step within 10feet of them let alone hand over cash...

I look forward to your thoughts....

NTBS

Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 9:46 am

Useful purpose/reasons for using WU

Kids going on backpacking tour and moving round, not wanting to carry travellers cheques or much cash or running short on cash.

Emergency cash for holidaymakers stranded or run out of cash.

People without bank accounts - maybe who are a bad credit risk or barred from holding a bank account.

Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 9:54 am

Basically, never WU money to anybody who isn't family.`

Baiting Guru Joined: 17 Sep 2006 Posts: 5905

^^^^

Or a very close friend and by close friend we don't mean someone you have been talking to over the Internet for a few months. By close friend we mean someone you have actually met face to face and you have known them, as the saying goes were I'm from, "since Adam were a lad."

(The phrase "since Adam were a lad" could have different semantic connotations around here Laughing

I'm using lad to define boy in this context)

Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 10:13 am

Now I've wondered what if someone hacks your account.

We know a Lad will then send out a heap of begging mails or scams to all your contacts.

So I'd add a caveat even to close relatives - check by phone first.

419Eater is my life Joined: 07 Apr 2006 Posts: 441

I think the only genuine way is to wire money to some friends or remote relatives, who are streded in, let's say a hostile country and run out of cash for unforeseeable and very dubious reasons.

Especially if those relatives have injuries, let's say a wounded leg due to some reasons like unfriendly rebel fire.

Or if, for some reason, they brought improper clothing (e.g. long robes in a desert country) and need to hit the nearest boutique.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 03 Jul 2008 Posts: 78

Legitimate users of WU and MG?

College Students in the US use it a lot to get money from parents( per my co-workers)

Military Personel receiving money from family (personal experience)

Ex-Pats sending money to family back home (personal observation)

Some companies have bill payment available through MG

Legitimate Emergency (Personal experience, ran out of cash on vacation, boss WU some more)

Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 10:33 am

What about friendly rebel fire, Wurzgnubbel?

^What GP said. I have used WU once to help a friend in trouble. But it was a small sum and first aid only. I gave him the MTCN by phone when he was in a WU office picking up the funds. This arrangement was safe.

Usually seeing WU logo makes me smile and that is enough for me as to their services. Very Happy

Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 10:53 am

Gladesrunner´s "expats sending money home to their relatives"- my guess is that´s the most important single factor how WU and MG make their money. People who travel abroad for work and send large fractions of their earnings home to their family, who doesn´t have a bank account.

Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 12:35 pm

They are very expensive for small amounts (large amounts too I guess, but proportionately moreso for smaller amounts), so unless it's an emergency, it's uneconomic, but if there's no other option there's not much alternative apart from MG or the newer players in the market. Their lack of coverage would limit their attractiveness for Lads.

Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 2:41 pm

I live in an area where large numbers of people are from foreign countries. They often send money back to the relatives they left behind. You can tell when payday arrives by the lines at the WU offices. And you can tell the neighborhoods that are more heavily populated by immigrants because there are more WU offices there.

Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 6:03 pm

Several years ago I sold an item on Ebay to a guy in Spain.
Ebay does not recommend WU for purchases, but he went to WU and sent me the money ($70) without asking me if it was Ok.
I was able to pick it up in cash at a local grocery store which had a WU outlet.
I sent him his item and he was happy with it.
However, he was taking a chance.

Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 6:27 pm

I asked a WU service rep this very question not so long ago, and she gave me plenty of examples like the ones noted above.

In addition to streded loved ones, there are a number of business transactions (personal and corporate) where "hard cash right now" will seal the deal. A number of transactions require certified funds, and cash is about as certified as it gets. Real estate deals come to mind from my own experience; for some reason cash-money talks louder than all the credit cards in the world.

Streded loved ones is still really good though, I think WU did a commercial about that a while back.

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