Receiving payment via Western Union

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Kersh
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Location: Bad Gastein, Salzburgerland, Austria
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Receiving payment via Western Union

Post by Kersh »

Hello ... yep Western Union again. I've done a search an couldn't find anything definitive so thought i'd post.

We have some guests coming to our apartment during the ski season. I got all their details, address, names & ages of guests, blah blah blah .... I sent them the invoice asking them to pay IBAN and BIC to my Austrian account and they have now asked if they can pay via Western Union because it's better for them.

I have used Western Union once before with no problems but what are the pitfalls I should watch out for?

Thanks
Kersh
A-two
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Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 10:05 am
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Post by A-two »

Hi Kersh,
Only drawback is cost in my experience, the fees are high, but those are paid by the sender, not the receiver. So if you're returning a security deposit that way, you can go online and get an estimate of fees in advance if you want to add it to their bill. It's not like Paypal, where if you refund money, it refunds fees. I use it a few times a year to return obscure foreign currency security deposits because it's so much quicker and easier from here than anything else if not dealing in major currencies. I have never received any money that way, but wouldn't have a problem if someone asked, I think it's great. You will need to ask your guests for the MCTN (Money Control Transfer Number) , then take that with photo ID to any WU office in your country. Doesn't have to be any particular office, wherever is convenient for you. They are common here, but you can check your nearest location online, as you will have to physically go to there to pick it up. When sending money, you can pay online with CC, or go physically to a WU office. I don't know if they operate in same way in all countries, but here, you need to take the amount that you want to send in cash, they will not accept check or credit cards, it has to real dollar bills, including the fee. Hope this helps.


...oops, just saw that you already used them once before, so you probably know all this already. Anyway, maybe someone else might find it useful. I think WU only has a bad rap because it makes the recipient look dodgy if they ask you to pay that way, but since they are the ones asking, not you, it doesn't apply. I actually think it's really useful for some situations, like the one you're in. Just make sure everyone is OK with who is paying fees.
Last edited by A-two on Mon Sep 29, 2008 10:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Mountain Goat
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Post by Mountain Goat »

I'm sure it works fine in the States, but collecting a payment in the UK was a dire, time-wasting procedure going to some ****obscure pawn-broker in the nearest town - waste of half a day. Beyond frustrating rigmarole.

MG
A-two
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Post by A-two »

Mountain Goat wrote:I'm sure it works fine in the States, but collecting a payment in the UK was a dire
My nearest WU is the Customer Service Desk of my nearest supermarket, so it's a couple of miles down the road and couldn't be easier, but I can imagine it's not the same experience at all for you. Bad Luck. I have sent WU to Holland, an obscure Caribbean Island with a currency I had never heard of, and also Ireland, several times. All those people were fine with it. I guess it all depends where you are.
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Mamacats
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Post by Mamacats »

I think Western Union is a great idea and in Portugal we have WU located in our local Post Office less than a mile away.
When needed we accept payment for the kittens we place by WU and to date (10 years) hav had no problems.
Sincerely, Mamacats
Thimble collector and Ragdoll breeder
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