Anyone used Moneygram for payments?

[harcourtv57]

We have just had an enquiry from repeat guests who stayed in our apartment two years ago. Last time they paid cash on arrival as it was all fairly last minute. This time they want June and have asked to pay using Moneygram, which we have never used. Have looked it up and it seems they give you a reference number and you have to go to a Moneygram agent, usually a post office, to collect it. Has anyone any experience of this??

[LaVilleauTady]

harcourtv57, we have never used it, but your post has just prompted me to look into it.

I know it is a favoured tool of fraudsters and con-artists. Ebay will not allow you to accept payment via it because it is far too easy for someone to receive a payment and then disappear without sending on the goods bought.

I can't see any problem with using it to receive funds, so long as the renter is paying the fees.

Why anyone in the UK would want to use it I don't know - on a £375 moneygram the fees are £30 (8%), which are very high.
It is much cheaper than when sending money from the USA to the UK though.

[harcourtv57]

Hi thanks for your reply. I am a bit cautious about it I have to admit as I have not heard good things about it. However, they have stayed with us before and so I thought it would be ok. Its actually cheaper to pay using Paypal but they don't seem to want to do this - and bit inconvenient as it means us making a special trip to the post office.

[LaVilleauTady]

I would be quite happy to receive the rental payment via Moneygram as the risk is with the sender, not the reciever.

You do need to make sure that the sender knows it is them that are paying the fees though!