You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. Discussion in ' Ham Radio Discussions ' started by NG6R , Feb 1, Beware of accepting Western Union money orders! Not one easily frustrated and seldom angry, I just had a bad experience that could happen to anyone selling or in my case, giving away items on QRZ. I recently offered on QRZ.

Several hams responded to my ad and I had to choose only one. But, I also remembered that I had a used Slinky antenna and I offered the same deal to one of the non-selected responders.

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About a week later, I received two letters on the same day from my credit union, with copies of the money orders attached, stating that both had been returned. She also admitted that there is no way to determine why they would have been rejected. There is no contact info for the Wells Fargo facility in Colorado—it has no customer service.

So, I asked about options for getting my money.

There are two options. The only other option, particularly if the purchaser has thrown away that receipt, is for me, the recipient, to write up an affidavit attesting to the facts, HAVE IT NOTARIZED, and send it to Western Union. THERE ARE NO OTHER OPTIONS. Anomalies happen and no system is perfect. It could have been for a lot more money, thus necessitating that I take the actions necessary to retrieve these funds.

So, please be aware that you are definitely at risk accepting Western Union money orders for payment.

The money orders can be rejected and you may never be able to know why. I will not accept Western Union money orders for payment ever again. NG6R , Feb 1, This is why I won't accept any kind of money order or any kind of paper check from strangers any more. Too many scammers out there. NN4RH , Feb 1, Sorry to hear of your problems. Your problem is why I only use USPS Money Orders.

Refer to Maker | General Discussion | For Bankers. From Bankers

AB9SY , Feb 1, K4KYV , Feb 2, KM5FL , Feb 2, W0BTU , Feb 2, On a couple of occasions, a buyer has paid me with a USPS money order, and I immediately used it to pay the USPS flat rate fee for shipping the equipment. The USPS clerk even gave me correct change. Based on the OP's warning, and many other sorry tales involving Western Union, I shy away from any offer to buy equipment with a Western Union money order.

K9ZMD , Feb 2, Thanks for the warning but surely this is not a common occurrence. I don't think this is the usual "beware of scammers using Western Union" story.

That usually involves someone asking for payment by WU for some merchandise but they take the money and run. This sounds like WU's system just screwed up somewhere unless both these hams are crooks which sounds unlikely.

I wonder what would have happened if you had taken these to a WU agent and asked for cash. I think for bigger amounts they give you a prepaid Visa card. Obviously if you receive cash before sending the goods you're safe but with the Visa card, is there a danger that the balance could disappear from the card at a later date if the money order "bounces" or is the card as good as cash?

KT1F , Feb 2, K4KWH , Feb 2, Beware of accepting Western Union money orders Thank you for this valuable information. Let me tell you a TRUE story about paying for an airplane. In December , i purchased a Cessna in Gastonia, North Carolina.

The financing was was arranged by an assistant loan manager at a local bank. The bank had no part in the financing. The paper was financed by the owner's mother-in-law. After receiving a bill-of-sale defining the amount of the monthly payments, amount and due dates, I mailed a personal check for the first four or five payments.

Of course, they claimed they never received any of these. I promptly went to my bank, bought a certified check, mailed it "certified mail, return receipt requested", and RECEIVED the RECEIPT, yet the mother-in-law claimed she never received the check. Well to make a short story long, they tried to repossed the airplane.. The moral of this long story is: Even if you purchase a Bank Money Order or a Cashier's Check and mail it "Certified mail- Return Receipt Requested" and receive the delivery receipt If you don't believe it More details on this story if you are interested in details.

Later, the owner cashed ALL the checks I had sent. W4CBJ , Feb 2, You must log in or sign up to reply here.

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