how to use western union?

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
33,996
83
0
Your name and your telephone number.
She then tells you amount sent and gives you the WU number.
When you pick it up they ask for cedula for iD and will ask you your phone number.
If in dollars ask for money in pesos as WU often have fake dollar bills

Matilda

true words, Matilda. i have heard that many a time and oft. the telephone number is not vital. i have always told them that i have no phone! i am leery about revealing more personal information than i have to.
 

Aguaita29

Silver
Jul 27, 2011
2,707
369
83
I`ve sent money to the US through Western Union a couple of times and what I`ve needed is: city n state, zip code, name and phone number of the person.

My mother once had to wire me money to the States too after I had my purse, credit cards and cash stolen in California.
 

bronzeallspice

Live everyday like it's your last
Mar 26, 2012
11,009
2
38
[If in dollars ask for money in pesos as WU often have fake dollar bills] Matilda



Thanks, this is good to know, as I wasn't aware of.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,262
364
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Come on man, it's 2013! You're browser is open on dr1.com and you're trying to tell me you couldn't open an other browser?
(...) But maybe my advice to actually contact them yourself was wrong. My bad.

looks like it was. would i find on WU page that their dollar bills are often fake? or that it takes days to clear the transaction and sometimes it does not work? you are underestimating the wealth of knowledge of dr1ers. this is why i ask here rather than call WU: because not only they will answer my questions in more details but also they will share experiences and stories. that it priceless.
 

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
33,996
83
0
looks like it was. would i find on WU page that their dollar bills are often fake? or that it takes days to clear the transaction and sometimes it does not work? you are underestimating the wealth of knowledge of dr1ers. this is why i ask here rather than call WU: because not only they will answer my questions in more details but also they will share experiences and stories. that it priceless.

exactly!! i am sure that you garner far more info asking fellow posters here, than you do with some boilerplate answer from WU. some dude at a call center does not care too much if you get fake bills at your end.
 

Taca?o

New member
Dec 30, 2012
110
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exactly!! i am sure that you garner far more info asking fellow posters here, than you do with some boilerplate answer from WU. some dude at a call center does not care too much if you get fake bills at your end.

LOL! Since when did we mixed fake bills in this conversation!?!? Next thing you're going to tell me if you need inf. from a certain bank it's not wise to go there yourself because they wouldn't tell you there is a chance that the bank could be robbed that day.

I must be living in a different time zone or whatever, I'm used to the fact of when you need service from a certain company it's wise to contact them yourself or just to go there if it's not too much to asked.

It's not a life / death situation but again, one is saying an ID isn't necessary and I say I had to bring mine BECAUSE WESTERN UNION REQUIRES THAT AND THEY TAKE A COPY OF YOUR ID!

If just one small detail is something we have to argue about, who's side needs to be picked? The side of the person you like best? Then you go to the office to find out things aren't the way as people told you it would've been.

But okay, nobody dies if you go back home to get your ID anyway or to get something else you've forget.
 

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
33,996
83
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LOL! Since when did we mixed fake bills in this conversation!?!? Next thing you're going to tell me if you need inf. from a certain bank it's not wise to go there yourself because they wouldn't tell you there is a chance that the bank could be robbed that day.

I must be living in a different time zone or whatever, I'm used to the fact of when you need service from a certain company it's wise to contact them yourself or just to go there if it's not too much to asked.

It's not a life / death situation but again, one is saying an ID isn't necessary and I say I had to bring mine BECAUSE WESTERN UNION REQUIRES THAT AND THEY TAKE A COPY OF YOUR ID!

If just one small detail is something we have to argue about, who's side needs to be picked? The side of the person you like best? Then you go to the office to find out things aren't the way as people told you it would've been.

But okay, nobody dies if you go back home to get your ID anyway or to get something else you've forget.

i am not going to get into a back and forth about a triviality like this. let us just chalk this one up to personal experience. i have sent, and received, numerous WU transfers, and i have never had to give them ID to send. neither here, nor in the US. to receive, the answer is obvious.
 

Africaida

Gold
Jun 19, 2009
7,774
1,341
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ID top receive, never to send.

WU is the easiest, I can't believe you started a thread on that DV8. I thought everybody knew lol :)
 

Omar_NYC

New member
Mar 22, 2013
297
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0
I've sent money via Western Union online from the US. It costs more than Xoom, but it's very easy and the money is available to recipient in minutes.

Xoom will send the money to the recipient's home via Caribe Express; something Western Union doesn't offer if I recall correctly.

You don't need ID to send if doing it online. They don't even verify the bank account you're sending from is actually yours. Figures. In DR, recipient needs their cedula for courier to release funds.
 

Castle

Silver
Sep 1, 2012
2,982
1
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In WU they won't believe a nice looking girl like dv8 has never received any money that way, so I guess she thought it was pointless to ask them...
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,262
364
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WU is the easiest, I can't believe you started a thread on that DV8. I thought everybody knew lol :)

no, i never used them. prior to my arrival to DR i never even knew WU existed even thou i was vaguely aware there were methods of sending money from country to country since that stuff is popular in the UK as well, but i have never done that, even in london.
i know where is WU located since i shop in jose luis on weekly basis but i never even stepped close to their booth. i did not realize you had to fill up some papers to get money, i thought you presented an ID and voila, done...
 

Omar_NYC

New member
Mar 22, 2013
297
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0
You don't fill out papers. The person who sends you the money does; if they visit a Vimenca or Western Union store to send it. If you're receiving money, all you need is your ID.
 

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
33,996
83
0
You don't fill out papers. The person who sends you the money does; if they visit a Vimenca or Western Union store to send it. If you're receiving money, all you need is your ID.

you do fill out a receiving form, upon which you put your information, the sender's name and the country of origin of the transfer, and, critically, the MTCN number. they also ask how much money was sent, but you can ignore that field and tell them that you do not know. you have to fill out the form, or how else will you have a receipt document?
 

Omar_NYC

New member
Mar 22, 2013
297
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Western Union sends me the transaction number; or MTCN; via email and I track it this way if need be.

Maybe they do make recipient fill out something before they release funds. But the times I've sent money, the recipient hasn't mentioned having to do this.
 
Feb 7, 2007
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Por ejemplo, this guy is giving you the next advice:

by the way, you need some ID to receive, but not to send.


While it happened to me twice that I couldn't send money because I didn't bring my ID with me.

It used to be that way, you could send even with no ID, but since some time back (about 2 years or so) you need an ID to send.
 

PJT

Silver
Jan 8, 2002
3,767
489
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What is needed.

What is needed to receive a remittance.

1.) The number of the transfer, a ten digit code, the MTCN (money transfer code number)
2.) You need a valid ID. Make sure the remitter spells your name as on your ID.
3.) The complete name of the remitter, as same on transfer.
4.) The total amount of cash you are waiting for.
5.) Origin country of the transfer.


Regards,

PJT

PS advice/warning: do not use a cedula or SS number for the transfer.
 
Feb 7, 2007
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i did not realize you had to fill up some papers to get money, i thought you presented an ID and voila, done...

In Caribe Express, it is just like that. You say your name, sender's name and show ID. No form to fill. Caribe Express is cheaper than Western Union, but takes longer. Another option to consider is MoneyGram, it is generally cheaper than Western Union for cash-in-the-counter payment types, and is as fast as WU. Here, they work with banks like Progreseo and Banreservas.
 

suarezn

Gold
Feb 3, 2002
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DV8: As someone already mentioned I would tell your friend to just use Xoom and have the money delivered to your home. Much cheaper and much less hassle for everyone. He/She can do this online and you don't have to go anywhere to pick up the money (safer as well). WU is a big hassle the first time you send and way more expensive.