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Western Union

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Omega1982:
I've been traveling to the fsu since 2012.  This year I decided to visit Spain, Morocco and Turkey.  There's been a couple of women I've been somewhat serious with which for whatever reason I've sent maybe $100 or $200 for a birthday, a daughters birthday or something else.  I've also paid a travel agent and a driver I had in Moscow through Western Union.  Always in the low hundreds.  When I would go in person to make a transfer there was always some silly woman asking me do you know the person you're sending to.  Once I was sending like $50 to my good friend Katya in Belarus to pay for the letter of invitation which was like $20 and I figured I'd give her an extra $30 for her efforts.  Katya is a woman that has helped me tremendously and has also taught me a lot of Russian.  I thought that question was out of place, especially for a small amount. So then I decided to make the next transaction online.  Last week I tried to make a transaction for $150 and I got an e mail that the transaction was on hold and that they needed a copy of my driver's license to verify who I am.  I didn't want to sent the id over the internet so I went in person and then they diredcted me to the 1/800 number which then directed me to the e mail once again so I had to send it.  By this time I decided to cancel the transaction but I wanted to show them that it was me and that my account was not hacked.  Is this normal?  Why would a person have to go through all these troubles for a transaction in the low hundreds us.  Its always small amounts which I send and I don't send every month.  But sometimes things come up like once that I had to send $60 to an apartment owner from Siberia for some miscellaneous expense I forgot to pay, I  think it was two airport transfers which I requested.  Have we become this paranoid in the us of a? 

AvHdB:
I would try to use MoneyGram. I have not used Western Union in maybe five years because of customer service became challenged with stupid questions. For what is worth Money Gram is cheaper.

As I understand on the receivers side less issues and for the sender rather simple a phone at CVS.

SL0413:
I agree with Av - use moneygram.

I used WU to send money to my niece in Huston - don't ask, long story - and they gave me a hard time when attempting it online.  I eventually went to a Rite Aid pharmacy and handed them cash to send - any other method was a hassle.  The all-cash transaction went fine, albeit with a hefty fee.

I used moneygram recently and that was a breeze. 

msmoby:
I wouldn't use either

Transferwise.com - by the founders of SKYPE - far better and cheaper

andrewfi:
I think it is safe to say that you probably fit the profile of people flagged for checks in order to save some men from themselves. (multiple, non-negligible payments to multiple women in Russia, Ukraine, China etc.)

Guys sending money via Western Union to bints various in other countries is something of a cliche and caused WU a bit of negative PR a while back. Although it might seem reasonable to assume that adult men are able to know what they are doing there were enough usaians who complained that they were not being protected from their own foolishness that WU felt forced to start asking men questions designed to protect them from their own silliness.

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