Western Union Money Transfer - Confused!
[Deleted User]
Posts: 1,372
Forum Member
✭✭✭
Has anyone here had any experience sending money via Western Union? We're booking a hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam, and the hotel has asked for a deposit to be paid and they've given us 3 options on how to pay the deposit:
1. Using Western Union
2. Sending credit/debit card details via email (Which i am NOT prepared to do)
3. Bank transfer (i'm not happy with the bank charge on this one)
I was going to do it by Western Union, but i am not sure what to do when it comes to making the payment. Do i have the money delivered to the address of the hotel? Or to the (confusing looking) address of the hotel manger, which he also provided in the email?
Or do i go about it some other way? Some people on other forums say i shouldn't need to pay a deposit at all, but others say Western Union is not a problem.
Cheers!
1. Using Western Union
2. Sending credit/debit card details via email (Which i am NOT prepared to do)
3. Bank transfer (i'm not happy with the bank charge on this one)
I was going to do it by Western Union, but i am not sure what to do when it comes to making the payment. Do i have the money delivered to the address of the hotel? Or to the (confusing looking) address of the hotel manger, which he also provided in the email?
Or do i go about it some other way? Some people on other forums say i shouldn't need to pay a deposit at all, but others say Western Union is not a problem.
Cheers!
0
Comments
Western Union is designed as a payment system for people who know each other. There is no protection if anything goes wrong.
You would probably be safer sending your card details over Email tbh - at least your card would be protected if the details were hijacked and used fraudulentally.
Christ, you really are ultra-paranoid if you wont give card details over the phone!
Your card is a thousand times more safer than any WU transaction, believe me!
I use my card daily over the phone, never had one instance of fraud - but even if someone was to hijack the use of my card, VISA would stop the card, and refund all money.
Don't worry and enjoy your trip
LOL yeah i must admit i am paranoid!:o Cheers for that man, i'll give them a bell.
Don't use a debit card use a credit card and your money (their money actually) is safe and certainly don't go near Western Union!!
Sorry, OP, not suggesting your hotel is in any way fraudulent - I just mean I wouldn't use WU as presumably there's a good reason why these people use it.
I'd agree with everyone else - use a credit card and you're far more protected.
Have a great trip.
No the hotel ain't fraudulent, i know people who went to the same hotel a couple of years ago, the trouble is that since then the hotel have changed their way of dealing with bookings. I think i'll give the WU a miss then and go with Visa card instead.
Cheers everyone for your advice!
I have only used them once. I went into a post office here and they transferred the money to a WU office in Conakry. The person went along to the office in Conakry and picked it up once I had paid this end. Can you pay direct to the hotel? I thought one had to use WU offices. Unless I am totally mixing this up with something else all together.
Edit. Sorry OP, I see you have already decided to give WU a miss. I need to pay more attention in future.:)
That sounds really dodgy to me.