WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFERS & MONEY ORDERS

• You can wait for the receiver to become available again to pick up the money. If after 4 weeks it has not been picked up, you will need to contact us to renew the waiting time on the money transfer.
• You can have the name changed to someone else for them to be able to pick the money up.
• You can choose to reverse the transfer and get the principal money you sent back. The send fee will not be returned.

Q: How long does it take for my money to be available to the person receiving it?

A: In most cases, it only takes moments for the money to be made available. This will of course depend on the time it is in the country being sent to and whether an agent is open at that time. Government regulations of the sending or receiving country may impose a time penalty depending on amount of money being sent, the name of the sender or receiver or some other bureaucratic rule. Technical difficulties may also limit the speed at which the money can be received.

 

Q: I got a free phone call the last time I sent money with Western Union. How come I didn't get one this time?

A: Western Union periodically does promotions where they will include a free telephone call to a particular country, region or anywhere in the world. These promotions may not always be available and there may be restrictions imposed by Western Union. Telexperts-The Ship Centre has also done promotions in the past where a free phone card was provided to people sending money via Western Union.

Money Transfer Payouts - Someone has sent you money and you need to come in to pick it up.

 

Q: I was sent money but my name is spelled wrong. How do I get my money?

A: You will have to contact the sender of the money and have them go back to their Western Union agent and have them make the correction. You may then come back in with your ID to be able to get your money from us. Please contact us to see if we are able to assist on this for you.

 

Q: I was sent US Dollars in a money transfer and I would like to receive US Dollars. Is this possible?

A: Western Union sends in the currency of the country and pays out in the currency of the country, although in some countries US Dollars and/or Euros may also be available. In Canada, payouts are ONLY in Canadian Dollars, no matter what currency was used to send the funds to you. A cheque is issued for payment, and if we have enough cash available, we may also be able to cash the cheques we issue for you.

Quick Collect - A Quick Collect is a method of making a bill payment to companies that have registered with Western Union.

Q: Can I pay a Quick Collect with my credit card or by cheque or by money order?

A: Telexperts-The Ship Centre accepts cash, debit card or a verifiable bank draft made payable to "Telexperts." We do NOT accept credit cards due to the discount rate which is the amount the credit card companies deduct from us for the privilege of accepting credit cards for payment. We do NOT accept cheques or certified cheques due to the ease with which they may be forged. We do NOT accept money orders as a person had to pay to buy one and is paying again to send money, thus it is possible for this to be a money laundering technique. If bringing in a bank draft, please ensure you have the name of the teller and a direct phone number (with extension if required) that we can call as one method to verify the bank draft.

 

Q: What is a code city?

A: A Code City is a simple way of differentiating different departments of a company that accept payment. A company may have an office in many cities, but all the accounting for all the branches resides in one location. That is the Code City being referred to, not the branch location that might accept payments.

 

Q: Can I get a list of the companies that offer Quick Collect payments?

A: The list of companies that accept Quick Collect is large and continually changing as new companies are added and code cities change due to company changes. Telexperts has a terminal that connects into Western Union directly and is unable to provide a list. You can contact the company you are interested in making a payment to and asking them if they support bill payments made via Quick Collect, or ask us if the company is listed. Be aware that one part of the company may accept Quick Collects, but another may not.

 

Q: What is the cost of a Quick Collect?

A: The amount of a Quick Collect is usually $15.00, up to $5,000.00 being sent. This can vary upwards a bit or be reduced by the receiver company down to zero as an incentive for you to pay them. We do not know the Quick Collect cost until we look it up on the computer terminal.

Money Orders - A money order is a physical piece of paper that is issued like a cheque and that money order is then given or transported to the person/company and accepted for payment. Telexperts offers Canadian and US Dollar money orders.

Q: Can a US Dollar Money Order be sent to some place outside of North America?

A: Since it is a piece of paper, it can be sent anywhere, but our experience is that it will not always be accepted by the bank/financial institution outside of Canada and the USA. In these cases, you would be better off doing a money transfer to the person in that country. We have had clients who sent a US Dollar money order to Poland and the Philippines who have had it accepted, but others also had it rejected and returned to them from these same countries. It will depend on the bank that is accepting the money order.

 

Q: Can I pay for a money order with my credit card or by cheque or by money order?

A: Telexperts-The Ship Centre accepts cash or debit/Interac card only for money orders. We do accept US Dollars in paper currency at par for US Dollar money orders. We do NOT accept credit cards due to the discount rate which is the amount the credit card companies deduct from us for the privilege of accepting credit cards for payment. We do NOT accept cheques or certified cheques due to the ease with which they may be forged. We do NOT accept money orders as a person had to pay to buy one and is paying again to buy another money order, thus it is possible for this to be a money laundering technique or the money order may be fraudulent.

 

Q: What is the cost for a money order?

A: Canadian money orders are CAD$1.50 up to $500.00 and CAD$2.25 up to $1,000.00. US Dollar money orders are USD$2.00 up to USD$500.00.

 

Q: How can I find out if the money order has been cashed or if the money order I have received is valid?

A: You can call Western Union's automated line at 1-800-999-9660. Follow the prompts, entering the money order number and amount through the telephone keypad. The system will give you information on the money order. Please be aware that due to the timeline required for money orders to clear the financial institution, a money order may not have been processed at the time you call. You should ensure that you are able to take action if the money order has been cancelled or is fraudulent.

 

Q: How can I tell if a money order is fraudulent?

A: There are a number of security measures embedded in Western Union money orders, similar to cheques and bank drafts.

• Printed text - ALL Western Union Money Orders are created in a money order machine, meaning that there is printed (not hand-written) text indicating the agent and the value of the money order. The only three places for hand writing is the signature line, the pay to line and the sender name/address line.
• Micro printing - Fine printing around the edge of the money order and other locations - Copies will have the microprinting smudged or unreadable. You may need a magnifying glass to be able to see the microprinting on the money order.
• Put the money order under a black light/counterfeit detector. Western Union Money orders are printed with special paper that have embedded artifacts that glow under the black light.

 

Q: I bought a money order and made it out to a person/company, but then the purpose for the money order didn't go through and I now have a money order I can't do anything with. How do I get my money back?

A: You can simply write on the back of the money order NOT USED FOR PURPOSE INTENDED, sign the money order (signatures on the front and back have to match) and then deposit it into your own bank account. Your bank may put a hold on the money order funds until the money orders clear the financial processing that occurs. Telexperts-The Ship Centre may be able to cash Canadian money orders it has created, dependent on the amount of cash we have available at the time. We are NOT able to cash other Western Union agent money orders or other companies money orders or cheques.

 

Q: I lost my money order, how do I get my money back?

A: This will depend on a number of things.

• The simplest is to follow the instructions on the back of your receipt, the lower half of the money order you were issued. If it hasn't been cashed, you will be able to get your money back, less the processing fee charged.
• If the money order has already been cashed, you may not be able to get your money back. Contact Western Union at 1-800-999-9660 and follow the prompts to find out if it has been cashed already.

Other WU FAQ

Q: I was in Europe and have some Euro's that I would like to cash in. Can I do this at Telexperts-The Ship Centre?

A: Telexperts-The Ship Centre is not involved in this form of currency exchange. We are only able to accept US Dollars (paper currency - US coin accepted at par) at our rate of exchange. All other currencies you would have to take them to your bank or to a place that specialises in accepting and converting one form of currency for another.

 

Q: I have some cheques that I would like to cash. Can I do this at Telexperts-The Ship Centre?

A: Telexperts-The Ship Centre will cash the cheques (such as money transfer cheques) and money orders that it issues. We do NOT cash money transfer cheques or money orders issued from other Western Union agents nor do we cash third party cheques or other cheques, money orders or other financial items. You can deposit these items into your own bank account or take them to one of the businesses that offer cheque cashing services. Western Union itself does NOT do cheque cashing, although a Western Union agent may offer that as a service. Telexperts-The Ship Centre does not offer this service.

 

Q: Do you sell insurance?

A: There is/was a company called Western Union Insurance and it was purchased by ING. You can call them in Edmonton at 780-428-7544.

 

Q: Do you prepare income tax returns?

A: Western Union does NOT do income tax preparation although a Western Union agent may offer that as a service. Telexperts-The Ship Centre does not offer this service, altough we may have the current income tax forms and instructions available for our clients.