Xoom Money Stolen, Anyone With Experience? Help!

[ecohen14]

I recently sent $500 US from my US debit card to be picked up by me at the More Argentina Xoom office on Libertad in pesos. I sent the transaction in my name and it was sent to my name as well. I have been using Xoom for 3 years and have never had a problem. I called the office last Thursday to ask if the location was open on Saturday to pick up the pesos and they told me explicitly that it would be closed.

Then I receive an email Saturday afternoon saying that the "Transaction has been completed" and that the $500 has been picked up. I frantically called the company and they confirmed the transaction was listed as picked up. After many phone calls and them "contacting the BA office", they told me that in fact the money was picked up... but couldn't give me ANY more details than that. They couldn't confirm where it was picked up, or with what document, or why it happened when the office was "supposedly closed".

Now I am opening a case with Xoom to get a refund, if the "investigation" shows that an "unauthorized person" truly picked up the money.

My passport and all credit cards are with me, nothing has been stolen. The only time I gave my passport away for the day was about a week ago to my company's immigrations agent when we went together to Migraciones in Retiro.

Does anyone have any experience with this???

Xoom won't give me any answers regarding what document was shown to get the money, should I be concerned that someone has a copy of my passport (is that even possible?) or has anyone ever shown a different document at Xoom to receive money (they state only passports are acceptable for foreigners)? Should I alert the embassy (Xoom suggested this)? Should I try going to the Xoom office and trying to get information? Does this mean that I should not use Xoom again? I rely on it a good amount.

Hope someone can help. Thanks!

 

[jez]

My passport and all credit cards are with me, nothing has been stolen. The only time I gave my passport away for the day was about a week ago to my company's immigrations agent when we went together to Migraciones in Retiro.

No personal experience for this but if you didn't tell anyone that you were doing a transaction (I doubt if someone had a copy of you passport they would be calling into a xoom pick up location every 5 minutes on the off chance you had made a transaction), then it must be an inside job by someone at a zoom pickup location and I'm sure it will be quickly resolved by Xoom...

 

[jantango]

MORE Money Transfer requires the transaction number created by XOOM and the receiver's passport to collect the money. Only you know that number and have your passport.

Go to the MORE central office on Libertad and discuss the matter privately with a manager. They obtain the signature on a form of each person who receives money for a transaction. Since it was recent, they have to produce a RECIBO DE DINERO with a signature and ID number. You have a case because they can't produce a RECIBO with your signature for money you never claimed.

Print out the email from XOOM that the transaction was completed on Saturday with the time to bring along. MORE has offices that are open on Saturday. They must have the RECIBO DE DINERO on file for accounting purposes. It may take a few days to track down. Once it is found, you'll have proof that the transfer was collected by someone who forged your signature.

 

[nkotb]

This is really weird and I lean towards the inside job explanation. You need the actual passport, not just a photocopy, to pick up money, in addition to the private transaction number that was mentioned above, and a signature (actually more than one, since there are several forms). Xoom obviously screwed up and you should get your money back, but don't panic and let them do their investigation.

 

[mulderfox]

it seems an inside job. unless you have an evil twin you forgot to mention

 

[Meri]

I feel like it was definitely an inside job - especially because it happened on a Saturday - I really don't think More Money has offices open on the weekends...(I guess I could be wrong?).
My experience with Xoom customer service was horrible in the past. I agree that you should go to MM in person and speak to the manager with your Xoom printout. If they shrug it off tell them that you are going to the US embassy to let them know you aren't going to let it go. Good luck and let us know what happens! I need to use Xoom in like a week - unfortunately!!

 

[RichardP]

I don't see how the US Embassy could help in this matter. I would inform the local police, though that might be fruitless as well.

 

[syngirl]

I feel like it was definitely an inside job - especially because it happened on a Saturday - I really don't think More Money has offices open on the weekends...(I guess I could be wrong?).
My experience with Xoom customer service was horrible in the past. I agree that you should go to MM in person and speak to the manager with your Xoom printout. If they shrug it off tell them that you are going to the US embassy to let them know you aren't going to let it go. Good luck and let us know what happens! I need to use Xoom in like a week - unfortunately!!

More has many offices open on weekends, but not that one in particular:

> Tribunales. [background=rgb(238, 239, 240)]Libertad 1057, entre Marcelo T. de Alvear y Av. Santa Fé. Lunes a Viernes de 9 a 18 hs[/background]




> . [background=rgb(238, 239, 240)]Migueletes 1995 . Lunes a Sábados de 10 a 18 hs..[/background]
> . [background=rgb(238, 239, 240)]Olazabal 1725, Esquina Arribeños. Lunes a Viernes 9.30 a 18 hs .[/background]
> Belgrano. [background=rgb(238, 239, 240)]Virrey Olaguer y Feliu 2676, . Lunes a Viernes de 9 a 18 hs. Sáb. de 9 a 13 hs..[/background]
> Centro. [background=rgb(238, 239, 240)]Tucumán 983 /7. L a V de 9 a 18 hs..[/background]
> Congreso/Balvanera. [background=rgb(238, 239, 240)]Av Corrientes 1711, entre Av. Callao y Rodriguez Peña. Lunes a Viernes de 9 a 19 hs y Sáb. 9 a 15hs.[/background]
> Constitución. [background=rgb(238, 239, 240)]Salta 1756, dentro del paseo de la estación. Local F19. Lunes a Viernes de 10 a 20 hs. Sábados, Domingos y Feriados de 10 a 18 hs..[/background]
> CABA. [background=rgb(238, 239, 240)]Rodriguez Peña 133, . Lunes a Sábados 10 a 19 hs.[/background]

 

[EricLovesBA]

On xoom help it states the requirements are:

Foreigners or legal residents of Argentina will need to present:​

Xoom Transaction Number​

One of the following:​

Passport (non-citizens traveling in Argentina)​

CUIL (Legal residents)​

If I were designing a transaction system like this, the end point would not have access to the transaction number, but rather would be required to enter it into a xoom service at the moment of pickup in order to verify the transaction. That's just a guess though - maybe they are in fact able to see the transaction numbers already. Just out of curiosity, did you happen to read the transaction number to them over the phone the first time you called to see if they were open? If so, perhaps that opened the opportunity to do the inside job, as having the transaction number might help them prove that you came by and did the pickup, already having your passport number and examples of your signature on hand from previous visits.

 

[ecohen14]

Thank you for the help everyone! The problem was actually not a problem after all.

After arguing with Xoom a few times over the phone, I went into the More Casa Central and spoke to the first worker I saw and explained what had happened, showed them the emails saying Transaction Completed and said that I spoke with Xoom customer service and that they confirmed the money had "been picked up" on Saturday. The lady looked up the transaction number and said that actually the money had not been picked up, and it was listed as an uncompleted transaction in the More computer system, and that the transaction was there in full waiting to be picked up. She said it probably was a Xoom computer error, that sometimes the signals "get mixed up" and that in the future I should call the More customer service number instead of Xoom because they have a better sense of the pickups. So, in the end, I picked up the money in full and went home. Really strange, but luckily Xoom continues to have a near perfect record!

She also assured me that for foreigners they always request passports and would never accept a copy of a passport or anything similar.