Western Union Money orders - need advice

I have 7 Western Union money orders I bought last month.
The value is 9.00 40.00 40.00 40.00 191.00 191.00 191.00
I mailed them out last month.
The pay to order field has "GDTS TOO"
Just received them back so they were never cashed.
So I have the original money orders and receipts.
I just found out Western Union charges 15.00 to refund each money order

At another site some advice was given.
I can deposit them at my bank and on the back sign my name and write "not used for intended purpose"
Will a bank do this?

Somebody also said a check cashing place may cash them for a small fee.
Will a check cashing place do this for a small fee?

What do you all think? 15.00 bucks refund fee per money order is just such a rip off.

Yea my Grateful Dead ticket mail order got rejected, they got slammed. Still crossing my fingers for my buddies order.

Either that or "for deposit only". They have your name as the purchaser correct, so many options. Since there would not be a victim, I see no problem with you forging the name, then signing underneath. A $15 fee is exorbitant and this needs reigned in. Just doesn't seem fair and nobody can really justify these fees over and over across the board.

Quote: onenickelmiracle

Either that or "for deposit only". They have your name as the purchaser correct, so many options. Since there would not be a victim, I see no problem with you forging the name, then signing underneath. A $15 fee is exorbitant and this needs reigned in. Just doesn't seem fair and nobody can really justify these fees over and over across the board.

They dont have my name as purchaser. Its a bearer instrument untill written on. I handed them cash, they gave me the money orders with a detachable receipt. The receipt is my proof.

On the money order it has my address and signature that I filled out because its like a check. The pay to order field of course is GDTS TOO

Hopefully you have a bank you can visit and ask them. I know when having to cash a check for someone incapacitated, just had to print their name then sign underneath. If they give you flack, find another bank.

I have never needed to do this nine times at once, but a couple of times I have deposited (into my bank account) money orders (I purchased w/receipt) that were fully filled out.

On the front: one line through Pay To name, add your name, initial the change. On the back: For Deposit Only, account number, signature.

With a large number of them, it may be best to take them to your bank (w/ purchase receipts), tell them what you want to do, and proceed from there.

So what's the word? I'm in the same boat with my money orders. Were you able to deposit at the bank? Which bank? I just don't want to alter the money order and then be screwed out of a refund.
Let me know!!
-Lizzy

Quote: lizshpit

So what's the word? I'm in the same boat with my money orders. Were you able to deposit at the bank? Which bank? I just don't want to alter the money order and then be screwed out of a refund.
Let me know!!
-Lizzy

I bank at Bank of America.
Its kind of a weird transaction purchasing money orders and putting somebodys name in the pay to the order field then needing to deposit in purchaseres account.
My understanding is BOA should have let me deposit into my account and write on the back "Not used for intended purpose" and sign the back.
Unfortunately money orders are old school and many bank managers dont know this can be done.
My branch is out in the well to do suburbs, manager would not allow me to deposit.
If I went to a branch near the hood where money orders are more common, they may have let me deposit.
I got sick of driving around.
Went to Amscott, a check cashing service.
They know all about money orders.
As long as I had ID, money orders and money order receipts, they cashed them for a fee.
7 money orders totaling about 700.00 costed me about 50 bucks to cash at the check cashing place.

I'm surprised BofA wouldn't do it, but then again I bank there and I've never been in a branch. Here in NJ, you'd be able to find a check cashing joint who would cash them. They'd charge right around 3%.

I'd recommend, next time, using USPS money orders. If I recall correctly, you can cash them right at the post office.

I wish I noticed this sooner.

I would have said nothing and just deposited them.

Banks are very lax in that area. Unless there is a bounce or a reversal on the payer's side, banks generally don't give a crap.

I've had checks go thru that had no payee, no signature and no endorsement. If nobody stops it, nobody cares.