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So, we have a Western Union kiosk in my store. It is the bane of our existence. 
Not because it's Western Union, but because of some of the customers that come in to use it. From the guy who would send $4,999.00 to Jamaica every other day (Federal rules require that we report anything $5,000.00 or over - clearly he knew he was skirting the rules), to the guy who "I mix up my numbers" (umm, it's money, it involves numbers), we get a lot of strange transactions. But this one, this one was the absolute worst, for me!
A woman comes in, starts trying to use the kiosk. She is clearly having trouble, can't remember her phone number, calls the sender several times for information such as, what's your state again?? I start to see red flags, so I hang around.
She gets to the part where she has to enter her ID. She says "I don't have my ID with me". Okay, you clearly drove here, but you don't have your DL? She says "I know my DL number, can I just enter that?" Well, yes you can ... but we have to physically see and verify that form of identification. "But I only need $20!!!" I understand that ma'am, but I am required to physically verify your ID before I can give you the money.
"Ugh" she says. "What else can I use?" So we scroll through the list of acceptable IDs - you know the type: DL, passport, state issued identification card (for those who don't drive), etc. "Well I don't have any of that!" I'm sorry ma'am, but without an ID I can physically verify, I can't complete the transaction. "But I only need $20!!!" I'm sorry.
She starts to leave, and then comes running back. "I DO have ID!!! Look!!!"
She hands me an ID. It clearly states her name and has her picture, but there's just one problem. It states at the top - in letters about this big - Texas State Offender. "See, it's a state issued ID"
Ummmm NO Not only have you just affirmed that you have a criminal past (maybe you paid your debt, maybe you escaped, I don't know), but it's an ID issued by the jail/prison you were an inmate of, *not* the state.
"But I only need $20!!!!" I'm sorry .... thanks for playing
Not because it's Western Union, but because of some of the customers that come in to use it. From the guy who would send $4,999.00 to Jamaica every other day (Federal rules require that we report anything $5,000.00 or over - clearly he knew he was skirting the rules), to the guy who "I mix up my numbers" (umm, it's money, it involves numbers), we get a lot of strange transactions. But this one, this one was the absolute worst, for me!
A woman comes in, starts trying to use the kiosk. She is clearly having trouble, can't remember her phone number, calls the sender several times for information such as, what's your state again?? I start to see red flags, so I hang around.
She gets to the part where she has to enter her ID. She says "I don't have my ID with me". Okay, you clearly drove here, but you don't have your DL? She says "I know my DL number, can I just enter that?" Well, yes you can ... but we have to physically see and verify that form of identification. "But I only need $20!!!" I understand that ma'am, but I am required to physically verify your ID before I can give you the money.
"Ugh" she says. "What else can I use?" So we scroll through the list of acceptable IDs - you know the type: DL, passport, state issued identification card (for those who don't drive), etc. "Well I don't have any of that!" I'm sorry ma'am, but without an ID I can physically verify, I can't complete the transaction. "But I only need $20!!!" I'm sorry.
She starts to leave, and then comes running back. "I DO have ID!!! Look!!!"
She hands me an ID. It clearly states her name and has her picture, but there's just one problem. It states at the top - in letters about this big - Texas State Offender. "See, it's a state issued ID"
Ummmm NO Not only have you just affirmed that you have a criminal past (maybe you paid your debt, maybe you escaped, I don't know), but it's an ID issued by the jail/prison you were an inmate of, *not* the state.
"But I only need $20!!!!" I'm sorry .... thanks for playing
Correct me if I'm misinformed (I haven't used this service in at least a decade), but the fee is not much more than that right?
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