Wednesday, 15 August 2012

LATE BREAKERS: Western Union agent in Mambulao to reimburse complainant

The LSG Pawnshop ... willing to reimburse the complainant.
 

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

MONEY remittance company Western Union is conducting further investigation into the alleged anomaly committed by two of its agents in Jose Panganiban.

This development came even as the LSP-LSG pawnshops, which are agents of Western Union in Mambulao, advised the remittance company they were willing to reimburse the complainant the amount which was deducted as additional fee for the remittance service.

The amount charged as fee was not authorized by the remittance company.

A top executive of Western Union- South and East Asia operations told MWBuzz today (August 16) that they needed to dig further into the case.

“We needed to investigate deeply and involve the Direct Agent managing LSP Pawnshop,” the executive, who declined to be named, said.

“The Direct Agent has already called the attention of the owners of LSG-LSP pawnshops,” he said.

“The owners suspect the matter could have been the fault of the staff … and committed to institute better monitoring and check procedures.”

The executive said the pawnshop operators “are willing to pay Ms Evangeline Demasayao  the difference in the remittance proceeds in the amount of P892.37”.

“We regularly observe due process and rest assured that subsequent infractions will be dealt with more severity,” he said.

"We will be monitoring complaints directed toward LSP-LSG."

The case was spawned by a complaint received by Western Union recently from Demasayao, who said that LSP Pawnshop, a Western Union agent, charged her with an unauthorized fee of P892.37.

The amount was deducted from the proceeds of the remittance she received from her husband in Canada.

MWBuzz has gathered that Demasayao received money from her husband in Canada on Dec 25, 2011, which was less than the amount sent.

The money sent was Cad$500 with an equivalent amount of PHP21,186.27, as shown by a copy of the “Send” receipt sent from Canada. The peso proceeds was converted from the Canadian dollar rate used by Western Union on December 24,2011.

The beneficiary claimed the money on December 25, but the amount was only PHP20,294, which was PHP892.37 less.

A copy of the receipts showing the actual amount originally sent in Canadian dollar and the amount actually received was furnished MWbuzz.

The recipient alerted the pawnshop staff about the amount, but was allegedly told it could not be changed anymore as “she has written the receipt already”, for their file.

Meanwhile, a drive to boycott the two pawnshops has snowballed on Facebook account of a group of Mambulao natives who are based overseas.

The issue was first brought to the municipal government early this year, but so far, no action has been taken by the concerned office.

LSP and LSG are two of the five Western Union agents in Mambulao.

2 comments:

  1. This kind of business should not be allowed in our hometown. They are like parasites..kawawa naman OFW na nagpapahirap sa ibang bansa, tapos mapagsamantalahan pa ang konting padala sa pamilya. Corrective measures should be done, otherwise, boycott na lang ang kelangan.

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    1. hindi mawawala ang mga mapagsamantala ... tulad ng pawnshop na yan... akala ng mga may-ari at staff ng pawnshop eh mga mangmang ang mga customers nila ... sa ngayon lahat ng transaksyon ng pawnshop na ito ay minomonitor ng Wunion head office - Asian operations -- kasi nakakasira sa kanilang negosyo ... let's consider na very bad eggs ang lsg at lsp pawnshops. i am just hoping na kakanselahin ang agent's license nito or isuspend ng mga ilang buwan... anyway may tatlo pa namang western u sa mambulao na pwedeng puntahan ng walang hasel... the best thing to do is boycott these two pawnshops na ari ng isang tao lamang... ewan ko lang kung papano sila dumiskarte sa mga items na nakasanla sa kanila...

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