General Info

Have been using xoom for the last few years to send money to the Philippines and it has always been the cheapest method compared to bank transfers and Western Union. I don't send much, but the frequency is usually once or twice per month and there have never been any problems. However on my last visit to the Philippines I tried to use my Xoom account to transfer money to a girl in Pagadian City whilst I was in Cebu.

Xoom obviously picked up on the fact that I was in the same country that I was sending money and promptly blocked my account. At the time I did not realise inter country transfers were not allowed.

Once back in my home country (UK) I sent several emails asking for my account to be reinstated but all I got back was automated replies that did not address any of the issues. It took several long distance phone calls to the US before my account was was again functioning.

I continued using my account successfully until this month when I found I could no longer log in, despite repeated attempts. I fired off several emails (all of them polite I might add) and eventually got this email from xoom, I have cut and pasted it for everyone's benefit

"We write to inform you that, after careful review, we have disabled your Xoom account, effective immediately, and canceled all pending transactions. This decision cannot be appealed. Please discontinue using the Xoom service and use an alternative sending money source.

Very truly yours,

The Xoom Compliance Team"

I tried phoning xoom several times and have asked the customer service representative to find out what the reason is for the above email but no one from xoom has even had the courtesy to give me an explanation. I have written to them again politely and called but no one from xoom will offer me any reason or explanation. I am so angry, no I am incandescent with rage that xoom have treated me like this after several years of my loyal custom arrrrhhhhh ****ing ***holes and I have posted this as a warning to other members who may use xoom to transfer money. Anyone else can shed any light on this attitude of Xoom???...................OK rant over lets talk about something more interesting like sex!!

PS Just in case anyone from xoom ever reads this...........though I doubt it...they are all probably too busy fucking off their customers rather than attending to their needs........ I will see hell freeze over before I ever recommend your service and I will go out of my way to dissuade any other unfortunate person from using your service

[QUOTE=Mortman]Have been using xoom for the last few years to send money to the Philippines [/QUOTE]
This is where holiday crush meets lack of funding. Its much easier to have automated systems decide when so suspend an account. Hiring someone to actually review accounts costs $$, and there is a recession on.

Certainly suggest, next time you travel to the PI, you message your bank and tell them you are on vacation there and may be using your debit/credit card.

Within Asia, Indonesia and Philippines are the fraud standouts.

Hey guys,

I am just wondering what is the bar scene like in Manila and how much is it to barfine a girl there? Also, what is the best way to travel from Manila to Angeles City, since I'm not planning on renting a car?

Thanks

[QUOTE=Jambo]This is where holiday crush meets lack of funding. Its much easier to have automated systems decide when so suspend an account. Hiring someone to actually review accounts costs $$, and there is a recession on.

Certainly suggest, next time you travel to the PI, you message your bank and tell them you are on vacation there and may be using your debit/credit card.

Within Asia, Indonesia and Philippines are the fraud standouts.[/QUOTE]

Jambo
I think you have misunderstood my rant!
This is not about the use of my credit/debit cards, I use these frequently in the Philippines without any problems. I am talking about xoom money transfers, similar in many ways to Western Union. I don't understand what you mean about holiday funding verses lack of funding since xoom take the money from your account debit/credit card before transferring it on to the third party, so in essence they do not need or use their own funds.
Mortman

[QUOTE=Mortman]Jambo I think you have misunderstood my rant![/QUOTE]
No what I mean is companies don't have the money to fully fund customer service. If a program cam make a risk decision they will go with it. Closing your account may seem better for them than keeping x no of Pakistanis on the payroll to answer phone calls. After all, you used Xoom because why? They were cheapest.

Sending a msg to your banks in advance of travel may prevent these kind of interruptions in service, as it explains why suddenly you are withdrawing money from another country.

BTW Paypal handles Philippin Pesos now. $1.50 fee to send $300, and the PHP exchange rate now is 46.1p/$ not that bad.

Call me a pessimist. But I think we need to get used to living where any organization we are dealing with could collapse the next day.

[QUOTE=Agentwhite]
I am just wondering what is the bar scene like in Manila and how much is it to barfine a girl there? Also, what is the best way to travel from Manila to Angeles City, since I'm not planning on renting a car?
[/QUOTE]
Quite obviously you are able to write.
How about reading?

I've used Xoom from time to time for a few years without incident. Before I left home a month ago, I emailed Xoom and asked them if I could continue to use their service while overseas. After a small amount of clarification, they said yes and appear to have upheld their end as I was able to send money a couple of weeks ago while I was in the Phils. So not everyone has a bad ending like Mortman. Sorry to hear about his bad time and I understand his anger, but it's not enough to send me elsewhere. Yet.

[QUOTE=Ekspat]Quite obviously you are able to write.

How about reading?[/QUOTE]Obviously you have the time on your hands to come on here and be a *******. I didn't mean to rustle any feathers. I unfortunately have sifted through a lot of useful information on here , but just haven't found exactly what I was looking for. If anyone could help me out that would be awesome.

AgentWhite

Mortman

I would agree with your comments. Have tried to use Xoom on a number of occasions from the UAE and completely hopeless. Last time I did this the request was rejected and I did not even know until I called them...this after a frantic call from the girlfriend asking where is it 2 days later!....all Xoom would say is the card was rejected. This is a well known international bank.

So now I have stopped using Xoom and if pushed use WU.

Given that mongers come i all shapes and sizes am sure there must be a Xoom employee who likes our habits....and hopefully he will do his best to rectify the problems

I would like to spend a week in the rainforest and two weeks on an idillic beach with palm trees, fresh coconuts and dirty women.

Can one of you experts suggest the best locations. I want to go in January.

Thanks

[QUOTE=Jambo]BTW Paypal handles Philippin Pesos now. $1.50 fee to send $300, and the PHP exchange rate now is 46.1p/$ not that bad.[/QUOTE]Can you elaborate how to use Paypal to wire money to another country?

I looked at the site, but could not figure it out.

Can it be arranged for a person to pick it up, or just into a bank account?

How to you pay the funds, from a credit card? Do they charge a cash advance fee?

Thanks

[QUOTE=Mark17]Can you elaborate how to use Paypal to wire money to another country?[/QUOTE]
Well I have not done it but it looks like:
- You and her both need Paypal accounts.
- She needs a local bank account.
- You fund paypal with a credit card or transfer from your bank.
- She can pick up the Paypal transfer at her bank. After 6 months, seems like she can get a debit card from Paypal and use that.
- Start a transaction and you will see the fees as you go. There will certainly be more fees in the transfer/pickup in her bank.

The expats in the Living in Cebu forums have been chatting about this. I suggest you don't mention mongering over there..lol

[QUOTE=Razzor]Sorry fellow mongers for the late report.

I hooked up with Nikki the first week of May. I spent a couple of days with her and she is good company and very accommodating. The logistic with getting her to Manila were a bit of show, but all in all everything when as planned. She’s a very talented lady that knows how to make you feel pretty damn good. She is also willing to find another lady or guy and get it on. Basically whatever you want to do, she is probably game for it. We tried to find another girl one night but things just didn’t pan out with the one’s we wanted so it didn’t happen. I wanted to get a buddy of mine to bang her as well but he took off to Subic and didn’t get back in time. All in all I would recommend her to anyone looking for a good time. She is comfortable to be around and not demanding. I would recommend if someone wants to spend some time with a lady that knows how to get it done, she is your lady. If she is around when I go back to Manila I will look her up.

I’ve posted some pictures in the photo section.

RaZZorR[/QUOTE]I also had the pleasure of meeting Miss N. (see also the UAE section for reference). This was the end of October. Indeed it was again difficult to get her to Manila, as she was at that moment several hours of bus-drive away. On top of that, there had recently been two hurricanes and a lot of flooding, causing her and her family a lot of trouble. But when she was finally there, I had a great time with her. She stayed for two nights and was everything I had hoped for! So a thank you to WR for putting me in touch with her. She told me she had plans to move to Manila, so that should be much easier in the near future. Please PM WR for contact details.

I'll post some more picures in the photo section.

I've done some day trips here and there, but I can't be of much help. I hope you follow up with some field reports.

I enjoyed a short hiking trip out of Valencia, Negros to see the falls. THe name escapes me, but also there is the Twin Lakes area...out of Dumaguete I think.

Found some beautiful areas on Leyte. Samar is probably worth investigating.

Kongking once gave an excellent report about his multiple day hike up and down Mt. Apo, Mindanao (Davao thread?). Spamhog once gave an excellent post about visiting Mrs. SH's hometown in the boondocks of Surigao.

"Dirty" women? Some of the begger women let themselves get dirty to increase revenue. Have fun with them.

Cebu or Davao are good starting points for what you have in mind.

X

[QUOTE=Spanish Main]I would like to spend a week in the rainforest and two weeks on an idillic beach with palm trees, fresh coconuts and dirty women.

Can one of you experts suggest the best locations. I want to go in January.

Thanks[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Mark17]Can you elaborate how to use Paypal to wire money to another country?

I looked at the site, but could not figure it out.

Can it be arranged for a person to pick it up, or just into a bank account?

How to you pay the funds, from a credit card? Do they charge a cash advance fee?

Thanks[/QUOTE]


Transfering money?

A: Reach into your left pocket with your left hand.
B: Transfer money to your right hand.
C: Place money into your right pocket.
D: Fly to Philippines the first chance you get and have fun with transfered money! :)

YM