krazykanuck

I ask because today as I was driving to Walmart I noticed a place that advertised "free money orders" in addition to the ever present 1% check cashing. This place also offered free cell phones on some fly by night pre-paid carrier.

I think my curiosity will get the better of me and I'll drop in and see what the deal is. I'll likely be the only one in there.

Joshy119

Generally speaking I have found the sketchier the area the easier it is to turn GC into MO yet it is that much more difficult to find a place that will sell you a VGC with CC in those same areas

AndrewTheMan

Amscot? No longer welcome there.

Prometheus77

Was looking for a MoneyGram location via the locator on their website and there was a location in a pretty shady part of the city near where I work, but couldn't for the life of me think of any store at the address listed that would have MoneyGram services. Couple days later I drove past the address on my way into work and saw that it was a barbershop and that they DID have the a MoneyGram sign on the door. I called them later in the day while on my break and asked if they sold MOs and they told me they did. I figured on my lunch that day I would drop by with the intent of using two $500 VGCs to get MOs.

When I got there I found out this a barbershops and I just asked the older guy sitting by the register/counter if I could get a MO for $45 since that's all the cash I knew to have in my wallet. I then get a response I've longed to hear, but certainly not at a place as shady as this since I've already decided that I'm not coming back here once I leave.

"You paying with cash, debit, or CREDIT CARD?"

CREDIT CARD? Did I just hear him right? "I can use my credit card to get a money orders?"

"Yeah, we accept credit cards for everything."

I finally find a place that takes CCs for MOs and it has to be in a place that screams high risk for getting my card info compromised or getting rolled on my way back to my car! I just got the $45 MO for cash and left, but I every time I drove by there over the next couple of years I would cringe knowing that the opportunity was literally right outside my door

AndrewTheMan

That's when you get some muscle and a "piece" and hit that place HARD!

dethkultur

For me it was loading a Serve at a Family Dollar on an MS circuit I would follow to liquidate VGC. 11pm, at the end of a long line with a bunch of moms and grandmoms with their infants buying groceries, waiting patiently to load $500 on my prepaid close to midnight. Next door there was a closed barbershop with paper on the windows with the light on, and every now and then a guy would ride up to it on his bike, go in, then come back out and ride off on his bike again. I did some intense BJJ too back in the day with a bunch of cops, so sometimes I have an unhealthy confidence in those situations.

Java Cool Dude

Does Wal-Mart in Panorama City count?

hamokmonky

I was on travel for work and went to a riteaid in a really shady looking area (was traveling, didn't know any better), driving a brand new mustang (rental) no less, got asked for money by no less than three people between walking in and walking out.... but the cashier didn't even blink at me buying 6 cards...

MiaSkye89

Went to a grocery store to buy VGC one night, not one of my regular places, (I drove by during the day later, and saw a bunch of burned out houses, really bad looking apartment buildings, etc.)

I had been out with some friends and I was wearing a dress with heels, after I got done, I was standing beside my car on the sidewalk texting and another woman walked up and started cussing and screaming at me for being in her "spot." I don't know what her profession was, but I had a good idea.

I have not been back there

gw14

Wife was watching the news on TV and a piece came on about a shooting in a Walmart parking lot. Wife ask if that's the Walmart that I go to? Sure enough, it was one of my go to Walmart's. Still go to it on a daily basis.

RedCobra

The Wal-Mart in Stanton sure does.

krazykanuck

I like this stuff. So I recently went into a super sketchy mini mart not far from my house because it had a money gram sign outside. I didn't see anything about money orders, so I left, especially since I was getting eyes from all the guys in there.

I'm going to go check out my new sketchy find after work tomorrow. I had other stuff to do tonight.

CWAL

I haven't started wandering into the sketch-o-marts yet, but my go-to grocery store and WM both definitely serve a lower income/less desirable clientele.

krazykanuck

So I visited the sketchy place. Free MOs was too good to be true. It's cash only for MOs. Oh well.

diburning

Hmm, that's very strange, and would raise many red flags on my end. As someone employed at a location that is also a MoneyGram agent, I'm under the impression that MoneyGram is cash only for everything based on my store's policies and the MoneyGram documentation that also says the same thing; cash only.