Wire transfer issues
 

Hi everyone,

I am going gorilla trekking next June. Went yesterday to wire the money for my permits to R&N Xplorer. They bank at Barclays Bank Kenya Meru Branch. I asked Nyagah to please email if there were any problems because it all went through on my side as far as I know. This morning I woke up and saw an email from Nyagah saying the bank is requesting my DOB, address and passport number.

Advice? It's been about 4 years since I last did a wire transfer to Africa, so I cannot remember if this is out of the ordinary.

Thanks.

Duh!
There's no space on the Bank Wiring Form to even include this info, least of all being asked.

However, I can understand that the vendor R&NXplorer wants your name (as it appears on passport), mailing address/phone #, email, and yes your Passport number. She can then provide that to the bank, but still beats me why the bank wants to know... they've got the $$$. Unless, of course, it's one of those new rules pertaining to "money laundering/terrorism"

Example: transactions over $10K have to be reported and lots of questions asked.

We live in a different world these days.

Thanks, Sandi. Luckily my wire is far less than 10k!

I foten transfer money to african countries incl. uganda, kenya, taz, bots, zim, zam, SA....

I do it all online.

Never ever have iI been asked for the details above. I just transfer and ask the recipient to give me a shout as soon as the amount has hit his/her account.

Never any problem - nor any data request.

As sandi stated - online you fill in what's needed and - done! No space/request for details other than amount, currency, name of recipient, bank and bank account (IBAN), swift(BIC, address bank and recipient's address, fees/who pay what/which.

The TA/TO particularly for the permits need details (name shown in passport, issued by..... date)

SV

I should add - transfers of 13 and 19 thousand US$ is no prob from Germany to Africa.

SV

I've never been asked for those details either. The last wire I sent was in July. I'm wondering if they actually need it for the permits? Or if you've asked them to book your NBO-KGL flights, they may need it for the flight booking.

SV - there's no problem with large wire transfers, regardless destination, but those over 10K (even ordinary bank business within the US) are simply earmarked in case there's some fishy stuff going on, NOT :)

sandi - I was referring to the "lots of questions asked". I have not experienced any questionnaire in that regard.

SV

Leely,

Did you ask your bank about this? Perhaps they might have some experience with the questions being asked. I can't imagine why the bank would need DOB.

Yeah, the DOB thing seems odd to me. I vaguely recall tour ops/TAs needing my passport number in the past. My bank hadn't the foggiest because the transaction had already gone through from our side. R&N are legit so I can't figure this one out...I haven't asked them to book my NBO-KGL flights.

For posterity, I'll add to this thread when I have answers.

Thanks, everyone.