PayPal Ruins Christmas for 200 kids

by The Copy Nazi Banned
71 replies
PayPal's legendary customer service in action again - PayPal Feels Web's Wrath After "Ruining Christmas"
#200 #christmas #kids #paypal #ruins
  • Profile picture of the author Brendan Vraibel
    Wow. I understand them having to protect against people misusing the donation buttons but how is something like that not able to be cleared up after a simple conversation?

    I don't understand how it is so hard for them to have proper customer service. I am happy to give a company like Hostgator my money because they are 24/7 and extremely helpful. I made the move away from Paypal strictly because of their customer service.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kevin_Hutto
    I know there are defenders and haters. Unfortunately, this is in line with my experience with paypal back in 2008 when I last did business with them.
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  • Profile picture of the author Joshua Rigley
    Banned
    After reading the comments, it seems clear to me that people have been aching for a good paypal alternative for some time now.
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    • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
      Originally Posted by Joshua Rigley View Post

      people have been aching for a good paypal alternative for some time now.
      We have one. It's called a "bank." PayPal is for people who, for one reason or another, cannot go to a bank for the services PayPal provides.

      That is why their policies are tougher and their fees are higher and they don't have to be nice to you when you call support: if you mattered, you would have a real merchant account. Since you don't, you are probably either an irresponsible dumbass or some sort of criminal.

      Hence the comments like "we know what you are doing and we will not let you do it."
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      • Profile picture of the author workplay
        Originally Posted by CDarklock View Post

        We have one. It's called a "bank." PayPal is for people who, for one reason or another, cannot go to a bank for the services PayPal provides.

        That is why their policies are tougher and their fees are higher and they don't have to be nice to you when you call support: if you mattered, you would have a real merchant account. Since you don't, you are probably either an irresponsible dumbass or some sort of criminal.

        Hence the comments like "we know what you are doing and we will not let you do it."
        any recommendations on merchant accounts?
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        • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
          Originally Posted by workplay View Post

          any recommendations on merchant accounts?
          I've never had any problems with Authorize.net; that said, I haven't used them for about a decade.

          They did start charging me fees based on my low transaction volume, since most of my clients preferred to pay by check, so I decided I'd shut off the account until I had someone who wanted to pay by card and then I'd reopen it. But by the time that happened, I had my verified business account with PayPal and it was just easier to invoice through that.
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          "The Golden Town is the Golden Town no longer. They have sold their pillars for brass and their temples for money, they have made coins out of their golden doors. It is become a dark town full of trouble, there is no ease in its streets, beauty has left it and the old songs are gone." - Lord Dunsany, The Messengers
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    • Profile picture of the author x3xsolxdierx3x
      Originally Posted by Joshua Rigley View Post

      After reading the comments, it seems clear to me that people have been aching for a good paypal alternative for some time now.
      Could be a perfect market opportunity for someone right now....
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      • Profile picture of the author tpw
        Originally Posted by x3xsolxdierx3x View Post

        Could be a perfect market opportunity for someone right now....

        Many have tried, and most have received only a lukewarm response.

        PayPal's biggest problem on this deal is the words from the front-line customer support's answer about how "it was fine to raise money for an injured cat, but not poor people."

        I bet customer service reps will be retrained before Christmas. :p
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    • Profile picture of the author edwood
      Originally Posted by Joshua Rigley View Post

      After reading the comments, it seems clear to me that people have been aching for a good paypal alternative for some time now.
      There are already alternatives out there (from a merchant POV) like Google Checkout, 2Checkout, ClickBank...

      But PayPal is so well-known (and so fully integrated into mega-sites like Ebay) that it's hard to see anyone being able to steal their thunder -- no matter how crappily they treat their users.

      Michael
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      • Profile picture of the author Centurian
        Originally Posted by The Copy Nazi View Post

        PayPal's legendary customer service in action again - PayPal Feels Web's Wrath After "Ruining Christmas"
        Originally Posted by x3xsolxdierx3x View Post

        Could be a perfect market opportunity for someone right now....
        "Ruining Christmas" is the headline from the AP story that went viral. The OP didn't make it up.

        Unfortunately, PayPal has ruined Christmas for many. Regretsy may have been able to get back online, but too many merchants have been caught in their web of insanity. I deal with these merchants daily.

        Darklock is correct. PayPal's not a bank. You're not protected by banking laws giving you access and rights to your money.

        I have a bankcard business solution for warriors. Get pre-approved with a real bank to do business like real brick and mortar merchants.

        We've already rolled out turn-key solutions for U.S. and Canada with no monthly fees or low-fee accounts for volume. Working on international accounts right now in beta.

        If you think PayPal is bad in the U.S., you should rejoice. Many international warriors on the forum have had worse. PM me if you need help.
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  • Profile picture of the author Paul Myers
    Merriam-Webster Online offers the following as synonyms for the word 'legendary':
    famed, romanticized, storied; chimerical (also chimeric), fabricated, fantastic (also fantastical), fictional, fictitious; fanciful, imaginary, imagined, invented, made-up, make-believe, pretend, unreal; allegorical, mythological (also mythologic); semilegendary
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    • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Paul Myers View Post

      Merriam-Webster Online offers the following as synonyms for the word 'legendary':
      That's why I put it in italics. ;-)

      You ever had a run-in with them? I have. Took me 6 weeks to unfreeze the account. Kept getting the run-around from customer service in India. Finally sorted it by ringing someone in Ireland. They apologised and after re-instating my account sent me a pen and a mousepad for my trouble.
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      • Profile picture of the author Norfolk
        Originally Posted by The Copy Nazi View Post

        That's why I put it in italics. ;-)

        You ever had a run-in with them? I have. Took me 6 weeks to unfreeze the account. Kept getting the run-around from customer service in India. Finally sorted it by ringing someone in Ireland. They apologised and after re-instating my account sent me a pen and a mousepad for my trouble.
        Send me a PM if you need a toll-free number to the USA.

        I used it when I changed my address about 8 months back and needed to update my profile. Went quite smoothly. I'll need to phone them again about lifting receiving limits, since they're taking their time to get back to me. Fingers crossed it'll go well.
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        • Profile picture of the author Kay King
          Another thread where anyone and everyone can bash paypal with "guess what they did to me"...it's the flavor of the month any time paypal is mentioned. I don't love or hate paypal - it's a service that has to operate well within the laws and IRS regulations. Welcome to reality - it ain't perfect. Sounds like the rep was confused about "causes" and "charities".

          NO one points out the subject line of this thread is false. Christmas was not ruined - kids lost nothing. The site changed from a donate button to a pay now button and kept collecting money. Now paypal is working with them and even donating -not a bad result.

          The Paypal customer service rep may have been flat wrong - or confused...but the site may have used the words "non profit" or "charity" for all we know. Whole different set of laws and regulations for non profits and official charities. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth to be collecting money for children and using the language the site used to bash paypal.

          Any headline or story that can use "kids, christmas and paypal" in one sentence will get attention and give folks a chance to vent again.
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          • Oh please, PayPal didn't ruin Christmas for anyone.

            Feels weird to be defending the scum since I have a white-hot hatey hate hate for them and would never trust them with any amount of cash over $100.

            But I doubt the convo with the PP phone rep went down the way it was portrayed.

            fLufF
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  • Profile picture of the author Eddie Titan
    I hope Paypal receive's more bad press. Something has to happen to get Paypal to change their ways. They are making too much money off of freezing people's accounts.
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    • Profile picture of the author Black Hat Cat
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      Originally Posted by Eddie Titan View Post

      I hope Paypal receive's more bad press. Something has to happen to get Paypal to change their ways. They are making too much money off of freezing people's accounts.
      Meanwhile, back in the real world, freezing accounts almost certainly makes them less money than they would make by not freezing accounts, and processing payments.

      PayPal's biggest problem on this deal is the words from the front-line customer support's answer about how "it was fine to raise money for an injured cat, but not poor people."
      And if I had to guess, I'd say it probably never happened, but was made up to make Paypal look even worse.
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      • Profile picture of the author tpw
        Originally Posted by Black Hat Cat View Post

        PayPal's biggest problem on this deal is the words from the front-line customer support's answer about how "it was fine to raise money for an injured cat, but not poor people."

        And if I had to guess, I'd say it probably never happened, but was made up to make Paypal look even worse.

        Maybe... Hard to say in these "He Said, She Said" stories.
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    • Profile picture of the author writeboywrite
      Originally Posted by Eddie Titan View Post

      I hope Paypal receive's more bad press. Something has to happen to get Paypal to change their ways. They are making too much money off of freezing people's accounts.

      Well, they have never frozen my account. They have, however asked me over and over and over again to verify my account. When I do, they charge my bank account and then tell me that there is a 4 digit code on my bank statement that I need to input into the Paypal verify form.

      The only problem is that when I get my bank statement, I see the charges paypal made...but NO 4 digit verify code. I'm beyond pissed at them now.

      I would seriously love some alternative system, but I think Ebay only uses Paypal unless I am mistaken. And, I was wanting to use Ebay for some higher purchases and sales...but to do that...must verify paypal account.

      It's like a circular catch-22.
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      • Profile picture of the author A.Green
        to raise money for an injured cat, but not poor people.
        Well, whether this was made up or not, the fact that it sounds like something PayPal's customer service would say already says something.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dominis Marketing
    According to the article, paypal will be donating to regretsy's cause.
    That shows that they recognized their mistake.

    I hope this will be a catalyst for improved customer relations and
    a milder approach on freezing accounts.
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  • Profile picture of the author Seth Bias
    Believe it or not I've been using paypal for over 2 years now and never had a single problem. Customer service for the two times I needed them where really nice... But I do read all the horror stories and am always counting the days until my account sees the doom
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  • Profile picture of the author BloggingPro
    In terms of Paypal and the beast that they have become... the bigger they are the harder they fall. I use Paypal for small transactions. If I was doing more than $2k a month in online payments I would be using a vetted merchant account with me bank.

    That said, PayPal and their "amazing" customer support can kiss my ass. I've dealt with them on many occasion... Its 1am, I'm off the clock, and they can literally put their lips to my ass.

    I hope they achieve some serious mainstream media attention over this fiasco. Maybe then they will realize that they can't **** with the lil guy at their own discretion.
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  • Profile picture of the author ry6782010
    Paypal blows. I have a feeling though that Anonymous may show them a thing or two. >.>. Maybe, not. But, eh. When I made my first account with them many years ago, I was unable to do close it due to the fact that it wasn't verified or something. I signed back up last year, and I guess the problem was fixed, I could close my account whenever I wanted to. Now, what pisses me the **** off is that my accounts limited, and, I cannot verify it via cell phone, because they require you to use a house phone for the address, yet, the phone number on my bank account is my cell. One problem after another with these *******. I've used Moneybookers before with great success, however, I don't know how popular they are these days.

    As for an alternative to Paypal, I would love nothing more than to see a possible JV to create a new merchant/payment processor that could maybe compete with them one day. Not saying it'd happen, but, eh. Kinda off topic, but, I'd like to see a JV for an alternative to Flippa as well. Can't tell you how many accounts/even people I've talked to on there with 100% feedback have links to other accounts that are either banned or suspended, or just look sketchy as hell. Of course, this is legal according to there TOS and there customer support reps I've talked to: "The account links you're referring to mean that the user in question shares something with another user, such as a Paypal account", my first thought was Lulwut?.
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  • Profile picture of the author JustVisiting
    I crack-up every time I log in to my PayPal account. The message displayed while waiting for the connection is: "The World's Most-Loved Way To Pay"
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    • Profile picture of the author MattStrange
      Originally Posted by JustVisiting View Post

      I crack-up every time I log in to my PayPal account. The message displayed while waiting for the connection is: "The World's Most-Loved Way To Pay"
      Ha, this is a crack up.
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      • Profile picture of the author mrdomains
        PayPal is in it to make money, not alienate the market. As mentioned above, they have regulation rules to follow which trickles down the grapevine and impacts whatever account they feel unsure about. Better safe before sorry, a tactic we can use too.

        Know the rules and play by them. PP is no different from any other megasystem which relies on strict policies to keep chaos at bay.

        Most of us know the Google rules and use them to our advantage. I would guess that most people in the IM biz - high and low - have studied the Google rules a lot more than the PP documentation. Ring a bell?

        KNow the rules and play by them. It's like driving.. if you don´t know what counts or simply could not care and keep running the red lights.. sooner or later a cop will get you.

        One of the simplest things you can do to minimize PP hit is to communicate with them in advance.
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  • Profile picture of the author MattStrange
    What alot of people don't realise or forget is that PayPal freeze accounts due to the law, not to profit from your funds.

    Ive had my account limited due to suspicion of money laundering. After several phone calls, emails and a month later they put it back to normal.
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  • Profile picture of the author BlackRob
    Sadly, like most companies, Paypal are becoming anti anything online at the moment. There has to be rules of course to protect consumers and sellers alike, but I do think some of these companies enforce these rules a little too effectively, and do not seem to understand that in a lot of cases a little conversation, and common sense can prevail.
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  • Profile picture of the author JasonParker
    There are alternatives to PayPal...

    chipin.com is a good solution for taking donations.

    Here's an example of it in action ChipIn: Save our Hearts!
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  • Profile picture of the author Kashi456
    PayPal closed my account down back in August, and they came up with "your account is linked with a frozen account"

    As far as I know, I don't have any relatives or family with a frozen account, so I don't know what they were trying to achieve. After tireless phone calls to them, and emailing them for weeks and weeks, they say they don't want to do business with me anymore.

    Fair enough!

    Not to mention, they still hold my $5500 which I'm to receive in mid Dec (a week away)

    Since then, I've been using 2Checkout as a merchant. They are a lot better, fees are slightly higher though.

    Best regards,
    Bilaal
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  • Profile picture of the author GetRichMatrix
    I've been using PayPal since 2008, and never had a single problem with them. They have always helped me out, and even took my site when someone uses the charge-back feature claiming I took money without their consent (kinda difficult with PayPal).

    But just as with Google and Facebook etc they have rules, and you need to follow those rules and guidelines or you'll be in trouble. PayPal is a big machine with many people working for them, those reps don't have the power to allow someone to do something that is against the rules.
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  • Profile picture of the author Raydal
    Thanks for the power of social media these days, the little
    guy can get some attention if enough people take the time
    to voice their opinions. These are different days. No
    company is too big to get bad press.

    I'm not taking sides here, but you hear enough sad stories
    to know that Paypal has operated by the rules that we
    don't have to listen to you.

    -Ray Edwards
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  • Profile picture of the author JustVisiting
    I heard of a customer phoning and asking to speak to Customer Service. The employee on the other end didn't understand the request and sounded totally dumb founded.

    Eventually the frustrated caller said "Look, let me spell it for you. I want to speak to customer service: C - U - S - T - O - M - E - R - F - S - E - R - V - I - C - E"

    The line went quiet for a few seconds and finally the reply was: "But there is no F-in customer service"

    This appears to be the experience of many folk trying to contact online businesses. The bigger they are the worse they seem to be. Just my 2 cents.
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    • Profile picture of the author mrjosco
      Originally Posted by JustVisiting View Post

      I heard of a customer phoning and asking to speak to Customer Service. The employee on the other end didn't understand the request and sounded totally dumb founded.

      Eventually the frustrated caller said "Look, let me spell it for you. I want to speak to customer service: C - U - S - T - O - M - E - R - F - S - E - R - V - I - C - E"

      The line went quiet for a few seconds and finally the reply was: "But there is no F-in customer service"

      This appears to be the experience of many folk trying to contact online businesses. The bigger they are the worse they seem to be. Just my 2 cents.
      There is no "F" in customer service. The agent was correct. If you treat people like idiots and then get called out for being an idiot yourself, I say that is warranted...
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      • Profile picture of the author Richard Van
        Originally Posted by mrjosco View Post

        There is no "F" in customer service. The agent was correct. If you treat people like idiots and then get called out for being an idiot yourself, I say that is warranted...
        You don't think, by any chance, that he mean't the F in this case was sarcasm?

        As in 'C U S T O M E R "effing" S E R V I C E'?

        I think that may have just flown right over your head. :rolleyes:
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        • Profile picture of the author JustVisiting
          Originally Posted by Richard Van View Post

          You don't think, by any chance, that he mean't the F in this case was sarcasm?

          As in 'C U S T O M E R "effing" S E R V I C E'?

          I think that may have just flown right over your head. :rolleyes:
          Tnx Richard.

          At least there's someone else with a sense of humour.

          Cheers
          Paul
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  • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
    I like PayPal.
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  • Profile picture of the author vybz
    Wow reading about these horror stories can be quite scary. I've never had a problem with PAypal so far but to think that it can seemingly happen to anyone is not very comforting...
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    • Profile picture of the author Myles Sinclair
      In the interest of balance, a quote from Paypal...

      Last night we became aware of an issue with one of our account holders, Regretsy.com. Though we can't comment specifically on the account due to our privacy policy, we can confirm that the funds have been released and we are working directly with the account holder on this matter. Just like anyone else, we believe strongly in helping those in need, especially around the holiday season. We are making a donation to Regretsy to help their cause, and we're truly sorry this occurred.
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  • Profile picture of the author JustVisiting
    After reading the original Mashable report it seems the problem lies with the training and supervision of some company employees. The attitude, ignorance and arrogance exhibited by those responsible for this PR debacle is simply jaw-dropping.
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    • Profile picture of the author SteveJohnson
      Originally Posted by MattStrange View Post

      What alot of people don't realise or forget is that PayPal freeze accounts due to the law, not to profit from your funds.

      Ive had my account limited due to suspicion of money laundering. After several phone calls, emails and a month later they put it back to normal.
      I don't know of any laws requiring PP to freeze accounts absent a court order. No offense, but I think you might want to check up on what laws govern PayPal (not all that many, in the US anyway).

      Originally Posted by JustVisiting View Post

      After reading the original Mashable report it seems the problem lies with the training and supervision of some company employees. The attitude, ignorance and arrogance exhibited by those responsible for this PR debacle is simply jaw-dropping.
      Assuming that the discourse was reported accurately. I tend to think it probably was, but who knows - it could have been...embellished, shall we say?...a little.
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  • Profile picture of the author SteveJohnson
    PayPal is often between a rock and a hard place - if this had been a case of a scammer soliciting donations and then skipping with the money, imagine the flurry of "Why didn't PayPal do something about it" comments that would ensue.

    I'm not entirely on their side - I know personally of too many examples of PP refusing to reconsider hastily-taken, wrong decisions - but in this case their system worked, more or less.
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  • Profile picture of the author HairyPoppins
    What the hell ever happened to customer service? It seems to go out the window in most places. It's sad. If I didn't have to use paypal I wouldn't but I do so, I have to just suck it up.
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  • Profile picture of the author Osman_M
    Man I have been wanting to switch from Paypal. Setting up a merchant account and everything sounds like a daunting task. How did you guys transition and how long did it take? I mean buy now buttons have to be changed, accounts and etc.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      You can read the exact post here:
      Maybe it's just me (wouldn't be surprised) but I have a small problem in my mind about using Christmas and kids and that kind of language at the same time.
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      • Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

        Maybe it's just me (wouldn't be surprised) but I have a small problem in my mind about using Christmas and kids and that kind of language at the same time.
        No, it's not just you.

        That's why I don't read Regretsy. It's a crowd I prefer not to hang out with.

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  • Profile picture of the author dms321
    Obviously, everybody has different opinions. But what would definitely be nice is to have an alternative. Not to have a monopoly.

    Nowadays it looks like you have to use PayPal in many situations. Of cause, they are a big business and must protect themselves. And because of that many of us feel not satisfied...

    But again, it would be really nice to have a PayPal competitor...
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    • Profile picture of the author Rod Cortez
      Originally Posted by workplay View Post

      any recommendations on merchant accounts?
      There are hundreds, possibly thousands. I found mine through my bank. I opened a business account with them and they had a solid program for online guys like me. It doesn't hurt to find out what your bank offers. You can also go directly to http://www.authorize.net/ for more information.

      Originally Posted by x3xsolxdierx3x View Post

      Could be a perfect market opportunity for someone right now....
      Not really. There are plenty of wannabe competitor's to Paypal such as Google Check out, Alert Pay, Moneybookers, etc. with more on the horizon such as Visa, Amazon, etc. There are also other alternatives such as 2 Check Out, Clickbank, and their ilk.

      Originally Posted by MattStrange View Post

      What alot of people don't realise or forget is that PayPal freeze accounts due to the law, not to profit from your funds.

      Ive had my account limited due to suspicion of money laundering. After several phone calls, emails and a month later they put it back to normal.
      This is only partially true as there are documented cases of Paypal freezing people's accounts that have nothing to do with the law. They have frozen accounts for "suspicious activity" even if it's 100% legit.

      Paypal has a lot of employees, while it's no excuse, there are going to have a few idiots in their customer service pool. What they do need is better training and better quality audits on their phone calls so that they can get the proper feedback on what's really going on.

      Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

      Another thread where anyone and everyone can bash paypal with "guess what they did to me"...it's the flavor of the month any time paypal is mentioned. I don't love or hate paypal - it's a service that has to operate well within the laws and IRS regulations. Welcome to reality - it ain't perfect. Sounds like the rep was confused about "causes" and "charities".

      NO one points out the subject line of this thread is false. Christmas was not ruined - kids lost nothing. The site changed from a donate button to a pay now button and kept collecting money. Now paypal is working with them and even donating -not a bad result.

      The Paypal customer service rep may have been flat wrong - or confused...but the site may have used the words "non profit" or "charity" for all we know. Whole different set of laws and regulations for non profits and official charities. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth to be collecting money for children and using the language the site used to bash paypal.

      Any headline or story that can use "kids, christmas and paypal" in one sentence will get attention and give folks a chance to vent again.
      Thank you, you beat me to it. The subject heading is definitely false as it was the company that didn't follow Paypal's guidelines, so of course, they are made to look like the bad guy. Could the PP rep have handled it a lot better? Of course. But Regretsy could have handled it professionally and they chose not to. In fact, they acted like a bunch of spoiled, immature brats, at least, that's how it looked like to me from reading the article.

      Some people fail to realize that with the millions of people and companies that use Paypal these complaints from the small minority seem bigger than they are because Paypal does have so many registered users.

      Originally Posted by BIG Mike View Post

      There's a little more to the story - the Donate button isn't supposed to be used by "For Profit" business entities, which is what was used in this case. And yes, initially PayPal caught it and froze it while it was investigated, which is exactly how they've always operated.

      Bash PayPal all you want...typical of these stories, they didn't create the problem - the merchant did. And you've got to admit, they were pretty standup about sorting it out afterwards.
      Bingo!

      Originally Posted by JustVisiting View Post

      I heard of a customer phoning and asking to speak to Customer Service. The employee on the other end didn't understand the request and sounded totally dumb founded.

      Eventually the frustrated caller said "Look, let me spell it for you. I want to speak to customer service: C - U - S - T - O - M - E - R - F - S - E - R - V - I - C - E"

      The line went quiet for a few seconds and finally the reply was: "But there is no F-in customer service"

      This appears to be the experience of many folk trying to contact online businesses. The bigger they are the worse they seem to be. Just my 2 cents.
      I'm about to hit my 2 millionth transaction with Paypal and have been using them for years. Have I had problems with them? Of course I have. Have I had rude people on the phone? Yep. Even had a tangle with my own PP rep a few months ago due to some verbiage on one of my websites. Even with those issues, 99% of my business with them has been seamless and good. Then again, I'm probably one of the few freaks of nature that has actually read their entire TOS and always read their "policy updates" just to proactively avoid problems with them.

      Originally Posted by dms321 View Post

      Obviously, everybody has different opinions. But what would definitely be nice is to have an alternative. Not to have a monopoly.

      Nowadays it looks like you have to use PayPal in many situations. Of cause, they are a big business and must protect themselves. And because of that many of us feel not satisfied...

      But again, it would be really nice to have a PayPal competitor...
      Yes, but I have found in all the years I've been here, most of these opinions are based on pure emotion and very little facts. We RARELY get Paypal's side of the story.

      It's akin to people opening a thread in this forum and whining about their thread being deleted and when the mod comes in to give their side of the story, 100% of the time the person was breaking the rules, sometimes it was a rule they weren't aware of because they didn't read the rules. I'm not saying that's the case with Paypal because it's definitely not 100%, but it's close to it because of their economies of scale.

      Paypal's TOS and guidlines are 1,000x longer than this forum's rules so it's stands to reason that the incident in this article is more commonplace.

      Paypal has a lot of competition as already mentioned above. Yet they continue to grow. For now the market place has already voted.

      RoD
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  • Profile picture of the author bizlinkx
    I'm sorry to hear that PayPal has a lot of hoops they have to jump through in order to offer their service. Although I don't use paypal for any of my business ventures they're great in the short term. It's really dangerous for anyone to allow them to have control of all your money. I personally advise you to use google checkout. While they aren't as popular as paypal they automatically place your funds into your account every two days. This gives you almost instant access to your funds.
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  • Profile picture of the author Lori Kelly
    I have not had any problems with Paypal. Yet. The only reason I am using Paypal now is because I am testing certain businesses. If I start to make money and realize that a merchant account is in order, I'll get a merchant account.

    On a side note, I opened an account today with homestead. They offered me a free device that attaches to my phone to accept credit cards. I was very skeptical and asked what other fees would be involved - batch fees, virtual terminal fees, etc. The device is free for life. The customer service rep told me they are trying to get into the business and this is their way of starting out. He told me the fees are similar to paypal, 2.7% per transaction with no swipe. Manual key in credit card info - 3.7%.

    For those of you who hate paypal, there are other options.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alan Petersen
      I also heard PayPal likes to take candy from babies and kick puppies. They're evil fargin sneaky bastages.
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      • Profile picture of the author sal64
        Originally Posted by Alan Petersen View Post

        I also heard PayPal likes to take candy from babies and kick puppies. They're evil fargin sneaky bastages.
        Post of the thread.

        Paypal closed my account once... ONCE!

        I rang them and told them that I never forget a fargin face kid.

        All sweet since then.

        Bottom line: An hysterical overreaction thread title from the OP.

        Tabloid forumism at it's best.
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        • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
          Banned
          Originally Posted by sal64 View Post

          Bottom line: An hysterical overreaction thread title from the OP.

          Tabloid forumism at it's best.
          Pretty funny coming from you. What was the offensive sig. that Admin deleted on you recently? It was so bad I can't repeat it but I'm sure people remember.

          Bottom line: you're the one who clicked on the thread title.
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          • Profile picture of the author Bryan Mc
            I read this whole story on their site last night. Looks like it's all better. Plus the owner doesn't have anymore fees for a year, and got an extra $100 per family. Crazy how the reps responded initially though.

            Lesson here, unless you have a massive trouble causing fan base, watch out for the Paypal hammer to fall at inopportune times.
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          • Profile picture of the author sal64
            Originally Posted by The Copy Nazi View Post

            Pretty funny coming from you. What was the offensive sig. that Admin deleted on you recently? It was so bad I can't repeat it but I'm sure people remember.

            Bottom line: you're the one who clicked on the thread title.
            Like I said dude, when you use a word like Nazi in you nic... you need some perspective. Blah blah we're humourless and all that. Tell it to the Holocaust survivors. Not much humour watching your family get killed.

            But hey if it helps make you a buck then it's ok.

            As for the sig... taken out of context by you. My bad for removing the words "you cam make a difference". BTW you were , the only one that complained.

            Feel free to mention it all you like. I have nothing to be ashamed of. Actually I am quite proud of my efforts to help Ken.

            At least my sig pointed to Ken's blog to help raise funds. Just like yours... oh hang on no yours doesn't.

            Hypocrite.

            Having gone through cancer rehab this year - I know more about what Ken's going through than you ever will. So get a clue next time.

            Here's the point...

            My act of stupidity was done with the best of intentions to help a fellow Warrior.

            Yours is merely a self-serving branding exercise in to promote yourself and get attention.

            And that my friend is the difference between you and me.
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            • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
              Banned
              Originally Posted by sal64 View Post


              My act of stupidity was done with the best of intentions to help a fellow Warrior.

              Yours is merely a self-serving branding exercise in to promote yourself and get attention.

              And that my friend is the difference between you and me.
              Seems you need to get your facts right.
              http://www.warriorforum.com/copywrit...ml#post5113141

              There are also multiple posts throughout the forum that link to that. I think we're up to $2K or something by now.


              BTW nice of you to presume about my state of health. Care to put your foot in it any further?

              And this comment warrants an infraction : "Yours is merely a self-serving branding exercise in to promote yourself and get attention".

              Funny thing is - last time I looked I was on an internet marketing forum - you know - where people promote themselves and get attention.
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              • Profile picture of the author sal64
                Originally Posted by The Copy Nazi View Post


                Funny thing is - last time I looked I was on an internet marketing forum - you know - where people promote themselves and get attention.
                True true.

                But hey, I am of mixed Euro decent and have worked with Holocaust survivors... so yeah it's lame and offensive.

                Whatever floats your boat...
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  • Profile picture of the author jivens
    Banned
    I'm still a little confused when it comes to merchant accounts such as authorize . net. Do the payers need to be members to pay? Does them having to put in a debit card number cause payers to not buy my product since its not good ol' paypal? Stupid question I know but this place is for learning.
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    • Profile picture of the author Rod Cortez
      Originally Posted by jivens View Post

      I'm still a little confused when it comes to merchant accounts such as authorize . net. Do the payers need to be members to pay? Does them having to put in a debit card number cause payers to not buy my product since its not good ol' paypal? Stupid question I know but this place is for learning.
      Jivens, the only stupid question is the one not asked. So I'm glad you asked because I guarantee it that other people have the same question.

      No, all they need is a credit card or debit card, they do not need to be members to pay.

      Though the same goes with Paypal, you don't have to be a member, you can also just use a credit or debit card. Direct from their website: "In the United States, PayPal allows Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express cards with an American billing address."

      RoD
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  • Profile picture of the author jivens
    Banned
    wow i'm looking at my banks merchant account right now. It looks great! Thanks for sharing and thanks for the info Rod.
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    • Profile picture of the author Rod Cortez
      Originally Posted by jivens View Post

      wow i'm looking at my banks merchant account right now. It looks great! Thanks for sharing and thanks for the info Rod.
      You're welcome. Make sure you compare their pricing structure during your research phase, also read any and all contracts before you sign them:

      Pricing

      RoD
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  • Profile picture of the author Don Luis
    Banned
    Paypal is god-sent for people in Third World countries who want to make money online.

    I remembered a few years ago when I waited and waited for Paypal to start serving people in my country. When it finally happened, I was overwhelmed with joy that, finally, I can finally work in freelancing sites, receive money from my clients, pay for products ordered online, etc.

    Paypal has been receiving bad press lately but it also pays to see the good things they've done. I know they're a company and like everyone else, profit is first in their agenda, but I can't think of any other company which opened the doors for millions of people to make money through the Internet, who otherwise would have been deprived of this opportunity.
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  • Profile picture of the author ronaldmd
    HA HA HA.
    This is classic.

    It's a shame there's no good paypal alternative, both for selling and buying things. Most of the paypal alternatives suck. Shame indeed.
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  • Profile picture of the author JeanneLynn
    I don't understand if Paypal is really providing poor customer service or if people with frozen accounts actually did something suspicious. I see tons of posts regarding Paypal.

    I've had my same paypal account since Paypal started. I think my Paypal account is 12 or 13 years old. I've never had any problems. However, it worries me when I read these stories. I really love Paypal; it's my favorite way to pay for everything I buy. I'd be upset if I couldn't use Paypal anymore.
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  • Profile picture of the author PunditGonzo
    I have yet, to have a problem with paypal. In over 5 years. I don't doubt the horror stories though. I am always looking for the best solution to fit my business.
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  • Profile picture of the author seobro
    PAYPAL never ceases to amaze me. Why they are still around is a major enigma. People must love intense pain. It is great that Ebay chooses pay pal as their payment provider, because both are below par companies. Turn your cash into trash should be the motto of this very poor company.
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  • Profile picture of the author NddS777
    Someone mentioned a chargeback earlier on...

    I just got a chargeback for $1200 after delivering some work. It seems pretty obvious that this is a plot to do me in; is there a loophole somewhere regarding this? I have proof in the form all correspondence between myself and the buyer, which i have sent to Paypal, but if this dude initiated the chargeback immediately after receiving what he paid for, then something made him believe that he could get away with the bucks, right?

    Can anybody offer some insight?
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  • Profile picture of the author Mary56324
    Banned
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author Gdetonator
      Originally Posted by fluffythewondercat View Post

      No, it's not just you.

      That's why I don't read Regretsy. It's a crowd I prefer not to hang out with.

      fLufF
      --
      Sometimes, you just need to be harsh to get what you want, talk about PayPal Problems & PayPal Answers! for example

      Originally Posted by Don Luis View Post

      Paypal is god-sent for people in Third World countries who want to make money online.

      I remembered a few years ago when I waited and waited for Paypal to start serving people in my country. When it finally happened, I was overwhelmed with joy that, finally, I can finally work in freelancing sites, receive money from my clients, pay for products ordered online, etc.

      Paypal has been receiving bad press lately but it also pays to see the good things they've done. I know they're a company and like everyone else, profit is first in their agenda, but I can't think of any other company which opened the doors for millions of people to make money through the Internet, who otherwise would have been deprived of this opportunity.
      Paypal doesn't do a damn thing, they only favoured your country after they've calculated their profits and numbered how many accounts they are going to limit each year
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  • Profile picture of the author sal64
    well... it's officially official.

    Paypal has ruined MY Christmas!!!

    Once again, I logged in to view my balance and noticed that those blood-sucking parasites are charging me transaction fees.

    Frankly, I have had enough, so I immediately picked up the phone to call their CEO.

    After the usual pleasantries (we are on first name terms), I reminded him in no uncertain terms that Paypal sole reason d'etre is to provide an affordable (free) merchant and payment processing facility so that Internet Marketers can make more money.

    I also reminded him that due to our exalted social status... as opposed to ordinary citizens... it is our right - not a privilege to to not have to pay and fees.

    In fact, given that the IM industry virtually keeps them in business, they should also make an automatic weekly deposit of $100 into our accounts as a show of good faith and that they care about their customers.

    He assured me that he would pass my advice on the customer service division and expects to see the changed implemented before Christmas so that IM'rs will have more money to spend on worthless WSO's.

    So listen up...

    Once these reforms are effected, I will place a donation button in my sig file. You can thank me later.

    Sal
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