Idiots at Paypal

[Johnnybravo]

Is there a better alternative for making and receiving online payments than PayPal? I’m at the end of my tether with these idiots. I have had an account with them for 15 years . In that time I have had a grand total of zero disputes where they have had to reimburse anybody monies they have paid me. A fecking good record if I say so myself. A couple of weeks back I decided to open another PayPal account, which is perfectly acceptable and within their rules and guidelines. This was done as my better half has finally decided to get rid of a lot of her carp…err treasures. I offered to advertise and sell the stuff ,and, coupled with random things I propose to sell, the funds from these sales will become a holiday fund. Perfectly reasonable I thought,and much easier of trying to keep track of what’s going on with my other account that gets used for a myriad of transactions. Bear in mind this new account has the same address registered to it as my 15 year old one,and the same credit card linked to it.

So, off we go. Start selling. Payments coming in, no problem. Use the account to pay for postage/ courier fees of things sold, no issues. Couple of sales just under £100, no problem. Life is good… Until the greedy little feckers intervene. One sale over £100 and the funds don’t show. Odd. What’s going on? Contact them. Oh no,it’s for my benefit. To keep PayPal safe. They have put a hold on my account and will only realise the funds after three weeks and after I have supplied them additional information. WTF? I contact them,and ask what they are playing at. Oh, they need a copy of my driving lisence. What the actual F ***.? Any excuse to make interest off money that doesn’t belong to them. If they wanted proof of identification,why didn’t they ask when I opened the account,not a month later? Told them I wasn’t impressed how they were cherry picking which payments they would honour and which they would hold. They apologised and let one pending payment through,but said until £200 had gone through as sales,they might do it again…So, thought that was the end of it…Oh no

Next I get a message saying my account is restricted until I again furnish further infomation.What now? Do they want proof of what colour bogroll I use? In the meantime we had sold a large item for £450. Said to the missus what’s the bet it’s going to be a pending payment? End of the day it’s annoying,a pi$$take as they pocket the interest on your money they withheld from you for 3 weeks, but not much you can do about it,and seeing we don’t need the money immediately,we will have to live with it. Here is where it gets really stupid. Contact them again. Ask what they are playing at. Oh, they need proof of “ fulfilment”. What’s that I ask? Proof of postage. Ok, then why not say that? Pointed out the fact I had the other account,exemplary customer,same address,same credit card etc. Told it means nothing. Counts for nothing. End of conversation.

Send proof of payment for one transaction. No problem. Account still supposedly restricted. What now? They want proof of postage on the £450 item. Ok. Need to post it. Organise courier. Go to pay with PayPal like I always do. Account restricted. Cannot make a payment even using money in my bank account,not using funds they have on hold. So now in the ridiculous situation of not being able to post something so I can show them proof of postage so they will unblock the account. Seeing they don’t acknowledge my perfect record on my other PayPal account,I will not be using it to solve the stupid position they have created.

What kind of stupid do you have to be to work for PayPal? Sorry for the rant but need to get it off my chest

 

[KimB]

PayPal is helpful for paying I think but utterly useless for sellers. I avoid using it altogether if I can.

Friend of mine lost a £5000 motorbike from PayPal giving a scammer his money back after he collected the bike. There’s no way to prove anyone has it so you just end up with no money. And your item gone if you’re not careful.

If you have a delivery note it’s still not good enough as my brother found out. He sold an iPhone and the guy said it was only a charger in the box. No phone, luckily my brother took a pic of the phone and other bits before sealing it and sending it. That was his only saving grace.

Needless to say, I feel exactly the same as you with PayPal.

 

[Maker]

I had a PayPal account for years before they asked for my ID, IIRC they do it when the total money in or out reaches £3000, or something along those lines.

 

[Johnnybravo]

I had a PayPal account for years before they asked for my ID, IIRC they do it when the total money in or out reaches £3000, or something along those lines.

This account has had less than £1000 go through it

 

[Red'n'Black]

PayPal is helpful for paying I think but utterly useless for sellers. I avoid using it altogether if I can.

Friend of mine lost a £5000 motorbike from PayPal giving a scammer his money back after he collected the bike. There’s no way to prove anyone has it so you just end up with no money. And your item gone if you’re not careful.

If you have a delivery note it’s still not good enough as my brother found out. He sold an iPhone and the guy said it was only a charger in the box. No phone, luckily my brother took a pic of the phone and other bits before sealing it and sending it. That was his only saving grace.

Needless to say, I feel exactly the same as you with PayPal.

I've heard a few similar stories. If somebody turns up to collect a large expensive item from me it's cash or bank transfer only.

The only time I ever made an exception was with a livestock trailer, buyer lived at the opposite end of the country and hired a bloke with a recovery truck to tow it home for him, hate to think how much that must have cost.

I was out on the road that day and ended up having to chase the bloke for payment - series of excuses about his bank messing him about - while dealing with the courier who, fair play, wouldn't load the trailer until he heard I'd got my money.

After the guy had been kept waiting several hours I gave in and said I'd take Paypal. Really I should have just pulled the plug at that point as I was lucky the buyer didn't just claw the payment back and disappear.

 

[tom 748]

its a load of tosh, scrapped it after they took a 100 pounds of me for something i did not sign up for

 

[Johnnybravo]

Ok, so we have ascertained it’s a load of horse exhaust. What is a better alternative for making and recieving online payments as I am not willing to furnish strangers with my bank details? There must be a better way…

 

[ajlelectronics]

Ok, so we have ascertained it’s a load of horse exhaust. What is a better alternative for making and recieving online payments as I am not willing to furnish strangers with my bank details? There must be a better way…

Square?

 

[Johnnybravo]

Square?

Elaborate!

 

[optima21]

the problem is that if there is a better way from the sellers point of view, is that the buyer also has to sign up for it, and as a buyer I wouldnt be wanting to sign up to something to make a one off payment, so as a buyer, paypal is the easy option.

 

[ajlelectronics]

Elaborate!

Square is a non contract, non subscription method of taking plastic. You pay a commission which is smaller than Paypal's and apart from the standard sign up security there should be no nonsense. I use it for in person as well as "not present". The commission rates are 1.75% and 2.5% respectively. Funds are in your account next working day.

I get a small reward for recommending you with my link and you get the same for being referred. That is £1000 worth of free turnover.

I get "not present" capability but it may be restricted for new customers so check that point if you go for it.

I will post my link later if you want it.

 

[Johnnybravo]

Wondering if I shouldn’t maybe open an online bank account like Monzo,with no overdraft facilities and use that for receiving payments? Would transfer funds into my main account as soon as received. Seems a lot of dicking around,but not sure how else to do it. Need some way that’s easy for people to pay into, which was a service PayPal used to provide. Unfortunately they seem to have forgotten who pays their salaries and couldn’t give a hoot about their customers.

How does everyone else receive payments from strangers?

 

[Johnnybravo]

the problem is that if there is a better way from the sellers point of view, is that the buyer also has to sign up for it, and as a buyer I wouldnt be wanting to sign up to something to make a one off payment, so as a buyer, paypal is the easy option.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[My Old Landy]

Wondering if I shouldn’t maybe open an online bank account like Monzo,with no overdraft facilities and use that for receiving payments? Would transfer funds into my main account as soon as received. Seems a lot of dicking around,but not sure how else to do it. Need some way that’s easy for people to pay into, which was a service PayPal used to provide. Unfortunately they seem to have forgotten who pays their salaries and couldn’t give a hoot about their customers.

How does everyone else receive payments from strangers?

I opened an account that is only used for such transactions. I can give those details happy in the knowledge there is never any money left hanging about in there.

 

[awemawson]

If you pay someone by cheque they have all your bank details on it, similarity if they pay you, you have their details so what’s the issue giving name, sort code and account number. With on line banking you can see the funds arrive in practically real time. So that’s how I prefer to receive non cash ie not present payments.

 

[Johnnybravo]

If you pay someone by cheque they have all your bank details on it, similarity if they pay you, you have their details so what’s the issue giving name, sort code and account number. With on line banking you can see the funds arrive in practically real time. So that’s how I prefer to receive non cash ie not present payments.

I don’t pay by cheque.

 

[julianf]

For cross border stuff I use wise wherever I can.

You can use it for internal transactions also, but may as well use bacs.

Kind of no good for small value stuff though, as people are unfamiliar with it.

 

[Johnnybravo]

I opened an account that is only used for such transactions. I can give those details happy in the knowledge there is never any money left hanging about in there.

That’s what I am thinking might be the way forward

 

[addjunkie]

Square is a non contract, non subscription method of taking plastic. You pay a commission which is smaller than Paypal's and apart from the standard sign up security there should be no nonsense. I use it for in person as well as "not present". The commission rates are 1.75% and 2.5% respectively. Funds are in your account next working day.

I get a small reward for recommending you with my link and you get the same for being referred. That is £1000 worth of free turnover.

I get "not present" capability but it may be restricted for new customers so check that point if you go for it.

I will post my link later if you want it.

Izettle sum up etc are all easyways of getting paid by others, similar to square, but they are really aimed at the small trader rather than someone selling off treasures.
If your face to face BACS is the way. Ibought a trailer the other day. £1900 quid, arrived looked, deal agreed, money transfered, trailer loaded and off home, easier than counting out cash!

 

[Johnnybravo]

Izettle sum up etc are all easyways of getting paid by others, similar to square, but they are really aimed at the small trader rather than someone selling off treasures.
If your face to face BACS is the way. Ibought a trailer the other day. £1900 quid, arrived looked, deal agreed, money transfered, trailer loaded and off home, easier than counting out cash!

Problem is most of it is a case of sell it and ship it, you rarely get to meet in person. On the rare occasions you do meet in person ,99% of the time the buyer is more than happy to pay cash.