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slapnpop

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PAYPAL SUCKS THE DONKEY DONG PART II

WARNING: very very long rant, but if you use paypal, I recommend reading.

I recently purchased a car from a guy who owns a mechanics shop for the type of car. He mentioned he could take credit card payments through paypal, and this seemed like a good idea because he was in Rhode Island, I was in Tennessee, and it was better than overnighting a bunch of checks and paperwork around.

so we send part of the payment, about $2k, via paypal. The rest was payed to his lienholder directly by me. I've used paypal before, and am familiar with thier system. Since we have a lower rate on this credit card that we were getting on the car loan, we deicided to put the above mentioned amount on the credit card. So I add the card to the paypal account, and send him the money. I am quite sure I picked the card as the source of the funds transfer. The next day the seller gets his money, and turns the car over to a co-worker of mine who was in the area and drove it back here for me. A couple days later there's an insuficient funds fee in my bank account because paypal had tried to draw funds from the wrong source. Ok, mistakes happen, I call paypal.

Them:

"There's nothing we can do because the transaction is 'in progress.' It will make two more attempts on your bank account, and then try your backup funding source."

I confirm the backup funding source is the correct credit card with them, and I ask about the seller, and what will happen with the transaction on his account. They say it's completed on his end, and it's only a matter between me an paypal. I ask what would happen if I put a stop payment on my bank account from paypal rather than getting more insufficient funds fees. He says "It will just try the next step in the process, and pull the funds from the CC."

I put a stop payment on the bank, rather than getting two more insufficient funds fees. At this point I've payed the bank $60 ($30 for the insuf funds penalty, and $30 fee for the stop payment).

A couple days later, paypal account still shows negative balance.

I call paypal again. Apparently when you put a stop payment on your account, it automatically triggers the fraud alert. They for some reason, can't charge my Credit card now. They want money, and understandably so. We ask them for an address to send a check, because we're tired of this electronic screw up crap. We get the address, and send a check that evening via priority mail, with a return reciept.

The next morning the seller calls. "Paypal just yanked the $2k out of my account." I already have the car at this point, and I'm sure this has to look bad on his end.

I call paypal back. They tell me nothing they can do till check arrives, and that 24-48 hours after the check arrives, the money will be back in the seller's account. This should be last thursday. I figure give them til tuesday.

Tuesday, I recieved the return reciept in the mail, and the check shows up on the bank account, processed last thursday, the day it arrived. Paypal account still has a negative balance, and seller doesn't have his money.

Call Paypal again. "No, money orders post in 2 days, checks take 4-5 days."

This morning i get email from seller. He had called paypal and asked about the transaction. They don't show anything on his end. They recomend he conact the police.

At this point I'm irate. I mean really really really irate. I leave work and ride the FJR home. I get a faxed over copy of the canceled check, and a pdf my online statement showing the transaction and the date. I scan the faxed check and the return recipt from the mail, and put them on my server.

I call paypal. They tell me the check is scheduled to process on the 10th (still a week away) and that it'll take a couple days longer than that for the money to make it to seller's account. I ask why they told him to call the police a week to the day AFTER they cashed my check. Their only response is "We wouldn't give him any information about your account. And he probably asked if he should call the cops, to which our standard reply is 'that's an otion."

I tell them this is unacceptable. Something has to be done, as they already have the money from me, haven't given it to him, and I'm in possesion of a car that could easily become reported as stolen. It's the best I can to do to keep the conversation PG-13. They put me on hold. Come back. Ask if i'm in possesion of the goods already. YES, I told you that several times already. They say they will put the money in his account today, but my account will still reflect a negative balance until the 12th or 13th. At this point, I don't care, as long as he has his money.

I call seller back. Told him what paypal told me. I ask about the police thing, and whether he or they brought it up.

When they wouldn't give him any information about whether or not I had made payement, He asked what he should do at that point.

Paypal rep:

"I'd call the police"

Him:

"What?!"

Paypal rep:

"I'd call the police while the trail is still warm."

After that he checks his paypal account while I'm on the phone still, and it shows the funds back in his account. He's cool at this point, and realizes paypal had just screwed the pooch royally.

We agree that after the transaction is finalized, we're gonna get on a 3 way call with paypal, and ask them about the whole debocle, where they can't pawn it off on one party or the other. By the time they get my account fix, it will have been a month since the initial transaction. I've got a good list of questions written down, including: "Why did you tell the seller to call the police one week to the day AFTER you cashed my check" and "Why was I misinformed or flat out lied to by EVERY one of your customer service reps that I delt with."

I will be canceling my paypal account as soon as it shows a 0 balance. I will never use this peice of flaming dog pooh again. As it's owned by ebay, and given ebay's scam-haven environment lately, I highly doubt I will be using ebay anymore either. Throughtout this whole process, paypal has been extremely unhelpful, uninformative, and as far as I'm concerned completly at fault.

I urge anyone who uses paypal to cease immidiatly. If you ever DO encounter a problem, they will not do anything to resolve it, and potentially make the problems worse.

HEY PAYPAL!: :fuk:

 
Woof! Dude, sorry to hear this... I've been wondering about what would happen if this shit happened. Now I know. Thanks for the heads-up. I only have one card registered there with a very low credit line that I use for small personal transactions... maybe I'll rethink this.

I keep hearing my dad's voice from a bazillion years ago, "Son, remember, cash is king." No shit!

 
Not the first time I've heard a Paypal horror story. When it works, it's great, speeds up and simplifies on line transactions significantly. When it takes a dump, it's anus opens to unheard of dimensions, and craps like a elephant after a 55 gallon drum of 5-Alarm and a 80 pack of Bud... :blink:

 
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I did my paypal very cautiously. I have a bank account that is used for nothing but paypal transactions. when i want to buy something, i put money into that account and pay for it. i've never had a problem and did many transactions with it. sorry to hear they jerked you around like that.

 
Wow ..... more horror stories about Paypal. Being a long time Ebay user, I have had my share of Paypal incidents. I have filed a few buyer complaints and have had a few filed on me as well. In every single instance, Paypal has sided in my favor. The process is slow, normally 30 days, and during that time your account is debited for that amount of $$. The process sucks and you have ZERO control over it. And ..... their decision is final ....... end of discussion.

As a seller, I have learned the following points ....

1) Without fail, ALWAYS ship to the confirmed address. If you don't and the buyer files a complaint ..... you will lose.

2) Without fail, ALWAYS ship with a tracking # via UPS or similar service. If you ship without a method of proof and the buyer complains........ you will lose.

I agree with Radman. When all goes well, it is a great service. But when something goes wrong, Paypal is your worst nightmare.

 
All the reasons I ever had to NOT use Paypal came from a good friend who worked for a music merchandiser (Made and distributed concert T's, programs, and assorted memorabilia). She was in charge of the Ebay part of the company and has dozens of horror stories about how bad Paypal is. Especially when they can freeze ALL accounts you register with them on a whim. Can you imagine having the Company account frozen because Paypal screwed up and can't get any of your proceeds out of it?

You can also look here for more info. Interesting stuff.

 
I hate how they steer you to your bank account and you have to remember every single time to go to the card. That's deliberate and shady. They also share information freely with police without a subpoena and I wish there was a comparable competition.

I believe one day they will be regulated--like banks are today.

I would suggest a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission for their shady tactics.

 
Have you considered reporting them to your local consumer affairs dept? Might put a rocket up their arse and what about PayPal's internal complaints dept? any use? might make a difference you never know...

 
Long story very short - late '02 I checked my bank statement online like i do every morning when I balance on microsloth money. The balance showed a $1400 withdrawl from paypal. I did not buy anything. called paypal, got a run around, went to my credit union, told them what is going on, and they put the money back in my account and went after paypal. Apparently someone hacked in, (inside job possibly) and withdrew my $ using a phoney ebay auction with a hijacked ebay useraccount. TWO YEARS later and three letters from Eliot Spitzer (NYS attourney general) Paypal returned the money to my credit union. They considered the matter closed, but I told them I wanted charges brought up on someone, I have, essentially, been robbed of $1400 fer chrissakes and in NYS that is a crime!! Paypal told me to call the local authorities because they do not do criminal investigations. Local auth told me cyber crime is hard to catch and paypal was not going to any lengths to help them. PHUCKERZZZZZZZ!!! From that day in '02 I have not shopped ebay or used paypal for anything. and I never will again. Actually looking back, that was a turning point in my electronic lifestyle. To see my home you'd think I went unibomber - no home phone line, no cable or satellite tv, no internet...just many many internal combustion type implements and 3 well toned and tanned children who wouldn't trade our life for the world :cownoy:

 
The scariest thing about PayPal is that they are still probably the BEST of the online payment facilitators. That's kinda like saying the best manure in the cesspool...

I've been VERY lucky with them over the years. From the very beginning, I set up a checking account SOLELY for PayPal that's not connected to any of our other bank accounts --can't even use the same ATM. I keep a limited amount of money there, and NEVER buy anything on PayPal even with a credit card that comes close to my reserve.

 
From the very beginning, I set up a checking account SOLELY for PayPal that's not connected to any of our other bank accounts
Thats what my wife did. If the worst happens, at least the damage will be contained. Doesn't sound like this type of accounting would have helped Slappy though, as with yours and my system, the coin would have been there to take.

 
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From the very beginning, I set up a checking account SOLELY for PayPal that's not connected to any of our other bank accounts
Thats what my wife did. If the worst happens, at least the damage will be contained. Doesn't sound like this type of accounting would have helped Slappy though, as with yours and my system, the coin would have been there to take.
You mean....we actually AGREE on something?????? :blink:

 
I just recently received an email from PayPal saying that my account has "unusal activity". I never made or received a payment thru them. And I never had an account with them. What's up with that?

 
snowmonkey, most emails like that are SCAMS to get your info. delete that message. IF you want to make sure your account is (relatively) safe, CALL paypal and verify by voice your account activity.

 
Yes, beware the ever present SCAM EMAILS asking you to check your Paypal (or other) account, verify your account, whatever.

If you don't HAVE a paypal account, you can rest assured that no-one opened one for you, so it's spam.

If you DO have a paypal account, check the details of the email, and more than likely the parent location of the email, or the URL of the "paypal link" is going to one of those fake poser pages, often in a foreign country. Then they get your information and suck you dry. Not the good kind of suck you dry, either.

Let's be careful out there.

 
For a couple of months, I got those scam emails about 3 to 4 per week. As noted above the link does not take you to paypal. I just forwarded most of them to [email protected], got an acknowledgement in return. Haven't got any for a month or so.......(is there a knocking on wood smilie?????

As always, caution is a good thing........

 
You mean....we actually AGREE on something??????
Don't get yer hopes up commie, law of averages insists it is bound to happen.... :D
I guess so ...Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

Commie? What kind of crap is that? See what I mean? THAT kind of shit is how you got your ass landed in a sensitivity class. :angry:

And everybody is busy saying "poor, poor Radman!"

You really ought to see someone about some special kind of Imodium for your verbal diarrhea. :headbonk:

 
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