Pissed Off By Paypal

[xty]

Want to buy something off eBay, but most of the sellers accepts only Paypal.

Couldn't register any account when in Indonesia (country not listed in registration form). Moved to UAE, couldn't either (country not listed in registration form).

Latest, moved to Thailand. Hooray! I could register, the country is listed in registration form. Now for verification. Tried to add my Indonesian credit card and got rejected. Tried to add my UAE credit card and got rejected.

Got Savings/Visa debit card from Bangkok Bank. Hooray! Could use it for verification. Tried to add credit to my Paypal account to start transaction, but they only accept direct link to US bank account!

Complained to customer service, received general answer where you can find yourself in FAQ.

D*mn Paypal!

If you don't accept non-US/EU citizens/accounts, then <deleted> do you even list non-US/EU countries on the first place on registration form???

Edited December 16, 2005 by xty

[george]

Got Savings/Visa debit card from Bangkok Bank. Hooray! Could use it for verification. Tried to add credit to my Paypal account to start transaction, but they only accept direct link to US bank account!

How did you get the PIN code from Bangkok Bank?

[xty]

You mean ATM PIN? You set it with a keypad on customer service desk when you open the savings account.

[lomatopo]

What (country) e-bay site are you buying on?

PayPal Worldwide Accounts seems pretty clear and concise?

I think local banking finance/regulations are an inhibitor (of Paypal implementation) in some cases.

Can you ask a friend, who may reside in a PayPal acceptable country to bid for you?

[h90]

means you have paypal, but you can not put funds on it, right??

if it is a small amount, I have some hundred usd on my paypal, so if you transfer the money in thailand in advance for me, I can paypal you some money. Not really like that, but if it is a help I am willing to do that.....

[Gary A]

PayPal SUCKS! I have a US credit card linked as well as my US bank account. I bought a $600 item off ebay and PayPal wouldn't allow me to pay for it even though my bank account and credit card were in the US as well as the shipping address. Of course I complained and was told the the item was ordered from Thailand. I asked them what difference that made since my bank account was in the US, my credit card was in the US and the shipping address was in the US. After that I only got canned messages and NEVER did get to talk with a live person after that. My account was limited, when they say limited they really mean frozen! I tried to cancel the account and couldn't even do that. It is now permanently frozen. I cancelled that credit card because I didn't want the incompetent bastards to have the number. I wrote to my bank and told them that under no circumstances should they EVER pay anything to my PayPal account.

Want to buy something off eBay, but most of the sellers accepts only Paypal.

Couldn't register any account when in Indonesia (country not listed in registration form). Moved to UAE, couldn't either (country not listed in registration form).

Latest, moved to Thailand. Hooray! I could register, the country is listed in registration form. Now for verification. Tried to add my Indonesian credit card and got rejected. Tried to add my UAE credit card and got rejected.

Got Savings/Visa debit card from Bangkok Bank. Hooray! Could use it for verification. Tried to add credit to my Paypal account to start transaction, but they only accept direct link to US bank account!

Complained to customer service, received general answer where you can find yourself in FAQ.

D*mn Paypal!

If you don't accept non-US/EU citizens/accounts, then <deleted> do you even list non-US/EU countries on the first place on registration form???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[PeaceBlondie]

I agree that PayPal is no pal of ours. Absolutely worthless. No response. I actually got an apparent real response from a "Susan" whose real name may have been Dwight or Dwyce. PayPal is excrement.

[h90]

had the same!!

you never get a real person....

have somewhere 150 euro on a lost account.

also they have strange rules on copyright material, they follow some us rules to the point, which are even in usa not law and limit your account for a brake on it.

they sucks, but they are the only one....

PayPal SUCKS! I have a US credit card linked as well as my US bank account. I bought a $600 item off ebay and PayPal wouldn't allow me to pay for it even though my bank account and credit card were in the US as well as the shipping address. Of course I complained and was told the the item was ordered from Thailand. I asked them what difference that made since my bank account was in the US, my credit card was in the US and the shipping address was in the US. After that I only got canned messages and NEVER did get to talk with a live person after that. My account was limited, when they say limited they really mean frozen! I tried to cancel the account and couldn't even do that. It is now permanently frozen. I cancelled that credit card because I didn't want the incompetent bastards to have the number. I wrote to my bank and told them that under no circumstances should they EVER pay anything to my PayPal account. 

Want to buy something off eBay, but most of the sellers accepts only Paypal.

Couldn't register any account when in Indonesia (country not listed in registration form). Moved to UAE, couldn't either (country not listed in registration form).

Latest, moved to Thailand. Hooray! I could register, the country is listed in registration form. Now for verification. Tried to add my Indonesian credit card and got rejected. Tried to add my UAE credit card and got rejected.

Got Savings/Visa debit card from Bangkok Bank. Hooray! Could use it for verification. Tried to add credit to my Paypal account to start transaction, but they only accept direct link to US bank account!

Complained to customer service, received general answer where you can find yourself in FAQ.

D*mn Paypal!

If you don't accept non-US/EU citizens/accounts, then &lt;deleted&gt; do you even list non-US/EU countries on the first place on registration form???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[britmaveric]

Hmmm use paypal all the time - great service. Bought 30 or so items without any issues.

[spog]

Paypal is crap, be lucky that you haven't been able to sign up for it.

Just google for 'paypal sucks'. See how keen you are to join up after doing a bit of research

[camble]

Lots of PayPal stories here

Pay Pal Sucks Website

[ChiangMaiThai]

Hmmm use paypal all the time - great service. Bought 30 or so items without any issues.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I used to think like you. Now I know better. PayPal is an absolute nightmare, especially if you are receiving money. I signed up for a US verified premier account 3 years ago. I used it in the US and then I came to Thailand and used it for over two years from Thailand with no problems at all. It would have been easy to hide my IP address, but I had no reason to hide anything. I'm an American on extended leave in Thailand- there's no rules against Americans using their accounts while overseas. For over two years I logged in regularly from Thailand. For over two years I withdrew funds at Thai ATMs with the paypal debit card. Never a problem.

Then one day they notify me that my account is limited because I have been logging in from Thailand. They will hold on to my $600 in the account until I return to the US, fax them a utility bill that proves I live there and add a US credit card to the account. From then on, I may only use the account when in the US.

I explained that a clear and blatant precedent had been set. Namely, it was okay for me to use my paypal account while here. It took hours on the phone with them and finally I got through to someone who was marginally helpful and told me that he doesn't know why it was flagged now and there's nothing he can do and my account will remain frozen til I go back to the US.

They told me to open a Thai account for use in Thailand. But you need a Thai credit card (not Visa electron) so that is worthless advice right?

Anyway, it was hours and hours of emailing and waiting on the phone to even get a straight answer, which of course is that eventhough I've used the account from Thailand for two years, they have decided to keep my money interest free until I decide to go back to the US. Thanks PayPal!

If you read the stories at paypalsucks.com you will find many, many reasons to avoid them at all costs. The problem if you use ebay is that they have convinced all the buyers that they only safe way to pay is paypal. This is somewhat true as ebay will almost always rule in favour of the buyer no matter what. For isntance, the buyer purchases a videogame. They play the game for 44 days. They get bored and so file a dispute that says the game doesn't work. PayPal doesn't actually examine the game in the majority of cases. They just tell the buyer to return the item and prove it with tracking number. When they do so, paypal reverses all the money INCLUDING shipping, even if the ebay listing said that shipping was not refundable. To make matters worse, the buyer can send you a piece of paper instead of the video game. As long as there is a tracking number, paypal will give the buyer their money back.

An absolute nightmare of a company to deal with. They do not care about you at all. They care only about keeping consumers confident about using paypal to buy goods.

[cdnvic]

Lots of PayPal stories here

Pay Pal Sucks Website

Looks like a place to find a balanced report.

cv

[Gary A]

Citibank US rescued me. They offer a FREE bill pay option and it works great for bills in the US. I also pay my US credit cards that way.

[jobsworth]

Right on brothers.

Paypal sucks.

They especially don't like Thailand.

Now my problem with that is that they do not tell you that that is the problem.

They tow you along with requests for photocopies of driver's license

and credit card statements which you must fax to them,

which are difficult to send since their fax machine is often out of paper.

Then after all that your account is still blocked.

Worse, while they have been close to Ebay for some time,

they now have an association with Skype,

which is sure to damage Skype in some way.

Yet another paypal sucks story here:-

http://onwardoverland.com/paypal.html

[merlin1]

Some sobering second thoughts here.

ChiangMaiThai's caught my interest in particular. If I understand your problem, you withdrew funds your Pal Pay account with a paypal card which showed you were in TL which eventually they decided wasn't a good thing.

I've used PP for a couple years in Canada without problems as a source of receiving money from clients. I wonder what might happen when I come to Thailand. My PP account is linked to a Canadian bank account which I can withdraw money from in TL through an ATM no problem. Can PP somehow spot my location from this pattern of transactions. I doubt it. There is no way for them to know I am outside of Canada, unless they somehow gain access to the location of my bank withdrawals.

Anyone have any experience with this end of things?

[Chivas]

Citibank US rescued me. They offer a FREE bill pay option and it works great for bills in the US. I also pay my US credit cards that way.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Off subject slightly but instead of using paypal (a nightmare indeed) use nochex.

cheaper,reliable,a straight answer to a straight question,NO CHARGEBACKS, AND money back into your own bank account in half the time of paypal.

Chivas

[Ajarn]

Some sobering second thoughts here.

ChiangMaiThai's caught my interest in particular.  If I understand your problem, you withdrew funds your Pal Pay account with a paypal card which showed you were in TL which eventually they decided wasn't a good thing.

I've used PP for a couple years in Canada without problems as a source of receiving money from clients.  I wonder what might happen when I come to Thailand.  My PP account is linked to a Canadian bank account which I can withdraw money from in TL through an ATM no problem.  Can PP somehow spot my location from this pattern of transactions.  I doubt it.  There is no way for them to know I am outside of Canada, unless they somehow gain access to the location of my bank withdrawals.

Anyone have any experience with this end of things?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I live in Thailand and have been using paypal problem-free for the last 4 or 5 years. I have a US address and a US bank. Last week, I decided to get Paypal's ATM debit card sent to my US address, to be forwarded here...

Now, I'm wondering if I should use it.

[stevehaigh]

I live in Thailand and have been using paypal problem-free for the last 4 or 5 years. I have a US address and a US bank. Last week, I decided to get Paypal's ATM debit card sent to my US address, to be forwarded here...

Now, I'm wondering if I should use it. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i'm in exactly the same boat and now i'm thinking that too. that quote from Gary A about his account frozen because he ordered something from thailand, scared the s**t out of me, i depend on paypal for my business.

[stevehaigh]

some interesting info for mercants here http://www.ygoodman.com/payments.asp

[pmoores]

some interesting info for mercants here http://www.ygoodman.com/payments.asp

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thats my worry too when the time comes to retire. A internet based buisness and ebay/paypal as the main way to get and transfer cash.

Do know I will use the trick for accessing the account. Get a cheap AOL dialin account. Once a month phone the long distance number to the North America number, and transfer money to my US backaccount manually.

One thing I dont know is whether a mailboxes etc type address counts as a 'valid mailing address'? But if the account is preset up prior to moving, guess you could find a stable freind that doesnt move and use that as the living address.

[gharknes]

ok, i'm confused, i use paypal here all the time, most sellers on ebay or any other online world shipper will not ship to thailand because of import issues so you generally need to ship to your base country UK or USA then get shipped to Thailand, i have had small light items shipped to me directly but only after email to seller, ebay or paypal don't know i'm in thailand ?