That's it, I'm done. (PayPal rant)

Gopherbassist · #1 11-07-2010, 02:32 PM

This month, by some strange stroke of luck, I had a few extra bucks that weren't going to bills or gas or anything else. There's a CD box set that I've wanted for a while, and this was my chance to get it. I went to all the stores in my area, but none of them had it. So, for the first time in a while, I looked on eBay.

As expected, there was the item. Price was good too, so I figure everything is a go. I don't have a credit card, so I made sure the money was in the bank for a PayPal e-check. I click the Buy it Now button, at which time I'm told to log in to PayPal. I put my info in, hit enter, and everything should be smooth sailing from here. Except it says my info is wrong.

Well, it had been a few months since I used PayPal. I figured I just used the wrong password. I go through all the passwords that I use for anything that has to do with money, none of them work. So, I went to the drawer in my desk that has my PayPal info in it. It says my password should be the first one I tried. I try it again, no luck.

So I go to the link on PayPal's site for people who have lost their password. I answer the security questions. It says my answers are wrong. Well, this makes no sense at all to me. You only have one first boss and I know my cat's name.

I call PayPal. I tell them my password's not working and it's telling me my answers to my questions are wrong. I ask what's up. The ask my to veryify my account with a check number. I say "man, I don't have any checks, I don't really use that account any more. I can tell you, though, the date of my last purcahse with PayPal, my adress, and you can see I'm calling from the phone number on the account." Of course, they say that's not good enough. That's reasonable, I guess. They've got their system so you can't do anything about it.

Except that you can. That's a lot of information for a person to have about an account, so as a test I had my mother call PayPal and tell them the same things about her account. They gave her a code to input instead of her password so she could log in.

With that in mind, I called PayPal several more times trying to get into my account. After about a day I'd had enough, so I went out and bought an eBay gift card. I opened a new PayPal account because I was sick of fighting with them on this one, and didn't really want to go to the bank to get a routing number, which would just be more hassle.

I log in, put the gift card info in, and I get a screen telling me I have to have a credit card attached to my account to use a gift card. Which makes no sense. Why did I even buy the card now? Why do they need a credit card to verify money that they already have? What use is the gift card to any person who doesn't already use eBay or PayPal if they have to make an account? You might as well just give the person the money than give them the card.

I call the number on the card, I tell them I don't have a credit card. I ask them if there is any way that I can use the card, even for just one transaction. They tell me no, there is no way to use the gift card if you don't have a credit card.

Tl;dr version: PayPal is garbage and I'm never using it again.

Pilgrim · #2 11-07-2010, 03:11 PM

I understand your frustration. This story is another example of how deeply the use of credit affects our lives.

BUT - I see no reason that you ought to have credit to back up money that eBay is already holding. Makes no sense.

HollowBassman · #3 11-07-2010, 03:37 PM

I had a bank account tied to Paypal, money already transferred into my Paypal account, and it still told me that I needed a credit card attached when I attempted to make a purchase.

I have no credit cards and have no plans to get one in the future. Paypal is now useless to me.

MJ5150 · #4 11-07-2010, 05:42 PM

Too bad it has come to this point, but the scammers and thieves have made it so.

-Mike

mmbongo · #5 11-07-2010, 06:54 PM

On the other hand, if you don't accept Paypal, don't expect to sell anything.

Pilgrim · #6 11-07-2010, 06:58 PM

Unless your credit is trashed, it is imply unwise NOT to have a usable credit card. There are too many ways for emergencies to pop up which require credit.

A card is a tool and everyone whose credit supports it should have one...if nothing else, for emergencies.

I travel a fair amount and travelers are helpless without a credit card. It's foolish to carry cash when a card provides more protection and convenience. Checks aren't accepted anywhere now - it's card time.

uethanian · #7 11-07-2010, 08:49 PM

similar thing for me

years ago i set up an account with my mom's credit card, since i didn't have my own. by now that card's obsolete, i have no idea what the number was. since you can only have one card registered at a time, and you can only have one account for your name...well i tried calling them a year ago and after 15 minutes of questioning, they find my account. BUT, they refused to delete it. however much i hate paypal this is real inconvenient for me sometimes, i wish i could just create a new account.

cassanova · #8 11-07-2010, 09:25 PM

I don't use Ebay or Paypal for anything anymore. The fee's on Ebay make it pointless for me to sell anything, couple that with both their and Paypal continually siding with the buyer make it too easy for them to renege on the transaction.

If I can't find it in a store, craigslist, garage sale, or anywhere else in person, then I do without.