Paypal have closed my account

Crowqueen

soolin wrote: »

Slightly off topic but I had to comment on your post Crowqueen. I worry about this all the time and my sons are fed up of me nagging them about it. All 3 of them log in from my PC on occasions and use their eBay and PayPal accounts, and being young they are often. Of fully aware of how careful they need to be. It worries me that if one of them does something stupid (one nearly forgot to pay for something recently as he bid, got outbid and thought that was that- but high bidder withdraw bid and he actually won)

I am a bit concerned about my mother, actually - she is very new to eBay and I had to set Paypal up for her on my computer.

Later on she had a bit of toing and froing which she vaguely mentioned was over something on eBay - a couple of letters were exchanged - and I am very worried that she will go overboard or do something foolish because she doesn't understand the timescales involved with payment.

I may be worrying over nothing but although I have immense respect for my mother and she is a very intelligent, rational woman who has been buying in all different sorts of ways for 60 years and is the manager of a multi-million pound non-profit organisation, her eBay technique seems to require a bit of polishing. If anything else happens I will be the first one to sit down and show her what's going on.

jimsmillions

Crowqueen wrote: »

Sorry to be pessimistic but companies can deny service to anyone they want to, and if they think you are causing problems for them their risk management would be to restrict you .

Sorry to chop your post but this is the bit I find relevent and in relation to some comments Ive made in other threads. What other company has ever placed restrictions on you for something done or possibly done by someone else? My answer = none. The only thing I can think of is Credit card companys where they black list an address. I have been refused a card as my partner had bad rating with that comapny but thats different thats refuses a service I dont have. No company has ever restricted me for something someone else has done whilst I am an active user/customer acting within the rules. These are the types of areas where in my own opinion Ebay and Paypal way overstep the mark. Just read up your all (evidently) good users all petrified that someone elses actions will mess up your accounts. You shouldent be made to feel that way.

soolin

jimsmillions wrote: »

Sorry to chop your post but this is the bit I find relevent and in relation to some comments Ive made in other threads. What other company has ever placed restrictions on you for something done or possibly done by someone else? My answer = none. The only thing I can think of is Credit card companys where they black list an address. I have been refused a card as my partner had bad rating with that comapny but thats different thats refuses a service I dont have. No company has ever restricted me for something someone else has done whilst I am an active user/customer acting within the rules. These are the types of areas where in my own opinion Ebay and Paypal way overstep the mark. Just read up your all (evidently) good users all petrified that someone elses actions will mess up your accounts. You shouldent be made to feel that way.

Actually there are lots of companies who blacklist entire addresses. here on MSE there are threads about Amazon, Boots and Tesco direct doing it.

my sons at various addresses rented whilst at uni have had pizza deliveries declined on the Address or even area alone. One of them had tesco refuse to deliver groceries even though they had just moved in, based almost certainly on something done by a previous tenant . One was blacklisted by every taxi firm in the area

Even I do it, as I suspect do many other sellers. I refuse to sell to an entire country-italy based on their postal service, so Italian buyers could well accuse me of acting badly as they have never had a problem with me yet cannot buy from me.

jimsmillions

soolin wrote: »

Actually there are lots of companies who blacklist entire addresses. here on MSE there are threads about Amazon, Boots and Tesco direct doing it.

my sons at various addresses rented whilst at uni have had pizza deliveries declined on the Address or even area alone. One of them had tesco refuse to deliver groceries even though they had just moved in, based almost certainly on something done by a previous tenant . One was blacklisted by every taxi firm in the area

Even I do it, as I suspect do many other sellers. I refuse to sell to an entire country-italy based on their postal service, so Italian buyers could well accuse me of acting badly as they have never had a problem with me yet cannot buy from me.

You missed the point. Those are companys refuse service to a new customer as it were. What Ebay and Paypal do is more like this for example. I miss my Barclaycard payment so they restrict my account and my wife's? How many people would put up with that? Ive never been an ACTIVE customer of most importantly someone handling MY money and had that account restricted due to the actions of someone else. Weve had suspected fraud on a Credit card once it was mine in fact. They froze my card, my wife has an account with them too, they didnt freeze her's. We just wouldent put up with that kind of behavior with other companys I dont know why people do with Ebay and Paypal.

Whats more when you do get a problem elesewhere they are pretty pro active at sorting it out where as Ebay and Paypal seem to go out of the way to be difficult.

ksa_n

Thanks for the replies folks. Just to expand on a few points:

Crowqueen wrote: »

True enough but people do odd things with their accounts that they don't always tell people about

I agree some people do odd things with their accounts that they don't tell people about. However, I am GMC (General Medical Council) registered and I've never done anything that may risk me getting struck off. What's frustrating me is that PayPal will not release any specific information as to what's happened. They're effectively saying we don't have to tell you why we're closing your account so we won't. Very arrogant in my opinion.

Crowqueen wrote: »

What happened the second time? Did you prove the two accounts were unrelated?

I honestly cannot recall setting up two accounts but if they can prove it then I'll put my hands up and accept it. Again all I'm asking for is information.

UnderPressure wrote: »

I would not waste your money with legal advice or action,

I think you're right so I've shelved that approach for now.

However, I've decided if I don't get a satisfactory explanation via the formal complaint I've submitted to them then I'll make a subject access request access via the Data Protection Act 1998. Step by step guide at ico.gov.uk/for_the_public/personal_information/how_manage/access_info.aspx (new user so can't post the full link). It'll only cost me £10 and they legally have to respond within 40 days. Depending on their response I may go down the FSO route. As I understand it the FSO route is free for me but PayPal get charged a hefty fee and I've got nothing to lose compared to where I am now. Anecdotal reports (when googling) of people having their accounts reinstated this way.

I could quite easily live without a Paypal account and just use my various charge, credit and debit cards but it's become a matter of principle now in that I genuinely believe I've done nothing wrong. I'd love to get the account reinstated and then voluntarily close it down myself.

UnderPressure

That sounds like quite a good idea KSN, If you have time would you mind coming back and letting us know how you get on with that? I would be very interested to see how that all pans out.

ksa_n

Yes of course I'll you updated.

I submitted the formal complaint late Friday. Hopefully I should hear one way or another next week.

lovinituk

jimsmillions wrote: »

We just wouldent put up with that kind of behavior with other companys I dont know why people do with Ebay and Paypal.

Because its in their terms and conditions that you agree to when you sign up. If you don't like those terms, then don't use them... simples!! If you are only a buyer then you can use ebay (and other sites that only accept Paypal) without ever having a Paypal account so its really no big deal.

antrobus

jimsmillions wrote: »

You missed the point...

I think it's you that's missing the point. Every company has the right not to do business with someone.

There are plenty of threads here on MSE about people who've had their bank accounts closed. There was a thread recently from someone complaining that Boots.com (or Body Shop, one of the two) had closed their account.

Crowqueen

Further to that, most companies don't want to arbitrarily ban people from using their services, or have to vet each individual user or shopper - it would generally cost them money and lose them custom. Generally they will have some sort of reason for refusing service, mostly to do that with that customer being difficult, unreasonable, or causing them problems. A pizza company might have been fleeced several times by people ordering cash-on-delivery and then not paying, a grocery company might have found people at that address violent, or Paypal might have had cause to doubt that the user has kept their account secure enough to prevent hijacking or fraudulent usage, or perhaps filed far too many disputes than can be reasonably anticipated by normal usage.

It is well known for Amazon and eBay to ban on the basis of poor seller metrics or practices, for instance.

So if Paypal have banned you, they are entitled to but they also probably have a damn good reason why they would turn away the income they get from allowing you to use their service.