PayPal Credit confusion

Graham1982

Hello everyone:

This may not be the correct forum to place this in so feel free to tell me how to move it if not, the reason for my questioning this is that this isn't a debt that I need to be free of unless the situation below becomes problematic:

Okay I have a PayPal credit agreement that has a maximum limit of £850. I used this to purchase an expensive child's ride on toy of £650 with four month's interest free if paid in full. The interest free period runs out by 4th September and I will have paid this off in full before this date, or so I thought.

This is where the problem lies:

My credit balance is £136.40 and my available credit is £713.60 i.e. I thought I needed to clear £136.40 by 4th September.

However under "Promotional offers" I have a figure of £211.37 which relates to the company from which I bought the child's toy. This is the only transaction I have made and I am certain it relates to this toy as it has been going down with each payment I have made.

As I have a side income, I would regularly pay said side income on a Monday of each week to PayPal credit to erode the balance on the child's toy. Again, there are no further outstanding PayPal credit purchases that have been made.

Can someone please explain what could be going on?

Yes in normal circumstances I could phone PayPal but I am working abroad, will have to use a VPN and this might create security issues and lock me out of my account, something I don't want to happen as I want to clear this balance and won't be able to if I am locked out.

Thanks

Graham

rigare11a

Hi Graham, 

 I have a PayPal credit account - would never do again as I can rarely ever get a straight answer from them, but it sounds like you will need to make contact with paypal someway to get this resolved. 

Maybe pay the 136.40 and then deal with the small balance when you return to the UK.

Good Luck

EssexHebridean

At the risk of oversimplifying - once you paid the balance you *thought* was outstanding - £136.40 - had you then paid the full £650 cost of the toy? If yes, and there is still a balance remaining in spite of this, you probably need to firstly contact the selling company to find out if they have charged you a higher amount. if they have not, then it will be a query to Paypal I would think. 

Graham1982

Hello both:

Thank you. PayPal have confirmed (via online chat) that I have a balance of 136.00 but due to the disjointed nature of PayPal chat I didn't get the chance to ask why there was a different "promotional balance" or whatever they call it.

As a consequence I have screenshot(ed?) the conversation, will clear that balance and see what happens.

Thank you.

Graham

PS I agree that PayPal is a little awkward to understand or perhaps even disingenuous. Over the past few months I have been making weekly payments to the account to clear the outstanding balance. As this obviously means that I have met and exceeded the minimum payment each month, a notification message appears when you attempt to pay (it doesn't prevent you) saying "You have already paid X this month, you maybe paying too much or twice" [not verbatim].

Now obviously if you know what you owe, have a handle on your finances and know what needs to be paid and when then this is okay. However, if not perhaps this kind of info can catalyse a derailment.

rigare11a

I agree Graham, they have no interest in assisting people and only how they might be able to charge the most amount of interest. I log in and it says there is no payments due and have to drill down to see my balance. I would assume the practices are legal but they are not transparent as they could be.