Date Received: 2021-06-25
Issue: Unauthorized transactions or other transaction problem
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: This transaction was unauthorized because the service ( PayPal ) charged the account in question when there was no justification for doing so, because the money in question had been returned to PayPal over 2 weeks prior to the event in question. In addition, PayPal engaged in various examples of anti-consumerist behavior. Originally, a {$3900.00} payment had been processed in error to an online vendor. Dispite immediately contacting the vendor and PayPal and telling with them ( pleading ) that not only was this an error but also there were vastly insufficient funds in the account and that it would be unsuccessful. Days after I made contact ( and after getting a positive response from the vendor ), PayPal processed the transaction and the account was overdrawn. Over the course of the next 2 weeks, I would become trapped in a nightmare of financial abuse at the hands of PayPal and my bank ( XXXX ). PayPal would go on to repeat the charges a total of 5 times, 3 of which occurred after the initial payment had been returned to them from the vendor and all of which after I had initially contacted them to stop the payment. All of the replies I got were vague copy-pasted renditions of policy, most of which did not apply in this specific situation, and never once did I get an honest reply about something being done to solve the problem. When the vendor did return the money, it was less the {$110.00} that the vendor charged in transaction fees, an amount they should have returned due to the nature of the cancelled transaction. The vendor claimed they are contractually allowed to keep these fees under any circumstance, which, aside from making no financial sense, was never articulated to their buyers in any reasonable way ( when they informed me of this policy, after the transaction occurred, they had to direct me to a single page, hidden on their website, that contained a poorly written paragraph intimating as much ). PayPal told me that they would not be honoring their responsibility to protect their customers and would be siding with the vendor in the dispute. To add the gravest insult to injury, after denying the dispute to reclaim the {$110.00} in fees, PayPal then went ahead and charged the entire {$3900.00} transaction to my bank account again ( this was the 5th time ), despite the fact that this money had already been refunded and the dispute specifically stipulated it was only in regard to the {$110.00} in fees. Either this is the grossest incompetence perpetrated by a financial institution that should disqualify PayPal from handling money ever again, or it was done on purpose as an attempt to punish their customer for standing up for themselves. Due solely to the repeated overdraft fees incurred by a single transaction continually pushed through by PayPal, I have lost {$180.00} to 5 rapid, repeated overdrafts, all while I was stuck on the side-lines, begging to be treated like a human being. This is before considering the pain and hardship caused by my account being unjustly stuck in the negative and unusable for about half the time elapsed in the past 2 weeks.
Company Response:
State: TN
Zip: 37920
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-06-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-06-25
Issue: Managing, opening, or closing your mobile wallet account
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: PayPal closed my account for no reason and will not help me with getting it back up and going. I am not sure if this is some mistake as I assume it has to be. I have not been able to get help from them for months but I just remembered I could file a report on here as I feel they are not doing their job properly and it is effecting me a great deal as I used PayPal quite frequently. My email linked to my PayPal is XXXX XXXX
Company Response:
State: NC
Zip: 28214
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-06-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-06-25
Issue: Fraud or scam
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: I contacted someone via XXXX regarding available concert tickets to a local event. The poster indicated 4 available tickets. When I reached out to the poster, I was advised they would agree to sell 2 tickets for an agreed price, {$60.00} each. We exchanged emails and I submitted a payment via PayPal. Upon my payment, the poster responded back to me that XXXX ( where the supposed electronic tickets were held ) would not allow a partial transfer of tickets and that I would now need to buy all 4 tickets. I advised I would not proceed and wished to cancel to transaction. The poster did not reply. I was able to make a dispute online with PayPal within XXXX minutes and also connected with a service representative who informed me that since I selected the friends and family pay option, I was not eligible to dispute the charge. As a consumer who uses PayPal to pay for goods and services with traditional retail establishments, it is not easy to distinguish when you are paying an individual ( not retail ) that would land in the friends and family versus choosing paying for goods and services which feels like it is associated with a company. In totality, I feel like I was scammed, PayPal has the funds delayed to pay to the recipient until XXXX XXXX XXXX, and PayPal is not willing to take steps to prevent the payment. I was advised to go dispute with my bank, which I can do, however it seems like this should be a solvable issue for the payment provider to get in front of.
Company Response:
State: FL
Zip: 320XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-06-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-06-25
Issue: Managing, opening, or closing your mobile wallet account
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: PayPal suddenly closed my account for no reason and will not help me with getting it back up and going. I am not sure if this is some mistake as I assume it has to be. They suddenly closed my account without any reason and I have not been able to get help from them for months but I just remembered I could file a report on here. I am unable to get any help from them and it is affecting me a great deal as I used PayPal quite frequently. My email linked to my PayPal is " XXXX ''
Company Response:
State: NV
Zip: 89118
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-06-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-06-25
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Subissue: Debt is not yours
Consumer Complaint: I received an attempt to collect a debt from XXXX, a debt collection company, dated XX/XX/2021 in the amount of {$310.00} The debt states it is from a Paypal account. I do NOT have a paypal account.
Company Response:
State: WA
Zip: 98335
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-06-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-06-25
Issue: Fraud or scam
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: I recently opened a brand new Venmo account. My girlfriend sent me {$30.00} and when i tried to transfer it out Venmo said my account is frozen. I contacted them and they told me to send my ID and SSN. I do that and the answer i got was that my account is permanently deactivated and that the money ( {$30.00} ) will remain in the account and will not be released. How can they just steal money on a brand new account? its not making sense to me. What could i have possibly done to deserve that on a brand new account.
Company Response:
State: NY
Zip: 11758
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-06-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-06-25
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Subissue: Debt was result of identity theft
Consumer Complaint: In late XX/XX/XXXX, I received a collection notice from XXXX XXXX XXXX, which from what I understand is a collection unit of PayPal , Inc . It said that I owed them {$7000.00}. I have never in my life had a PayPal account and honestly had no idea you could owe them money as I thought it was basically an internet wire service where you had to have the money upfront. Clearly this is not the case, as I would later find out, though I still don't completely understand how these scams work. After calling PayPal 's customer service and fraud areas and spending countless hours on the phone, two separate investigations concluded that they could find no evidence of fraud. What's really galling is they will not give me any information about the account history or anything else that may help me prove that I did not make these charges or whatever they are because I could not provide the correct e-mail address or phone number on the account. That is tough to figure out when the fraudsters gave their own contact info so that I would not be contacted. One customer service agent did tell me ( I believe against their rules ) that it had to do with web development services and asked if I had ever done that type of work. I just laughed as I'm a pretty big technophobe and still use a flip phone. Apparently, these charges that I still don't understand happened between XXXX and XXXX of XXXX until the account was closed by PayPal. While I understand that the account was opened with basically all of my information other than the e-mail and phone, I find it hard to believe that it would not be simple to prove that I did not make these transactions or open the account if they actually did a real investigation. I believe I could prove it if I had access to the account transaction history and other account details that they refuse to provide. I don't know the exact date but I did send a letter to the collection agency saying that it was identity theft and not to contact me again. On XX/XX/XXXX, I filed a police report with the city of XXXX as I was instructed to do by an identity theft attorney in XXXX. I also submitted an identity theft report with the Federal Trade Commission on XX/XX/XXXX. After many more phone conversations that went nowhere, I sent a letter on XX/XX/XXXX to the PayPal , Inc. legal department with proof of my identity, the police report, a completed FTC Identity Theft Report and requested all records related to the fraudulent account, which is required by law. I also included a copy of section 609 ( e ) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which requires them to provide me with this information. I received no response, but did get another collection letter from a different collection agency dated XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I sent another copy of that same information to the PayPal , Inc. legal department requesting all information on the fraudulent account, as per my legal rights. Again, I received no response.
Company Response:
State: PA
Zip: 163XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-06-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-06-25
Issue: Managing, opening, or closing your mobile wallet account
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: PayPal closed my account after having several transfer issues leading to refunds and they will not help me with getting it back up and going. I am not sure if this is some mistake as I assume it has to be. This happened in XXXX XX/XX/2021. Basically I would transfer personal funds. During my first days all would go well. Unfortunately some transactions later, PayPal would first give me error messages then later would send but on the receiving party they would not receive anything. This would result in me requesting for a refund after agreement with receiving party. It went on and on and unfortunately my account shut down before i could reach out to PayPal. It had approximately {$48.00}. Im currently in XXXX and {$48.00} is quite a lot here hence it was a huge blowout to me. I have not been able to get help from them for months but I just remembered I could file a report on here as I feel they are not doing their job properly and it is effecting me a great deal as I used PayPal quite frequently. My email linked to my PayPal is XXXX.
Company Response:
State:
Zip: XXXXX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-06-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-06-25
Issue: Managing, opening, or closing your mobile wallet account
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: On or around XX/XX/XXXX " permanent limitation '' was placed on my PAYPAL account which locked me out and stated that PAYPAL has mandated to hold my funds in amount of {$730.00} for 180 days. I tried to contact the Resolution Center to no avail. I called on XX/XX/XXXX and again XX/XX/XXXX. Nobody could tell me why my account was locked other than told a machine algorithm determined I am a permanent risk. There was no way for me to prove my identity, get a case opened, submit documentation or get help to resolve this problem. This is a mistake. I have had this account with absolutely no problems or issues for 20 years, since XXXX! I have committed no fraud and am a law abiding citizen and small business owner. The random action by PAYPAL has harmed my ability to conduct business. I am the sole proprietor of XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXXXXXX ( my professional name ) and I lie awake with worry about the future. My PAYPAL and business email is XXXX XXXX
Company Response:
State: WI
Zip: 531XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-06-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-06-25
Issue: Managing, opening, or closing your mobile wallet account
Subissue:
Consumer Complaint: PayPal closed my account for no reason and will not help me with getting it back up and going. I am not sure if this is some mistake as I assume it has to be. I have not been able to get help from them for months but I just remembered I could file a report on here as I feel they are not doing their job properly and it is effecting me a great deal as I used PayPal quite frequently. They told me to wait 180 days and its beg pass that. My email linked to my PayPal is " XXXX ''
Company Response:
State: TX
Zip: 75052
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-06-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A