I've just threatened Paypal and accused them of extortion ... lol
By getbiswa2000
@getbiswa2000 (5545)
India
August 17, 2010 1:58am CST
Hi,
As a reason for limiting access to my own account they said that some 'third party' is trying to access my account from a different IP address. I pointed out the fallacies in this statement. I asked them whether all my attempts to access my own account from a different IP address will be considered as an unauthorized access. Surely this is totally ridiculous. Why would someone access my Paypal account and then try to link their own credit card so that all my online purchase bills go straight to them? Who would be such a selfless, kind, philanthropist?
The Paypal asked me to submit a Photo ID along with credit card statements. I remarked that I don't know how to submit information about something (the credit card) that I don't have. I also pointed out the foolery in their claim that mere submission of a Photo ID will prevent hackers from accessing my account.
They are giving such a foolish reason, which I asked them to give to someone who has absolutely no idea about how an information system works.
In the end I said that I have reasons to believe that the whole thing is extortion of my money. I also threatened them saying that I will not only stop all the channels of receiving money into my paypal account but also switch myself to AlertPay. I also added that if my account is not restored within 3 days, then I will write some serious stuffs in a place so conspicuous that at least a few innocent persons are saved from being extorted like this.
Wow! Wasn't that something?
1 person likes this
10 responses
@vandana7 (98910)
• India
17 Aug 10
Kiddo, I think you are being hasty. You cant be nasty. They too must be at their wits end trying to understand how a credit card can get linked like that, and trying to locate the bug. Following up is the way. Moreover, sites like mylot pay only through Paypal, and not Alertpay. And what is your guarantee that such thing will not happen there as well? I suggest you have patience, write in calm and collected way, the monies will come. Explain everytime, instead of using words like extortion. It may take a month or two, but eventually the problem would be resolved for lifetime! Think about it! I can only suggest it as ma. :)
1 person likes this
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
17 Aug 10
Biswa! I can well understand your frustration.And I also know that it is the futility of effort and waste of time that irritates us more than any postponement of receipt of money however badly needed it may be.Unfortunately, many people in organizations cannot understand our problem and would keep repeating what they say.
As I had written in my other response, my experience with the returned cheque is a special case in frustration. I was literallly banging against a brickwall.
One more suggestion --write a letter to them in simple direct language instead of using sarcasm ; tell them it is a reminder.Tell them there seemed to have been some mistake where some details have been mistaken and that you want to withdraw the money as an unverified buyer. YOu may be third time lucky if some other person reads your mail.And is your problem one of withdrawal or online payment?
One more suggestion --write a letter to them in simple direct language instead of using sarcasm ; tell them it is a reminder.Tell them there seemed to have been some mistake where some details have been mistaken and that you want to withdraw the money as an unverified buyer. YOu may be third time lucky if some other person reads your mail.And is your problem one of withdrawal or online payment?@getbiswa2000 (5545)
• India
17 Aug 10
Dear,
I have done so much for this. I paid for my PAN card. I tried to link my Allahabad Bank account and it denied. So I have to pay again for opening an account in some other bank. All I've been doing is paying and paying. Even patience has some limits. I needed this money because I wanted to repair my computer. The timing was bad. Paypal turned its back when I needed it the most. I've devoted so much of my precious time in preparing my verification. I stole time from other more important things. I could've studied, I could've chatted with friends, I could've watched movies. But I wrote and wrote and in the end I've been slapped with statements that don't have any strong logical foundation. Still I understand your words, I need to have more patience and it was wrong to use the word 'extortion'.
Let me see if I can be more calm, collected and polite. I will definitely give it a try, I promise.
@jothis (518)
• India
18 Aug 10
Hiii.. The same thing happened to my account before 1.5 Years. They poined out the same issue and asked me to submit address proof and id proof for reinstating access to my account. I became shocked to see this message because a that particular time my account balance was $320
I discussed this issue with my relative who also have paypal account. He said that it was due to the security problem and I can submit the asked records to get rid of the issue. I use my mobile phone and took pictures of my passport and Voters id card, upload it to my system and attached it and send reply to them. Within some hours my account was accessible and after that incident till this date I didn't face any problem with my account and recently I linked my account with my bank and transferred all money to it.
Each company have their own TOS & Policies. If we want to use their services, we have to follow their guidelines. So be patient and I suggest you to send the relevant data by mail so that it can resolve the existing problem.
With regards
1 person likes this
@getbiswa2000 (5545)
• India
19 Aug 10
Hello jothis,
You are really good, do you know that? I've been searching for a definitive answer and never found one. People share their own experiences that don't even remotely relate my case. Some of them narrated what they read in Paypal TOS, but you are the first one who actually came up with something concrete.
So do you mean, that I don't need to send any info on my credit card? I don't have a credit card and yet they are asking for the number and statement. I hope that's optional and submitting only the photo ID will do.
Thanks so much for concluding the discussion with your post.
God bless you
@getbiswa2000 (5545)
• India
19 Aug 10
One more question.
Which pages did you take snaps of? In passport and voter ID?
@GardenGerty (157648)
• United States
17 Aug 10
You were probably not on a genuine PayPal site, but rather on a phishing site. Do not access your account from that e mail, instead forward it to spoof@paypal.com. This is nothing like the actions that PayPal takes. Someone wants your ID so they can access your PayPal and any linked accounts.
@getbiswa2000 (5545)
• India
17 Aug 10
Yeah, may be. But I don't remember providing any sensitive information in my responses. Also the thing is blocked from the site. I checked it out.
@getbiswa2000 (5545)
• India
19 Aug 10
The problem is almost solved. I found a person who actually faced similar situation. 
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
17 Aug 10
Biswa! You may not agree with what I say but you have to show patience with the organization if you need things done. Please read the last comment that I wrote for your earleir paypal discussion[if you have not read it so far] where I have shared my experience with you. Incidentlaly, I started my paypal transaction with a penalty of 10 dollars [4 years ago]and I put it down to a learning experience.After this it has been a very smooth transaction and if things look bad they set right themselves soon.Paypal is good and you persist with your approach and htey will definitely help you.Is your problem with withdrawal or payment online?
I suggest you open an account in Alertpay immediately while you are fighting with paypal.
@vandana7 (98910)
• India
17 Aug 10
I had problem with my Pan card. My name was misspelt. But we solved the issue together. I admit it took a few weeks. But eventually we succeeded. It didnt cost me a thing!!!
And in so far as papa is concerned, he opened a paypal account almost 5 years ago. He did not operate it. Still they didnt close it. He got it back, and is using that account. Again it took him sometime to prove his identity. :)
@getbiswa2000 (5545)
• India
17 Aug 10
Oh, I already have an account with Paypal. It's just that I don't have any attachment with the few bucks I have there. I need to show some patience here I know. It's just that their absolute ignorance of the system and the fallacious statements that made me angry. Everything seemed like a cover up. But it's still true that I have been mentally detached myself from that money. Even now that I am writing in myLot I don't expect the money to be paid. Like I said, I have detached myself from all this and will soon attain a calm and composed mental state. No worries. 
@getbiswa2000 (5545)
• India
17 Aug 10
* I have an account with AlertPay, I meant. Sorry for the typos
@getbiswa2000 (5545)
• India
17 Aug 10
Oh I am so sorry, but please don't expect so much of a human beings, they are fundamentally imperfect.
@getbiswa2000 (5545)
• India
17 Aug 10
I know there is no excuse for that, but it won't happen again, that much I can promise.
@getbiswa2000 (5545)
• India
17 Aug 10
As a matter of fact I didn't use anonymous proxy to access the account. I just logged in from a different IP address and that too because my own computer was down. This is totally void of logic. If they attach my account to my IP then shouldn't they be restoring my account now as I am using my own IP again? IPs change. They are dynamic for god's sake. Even if they don't change you can't expect someone's computer to be up all the time, can you?
@getbiswa2000 (5545)
• India
17 Aug 10
Yes, I did. But now they are telling me a different story. They said,
[i]
"If you will try to log in from a different IP address, system will not
automatically place a limitation, for you have to answer security
questions first and If you failed to do so, then that would be the time
system will placed a limitation to your account. That's what happened
that is why you are having one now."[/i]
I've accessed my account twice with different IP addresses but was never, even for once, asked any security question. They are telling me a story where I was asked a security question which when I failed to answer, they blocked my account. Was I in some kinda trance then? lol 
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
18 Aug 10
Did you get all this in your e-mail? I ask because if you did...probably wasn't paypal at all. I got an e-mail like that once and I ignored it. I went to my paypal account and saw that everything was just fine. It sounds as if you got scammed for sure but I really doubt it was paypal. Hopefully they didn't get any info from you responding to them.
@getbiswa2000 (5545)
• India
19 Aug 10
Well, my account is blocked from the site. At first I lodged a complaint with the help of the 'contact us' facility in their site. Then I followed up with the email whence the response came.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
19 Aug 10
I think that accusing Paypal of extortion might be a little bit extreme. You see, over the years paypal has been the victim of a lot of fraud because of people trying to extract information from innocent paypal users. That said, this could be a way that paypal is trying to nip these kinds of fraud in the bud. I only hope that they are able to get this straightened up for you in a rapid manner. Good luck to you.
@bingdu2081 (7)
• China
18 Aug 10
support your practice,think,paypal company approach is not desirable,we use paypal like online banking,has been such a service or a certain degree of threat,if i would complain if they,their practice is difficult to accept,so they should uphold and war!
@getbiswa2000 (5545)
• India
19 Aug 10
Yes, every time I try to complain a new face shows up. How am I supposed to get help if the person sitting at the reception never settles himself in his desk?
@crossbones27 (48444)
• Mojave, California
27 Sep 10
That happened to me too, but did not make a big stink about it. I did not have money in my account then, so I did not care. A few months later I tried to sign in it let me in with no problem. Hopefully they won't do that now that I have money in it. Very little but it still money.
