Using UK Paypal in the USA

[ALostSoul]

I am going to the USA  and will need to use Paypal while I'm there.

While my friend was here  she had her account suspended and took a long time and lots of hassle to sort out even though she'd informed Paypal in advance.

I fear I will have the same problem when I am in the US.

Is there a way of preventing this from happening?

I do not want to be told to try it and then sort it out if there are problems as that is what I've been told already and is extremely poor customer sevice if that is the case.

I would have assumed it would be easy enough to inform Paypal before going and not have the problem arise at all.

Any help appreciated.

[kernowlass]

I have copied and pasted a reply by one of the moderators to a similar question.

It is not possible for a PayPal account holder to change the country that the account is active in. If a customer opens a PayPal account in the UK, it is not possible for them to change the country where the account is active. It is also not possible for you to register any financial information that is active in another country to your UK PayPal account.

Your best option if you are currently living outside the UK would be to open a new PayPal account in the country that you are living in.

If you are planning to be back in the UK on a regular basis, you may wish to keep your UK PayPal account open so that you can send payments when you are in the UK as well as having your active account that you are going to open in the country that you are living in at the moment.

The only thing that you should do before opening your new account is ensure that you have either a Personal and a Premier or Business account. PayPal account holders are permitted to have one Personal PayPal account and a Premier or Business account. You should check what account type you currently hvae before opening your new account in the country that you are living in.

[ALostSoul]

OK thanks for that but it doesn't really help.

I'm not going to live there, I just want to be able to use my Paypal account while I am there for a few weeks.

[kernowlass]

OK then don't see the problem.

I have travelled all over the world and paid for items via paypal whilst i have been there.

[ALostSoul]

You don't see the problem?

Is that simply because you personally haven't had the problem? Or that it shouldn't exist?

I notice you're tagged as 'advisor' here... so is that the reason perhaps?

Either way the problem does exist and my gf has experienced it herself and was caused a lot of grief because of it, despite informing Paypal of her plans.

All I'm trying to do is remove as much risk of this happening as possible (before it happens) and it seems no-one is willing to help or advise.

[kernowlass]

Sorry for trying to help you.

Yes personally i have not experienced a problem.

I have used paypal in the US and other countries whilst on holiday and not experienced a problem, I thought that would reassure you rather than provoke a rather hostile response.

I am an advisor but i am no different than you, i am not paid by paypal, I volunteer posting here as i am just an ebay buyer and seller that has had a lot of experience on the ebay boards so i came to the paypal board to help as there was rarely any help here.

I am only marked as an advisor as i have helped a lot of people and the moderators have recognised that and kindly given me that status.

If you are unhappy with the fact that i tried to reassure you feel free to contact paypal and double check via contact us bottom of any paypal page > put in account probs as that gives you the number to call > when you get through don't select any options as that will get you through to an agent more quickly.

[ALostSoul]

That wasn't a hostile repsonse so don't take it as such.

I am merely trying to get to the bottom of why the problem exists for some and not others.

So I need to call Paypal (at much expense) and get the same response as last time.

That's why I posted here to see if a wider audience knew something

OK I'll give you the last scenario so you can see my concern.

My gf came to the UK a few months ago.

After informing Paypal in advance that she was travelling the ysaid all would be fine.

So when she tries ot use her Paypal acct from my PC her account gets frozen and the payment of £1000 gets stopped.

This means she's now in the UK with no funds as the payment didn't go through and her bank account now £1000 frozen. 

The payment was to a Paypal account she'd made many payments to in the past so nothign at all unusual anyway.

She was here a further 2 weeks during which Paypal were contacted numerous times and she was told it would be resolved and that she should try the payment again. She did, that £1000 got frozen as well, so she now has  no money and no way to get any from her own bank account because of this.

After the next Paypal advisor told her to try it yet again we gave up on that one and tried to simply get the payments unfrozen so she could get the money back into her bank account where it belonged (not tied up by Paypal).

She was home in the USA a week before Paypal actually sorted this mess out.

To me that is ridiculous and something I am trying to prevent from happening in advance.

Maybe it's a sign of monopolisation.

I think I might just take cash and use someone elses Paypal account while I'm over there if I need to. Seems an extreme measure though just for such a simple thing that should be avoidable.