paypal requires checking account verification to use ebay gift certificate

[joemama]

I received a $25 ebay gift card and made a purchase this morning for just under that amount.  When I attempt to use the card to pay for the item I am forced to signup for paypal.  So I do this... in spite of the fact that it seems rather bullying of ebay/paypal to require this in order to use the gift card.  Then paypal insists I give them a credit card... and I supply them with a valid credit card number (AGAIN in spite of the fact that this seems a rediculous requirement  considering the fact that I am covering the entire payment with the gift card).  But this is still not enough for them.  Paypal now want to verify my checking account info.  TO USE AN EBAY GIFT CARD???  Forget about  it.  I've done MORE than enough verifying all ready.  I just want to buy some blank dvd's and pay with my gift card.  It's under $25, what the **bleep** good is an ebay gift card if you can't use it without a credit card AND checking account?

Any feedback?  This is like dealing with a government agency... all the red tape...  all the hoops to jump through just because they want to watch  you jump.  

thanks for listening and (maybe) offering suggestions on the issue.  (i'm exhausted) 

[boatwifeteri]

i am dealing with the same thing!i am SOOOO FRUSTRATED ITS CRAZY!i need to make a payment to a boat delivery company for a boat that me,my husband and 4 yr old son are going to be living on due to losing our home.i have a valid credit card with a $12,000 limit and they need 3 days to verify my bank account information!im not using my *^%#@!$*^ checking account!my credit card company was verified by paypal because they charged $1 to it when i signed up.they are ready and waiting for my payment to go through.the people on the phone(which i spent hours on)said i should be able to send $2,000 on my first day of signing up without account verification with my credit card.it wont let it go through!my account says i have reached my spending limit and i have not sent any money.this is ridiculous and your right,its like dealing with a government agency and all the hassle and red tape that goes along with it.this puts us in a terrible situation beyond belief.we have been searching for someone to move our 57' boat from CA to FL and the prices have been impossible.finally found an ocean freight private company that is doing it for half the price because its not corporate.i cant stand anything corporate!and PAYPAL is holding this up.not cool.im very upset right now.

[11111111]

I went through a somewhat similar situation, I thought (as PayPal advertises) that opening a PayPal account would be simple, quick, and easy.  It's not simple, not quick, and definitely not easy.  I opted to get an account to pay for $16.57 order, sounds like it should have been simple, right?  I opened the account on October 16, 2010, PayPal pinged my bank account 5 times and for some reason only 2 of those pings (a dollar at a time) were accepted by my bank.  My account balance far exceeded the mere $16.57 and the $2.00 that PayPal still has held onto. 

However, upon spending 3 hours on the phone with various PayPal representatives, I was still told that I'd have to go through the verification process which could take up to 5 business days.  PayPal lies about their policies, because it's now December 18, 2010 and my account is still not verified and PayPal still has not refunded my money back to me. I paid for the $16.57 transacation with another credit card that same night, after wasting 3 hours of my time going around and around with various PayPal's reps who were inept, uninformed, and one even lied to me about the account being verified, just so she could get off the phone. 

I have requested my $2.00 back and have emailed about this at least 3 times in the past 3 months.  The only replies that I've gotten are auto-replies via email.  This shouldn't be complicated, but it just proves that PayPal is inept in their business policies and false advertising.  I've requested to close my account 3 times and nothing has been done.  The lesson out of all of this for me is to never do any business with PayPal, Ebay, or any affliated websites.  I've gladly spread the word to any and all vendors that I know that have used PayPal and will continue to do so.  I've taken my business to their competitor and will happily continue to do so.  PayPal is a rip-off.