VERY DISAPPOINTED - Paypal denied my unauthorized transaction claim without any direct feedback

[KGilchrist]

VERY DISAPPOINTED - Paypal denied my (very obvious) unauthorized transaction claim without any direct feedback

I have really lost confidence in PayPal and their security measures and investigation methods. Just yesterday, while I was traveling, I received a pop-up notification on my iPhone that $500.00 withdrawn from my account at Wal-Mart. I opened to alert and noticed that I couldn't sign into my account any longer. I went through the measure to gain access (security questions) and noticed 4 emails before this transaction:

• One that 2-step verification was enabled (which I didn't do)
• Access to the account was restored (not me)
• Password was just changed (not me)
• Notice of Unusual activity (not me, but good catch)
• You withdrew cash from your PayPal of $500 at Wal-Mart (definitely not me!)

Then, of course, the emails that I had generated to gain access into my account, after receiving the pop-up about $500 draft. Now, I'm thinking, ok, I'm **bleep**, but anyone SHOULD be able to see the pattern that had already generated the email alert of unusual suspicious activity which lead to a $500.00 cash withdrawal at Wal-Mart!

I'm driving. I park -- can't find a good number to talk to anyone about this, but the automated system allows me to open a claim on the transaction. Ok, that gives me some relief that I can start the process, even though I couldn't talk to anyone about this. Surely the investigation team will see what I see, and probably have more location, info, etc -- to show this to be fraudulent/ work of a hacker.

Nope! I get an alert later last night that the claim was DENIED! How? And then to dispute this, I was given a PO BOX address to MAIL a request to get a copy of how the decision was made!!! Noooow I have to snail to dispute the denial of my claim? This is RIDICULOUS?!  If this was $25, $50 -- maybe I'd chalk it up. But regardless, my confidence in the security of this company is damaged. I can't imagine how many people deal with this or may possibly deal with it. But it is very discouraging!

I'll continue to push for my refund, which I NEED, but not being able to talk to someone about this issue and how it was denied when the written is on the wall, speaks of a security training issue, and flaw in how secure your money is when using PayPal for online transactions.

[kernowlass · Accepted solution]

@KGilchrist 

Click on the words "Help / Contact" at the bottom of paypals pages and use the phone option in the blue band at the top OR very bottom of page dependent on what country you are in. Scroll down past the list of help questions and click on 'Call us' bottom of that page. Log in and get the code.

OR
have you considered contacting Customer Service via Facebook or Twitter?
You can send them a personal message from their facebook or twitter pages.
It's: https://www.facebook.com/PayPal and @AskPayPal for Twitter.

[KGilchrist]

Thanks, @kernowlass. I'll express my concerns there. And hopefully, get somewhere. This is ridiculous. I don't know if the investigation is handled by a person or persons, but there were some obvious signs of fraudulent activity that should have been taken into consideration.

Thanks.

[KGilchrist]

@kernowlass 

Just an update. I’m now on the phone with Customer Service. And the PayPal representative who called me back decided to place me on MUTE and not respond when I asked that this issue be escalated to the Supervisor. No progress was being made due to the agent transferring blame to Wal-Mart when the suspicious activity detected on behalf of PayPal, that happened first, should have suspended any cash withdrawals from the account. This is a failure to protect my funds and allow someone to pull it from the account immediately after password changes and detecting suspicious activity.

This is a problem. And customer service agent is lyrically sitting on the phone with me not responding. Mind you, I was not, and am not rude -- but simply asking for accountability for the failure to allow a cash withdrawal immediately after reporting suspicious activity. 

[kernowlass]

@KGilchrist 

There 'customer service' has got so poor lately it appears.

Keep persevering.

[KGilchrist]

@kernowlass 

Also, in addition to the phone call. While I was waiting for the call back, I attempted to communicate via Facebook. That was fruitless with the auto-responses. It's a good first level, introduction of the problem, but wasn't very helpful for this particular follow up.

[KGilchrist]

Just a quick update. After protesting the results of this dispute on both Facebook and via Customer Service, someone looked deeper into it and realized the failure to lock down the account after the detection of suspicious activity, password change, and 2-step verification was enabled to lock me out if the account. Hopefully they take measures to protect us in the future. This was not cool at all.

[rlambert5149]

Omg us too I had over 2000 in withdrawals after my card was lost/stolen there were a few that I got the email on that PayPal said they found the problem to be in my favor and so all of them the lower amounts that were for you $35 $20 $22 all of those those went through in my favor on the dispute but the big one that's $1,197 they're saying that the merchant replied and has this information well it has a name that's not me it's my first and last name but not my middle name I don't know where they're getting that middle name at all the address is right but if someone knows you they're going to have your address and then same with the email but you can find all of that stuff online you can find out anything by doing a Google search but now I have to eat almost $1,200 of what somebody else did and then I add another one and explain the story about how the guy at the 7-Eleven had my card and they said that the pin number was used on some of the transactions so it had to have been me well no because if he creates the card and get a different pin number of course it's going to have a pin number but after talking to a few of the merchants like an appliance store that I 100% didn't use they said that it was not a pin purchase that they don't use that they run it as credit that they're do everything online so how did I do a PIN number and then I got the same thing a PO box and I can request the documentation will know I want my damn money back this is why me and my husband quit believing in Banks and Credit Unions is because this is how it happened to us years ago and it was like it was one after the other so we switch to PayPal started having my husband's checks deposited on PayPal and now R1 account that's my husband is locked up cuz they can't verify my Identity or his identity or whatever even though we're uploading a driver's license but no matter how we reform at the driver's license it won't accept it so now I have three different PayPal accounts that I can't use because PayPal is saying there's fraud on my husband's account and then there was fraud on mine and they didn't do anything about it and now they won't give me my money back but now they're holding my money on the other account that's my husband none of this makes sense and you're right you cannot get a live person

[Alizona]

There was money taken from my PayPal cash account without my authorization.  I contacted the company involved said they were a scam and that I had reported this to PayPal as possible fraud.  The amount was less than 100 and the company refunded my cash in less than 24 hours.  My concern is that money  could be withdrawn from my cash account without my knowledge or consent.  I tried to communicate this to PayPal through the chat/assistant feature and had no response.  Sorry, but searching for this site, registering , etc. and reading multiple posts to find out there is a help number is less than helpful.  When a payment system accepts deposits and holds depositors money, one assumes an ethical if not fiduciary responsibility for the security of client funds.  One is more familiar with bank security departments contacting clients preemptively regarding suspicious activity.  Here the roles are reversed and clients pursue PayPal asking for help after the fact.  I got my money back. The larger concern is how could this happen?   This is not hacking. This is someone just taking money.  Not through a bank account or credit card posted with PayPal for my access even.  This is or was my CASH released on demand.  What would Marcus or BOA do if somebody without authorization just took money on deposit with  them?  We know the answer:  they wouldn’t.