No mobile phone number. What do I do?

tamale0
New Community Member

Paypal is now forcing me to add a mobile phone number.  I've been using google voice for years, and I don't have a true mobile phone number.  What are my options?  I've become pretty reiliant on paypal, for eBay shopping, banking, and sending money to friends.

 

I am a U.S. citizen and resident, but I spend most of my time abroad working for the U.S. Government.  I don't want to have to get a U.S. phone plan that sits idle 11 months of the year.  I think I'd rather close my paypal account, if that's my only option to maintain it.

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46 REPLIES 46

wibbley23
Contributor
Contributor

Yes, looks like they stopped you having access to your own account via the way I mentioned to bypass the asking for a phone number from you.

 

I do not own a phone nor wish to own one. I do not wish to use someone elses number either just to be able to access my account.

I do not wish to give Paypal any type of Data which has been proven to me they cannot be trusted with.

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classactions
Member
Member

i agree

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-mouse-
Contributor
Contributor

They came for me with this crap today. They've really got us by the short hairs, don't they? We have no choice but to give in to their demands or else we can't get to our money. They don't even care if a person doesn't have a phone anymore? And don't try to say everybody has a phone because I just got my first smart phone only a month ago. I guess in that sense, I was lucky. I have no idea what I or anyone else would do if they didn't have a phone. Presumably Paypal doesn't want to do business with us phoneless loser types?

 

The part that absolutely blows my mind with all of this is that they already have my email. They can't send a verification code to my email address? That's not good enough? What's wrong, Paypal? Are scammers not buying email addresses anymore? Is that why you need my phone number now?

 

I just can't get over this. They have my email, my home address, my social security number, my bank information, my credit card information, and my phone number. Oh, what's that? They already had my phone number? Yes they did. They had my "home" phone number. That wasn't good enough though. They also needed my "mobile" number. Yeah I guess I can see why that one thing is absolutely necessary. Without a mobile phone number, how in the world would they ever know who I was? I could be anybody. My life is so shrouded in secrecy that I might as well be an MIB agent, because they don't have my mobile number. Did I ever exist at all? Who knows! What a joke.

 

This is all just more proof that you should never give them an inch, cause they'll always take a mile.

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beeAllen
Contributor
Contributor

As of July 28 2021 they are still forcing me to give a phone number to get in my account. No Class Action Lawsuit Yet ? 

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kernowlass
Esteemed Advisor
Esteemed Advisor

@beeAllen 

 

Nope, cus they are legally obliged to do so now.


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-mouse-
Contributor
Contributor

What law is making them collect user phone numbers?

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kernowlass
Esteemed Advisor
Esteemed Advisor

@-mouse- 


As you have not added your country to your profile (so we can see when we hover over your username) or said in your post which country you are in then sadly can't advise.
Paypal varies a great deal country to country so you need to tell us where you are on this worldwide community forum.


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-mouse-
Contributor
Contributor

The States

China

Japan

Canada

 

Let's start with those countries. What law(s) is/are making it mandatory for Paypal to collect user phone numbers?

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kernowlass
Esteemed Advisor
Esteemed Advisor

@-mouse- 

 

You can't own a paypal account in 4 countries at the same time so I can't advise you on the laws.

And personally I don't have the time, many asking for help on this forum.

Try google its easy and you can get most of your answers from it.

However as paypal have to abide by the laws in EVERY country where they offer their services then that should be  your answer.


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-mouse-
Contributor
Contributor

You have the time to say it's a law but you don't have the time to say which law?

 

But no, I will not 'just google it' because I'm not the one claiming it's the law.

 

Imagine if I said, "Turtles are the reason we have climate change." Then imagine you rightly questioned it and I responded with, "Well just google it cause there are turtles in every country. So there." Does it make any sense for me to expect you to find the facts that support my claim?

 

In recent years, we have shifted from the information age, to the misinformation age. There has never been a better time to insist people backup their claims with facts. You made the claim so the burden of proof is on you. If you can't handle proving it, then don't make the claim in the first place.

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