Shocking experience at PP

[Tallfred]

A few months ago I tried to log into PP. I was told that my password was incorrect - I could not remember that I had changed it, but I was not unduly worried.

I then tried to change the password. I used my email address to verify the transaction, but immediately the site demanded that I validate using my mobile number as well. As I no longer live in South Africa, this was not possible.

I tried several options to get help. The community was not available because you need to log in to ask for help. Catch-22, yes?

I used the help on the site, However, the help on the site assured me that I need only verify the email address, and that I would not be validated on my mobile number. I tried many times over, but each time I was asked to validate both email and mobile number.

I then tried sending messages to the site. I sent multiple messages explaining the situation to the best of my ability, but in each case received only the standard information, being that only the email address would be validated. When I replied to the messages I either got no reply at all, or sarcastic references to what I had already been told.

I then tried calling the Indian call centre. This was closed and there was no way that I could get assistance.

I then tried the American call centre. This was call centre hell. Despite spending more than twenty minutes per call on three separate occasions, I was unable to a human operator, and only received the standard advice that I would only be asked for my email address. This had not helped me previously.

I then contacted the South African call centre. I copuld not even get to the computer call centre as the call was refused.

I then put up a query at consumerreports, but nothing came of that.

I regularly receive emails from PP that there is money on my account and that I must use it (Imagine you got a message like that and you can do nothing about it) I replied to one of them, explaining my problem, but got no response.

Then, several months after the start of the saga,  I got an email from PP asking about my experiences there. I replied telling about my problem, giving my email address and mobile number, but I never heard anything again.

After a few days, I randomly tried to login again. I tried to change my password again, and this time I succeeded. I had done nothing differently, but the web site did not insist on also validating my mobile number as before.

Now I am completely wary of PP. I want to use it for receiving payments, but the question arises, will I once again be cut off from the site like I was before? The money on the account was small, but in the light of the above, there is no way I am going to use this site for much larger transactions, like I had intended.

Please don't ask my opinion of PP. When other people talk about it, I just say that I have had a bad experience here and leave it at that. I just hope they don't get bitten like I was.

[sharpiemarker]

@Tallfred 

Why are you even using the South Africa account. Open a new account in your new country of residence. PayPal accounts are country specific. Once you move, you should close out your account and take your money with you like you would with a real bank account. PayPal accounts are not a mobile as people like to think they are because each country has different regulations governing them.

What you should do is PayPal close the account if you don't plan to keep residence in SA. Because once you start using it and something triggers security, then you won't have the South African documents to prove your residence in SA because you in some other country now. Then all your money and business will be stuck, frozen.

Close account checklist:

1. Resolve any open disputes or account limitations.
2. Zero out the balance.
3. Cancel any active automatic payments.
4. Remove financial info (bank accounts, cards).
5. Go to Settings.
6. Click Close Account under Account Options section.
7. Business accounts: Click Close Account across from Account Type.

[Tallfred]

Thank you for your kind advice.

You have to login to close tour account, yes?

And next time PP does this to me, possibly with thousands of dollars in my account, I just smile and say "Happy birthday PP"?

You must be joking.

Thank you for your handy tips about creating a new account.  I get that, but believe me there are very real reasons for what I am doing. The fact is that all my banking affairs remain in South Africa and that is not going to change. I am and stay a South African citizen with South African interests, and cannot move everything every time I pick up sticks and go somewhere else, abandoning eveything back home.

The real question, which you did not address except to say (in effect) that "It is all your fault" is that PP did not help me in any way. I could not access the money in my account for months, and you have not said anything about what I could have done about it. What if (as I had intended) I had thousands of dollars in the account? PP's attitude seems to be, "Tough, you A-hole. The money is ours now."

How can I trust PP after this?