PayPal Policy Changes: Unlimited Right To Spam/Robocall?

[BoCoKeith]

Has anyone else read the revised "Calls to You; Mobile Telephone Number" policy?  Here's a golden nugget:

You consent to receive autodialed or prerecorded calls and text messages from PayPal at any telephone number that you have provided us or that we have otherwise obtained.  We may place such calls or texts to ... contact you with offers and promotions...  Standard telephone minute and text charges may apply if we contact you.

So, unless you terminate your PalPal account (there does not appear to be an opt-out option), you are giving them at unlimited license to robocall and spam you with ads on your nickel.

PayPal, I just want you to know that I can't live with this.  I'l be terminating my account prior to the July 15 deadline unless this condition gets modified or an opt-out option is offered.  Too bad, because it's been a convenient way to centralize my on-line purchasing credentials.

[pdo2641]

Not only do I want to opt out, I want a religious exception to not having any of the fees I've paid go towards the treatment of mental illness to those PayPal employees who devised this policy.

[JCitizen]

I'm not canceling my account - I'm standing and fighting this ridiculous trampling of my privacy rights. They think they are going to call my cell phone? The one that charges me 90 cents for every data transfer and 15 cents for every message, and voice mail?? That is ROBBERY!! I won't stand for it!!!!

I am donating to the Consumer's Union action group to fight robocallls and put in place laws in congress to stop this idiotic business practice!! Don't downplay our power in this group! We are one of the biggest lobby groups in the US, and it is the PEOPLE'S lobby group!! We were able to thwart the dumping of the consumers protection law that formed the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and we were instrumental in installing our own junk yard dog in the director Richard Cordray. Believe me, congress wasn't happy doing this, but when we stomp our feet, congress listens. I invite every one to join the Consumer's Union action committee and encourage you to donate even a small amount, because even if a million people donate one dollar that is a lot of money!!

In fact this Paypal action may be considered to be under the CFPB as Paypal is considered a financial institution, and you may be able to lodge complaints with them on this subject. I say this because many privacy laws have been enacted by congress that could cover this area, and Paypal may be found to be in violation of several statutes and/or regulations, including the FCC, and FTC, and maybe even the SEC. Bear in mind that the DO NOT CALL registry will NOT PROTECT you from these nasty robocalls!

Common folks! Let's STAND AND FIGHT!!

[J-Mac]

The FCC has sent a letter to Paypal stating that it has concerns that this policy is a violation of federal law. The letter can be found here:  https://consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/doc-333875a1.pdf

Also, on June 5, 2015, Paypal published in its blog that members can opt out of this program by visiting a Contact page and calling them.

Here's the blog posting:  https://stories.paypal-corp.com/home/an-update-on-how-we-contact-you

Still not a very user-friendly response but at least it appears they are starting to get a little antsy about this policy.

Jim

[TerryofOakland]

I want to express my gratitude to Jim for reporting this information, to the originator of this issue BoCoKeith and the people who backed him and to Travis LeBlanc Chief Enforcement Bureau FCC for keeping Paypal in check. To Paypal and the employee's of Paypal who instrumented the changes in the TOS, shame on you and remember you are first American citizens and second Paypal corporate employees, giving precedence to Paypal only undermines America and ultimately you and your family and children's children.

[SDavern]

Following information from J-Mac, I logged onto my PayPal account, clicked "Contact" at the bottom of the page, clicked "Email us", selected Privacy Policy as the topic, and sent the following email:

I am the PayPal Community user SDavern:

https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/5826562

On 5/15 I replied to this topic:

https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/My-Feedback-for-PayPal/PayPal-Policy-Changes-Unlimited-Right-To-...

Today, J-Mac's reply pointed to this PayPal "Story":

https://stories.paypal-corp.com/home/an-update-on-how-we-contact-you

  I am following the instructions there to opt out of autodialed or prerecorded calls and text messages from PayPal at any telephone number that you have from me or that PayPas has otherwise obtained.

  Please confirm that I am opted out and that this choice lives past July 15.

Thank you,

Within 24 hrs I received the following reply:

Thank you for contacting PayPal Customer Support. My name is Macky and I am happy to assist you.

To ensure that this will be resolved for you, I added you to our list of customers who wish to opt out completely from receiving any future autodialed calls about marketing campaigns from PayPal

We are aware that a section of the PayPal User Agreement describing how we may contact customers is causing some confusion among customers and the media. Some are interpreting this section to mean that customers will be opted into receiving unwanted autodialed or prerecorded message calls from PayPal, with no opportunity to opt out. This is not the case.

We honor customers’ requests not to be contacted through these channels, and you may opt out at any time. This is the reason why it is unnecessary for your PayPal account to be closed.

Adding you to the list may not opt you out immediately but we will take steps to process this request quickly.

If you add new phone numbers to your account profiles later, please contact us if you want those numbers opted out as well.

It is my pleasure to assist you. Thank you for choosing PayPal.

End Quote.

This whole "causing some confusion among customers and the media" tact seems very disengenuous to me.  If they'd like to get it right, they should change the policy so it isn't "causing confusion".

  So, I'm left feeling they honored my request to be able to opt out.  However, my trust and good will has been significantly negatively impacted.

[MARKETEX]

Since their policy is explicitly stated as contrary to existing Federal Law, it is not anyone but PayPal whose written Policies, and their active advocacy of same who could possibly be construed as "CONFUSED!" 

[MARKETEX]

Thanks to you, Jim, and Thank you Mr. Travis LeBlanc!!!

[LadyBurgh]

Hi JCitizen!!

I am so glad that I saw your post.  I donated to the Consumer's Union today.  I confirmed my phone number thinking it would be added security.  Silly me.  When I got the message from them that I have authorized auto dialed phone calls and texts I was furious.  And my first reaction was a knee jerk, close my account.  But you are right.  We should fight this.  Companies have more rights than citizens and that's absurb.  Enough!!!

LadyBurgh (A Commom Folk)

[hottrixy]

ROBBERY?

Sounds like your phone service is robbing you more so then Paypal does.

Where in the world do you live that your phone service costs so much money?

[S-c]

Since Paypal supposedly revised their policy to be mainly for debt collection, this thread is somewhat moot. But I wanted to respond to the person that is claiming the data transfer, text and voicemail charges on someone's cell phone plan is more ROBBERY than the Paypal's potential robocall policy. My husband has a cell phone for emergency's only that is Pay per use whether data, text or voice. It is cheap and perfect since he rarely uses the cell phone. He doesn't need a contract plan with a set amount of minutes or unlimited talk/text each month. Just because you use your phone alot and a plan with per use would really be expensive for you doesn't mean it is for everyone. And it really irritates me when I get unsolicited texts on my phone which has 200 free texts per month (which is more than enough for me if I only get texts from people / businesses I have opted in for). A good business policy is one where a person has a choice to opt in prior to receiving a text rather than trying to opt out after a company has already sold your info.