New Experience Paypal Website.

[KnirpsLyn]

Awesome...  You know what I love?

Waking up in the morning to go check out my Paypal, eBay, and banks on all their various websites, and finding out that one of my professional (presumably) business websites has been taken over by some kids and turned into some Disney-Twitter-wannabe-site.

I don't know about anyone else, but when a company makes radical, overnight changes to a site I use every day to deal with my money, I get irritated.  

When I first logged in, there was only one option on the bottom for changing back the website to the 'classic' version.  It literally said, 'view classic site'.  However, it was not the classic site.  It was some mock version of the classic site and only showed the summary page.  Changing pages instantly took you back to the kid version.

I ended up calling Paypal, and upon their instructions to refresh back to the main page and look for a new option to 'opt out', I found it and was able to opt out of the 'new (kid) experience' and return to the classic, adult site.

I don't understand why they did it that way.  You should never be assualted with such changes upon log-in with no announcements or guide as to what the changes are and where everything is.  Maybe I want to take a look at the new experience...maybe I'll like it (well, I'll never like the bubbly, kiddie crap layout, but maybe it was feature-rich), I don't know, and I don't think I'll find out because the opt out seemed pretty final.

Considering my tone and explaination to the representitive on the phone, as well as the feedback from the opt out pop-up, and my follow-up feedback submission, I believe Paypal has a pretty good idea where I stand on this issue, but for some reason I wanted to create a message on the community board as well.  Go me.

What was your 'new experience' like?

[lahria88]

I really really hate the 'new' Paypal.  it was just fine.  why did you change it?  HATE IT.  please revert it to its old form.  Also, can't even email you with the new system due to very poor design.  Seriously, I know Paypal is linked up with Ebay, but don't become like Ebay where you think you're the only game in town, so you just do whatever you feel like to your customers.   That can really come back to bite you.

[snowshoe]

You can switch back to the classic view.   We've been tinkering with it, agree it's different but, interesting.  As PayPal allows you take a quick survey when you switch from the new look to the classic view, folks will decide.  Who knows what the future will bring.

[brewejen]

I liked it, but couldn't figure out how to do something and switched back to classic view.  How do I go back to the new look?

[trigg4com]

I quickly found the ''classic'' button and tried it but can only see one page in 'classic' mode, then when switching to another page I see this new crap. I want the whole site in 'classic'. How can I do that???????? thanks

[felinelady]

Switching to 'classic' down there at the very bottom left only takes you to ONE classic page.  You (or, at least, I) cannot find a way to make it permanent....  Does anyone out there know how?

[charliedomino]

Some things are better left the original way.

[snowshoe]

Indeed but, the change has more to do with the programming behind the scenes.  PayPal’s old technology system was rigid. Everything was tied together. The actual stuff on the front end of the website, the cosmetic stuff, was closely tied to the back end stuff which made it incredibly hard to change.  So to modify a graphic or piece of copy would take months or longer. Everything was hardwired into C++.  They decoupled the front end and back end which now allows them to use their own technology stack for the front - HTML5 and CSS3.  At least now, they can tweak interface much easier and not affect the functionality of the options and features of one's account. 

Cut them a break, it's only their first shot at a change that was well overdue.  If you're a true old schook techie, then you know that Microsoft used their customers as beta testers for their Operating System for years until they finally came up with a program to pretest and evaluate before going live for all.  What a concept.  PS, Apple was also doing the same thing.

[pjferrante2]

Give me a break!  The user interface is for the benefit of USERS, not PayPal programmers!

[felinelady]

 I don't give a **bleep** about the programmers' problems. PayPal should be focused on CUSTOMER SERVICE, not their internal trials & tribulations. I'm sure they can find excellent programmers who can overcome any problem, including putting Man on Mars. They're losing sight of convenience to the CUSTOMER, which the 'classic' format almost achieved ~ there were still some problems navigating the 'old' site, too. Instead of improving the customer experience, they have ~ without any customer input ~ just created a monster of a site to deal with.  After I pay off my credit account with them, I'm leaving.  Besides, the interest rate is what used to be called usurious.  

[Hobsbaum]

And that's why Apple is as successful as it is and Microsoft only jetsom on the low tide