I just liquidated a bunch of collectibles on ebay to raise money to go to Thailand for a year. Before I left I made sure to do a trial transfer to my bank card which worked fine. Today in Thailand I tried again and was told I couldn't transfer the funds. I called customer service and they said it was a security feature, then they asked me a half dozen weird questions about past addresses to confirm I'm me. I answered them all but in the end I still cannot withdraw funds. The customer service rep said there's nothing the can do. They've stolen my money and now I can't pay for my lodging or food for myself and my wife. Paypal stole my money! What can I do?
They hadn't stolen your money. PayPal accounts are country specific. You logged in from outside the US so security is triggered. When you get back to the States you can access the account to withdraw. If you're traveling, you're supposed to let PayPal know so you'll have access to the account. I suggest you call again and let them know you're going to be traveling, giving them your itinerary and need access.
Had I known this before had I would've let them know, but now that I've called them and explained it ... and answered their weird stalkerish questions (what car is associated with your address at <removed>--Yikes) I still don't have access. I'd be less freaked out but I'm halfway around the world and I need this money to pay for things like rent and food (for both me and my wife)!
