Receiving money with an South African account

[ImBack]

Okay, since my last post was removed, and my account banned... I will behave this time.

My question is a valid one though.

As a South African, I would like to be able to register a paypal account and also get payments in for 3D items that I design for people.

However, until now, I have had to rely on friends in the US taking the payment for me and then sending the money to the country. (which takes time, alot of costs, and is rather risky, since what stops the friend from running off with the money, etc)

Basically, this is a friendly request to please ask paypal management to remove the ristriction on South African accounts.

I am tired of being treated as a sub-standard internet users, just because by a geographic lottery I was born in South Africa.

The past four years I have been nagging and asking and it seems paypal just doesn't care or want to remove the lift in South Africa?

Its also alarming that a company like paypal doesnt see the business potential in a country that is about to host a really big would wide event... the fifa soccer world cup!!!

At first, I was lead to believe that the problem with paypal blocking payments to South African accounts case caused by the South African reserve bank. It does seem that there was a issue between them, but thier issue was about not letting South Africans send money out of the country. Paypal and the SA goverment sourt that out back in 2005, when they lifted the ban so that SA citizens could register accounts again.

Whats sad to me id what would someone like Elon Musk say about this, one of the co-founders of paypal... If it wasnt for him, non of the paypal staff would have a job today. The irony though with him is that HE IS A SOUTH AFRICAN!!!!

Economically, we one of the few countries were not one back crashed with the economic disasters in October 2008

So, basically I want to know from a paypal representative, why South African's cant have accounts in which we can receive money aswell. 

And please, not the standard response of "we are forever trying to expand.. blaah blahh..." I have heard that for 4YEARS NOW!!!

(ps, I dont see any reasons for this post to be removed, however, if it is, I will just be back again, cause I want answers!!! If it is removed, at least email me then with the answer!!)

[ImBack]

yikes, sorry about the typing errors, I was a little upset while typing it all...

below is the revised version:

Okay, since my last post was removed, and my account banned... I will behave this time.

My question is a valid one though.

As a South African, I would like to be able to register a paypal account and also receive payments for 3D items that I design for people.

However, until now, I have had to rely on friends in the US taking the payment for me and then sending the money to the country. (which takes time, alot of costs, and is rather risky, since what stops the friend from running off with the money, etc)

Basically, this is a friendly request to please ask paypal management to remove the ristriction on South African accounts.

I am tired of being treated as a sub-standard internet users, just because by a geographic lottery I was born in South Africa.

The past four years I have been nagging and asking and it seems paypal just doesn't care or want to remove the lift in South Africa?

Its also alarming that a company like paypal doesnt see the business potential in a country that is about to host a really big would wide event... the fifa soccer world cup!!!

At first, I was lead to believe that the problem with paypal blocking payments to South African accounts was caused by the South African reserve bank. It does seem that there was a issue between them. That issue was about not letting South Africans send money out of the country. Paypal and the SA goverment sorted that out back in 2005, when they lifted the ban so that SA citizens could register accounts again.

Whats sad to me though is what would someone like Elon Musk say about this, one of the co-founders of paypal... If it wasnt for him, non of the paypal staff would have a job today. The irony though with him is that HE IS A SOUTH AFRICAN!!!! (and I am sure that he would have a paypal account that he can receive money in 😛 )

Economically, we one of the few countries where not one bank crashed with the recession. (We were also one of the first countries to be out of recession!)

So, basically I want to know from a paypal representative, why South African's cant have accounts in which we can receive money aswell. 

And please, not the standard response of "we are forever trying to expand.. blaah blahh..." I have heard that for 4YEARS NOW!!!

(ps, I dont see any reasons for this post to be removed, however, if it is, I will just be back again, cause I want answers!!! If it is removed, at least email me then with the answer!!)

[Michaelntho]

I keep asking myself ..why in the world wouln't they just enable we South Africans to use Paypal?....Since its very convinient !

Is it because we are in Africa? As some would ignorantly think that we don't have what it takes!

Do something about it!

[organizeordie06]

Calm down, not everything is a personal attack on you. Paypal is a business that is aware of the THOUSANDS of "African money laundering scams" (Google that phrase). Obviously they can't ask everyone "Are you a criminal?" on the PayPal application, so they are just safeguarding themselves from the thousands of lawsuits they'd receive if they were involved in money scams. There may be more reasons, but that's a big one.

[LouB]

Your people are not the only ones, My son is going to live in South Korea and it seems PayPal is not in that country either.

[Terence]

Hey man, i feel your pain im in exactly the same boat as you. i wouldn't worry too much about paypal not being available in South Africa yet. You have probably heard that paypal is in talks with FNB to bring a full service paypal to SA...via fnb of course. They are actually holding a press conference regarding this matter on the 25 March 2010 in JHB. Some say its to make the official announcement because it was previously stated that paypal will be available on the 1 April...others however say its only to "discuss" the matter further. Either way, its big steps to the full service paypal we so badly want. I only hope the conference is to make the official announcement!

[zabs]

@Terence

Any update of the FNB/Paypal Conference? or where could I read about this?

Its great of if they make receiving payments by South African a possibility but imaging how FNB will try to profit from this

[ImBack]

Oooi! Paypal Admin's could move this threads category, but could not take the time to reply to it....

What the heck am I suppose to do to get an answer here?

@Michaelntho

What really makes me upset is that one of the paypal co-founders was a South African.... How dare they say that we are "not good enough". 

A case of "by South Africa, but not for South Africa"?

[Amanda411]

HI all,

I appreciate that you have heard this response before. Unfortunately it is the only response for this situation.

PayPal is constantly working to expand and improve our services for our customers. We hope to be expanding our availability to include more countries; however, due to the complexities of global expansion, we cannot give a timetable for this.

It is not a personal decision. International and domestic laws regarding money transfers, currency exchanges and cross border trade are complex and are just some of the considerations taken into account when PayPal offers service to other countries.

Amanda

[ImBack]

@PayPal_Amanda

Thanks for the reply Amanda...

I realize that its not something within your power to change, however, what do you suggest I do to get this change made faster?

For months now I have been trying to find out who at paypal I can contact regarding this restriction.  If its a restriction from my countries side, I am trying to find out who is it within government that paypal is in contact with, So that I can take it up with them.

If I just leave it and wait, it will probably be another 4yrs and I will still be waiting....

What I really just dont understand is that South Africans had this power back in the youthful days of paypal, but it was removed? Why?

@organizeordie06

If they were worried about the "scams", have the account link to a real bank account before it can receive money. In South Africa we need to fica when you register a bank account. In otherwords, your ID number (moreless like a social secuirty number) and your address is on record. IF some idiot tries to scam with a SA paypal.... the fica information on the bank account can be used to trace them down and arrest them.

There is 49million people in South Africa, with over 5million of those having internet access.... thats 5million people that could possible make use of a service like this.

I realize its just a drop in a bucket, but they have countries on the list that can receive money that have far less potential clients.