PayPal demanding Social Security Number

[centexan]

I cannot process an eBay refund because PayPal is asking for my Social Security number. I don't give that out. How do I get past that screen that demands the number and process the refund?

I sell maybe 20 small items per year on eBay, very little money from it.

[DPCreations · Accepted solution]

When PayPal requires a SS# you either provide it or not use PayPal.  You can't circumvent PayPal security and regulation requirements.

[centexan]

No.  What you describe is a contract.  I never agreed to provide my Social Security number.  Yet now PayPal, a private company, demands government information from me.  PayPal is violating a contract.  It's true I can choose not to use PayPal, but PayPal has no right to make the demand.

Also, PayPal claims to need the info if you make over $20k per year through them or make more than 200 sales per year using them.  I do neither.

So how do I bypass the screen that demands the information?

[DPCreations]

You agreed to PayPal User Agrement.

PayPal is a public company, not a private company.  As a financial company is must abide by goverment and IRS regulations.  You are not required to use PayPal, but if you do you must accept PayPal requirements to do business with PayPal.

It's all about your choices.

[centexan]

It's a publicly traded company dispersing private profits.  It is not a government-owned enterprise.  It has no claim to confidential government information (SS number) unless you pass more than $20,000 per year through the system or make more than 200 sales.  I do neither.

So once again, since PayPal has made a mistake in asking for my SS number, how do I bypass the request and go about my business?

[DPCreations]

PayPal, being a financial service has a right to require SS# whenever necessary for government or security requirements. Banks also require SS#, even for a $1 bank account; you either provide it or you don't get your bank account.  Banks are also publicy traded companies.

It seems like all cash transactions would be better suited for your business.

[centexan]

But PayPal owes me a refund.  It will not issue it unless I provide a SSN.  I don't meet the ceilings they've set for having to provied a SSN, yet they ask for one now, when they owe me money.  Since I am not required to provide the SSN, how do I collect the money that PayPal owes me?

[centexan]

I've been interacting with a gung-ho PayPal apologist, so I'll close this out for the record and go on my way.

I bought an item on eBay and the seller reneged, issued a refund.  For me to collect that refund, PayPal says I must provide them with a Social Security number.  They're holding the money hostage in an effort to get me to turn over confidential information.

The PayPal User agreement says that they have to report to the IRS, so they need your Social Security Number IF you earn $20,000 a year through them or make 200 sales per year.  I do neither.

The refund is only 22 bucks, which makes this a really, really cheesy little holdup attempt on the part of PayPal.

Fascist banking.  And no amount of smoke blown at me from Bombay can change that simple fact.

[Temp20210302c]

Paypal has an option to mail the balance without the s.s. #

[Temp20210302c]

There is an option for PayPal to mail a check, that does not require s.s.#