Paying a Seller Based in The Ukraine

[1920FC]

Recently purchased an item from a seller based in the Ukraine.

Attempted to pay via logging into my Paypal account through eBay and encounted the following restriction message:

> "Currently PayPal accounts in Ukraine are only able to send payments. This recipient is not eligible to receive funds."

> "At this time, we are unable to process your request. Please return to eBay and try another option."

Has anyone encountered a similar message?  

Any idea on how long this restriction will be in place?

Many thanks.

[Caribou]

Thank you. That is helpful to know.

[LinuxFun]

Guys I got work from abroad and the only option to be paid is to get payments through PayPal. Funny enough--I in past did purchases on Ebay and had partial refunds. So the most interesting this is that even though Ukraine is not allowed to receive direct payments--still I got refund like 20$.

So I do not understand completely if Ukraine can receive or it is a game of mouse and cat--one time is possible and another time not?

Also I do not understand why Russia is already long time ago got chance to receive moeny.

What is wrong with the ability in Ukraine?

Who does not want it to happen? Why it takes years and still no result? Everytime I write into support--I get answers and very glad about. PayPal support is really awesome.

But just very disappointed that nothing happens in that relations in order Ukrainians could feel like they are really free people.

[LinuxFun]

Also I do not know if can post here such info--but looks like slowly  something changing.

Administrators--if it is not allowed here to post--then please forgive me and delete this message.

But anyway if it is allowed and everyone who is interested in boosting the process of allowing for Ukrainians to receive moeny--there is petition on change.org

Here is the adress:

[Edited by forum moderator to comply with Community guidelines]

In case petition gets enough votes--it will be sent to President , Government and National Bank of Ukraine.

I very hope that there  will be enough votes and finnally Ukrainians will be free and will have complete rights on PayPal.

[Techindie]

I think it is not PayPal who caused this, but an outdated but still active Ukrainian law (14.10.2004 N 485 ) which forbids Residents (resident: citizens and immigrants) of Ukraine to have financial or other value based accounts opened out of country borders. So you cannot have a "money account" on your "Paypal account".

I know it sounds strange but in Ukraine you can have a PayPal account which is not really an account as you cannot have there "money accumulated" otherwise that would be "a money account at an international finance institute (out of Ukraine borders)" thus violation of that law,

so you can use PayPal only to send money while not really having a "money account" there (current situation).

Another thing is very unstable character of Hryvna (Ukraine national currency ) and its international convertability issue.

In other words, resolution of this issue mostly should be addressed to Ukrainian Government.

While considering Ukraine's having hard times dealing with other bigger problems , fixing this would not be anytime soon, but,

anyways I hope that petition at change org works out.

[Caribou]

There may be laws in Ukraine that prevent the full use of a PayPal account, and payPal users cannot do anything about this.  However, this still does not excuse eBay amd PayPal from the problem they have caused.  If a PayPal account cannot be used to make payment to Ukraine, then eBay should not permit or require it to be listed.  I understand some seller in Ukraine may have accounts in other countries where money can be sent.  Obviously in these cases a PayPal listing would be fine.  However, PayPal should never be required or listed where it cannot be used.

[Kovbasan]

Techindie, interesting point. Are you from Ukraine? 😉

I've found that act, and it's just a resolution of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), not even a law: http://zakon.rada.gov.ua/go/z1413-04 (according to it, the Ukrainian residents must obtain individual NBU licenses to place funds on foreign accounts).

About the exchange rate and stability of Ukrainian hryvnia (UAH): let it be, we are not asking PayPal to accept payments billed in UAH, we'll be also happy to accept USD and EUR at least 🙂

Regarding the PayPal support: they even can't say what they need to make changes. And perphaps they don't even visit this forum: https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/About-Business/Option-for-Ukrainian-users-to-receive-PayPal-paym...

[Caribou]

No, I am not from Ukraine.  I am from the USA.  I just believe that PayPal and eBay should be doing whatever they can to help sellers and buyers in every country of the world do business with each other.  Sometimes a law or other matter may make it difficult to do this.  However, it may be possibloe, with some effort on their part, to find alternatives that will work.  That is certainly going to be more productive than insisting that we use methods that do not.work.  I want to be able to do business with people anywhere in the world, and I want them to be treated fairly and be able to do business with me.  That way we all win..  

[Kovbasan]

LinuxFun, refund is not a separate incoming PayPal transaction (but just a partial or full return of the costs to their original source, for an outgoing transaction), so it doesn't require an option to accept the PayPal payments.

[LinuxFun]

Kovbasan I looked at petition and still far way to go. So I really do not know when and if it will be one day available in Ukraine. I mean real receiving. So I needed to receive money now--I had no choice. I opened account at another wallet-service and received money through them. 

I understand that it is not problem of PayPal--to make it happen--I know that there are involved many things--like legislation of Ukraine, willingness of government to cooperate and so on, but at same time I think every party here involved in the process should understand one thing:

There are many competitors on the market. I wont count them--but I think you heard about them. Maybe they are not so convenient to use--but at same time they are present.

Of course I would be happy to use PayPal only--in such way I would have less problems when dealing with money--and also PayPal is unified payment method around globe.

But at same time not much choice left when receiving money. I already once received refund through Ebay and it worked. BUt I meant not refund--but receiving money--it is when someone sends money to you to Ukraine.

[AndreyP]

Skrill works, and it free (except withdraw money), but looks like nobody use it 😃

I tried to sell some items, using Skrill as payment method, but unsuccessfully.

Some sellers use Paypal, but they use intermediary for receiving the payment. Or they do it illegally, in terms of Ebay - for example, use an account created in another country, but they themselves are located in Ukraine.