Can't use CC or instant transfer

[kasra007]

I use paypal for my business and i put all my charges through paypal using bank account or credit card.

I average about sending 80k-100k a month via paypal..

About 3-4 months ago anytime i tried to make a payment that was above $1500 i would get the following message

We are not able to process your payment using your PayPal account at this time. Please return to the recipient's website to complete your transaction using their regular checkout flow.

At this time, we are unable to process your request. Please return to Newegg.com and try another option.

I called paypal the agent said he has no idea > limitation department no idea > supervisor no idea.. and then they are sorry and they don't know. It is a internal security model that is blocking it.. great seems like a very stupid model to be honest. I guess they are indirectly telling me to close my account and go away.

So i tell my self okay.. big deal i won't do anything over 1500+ in paypal..and i go on doing my business. 

Today i wake up.. i add my new master card to my account to start using and i go to purchase $20 item for our business and i get the same message above. I tried any amount even $1!!! still didn't work.. same message and kicked me out. Also when you add a credit card to paypal its charges it a $1 to verify it but they charged it $0.. to the point that my credit card company put a hold on the card and asked why was there a $0 charge.

I called paypal.. and after explaining to them and what is going on they said we don't.. and it can't be the internal security model becasue its not denying anything.

WRONG.. its exactly the internal security model thats denying any dollar amount. The system blocks credit card and instant transfer.. so the system doesn't know what to do (no payment options to display) and kicks me out before i can even login and says you cannot use your paypal account at this time...

I actually tested this. Big merchants such as newegg and buy.com don't accept echeck but only credit card and instant trasnfer via bank. I went to another small merchant and it allows me to login but only echeck option is available.. and the rest are grayed out.

FInally called a second time and they tell me this is a bug that has been going on for a while.. god knows what they define while as. So they tell me they have escelated the case to engineers and they will look into it.....doesn't really give me any hope because i know its a bug with the internal security model they have...

I am not asking for any special treatmeat, this needs to be fixed. I don't use paypal for personal matters.. this is business and i spend a lot of money via paypal to keep my business going. 

Overall all the agents i spoke too were nice and i think they tried their best with the access they had...

So what do i do? Write a letter? keep calling till i get an answer?

Paypal is too busy worrying about losing customers that they have forgotten about their customers. If i can't continue to use paypal i am going to close my account and seek other alternatives.

I can't even get in touch with anyone higher.. executives.. ops to try to resolve this issue.....

Any comments... suggestions are greatly appreiciated.

[PayPal_Olivia]

Hi kasra007, and welcome to the forums!

I'm glad to hear you've reported this to Customer Solutions. The risk filters are necessary to make everyone safe, but when ripple effects are felt by people like you who have built a solid history of purchases - well, the only way we can work toward making adjustments for that in the future is if we're told about it. Thank you for calling in to make that report.

There could be a few different things at work here in the normal course of handling larger payments. It could be the amount of the individual payment, it could be the cumulative amount being purchased in multiple payments from the same merchant over a short time, it could be all of that combined with the fact that transactions for electronics are statistically at higher risk for fraud. There could be risk controls being employed by PayPal. There could be risk controls employed by the merchant. There could be a combination of both. There could be other factors as well.

If you are buying a significant amount from one merchant repeatedly over a short period of time, one thing you might want to consider is contacting them to see if they can group purchases into one invoice for you, and see if paying an invoice rather than going through the checkout yields a different result. For all you know, you may even qualify for a volume discount. I don't know the policies of the specific merchant mentioned, but some merchants do offer them.

I know you've spent a lot of time pursuing this, but if you have not yet contacted the merchant, it might be fruitful to do so.

Please let us know what you find!

Olivia

[kasra007]

Olivia please don' take this in a rude manner ..

All this talk is great but it doesn't solve anything.

I have already contacted paypal..and spoke to a supervisor and apparently there is nothing they can do.

They confirmed that it is the internal security model blocking it but they don't see anything wrong with my account

I can't even send in a $1.

The problem is not merchant specific, have already ruled it out.

So i ask what do i do to fix the issue?

"Don't use paypal"

Great....

I wish the CEO of this company could read this.

You know i always try to be nice and patience when problems like this arise but honestly no one can help me....

I ask to get in contact with higher people.. and nothing can be done.

[Pache]

I've got two items I'm unable to pay for and the seller refuses to take a money order or anything, says I have to use Paypal. Well, IT'S NOT WORKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Went on Twitter and Paypal acted as though they'd not heard there were problems. WTH? What do we do if we are unable to pay for items due to the seller refusing any other form of payment and Paypal not working?

[PayPal_Olivia]

Hi kasra007,

I understand your frustration, and I wish that there were another answer. I'm sure that from your previous contacts to Customer Solutions, all internal avenues have been or are being explored to find alternatives. What I can suggest at this point are outside of the box alternatives. I kind of wracked my brain a little, and came up with the invoice idea.

Even if the issue is not merchant-specific, the use of an invoice sent by the merchant to you in lieu of a checkout payment may change the mix of factors being evaluated by the security controls. It's not even a definite fix, but it is something new to try. I wish I had other ideas. I'll keep thinking on it and come back if I come up with other suggestions.

Olivia

[Pache]

Finally figured out why mine wasn't working.  For some reason the zip code in my profile was missing so the bank was refusing payment due to the zip code not matching.  Once I updated that I had no problem making my payments to the sellers.

[PayPal_Olivia]

Hi Pache,

Thank you very much for coming back to share that! That's a very good thing to check. If there are discrepancies when information is being validated, the security models can become a lot more picky about allowing funding methods.

kasra007 - on the off chance this hasn't been suggested previously, please take a look at all your info on your account. Make sure your name is listed 100% accurately, your bank info is accurate, your address and phone number are up to date, and nothing's expired. This has probably all been checked by you and the representatives you've spoken with before, but I want very badly for this to be resolved so I'm crossing my fingers that it's something small that was overlooked.

Let us know!

Olivia

[kasra007]

I had more than 3-4 senior supervisors look at my account and found nothing wrong with it.

There is clearly a bug within the internal security model.

As of yesterday things have suddendly returned to normal and i am able to continue my business.

Lets hope it stays that way.

For some one who spends more than half a million in one year with paypal, not getting an answer to such situation is highly unprofessional of a company such as paypal.

Not to mention the fact that when i asked for a phone number to the corperates office , i am being told that they don't have a number. Thats after i have exhausted all possible options with customer service.

Highly unprofessional.

Just remember.. if you don't see this as a customer perspective look at it as business point of view. The more i spend, the more fees you get.