Resolving negative balance?

[Monsterpaint]

Last week I accidentally deleted my Paypal Direct Debit from my bank. This caused my balance to fall to -£10. I followed the process to add my bank again to Paypal. It didn't deposit anything in my bank account but immediately said "status: confirmed". Under Direct Debit Instructions it says, "Accepted."

Yet it doesn't actually allow me to use it to bring my balance back to zero. Neither does it allow me to buy anything. It says I have to use a card. I'm unclear why I would bother adding my bank if I have to use a card, and why it says it's confirmed / accepted yet not allow me to use it.

Does anyone have any insight into this craziness?

[kernowlass]

@Monsterpaint 

If you have had a failed bank transfer or negative balance then paypal sometimes disables that option on your account and forces you to use the card option.

This is because when you pay with bank transfer its never instant, paypal credit the seller and they wait for the echeque to clear. However if you have had a failed transfer then they may not want to risk you keep using your bank in case it happens again so they require you to use the safer option to them of a card.

You could try 'adding' funds to your balance yourself to clear the negative balance but if not here are ways to clear it.

Ways to clear a negative balance.

1. Transfer funds from your bank account via the add funds function.

2. The quickest and easiest way is to get a mate or family member to send a payment via the friends / family option. As long as they don't fund it with a card it should be free.

3. Via a card over the phone with paypal.

4. Buy something and Paypal will normally add the debt to that payment during checkout when you authorise the purchase.

[Monsterpaint]

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately none of that works. I can't buy anything, it just says I need to resolve the balance first. It won't let me do that using my bank account so I added a card. It won't let me use that either, just says, 'There's a problem, try again later'. I try to remove the card and you guessed it, 'There's a problem, try again later.'

I just want to delete my account now, I'm sick of the incompetence of Paypal... but of course I can't, because I have a negative balance.

I guess I'll just leave it and forget about it. I will be contacting Paypal however about the illegality of not permitting me to remove my data from their platform.

[kernowlass]

@Monsterpaint 

So you didn't try options 2 or 3 then?

[Monsterpaint]

No, I never give my card details over the phone, and I really shouldn't need to involve other people to perform a basic function, so I'm not going to be jumping through hoops to compensate for Paypal's systems failing to work. I know you don't work for Paypal so I'm not aiming that at you.

[Monsterpaint]

I had to resort to using my business account and sending money from that. Very bad practice but nothing else for it. I'll delete my account tomorrow. Thanks for your help.