I've been using Paypal for over 16 years. Hundreds of thousands in transactions. These days I use Venmo most of the time because paypal is so unfortunately complicated and fee-driven. But a friend asked me to help him make his rent payment and buy his family groceries this month, and his default payment app was paypal. So, I loaded up paypal and did what I always do - I sent money to friends/family using bank transfer. I've done this so many times I can't count. At least once a month. You click on bank transfer as your sending account, and boom - it transfers. In this case, however, PayPal executed the payment as an "ECHECK". This little maneuver was undetectable until the confirmation appeared saying it was pending, and wouldn't credit until Friday. I instantly went to cancel the payment and couldnt. Paypal support told me the recipient would have to cancel it, but neither of us had those options. This is immediately following the payment. I called and tried everything I could but the phone system wouldn't give me to a human. They even called me with a robot suggesting the transaction was fraud, but didnt give a human or a way for me to stop or reverse the transaction. Of course, its friday and the echeck hasnt cleared. My bank is BOA - one of the largest, and the recipient bank is United - in the top 10. Paypal has not only failed us miserably by openly instructing support options (canceling) that dont exist to both users, then by refusing to enable human contact to use discretionary abilities to solve problems, then by basically shutting us down and telling us we have no choice to wait. But I didn't authorize an echeck, and I've just filed my first BBB complaint against Paypal because, so far, I have not been granted any actual human attention and I can't get through to a human by any telephone means. And to remedy the situation I am driving hours across country to bring this poor couple enough cash to get groceries for their babies. He'll be penalized for paying his rent late, and they've been eating out of cans, but does paypal have any care at all? Does paypal take any responsibility? No. And the first thing you need to take responsibility for is the thousands of complaints you get daily from others who are hurt - materially - by your hold-and-profit game. If it isnt a hold-and-profit, I am baffled as to why you would offer such a terrible service. I'D LOVE TO HEAR IF ANYONE HAS FOUND A SOLUTION TO THIS NIGHTMARE THAT PAYPAL ILLEGALLY IMPOSES ON ONCE-LOYAL CUSTOMERS.
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