In 2019 I received an email from PayPal stating that my account had been permanently limited. This came as a surprise since I had barely ever used my PayPal account other than a recent eBay purchase (which was completed without issue). After looking around online I noticed that other people had received account limitations after making their first purchase or sale on eBay so it is not an uncommon problem. However, my resolution centre offered no course of action for getting my account back. I know at least 2 other people who received account limitations for seemingly no reason but they were able to get their accounts back.
Over the years I have tried multiple times to get my account back, or at the very least find out why it was banned in the first place. I have even gone so far as getting the Better Business Bureau involved at one point to mediate the issue but that did not work.
I'm writing this to ask if anyone else has been in a similar position and found a way to convince PayPal to reinstate the account. I'm trying to start an online business and when PayPal, which has a near-monopoly on digital transactions, completely bans your account without the possibility of reversal or even providing a reason for the ban, it feels kind of unfair.
As I've said in previous emails to PayPal, I'm willing to submit whatever personal identification or documents they required without hesitation or exception if it means getting my account reinstated.
At this point, I'm desperate for ideas on what to do. A quick search on google will show hundreds (likely more) of people who have been banned with no reason given. People that have barely used their account or done nothing wrong. It seems completely unethical for PayPal to be allowed to potentially cripple businesses and individuals' finances with impunity.
Looking at my PayPal transaction history for the time I was banned it is clear that my eBay purchase was the only transaction that could be seen as out of the ordinary because I had never used eBay before that. However, I literally received good feedback from the seller saying "Prompt payment received excellent BUYER A+" but I guess that sounds extremely suspicious and risky to PayPal.
Here's what it says on my resolution centre in its entirety:
You can't use PayPal anymore.
At PayPal, we value a safe community for our customers to do business. We noticed activity in your account that’s inconsistent with our User Agreement and we no longer offer you PayPal services.
Any bank or credit card information linked to your PayPal account cannot be removed nor can it be used to create a new account. You can still log in and see your account information but you can’t send or receive money. Any money in your balance will be held for 180 days, after which we’ll send you an email with instructions about transferring your money.
