PayPal wants too much info all of a sudden

[Ziggy]

So I've had a PayPal account for the last 10 years. I've long since confirmed my address and all that, and have had countless transactions over the years.

I have the PayPal debit card, which expires every year. So every year they'd send me a new one and I'd activate it online. This year, when I went to activate my new debit card, PayPal wouldn't do it. It said PayPal had trouble confirming my identity or some BS like that.

So I go to the Resolution Center and it lists what I have to do to fix the problem. They want a photo ID, proof of address, and proof of SSN. I don't see how a photo ID would help, they have no idea what I look like. Are they gonna Facebook stalk me or something? For proof of address, they give examples like utility bills or other such bills. So they can also see other personal info about me? I don't see why my address on my photo ID wouldn't do. For SSN, they want a copy of my SS card.

I'm not sending them ANY of that. I've been using PayPal for 10 years with the same name and address. My address is already confirmed with them. You'd think if it wasn't my name that after 10 years SOMEONE would have noticed. I don't understand why they need all that all of a sudden, and I feel like it's WAY too much.

The Resolution Center gave me a table of things I can and can't do while my account is in this state. It says that I CAN send and receive money, withdraw money, basically everything. The only thing under what I can NOT do is close my account. So I'm either gonna do absolutely nothing (I can't use my debit card though) or I'm gonna call up PayPal to bitch about this.

Thoughts?

[Jmustang1968]

Sounds like they have been combating too much identity theft and are taking steps to prevent it as a company policy. That would be annoying to me as well. I use them often, but dont have a debit card with them. I just transfer the funds to my bank account.

[BoneSnapDeez]

I had the same issue a couple of months ago. I had all of the documents handy so I just sucked it up and scanned it in. Took about two weeks after that for them to "resolve" everything, which was annoying.

I first got locked out when I tried to add money with a PayPal gift card, btw. I never had problems with the MoneyPak ones.

[Fragems]

Yeah same here they pulled that shit around the middle of last year on me when I started selling more stuff on eBay. just caved since you pretty much have to do that with everything anymore which is pathetic.

[samsonlonghair]

So I'm either gonna do absolutely nothing (I can't use my debit card though) or I'm gonna call up PayPal to bitch about this.

I think it's hard to find a phone number for paypal. They've intentionally made it as hard as possible to call them.

[irixith]

So I'm either gonna do absolutely nothing (I can't use my debit card though) or I'm gonna call up PayPal to bitch about this.

I think it's hard to find a phone number for paypal. They've intentionally made it as hard as possible to call them.

https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/helpc ... ion=callus

1-888-221-1161 in the USA, 1-402-935-2050 outside the USA.

4AM-10PM PST M-F, 6AM-8PM PST S-S.

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I'd send whatever documentation you're most comfortable with. (Utility bills are fine.) Better you do it now than someone else do it when trying to steal your account and "proving" that they're you.

[mjmjr25]

I don't know how Paypal or any other company can win.

People want better security with their finances - this is the cost of that security. If you aren't comfortable with it then don't use the service? I don't understand the frustrations.

[Tanooki]

Seems a bit overly pushy on their part, especially in particular to close the account. But you're not forced to use them as a credit card, and only thanks to ebay you are forced to use them to buy and sell on there and that's really about it. Just don't bother or call in and bitch them out to cancel the account. They're not allowed to have what you don't feel they need.

[BoneSnapDeez]

I don't know how Paypal or any other company can win.

People want better security with their finances - this is the cost of that security. If you aren't comfortable with it then don't use the service? I don't understand the frustrations.

The frustration has to do with the manner and timing of things.

When you register for an account you give PayPal the appropriate info... SSN, addresses, phone #, bank account info, etc. As you know.

My situation happened as follows: I saw an item I wanted on eBay. Went out and bought a PayPal card - I generally do this because I try to avoid credit card / bank charges. Simply put, I prefer to turn cold hard cash into PayPal funds.

When I tried to apply the funds to my account I was suddenly locked out and was told more info was required. I scanned the pertinent documents that afternoon and sent them in. It took two weeks to resolve the matter. In the meantime, my account was not fully functional. Thus, I misses out on that one particular auction among others.

The silly thing is the fact that I was even "flagged" in the first place. I'm not some sort of high roller. I don't sell anything and spend maybe $700 per year on internet purchases.

[Ziggy]

I don't know how Paypal or any other company can win.

People want better security with their finances - this is the cost of that security. If you aren't comfortable with it then don't use the service? I don't understand the frustrations.

They could win by explaining WHY. Like I've said, I've been a PayPal customer for 10 years now. I've activated a new debit card several times. This is the first time that it failed to activate because "there's a problem with my account." I never had PayPal demand personal info from me in the 10 years I've been using the service.

Also in the past 10 years, I've never had any of my banks ask for a copy of my photo ID or SS card, much less a bill/statement. I know things change, and if I opened an account at my bank today they might ask for that stuff. But I already have an account, and active account for a number of years. My bank doesn't call me up and demand more personal info about me and say I can't close my account until they have it. It just seems weird. PayPal surprises me with these requests and don't do a good job explaining why. Until I supply them with this info I can still use my account, to the fullest as far as I can tell, but the only thing I can't do is close my account. If I want to close my account, I have to give them this info. Why?