I'm fed up with paypal! Help please!

OKay, I withdrew funds from my paypal to add to my bank account. I get an email and the process is complete but it is not being reflected in my paypal balance. So I go into the help part of their website and look up balance. The only thing close to my problem is "why isn't my balance reflecting my e-check payment".

This is NOT what I need so I call their help number. First off, it's automated, I know they want to avoid answering questions that have been answered on their website but my question just is not there. To find my account, they asked me to say my name as it appears in my account. I say it and they repeat that they need my name. So I say it again, and they repeat that they need it again. And finally they can't find an account for me under that name.

I don't know what to do, I'm REALLY frusterated and could just use some advice please.

PayPal has been having substantial problems with their system over the past 2 weeks......could simply be a lag in the transfer and the reposting of the new balance. Give it some time......
Also see if your bank is reflecting the transfer also.

When they first started, the payments were shown within minutes of the transaction. Email notices letting you know you've received a payment were also very prompt. Now withdrawals take upto 5 days to show up, and their email notification can take up to 3 days. I don't know what happened but sure wish their service would improve soon.

Gemila

It hasn't shown up in my bank account either. I know I'm being impatient but people tend to get frazzled when it comes to money and things like credit. And I don't like the way that there's no way to get intouch with an actual person. Not everything can be automated.

I made a payment via PayPal a couple days ago and it showed up immediately. It looks like their problems must be intermittent. Still, we don't keep any balance with 'em.

Sadly, I don't use Paypal anymore unless that is the only option. There is just a little too much confusion so now I use my credit card. The guarantee against loss is better there anyway. My husband was part of the company from the beginning, but I guess that's just what happens when a company outgrows itself.

There is no problem. Paypal is no different from online banking. It can take several days for the funds to transfer. That is normal and typical. When you pay for something with paypal into another paypal account the transfer is within the system and it is instant. When you withdraw to your bank account, the bank normally takes 3-4 days to reflect it in your account. It's the same when you pay bills online out of you bank account. The payee doesn't actually get the payment until 3-4 days later.

I'm glad that it's working for you PvillePlanter. I hasn't always worked so well for the rest of us. We should all have such luck!

It isn't luck doss. It is the way Paypal operates for everyone. If you read the confirmantion email that is sent when you withdraw funds to add to your bank account, (which is what the initiator of this thread was asking about), it clearly states"

"Your request to withdraw funds via electronic funds transfer from your
PayPal account to your bank account ending in XXXX, has been received and
is in process.

This process usually takes 3-4 business days to complete but is dependent
on your bank's policies.

If there is a problem with your request, it may take up to one week for
your bank to notify us. We will notify you immediately by email if we learn
of any problems in processing your request."

The variable is not Paypal, but it maybe the bank they have their account with or the type of account they have with that bank.





This message was edited Nov 7, 2004 8:59 AM

There are big problems with Paypal at the moment, I've had several emails from frustrated buyers and am having the same paying problems myself ... it just isn't paying out for some people unless you go the long way around!

I haven't had a problem (touch wood and spit at the chickens) with withdrawing funds to bank account like CaptMicha but I can imagine how annoying it is, their helpdesk isn't very helpful!

There are several reasons particular payment transactions could be a problem:

1. The payer is trying to use a credit card as the source of payment and the payee does not have the type of paypal account (i.e. non-personal account) that can accept payment from credit card sources.

2. The payer is paying from a bank account (e-check) which, like transfers of funds, may take several days to complete.

3. The payer has just recently established or changed a paypal account and payments are delayed pending incoming funds (i.e. bank account, credit card, etc) and address verification.

4. The payer is attempting to pay using an invalid fund source (e.g. credit card has expired).

In my 5 years of experience with Paypal, and as a trainer and consultant for ebay buyers and sellers, I have never come across a single case where a Paypal issue was a glitch specific to a particular account. That's not to say it doesn't happen of course, but in my experience the problem has either been a systemic one (i.e. server outtage (which would affect all users but only those users who's access happens to be through the problem server(s) at that particular point in time), or a bug that affects a particular type or group of users (i.e personal (free) accounts, a particular country, etc.) where the programming code may have some variations) or a user error in attempting to make a payment such as the ones above..

I have never had any problems with PayPal, but I have heard that they were having so many problems, so I don't use them anymore. I had just a little left in my account and found something to use it up and now I'm at 0. Won't have to worry about them anymore. I used to use them for Ebay anyhow, and I don't go to Ebay anymore. I prefer the credit card or direct from bank.

Boy, now we could gripe about ebay all day! But I guess that's changing the subject.

doss....if you have ebay questions I would be happy to try to help. Email me if you like.

We keep our PayPal balance at zero and have it linked to a checking account we also keep near zero. When we want to buy something online, we transfer money online from our main checking to the internet account and pay with either our debit card from that account or by PayPal. PayPal has always debited our account and sent the funds almost immediately on our transactions; when we've received PayPal funds as payment, they have taken the 3-4 days between our request and their actual deposit in that checking account. So far, so good.

A rather convoluted way of doing it, if that is what you are comfortable with, it certainly will work. And you are correct about debits occuring immediately while credits often take 3-4 days. This is the "clearing" period between financially institutions. Just like writing a check and deducting from your check register even though the person you wrote the check to does not have the "cleared funds" in his account for 3-4 days. It is standard banking practice.

Here's a whole website just devoted to Paypal problems. If you can't get any answers, you can at least vent. :-)

http://www.paypalsucks.com/

I know Paypal is not something I'LL ever sign up for.

sigh....it is unfortunate that this misinformation continues to be spread and bought into. I guess maybe it is just human nature that when we don't understand how to do something or don't get immediate gratification we tend to fault whatever it is that we feel is not cooperating. I would have played the piano like Mozart at the age of 5, but it was too hard and took too long so I gave up and it was the piano's fault :-)

Well there you have it folks-- you are all just TOO DUMB and IMPATIENT to use Paypal. (Sarcasm intended.)

Inda....I'm sorry if you were offended. I did not make the quantum leap from expressing my opinion about the few malcontents who created a website for no purpose other than to bash a corporation they had a grudge against to calling you or anyone else at DG or anywhere else DUMB or IMPATIENT. (No sarcasm intended.)

"if you can't get any answers, you can at least vent. :-) "

This message was edited Nov 7, 2004 5:00 PM

This message was edited Nov 7, 2004 5:01 PM

For you to suggest that this website is just a "few malcontents with a grudge" seems quite disingenuous to me. Did you actually read some of the stories (some from former Paypal employee whistleblowers) that were posted?

In fact, didn't Paypal just settle a class action suit (without admitting guilt, of course) not too long ago because of their tactics?

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news02/paypal_suit.html

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/p/paypalsettle.htm

Actually, paypal has acknowledged that they have had problems themselves. I received an email from them for both paypal accounts stating that, to make up for the issues they have been experiencing, I would receive "free" days, basically no paypal fees for any transaction on those particular days. I double checked, and these were genuine Paypal emails, (having received the spoof ones)

Consequently, it is not just people using it incorrectly. If it were, Paypal certainly wouldn't be waiving fees.

PvillePlanter

You state and I quote " I guess maybe it is just human nature that when we don't understand how to do something or don't get immediate gratification we tend to fault whatever it is that we feel is not cooperating"

This is not necessarily the case, many people have been affected by Paypal's glitches and poor service. While I cannot speak for the experiences of those who set up or use the above site, I'm sure you will find some very genuine cases in there.

Paypal simply doesn't have a good customer service and they don't sort out their problems quickly. If your bank suddenly lost your account funds overnight and then didn't acknowledge you have even registered a query, would you then not be seriously upset. I know I would and I'd want everyone to know. This is one of the things that has happened to some members of Paypal recently, many businesses especially those who use eBay rely on Paypal among other financial companies to be professional, their customer service and constant problems proves that they aren't. Paypal needs to get it's act together and quickly.

If you have so far been free of any of these problems then you have been lucky indeed!

This message was edited Nov 7, 2004 8:18 PM

Inda....because information is on a web site does not make it true. I'm sorry but a lot of the information, testimonials, etc. on that website are pure fiction. The class action suit had nothing to do with tactics. It was the result of allegedly not impletmenting certain reporting requirements of the EFTA (Electronic Fund Transfer Act ) which is a 1978 law that applies to inter-bank fund transfer and at the time it was created E-commerce didn't even exist.

Terre, Yes you are correct. About a month ago, a major software enhancement caused PayPal servers to crash when stressed with heavy traffic. It took them 3-4 days to fix the software issues, catch up on some administrative actions (e.g. email notifications etc.) and during that time, access availability was intermittant. It was a technical outtage issue not a functional one. The one day fee waiver was a marketing strategy by PayPal to try to lessen the bad press from the system outtage. I would expect and have recieved a partial refund from the phone company, the cable company, and the electric company when my phone, cable, or electricity had an outtage that was the fault of the utility company and not an act of god.

I initially reponded to this thread to answer a question that was posted by the initiator of that thread, not to debate the merits (of lack there of) of PayPal as an e-commerce service provider. I have already apologized to you Inda, even though I felt you twisted my post into something it was not. As you said, "If you can't get any answers, you can at least vent. " I have provided my answers and you have vented so I think we are both done now.

Baa,

I pay most of my bills with online banking and sometimes when I want to pay my bills, my bank's site is down for maintenance or has high traffic and I am not able to get to my account at that moment to pay my bills (especially when I was still on dial up). I was annoyed yes but not seriously upset. My funds were not lost, they just weren't accessible to me at the moment. But then I get just as annoyed standing in long lines or especially wading through the cutomer service voice mail systems that virtually all major companies use (push 1 for this then 4 for that then 8 for the other, only to get to the end of this tedious process 20 minutes later to get a recording that says our offices are now closed, please call again when we are open....ARRRGH.......now THAT annoys me!

I agree that Paypal doesn't have good customer service. Neither does my car insurance company, most major mail order companies, most major credit card companies, and the major computer manufacturer I worked for. I simply find that in general there are better ways to get answers to my questions, and resolve issues than wasting my time with customer service personnel or exacting revenge because I felt I was not given a service to which I was entitled. Customer service costs, and you get what you pay for. For those that have personal PayPal accounts they don't pay anything. I have contacted customer service at Paypal once in 5 years regarding a technical issue and found their response to be no better or no worse than most.

But as I said before, I didn't not respond to this thread to either push Paypal on any one nor debate it's merits. I don't think this is an appropriate venue for that. I was merely intending to answer a question that was asked and not answered to the satisfaction of a customer by their automated customer service. My shortcoming may have been in not recognizing that sometimes when some one asks a question, they are looking for sympathy rather than an answer. I again apologize for that and will in the future be less inclined to attempt to provide either objective information or opinions based on personal experience.

I didn't read all the posts because the problem has since been resolved but I did read yours PvillePlanter.

The reasons you listed as to why I may have encountered problems does not apply since none of those are the case.

And I did not post this thread to ask for symphathy. I was indeed asking for help. "I don't know what to do, I'm REALLY frusterated and could just use some advice please."

And just because my account is free doesn't excuse problems concerning my money through paypal.

PvillePlanter .. for what it's worth ..
I very much appreciate your opting to share any of your knowledge and the general input, on the subject of PayPal and e-banking! Certainly shed a tad of light on things fer me ...

- Magpye

I can share your frustration! I have been receiving blank emails which turn out to be notices of payments received...so I never know who/when payment is made. I tried the HELP and nothing applied. I called Paypal and no one could answer my question. I was told someone would get back to me...NADA. Good thing business is slower with the winter...or I would be in serious hurt. I'm just going to wait and see if they can straighten it out....

My daughter had to shut down her Paypal account last month. Someone found out her number and posted a $1999 bill against an old checking account she hadn't used in 6 months that was supposed to be closed. She recieved overdraft notices from the re-opened account!

Paypal would give her no help and just kept saying that SHE made the charge. They admitted that the item was delivered to an address in another state (not here) and still would not reliquish their claim on her (closed!)checking account.

She is only 20 years old and was very upset. I went into the bank with her. I chastized the bank for re-opening a closed account and granting a Paypal withdrawal. My daughter had to deny payment of the $1999 and sign a complaint against Paypal. She is witness for a class action suit that the government will be filing against Paypal security and irregularities.

The sad part is that the business owner who shipped the merchandise must take a loss for the $1999.

A lot of people suffer (on both sides) when some one tries to pull off a selfish stunt like this. A lot of people target pay pal users for their scams. I hope they catch whomever did this.

I'm really sorry about your daughter Wanda. Being only 19 myself, I would be terrified and wouldn't know what to do but I'm sure her mother being there to support her helped!

It's okay. Liz learned that I was asking her to keep bank statements for a reason. The account they electronically re-opened had been unused for over six months. The bank should have shut it down completly as we had requested and not re-opened it.

According to the Feds we spoke with, a hacker had stolen a large group of Paypal account numbers with identifying data and was systemetically using them. One problem--the idiot was having all the merchandise shipped to his own and friends addresses near by. Not the brightest thing to do, huh?

I used to do customer service support for a large mail order company. One of my favorite things to do was do preliminary research on frauds. It was amazing how stupid some of these repeat offenders were.

I always advise people to use a credit card for payment if possible. Your bankcard provider will fight on your side if there is a complaint, not the side of the merchandiser.

I have not had a single dispute to my company in over 8 years, but I make sure the customer always wins the dispute. It is better to lose a bit of money than to anger a customer. Word has a way of getting around.