To wonder why we still use PayPal?

[Therollockingrogue]

I hate PayPal.
Yet again, they are holding my money for no reason except from their ‘own internal security reviews’ . I’m forced to use PayPal because the platform I’m using insists on it. For YEARS I’ve had issue after issue with PayPal in various ways, through eBay, and other sites where there’s been no other option. Yet through my bank I have a million tools to send money safely globally, and at a far cheaper rate. Anyone else mad at PayPal?

[Therollockingrogue]

@ViveLEntenteCordiale exactly , this is kind of my issue . Postage doesn’t always mean the prices of a first class stamp. It becomes very tricky if PayPal hold money for ages and the seller has to keep covering the coat with no payments coming in. I’m uncertain I’ll ever be paid for my items, so every time I pay a courier from the buffer fund , or allow an item to be sent out, I have the feeling I’ll never actually receive my money.

[ViveLEntenteCordiale]

This has happened several times to my husband - we both sell on eBay but he sells higher value items. The biggest problem for him is that they hold on to the shipping money. Every time he has to contact them and explain that he doesn't necessary have £70 spare to send a 22kg package abroad by courrier. If he had space money he wouldn't be selling stuff on eBay!

It doesn't usually happen to me but I sell cheap things with cheap postage so finding less than £10 is not such a big problem.

I did have my account hacked recently though, and money stolen via Skype. Paypal tells you to contact Microsoft and 3 weeks later I still have no reply from Microsoft

[Therollockingrogue]

Yes. The customer service is so frustrating. Zero continuity. A different rep with a different idea as to what the problem could be every time. They make promises that never come to fruition. Blame mad arbitrary ‘security’ decisions for everything.
Arrrghhhhh

[TheGreatWave]

Their CS is shit. I have been trying to resolve an issue since May and it is absolutely impossible.

[FishOnPillows]

I’d never had an issue with PayPal before, but it’s annoying me right now. I returned an item I’d bought, and the seller issued a refund when they received it. It’s now been stuck as “Pending” for 10 days. PayPal originally said it would be available on or around 4th August. But what does that even mean?!

I’ve never been refunded via PayPal before, but if it’s going to take weeks to come through I’m not going to use it again. That’s a fair amount of money to me thats now in some kind of limbo. I had no idea I’d have to wait to receive it.

[speakout]

I am really surprised at all these negative comments.
I have been using paypal for 16 years and never had a problem.
The odd payment will be held in pending sometimes but usually resolved in a day or two.
It is always easy to get in touch with customer service, and the staff - especially for my paypal business account are very helpful and attentive.

I don't get the hate.

[SockYarn]

I;ve not had issues either. I am a freelancer and a couple of my clients use paypal to send me money. Only time I ever had an issue was when a client changed the credit card they used to back their account and my money was on hold for a week.

All other payments go into paypal without issue and I withdraw immediately into my bank account - by the time I log out pf paypal and into my banking app the money is there.

[bez91]

I hate them too. They realised earlier this year after 11 years of using them that I'd opened the account a few months because my 18th birthday (I don't even remember) so banned me when I was 29 😂 🤷‍♀️

[QuizzlyBear]

I've used it via eBay for over 15 years as a buyer and seller and as an online shop owner for the last year (it's our primary payment method) and have honestly never once had an issue with it.

They've also come to my rescue re refunding money on dodgy purchases etc a few times. That's why I'd prefer it to bank transfers.

[CiCiFreakingBabcock]

I hear ya OP I haven't used it in a couple of years as every time I used it a couple of days later I would get an email saying my security details needed updating and to follow the (dodgy as) link; yeah nah, not now, not ever!

[MistyGreenAndBlue]

YANBU PayPal suck!
I avoid them as much as possible as a buyer. Don't sell on Ebay anymore. I believe they are highly corrupt and totally incompetent. Their decisions seem totally arbitrary too. I hate them.

[honeygirlz]

I don’t really get PayPal. I sell on eBay sometimes and therefore I have a credit on PayPal from those sales. And I think when I buy stuff from eBay, the payment is deducted out of my PayPal balance. I’ve wondered about transferring my PayPal balance to my bank account, but then I think it may cause a complete collapse so I leave things be.

[Therollockingrogue]

That’s awful @CoffeeandCroissant

[CoffeeandCroissant]

I had to leave a long term rental when the landlady decided to sell the house. I took the opportunity to have a massive clear out and sold loads of stuff on eBay. As a result I had about £1500 in my PayPal account from eBay sales.

When I tried to withdraw it to my bank account, they refused and froze my funds pending further enquiries. Their customer service was awful, was hard to even get through to a human being rather than automated messages and took months to get sorted and get hold of my money.

Fortunately I had some savings already to use for the deposit and first months rent on a new place because if I had been relying on the eBay money in PayPal I would have had nothing and would have been homeless thanks to them and their incompetence.

[eatsleepread]

OP, I too found Paypal a pain when I used it years ago. If memory serves me correctly, they kept signing me out of it for some reason. Perhaps I appeared dodgy in some way .
I also regularly receive so many scammy 'PayPal' emails, which is a bit off putting too.
YANBU, as it just didn't work for me, and I've never used it since.

[lillylemons]

Paypal closed my account down they would not let me change my name once I got married then a few months later they closed it down.
So not used Paypal since 2014.
My husband has Paypal for when he sells stuff on eBay but the funds are always being held he hates Paypal.

[BrownStripePJ]

I love paypal. No issues , and used it about 10 years. Love how quick online checkout is with PayPal express

[LibrariesGiveUsPower]

Get yourself a stripe account. So much better for sending invoices and taking payments as a business.

[oakleaffy]

I hate PayPal too. But because it makes it way too easy to buy stuff from my armchair grin

This.
..It makes buying still easy and painless....

But , Dear reader...Never pay by F&F when you want buyer protection...

A vulnerable man I know, not internet savvy lost over four figures paying for an antique item in USA by ''Friends and Family' as the dealer requested.....

She 'claimed' the money... and nothing could be done to get it back, turns out she is a practiced scammer.
F&F is the scammers handmaiden.

[SallySolardel]

I did a try me free promotion with Walkers crisps, where they refunded the price of a multipack of crisps through PayPal. Then PayPal locked my account until I sent them loads of things, one of which was details of what I was selling. They didn't understand that I wasn't selling anything and had just received a one off payment. The conversations I had with live chat were literally me saying "I don't sell anything" and then them replying "I understand, but we need details of your sales to unlock your account".

[BeChuille]

Never had a problem

[GlummyMcGlummerson]

YANBU.

I stopped selling on eBay after cheeky chancers raised disputes for perfectly good things I sent them and PayPal refunded them and chased me for the money. They then held my account for 69 days because they thought it was a duplicate account (it wasn't) - so annoying that it's basically a requirement for so many platforms

[GreenPlum]

Never had a problem with them holding on to my money. I think there's a setting where it says to credit your bank account with any funds, or to hold in PayPal account. It's not that is it?

[rosesandcashmere]

I've never had a single issue with it. Any disputes I've had - even with massive companies - have been refunded in hours. Much easier than a credit card dispute. To be honest, I wonder why anyone wouldn't use it?

[cms1972]

I've not read the whole thread, but I want to say that I was forced to use PayPal as an Ebay seller & PayPal had me almost weeping with frustration!
If I remember rightly (I've tried to forget), it was a similar frustration to the one you get with Hermes... ie. they can contact you but you can't contact them. Plus password problems that couldn't be sorted, and yes they sat on the money I made for what seemed like forever!