Closing my PayPal acccount

[Dottie Atwater]

I have a suspicious charge on my account. Yesterday I attempted to contact PayPal. It is impossible from their web site. I found a phone number on the internet and called the toll-free number via my Skype virtual number, After struggling through the extensive menus, I was given the option to hold for up to 45 minutes or request a call back. I opted for the call back. When someone finally did call, they didn't even give me time to get to my computer (I was only a few steps away) before they hung up. Later they called again and I was able to answer.

After going through all sorts on nonsense with the first person, she said she needed to transfer me to security. OK. Then I was on hold for about 30 minutes. Just when I was about to hang up, someone finally answered.

After a long conversation with the "security person," she could not answer the charge to my satisfaction and I told her I wanted to close my account. She told me how to close my account and send the funds to my linked bank account. After the first step, a message said I needed to call them before I could close it. No way was I going through that again! (If I had had a US cell phone, she could have sent me a code to enter; but of course I do NOT have a US cell phone).

So the young woman, who had already verified my identity, per their "rules" had to ask me all kinds of security questions...none of which I had entered as "secret questions" when I opened the account. One was the year of my Subaru Legacy that I had had in the US. Hell, I didn't remember. I had it for a number of years, sold it 15 years ago, and have had other vehicles since. And similar questions that go way back. I "failed" the test.  A chilling thought  is how EVERYONE like PayPal knows everything about us, no doubt from childhood.

I told the young woman it wasn't her fault, but PayPal SUCKS! She chuckled and said "sometimes." She really did try to be helpful but couldn't under PayPal's "rules."

She did promise to have a supervisor call ME on my virtual skype number this morning at 7:30. Hopefully I can get the PayPal account closed today--while "eating" the unexplained charge of $214.68. I just can't take any more of the hassles. Total time on the phone yesterday, including long hold times, was over four hours.

Be aware of the hassles you can encounter using PayPal.

Dottie

[Sharon Benzil]

Dottie,

My husband and I recently opened Google voice accounts and Google voice supplies a US phone number. We then assigned those numbers to our accounts so when we need the verification texts (like you needed with PayPal), we receive them through the app on our devices. Perhaps this can work for you in the future. 

[TwoSailors]

PayPal is having some serious customer support issues. I had a problem just trying to log in. There is no phone number support on their web site or a way to contact by email. eBay spun off Pay Pal earlier this year. If you go on line you will see that there is tons of complaints about Paypay.

We have chosen not to use them anymore. Luckliey we only have $5 in the account.

 

[Siempre Soluciones]

1 hour ago, Sharon Benzil said:

Dottie,

My husband and I recently opened Google voice accounts and Google voice supplies a US phone number. We then assigned those numbers to our accounts so when we need the verification texts (like you needed with PayPal), we receive them through the app on our devices. Perhaps this can work for you in the future. 

 

I use Google Voice for that exact purpose but it's not supported by some entities namely the IRS.  They require a cell phone number on a major carrier, not the throw away burner phones you purchase at Walmart.

 

And they do not support Skype numbers either.

 

 

[Dottie Atwater]

5 hours ago, Dottie Atwater said:

I have a suspicious charge on my account. Yesterday I attempted to contact PayPal. It is impossible from their web site. I found a phone number on the internet and called the toll-free number via my Skype virtual number, After struggling through the extensive menus, I was given the option to hold for up to 45 minutes or request a call back. I opted for the call back. When someone finally did call, they didn't even give me time to get to my computer (I was only a few steps away) before they hung up. Later they called again and I was able to answer.

After going through all sorts on nonsense with the first person, she said she needed to transfer me to security. OK. Then I was on hold for about 30 minutes. Just when I was about to hang up, someone finally answered.

After a long conversation with the "security person," she could not answer the charge to my satisfaction and I told her I wanted to close my account. She told me how to close my account and send the funds to my linked bank account. After the first step, a message said I needed to call them before I could close it. No way was I going through that again! (If I had had a US cell phone, she could have sent me a code to enter; but of course I do NOT have a US cell phone).

So the young woman, who had already verified my identity, per their "rules" had to ask me all kinds of security questions...none of which I had entered as "secret questions" when I opened the account. One was the year of my Subaru Legacy that I had had in the US. Hell, I didn't remember. I had it for a number of years, sold it 15 years ago, and have had other vehicles since. And similar questions that go way back. I "failed" the test.  A chilling thought  is how EVERYONE like PayPal knows everything about us, no doubt from childhood.

I told the young woman it wasn't her fault, but PayPal SUCKS! She chuckled and said "sometimes." She really did try to be helpful but couldn't under PayPal's "rules."

She did promise to have a supervisor call ME on my virtual skype number this morning at 7:30. Hopefully I can get the PayPal account closed today--while "eating" the unexplained charge of $214.68. I just can't take any more of the hassles. Total time on the phone yesterday, including long hold times, was over four hours.

Be aware of the hassles you can encounter using PayPal.

Dottie

Well, well, no one called me. Surprise, surprise. But yesterday "May" told me I needed a US cell phone to receive the "code" even to transfer most of my balance back to my linked bank account, and indeed trying to do so prompted me to call them. But today online I asked to transfer the entire balance and they sent the 4-digit code right to my computer. Then immediately I got an automated call at my skype phone number asking me to enter the code. I did, and the transfer was approved.

Now there is no balance in PayPal but I still have not been able to close the account. That bothers me because of my linked bank account. They have access to it. So more time will have to be spent/wasted getting this monkey off my back!

[Dottie Atwater]

Now there is no balance in PayPal but I still have not been able to close the account. That bothers me because of my linked bank account. They have access to it. So more time will have to be spent/wasted getting this monkey off my back!

Update: I was able to find (in the PayPal web site) how to remove my linked bank account--or at least it indicated that I had. If that's really true, I won't waste any more time and PayPal can go suck eggs!

 

[Dottie Atwater]

Uh, oh...someone sent almost $300 to my Paypal account, so I needed to go through the hassle of getting the money and then closing my account. At that point, I could log in but could no nothing else--except RECEIVE money into the account, of course. I couldn't use the funds to pay anything and couldn't retrieve the funds. Against my better judgment, I sent a copy of my US bank statement, one of their ways to "unrestrict" the account. (My bank account was no longer linked, but of course they knew my bank--since they also knew minute details about my life from 20+ years ago that even I didn't remember). 

Ten days later, I had heard nothing from Paypal, even after I sent a message asking WHEN my account would be unlocked. So I went through the ordeal of calling them. This time the wait was only 30 minutes, and the young woman said, "Yes, we received your bank statement." To my surprise, during my conversation with the very first person, the steps online for unlocking my account were fairly easy. As soon as I had access, I linked my bank account, removed my funds, and closed my account. Goodbye, crooks!

Edited January 18, 2019 by Dottie Atwater
correction