Consumer complaint received 2021-09-07
Company: Paypal Holdings, Inc
State: CA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2021, I received {$50.00} via PayPal from one XXXX XXXX. XXXX  notified me that " money was waiting '' via email so I knew the transfer was complete. I did nothing with the money until, on XX/XX/2021, I made an XXXX purchase in the amount of {$22.00}. I paid with PayPal, expecting that the {$50.00} that was on deposit would be decremented by the amount of the purchase. I checked my PayPal summary page only to discover that such was not the case. The {$50.00} was still there and still " waiting ''. I called PayPal about this and the agent told me that I couldn't access the money unless I supplied a bank account number. I told her that wasn't OK and that I wanted the money either applied to future purchases, applied as a credit to one of the two credit cards I had on file, or sent to me in the form of a check. She said no and advised that she would refund the money to the sender, XXXX XXXX, and that XXXX could send me the money some other way. Following this call, I contacted XXXX and explained the situation and asked that, if she were to get the promised refund, could she please just send me a check. A week or so went by and I heard nothing, so I checked my PayPal summary page again to see if the refund took place. It had not- {$50.00} still " waiting ''. 

I called PayPal again, reiterating my prior complaint and voicing my displeasure with the preceding experience, and the agent who helped me assured me that the situation was resolved and that my next purchase would " tap '' the {$50.00}. So, on XX/XX/2021, I made another XXXX purchase in the amount of {$22.00}, expecting to see the {$50.00} decremented. Again, this did not happen. 

So, again, I called PayPal and yet another agent told me that, in order to have access to my money, I needed to set up the " cash account '' or " link a bank account ''. There was, he said, no way to send a check ( even though the website had a " send a paper check instead '' button ) or put the money against my existing credit cards. I told him that I did not want to give out my bank account number and/or my complete identity ( full legal name, address, social security number, last four of the social security number, and date of birth ) just to access money someone else had sent me. I indicated that my money was basically a XXXX to PayPal 's XXXX  for personal information and that I didn't like that and would communicate this to the regulatory authorities ( that being you ). 

Just around the first of XXXX, XXXX, I was contemplating writing to you about this issue, but I decided to give PayPal another call because each time I had called previously, there was a new twist from the agent on the phone. So I called again, and this fourth time, the agent seemed much more sympathetic to my complaint, indicating that he had heard this many times before. After considerable back and forth, he said that the option to choose how to pay was displayed when I entered the " Pay with PayPal '' screen at the time of purchase- that this would be visible as " Source of Funds ''. He implored my to try that on the next purchase and said that, if access to the {$50.00} was not successful after that, I should call again and they would " cut me a check ''. So yesterday, I went on XXXX and attempted to purchase some literature for {$18.00} plus shipping. When I went to pay with PayPal, I attempted to located the " Source of Funds '' choice to which this agent had eluded. It wasn't there. I cancelled the purchase and called PayPal again today with this whole story, asking this time to speak with a supervisor. I was told that the {$50.00} I had available could only be had if I provided the personal information they wanted, otherwise they would just keep it. 

After this, I went back on XXXX and bought my literature and paid directly with my credit card, thus bypassing PayPal altogether. Following the purchase, I attempted to locate a number for the PayPal Corporate offices to voice my complaint higher up the food chain, but the number supplied online eventually took me back to the same " customer service '' place I had been to so many times before, where the agent again said the the {$50.00} would be held pending the disclosure of the information they wanted. I again repeated that I wanted the money applied to future purchases, put back on the credit card ( s ) I had already on file, or sent via check. She refused. 

It was at this point that I contacted your office to request assistance and was told to submit this complaint. Your representative mentioned that there were " thousands '' of complaints against PayPal but that she didn't know if any were exactly my issue. 

What I want is my {$50.00}. They can apply it to future purchases ( the preferred method ), credit it to the credit card I have on file, or send me a check for the money. 

What I want for everybody is for this practice to be disclosed up front. Had I known that the money that I was offered via PayPal would be held XXXX for personal information, I would not have agreed to accept payment via PayPal. I suspect that had the sender known this, she might have offered to pay a different way. PayPal needs to get agreement from all parties BEFORE the money changes hands. I think that if all parties are aware of this crazy policy, fewer will be likely to offer payment via or accept payment from PayPal. 

One final note : I am willing to supply to you any necessary information, including my login information so that you can see the trail for yourself. Please simply let me know if I can assist in any way. Please note that PayPal states that all calls are recorded and that " notes '' are kept by their representatives when customer service calls are received, so PayPal will be the repository of all related documentation and conversation regarding this matter. 

Regards, XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief