Consumer complaint received 2021-05-17
Company: Paypal Holdings, Inc
State: PA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Unauthorized transactions or other transaction problem

Complaint:
I switched from an XXXX to a " Light '' Phone ( calls & texts only, no apps and no internet browsing ) in an effort to reduce my technology use. I got a new number when I got the new phone. I called PayPal XX/XX/21 to switch the contact information associated with my account, and this call was seamless and my information updated by the PayPal associate. 

Since updating my number with PayPal, I've been unable to access my account. Each attempt results in a request for a phone number for identity verification purposes ( see final attachment ) - a number already associated with the account per the original associate I spoke with and three I've since spoken with. Thinking it's a glitch in the system, I've gone ahead and tried to add the new number from my end, and each attempt results in the same message - that the number is not in the appropriate " format '' and that I can't be verified ( see third attachment ). Hence I have no access to my funds, which I need to pay my bills, and autodebits are bouncing out of my account! 

I called XX/XX/21 and was told my phone number is not an acceptable number to use and that the situation can not be resolved unless I get a new number. I was told there is no way to overrride the glitch, and that I am basically just out of luck and out of the several XXXX dollars in that account ( thankfully I didnt have XXXX K in there as I sometimes do! ). 

Ive emailed several times XX/XX/21 and XX/XX/21, and each time have been responded to with an email saying that my email is not registered to my PayPal account and thus they will not communicate with me ( first attachment )! It is THE PRIMARY EMAIL ADDRESS associated with my account! I sent them a screenshot showing the years of emails from PayPal that have been sent to that email address, as well as a screenshot of the contact information in the PayPal account showing that as my primary email address ( second attachment ), to no avail. They literally respond to my proof of the registered email address with a stock email saying my email address is not registered. 

I called again today, XX/XX/21, I spent an hour on hold before speaking to XXXX, supposedly a supervisor at PayPal, and to whom I offered my SSN, email, addresses, old and new phone numbers, answers to security questions, and details of past transactions, as well as bank account numbers, to demonstrate my identity and to ask what possible justification he has for not overriding their system and releasing my funds to me. The only thing I could do, he said, was wait 24 - 48 hours for their " system to reset '' and try again. XXXX could offer no reason that 24 - 48 hours from now I might be able to access my account ; he offered no reason why the situation should change between now and then. 

He did admit to being able to override the system and fix these glitches for people, but he chose not to do for me despite my insistence that I needed access to the hundreds of dollars of my money in that account in a time sensitive way for bills that are due.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation