Consumer complaint received 2023-10-26
Company: Paypal Holdings, Inc
State: NY
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Trouble accessing funds in your mobile or digital wallet

Complaint:
Users have reported instances where their funds were locked without any clear explanation, leading to immense frustration and financial distress. In my case, I became entangled in a web of miscommunication and negligence, resulting in freezing my accounts due to Venmo mixing my personal and business accounts. 

Unaware of the app 's policy of only allowing one account per user, I encountered a password issue in one of my 3 accounts I have, and was unable to access the account that was primarily being used before I creat the other 2. Unfortunately, one of my clients sent money to that inaccessible account. I have explained that Im facing an extremely hard financial situation. 

Unable to afford even basic necessities after the passing of my mother. Being said I received a payment from one of my clients only to discover that my accounts had been frozen due to a debit of {$420.00} on my business account, a transaction that was not made by me but by my ex-boyfriend, whom I, unfortunately, trusted during a difficult time when I had to leave for XXXX to take care of my mother. 

I have sent numerous emails explaining the situation and have made it abundantly clear that I am aware of the potential consequences if the funds are not recovered from my ex-boyfriend since it was under my name, I was of course found responsible for the debit. 

However, I have informed Venmo that I am currently consulting with my lawyer to investigate the possibility of other unauthorized transactions made by him as for example on my XXXX  XXXX XXXX account. M Despite these facts, the response time from Venmo has been sluggish, taking an average of 3-4 days to receive a repetitive and unhelpful response that does not address the issue at hand while Im desperately in need of my frozen funds to buy food. 

But still nothing about resolving my issue and try to work on it. I have made it clear that I am struggling financially and offered to pay in installments, as I simply can not afford to make a full payment all once. I am desperate for assistance and have made it clear that the money in my account from my client is crucial for purchasing basic necessities like food. 

All I am requesting is for Venmo to unfreeze my account immediately and understand that I own a limited liability company ( LLC ), which by law separates my personal and business finances, which seems to understand that any issues or liabilities, arising from my business are not my personal responsibility, they are not allowed to freeze my personal account because of a debit on my business profile. I never said I would not pay, but only ask some time until my lawyers investigation is over. I kindly request your intervention in this matter, as I believe Venmo 's actions warrant further resolution into my matter and really expect a positive resolution that respects my rights as a customer. 

And Im also open to discuss anything that I might have said in this complaint that is not valid or uncertain, which I believe is nothing to be questioned since Im under my rights as a consumer, but If Venmo fails to rectify this situation promptly, I will have no choice but to take legal action against them. 

As an owner limited liability corporation, I expect Venmo to respect the legal separation between my personal and business finances. Their negligence and lack of accountability are unacceptable, and I will not hesitate to involve the appropriate authorities to ensure justice is served. 

Best, XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief