Consumer complaint received 2022-03-01
Company: Paypal Holdings, Inc
State: MO
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2022, my XXXX  XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, opened up a PayPal XXXX Account as a payment gateway for online registrations for parents to sign up their kids for summer camp. I set up the registration form online through XXXX. XXXX offers PayPal as a payment XXXX to process payments. I connected my Paypal account to XXXX and the embedded code into my website ( XXXX ) and began accepting XXXX XXXX Registrations. 

XXXX XXXX is runs for only 4 weeks out of the summer, Monday through Thursday from XXXX am - XXXX pm and is for kids ages XXXX years old. 

PayPal immediately restricted my account stating they would hold the funds for 21 days as a standard procedure for new accounts. They asked me for my D.L. and to verify my business by uploading a copy of my IRS letter with my EIN. I downloaded the information as requested.

The next day, I received another account limitation notice asking me to submit my supplier bill and the shipment confirmations for all of the charges on my PayPal account. in this communication, there was a number for the Account XXXX XXXX, so I called the Account XXXX  XXXX. I spoke to a PayPal representative on the phone and explained that there were no supplier bills and shipment confirmations since I was taking camp registrations. The fee for 1 week of camp is {$130.00}. The representatitive for PayPal took my information and told me he would pass it on to the review team. The next day I received a notice that PayPal would now be holding the registration funds for 180 days and my account was permanently restricted. I again called the account limitation department and I asked to speak to a manager. They transferred me to an employee named, XXXX, who worked in the account limitations department. XXXX advised me that I could file an appeal. XXXX asked me for the business information again and he verified that the documentation they requested I provide them had, in fact, been received by PayPal. 

I explained to XXXX what the charges were for and that PayPal was requesting that I submit a copy of the supplier bill to them along with the shipment confirmation for all of the charges I had taken. I explained that I was using PayPal for camp registration and provided him with the company website so he could verify it. XXXX said he filed an appeal and I should check back with them in a few days. 

I called back 4 days later to the PayPal account limitations department where I was told that my appeal was denied. 

After a long conversation with PayPal account limitations department, the account limitation department refused to disclose to me why my PayPal account was limited and restricted or what portion of PayPal 's user agreement I had violated. They were unwilling to tell me or negotiate with me in any manner to resolve this issue. 

I made it XXXX clear to PayPal 's account limitation agent that their specific actions of limiting and then restricting the summer camp fees was prohibiting XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX from obtaining permits, purchase tee shirts for camp participants, and blocking the companies ability to meet payroll for the employees hired to run summer camp. I asked them to refund every charge on the PayPal account from XX/XX/2022 through XX/XX/2022 directly to the parent/parents PayPal account , debit card, credit card account and that I would use a different payment gateway to accept payment. 

They were unwilling to negotiate or refund my client 's money. PayPal has restricted my access to my account and removed my ability to personally refund any payments made to me as well. PayPal is currently holding {$12.00}, XXXX and preventing my L.L.C. from performing its contractual obligations to summer camp participants and their parents who paid for camp utilizing PayPal. 

I was advised by PayPal that I will have to wait until XX/XX/2022 for further instruction on how to release my funds. 

Their agregious conduct and failure to explain the specific reason for limiting the account, restricting the account, and refusal to refund the parent/parents payment directly to them is unconscionable and leaves my L.L.C. and its reputation in peril. 

This action by PayPal is harming my business and I have serious concerns that PayPasl is earning interest off the money being held.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief