Consumer complaint received 2021-03-20
Company: Paypal Holdings, Inc
State: CA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Managing, opening, or closing your mobile wallet account

Complaint:
On Saturday XX/XX/2021 my Venmo card was declined. I tried calling customer service but they are not open on weekends. So on Monday XX/XX/XXXX I called and was I formed my account was frozen. I was told maybe the email notifying me of this was in junk folder and sure enough, it was. The email asked for my ID, which I immediately sent. I then called and spoke with a representative who said that when the account is frozen, all communication about that is through email and that there is no one I can speak to in that particular department. I explained I had just received my stimulus payment of {$4200.00} on the XXXX, and before that my income tax refund, so there was a large balance that I needed access to in order to pay rent and bills etc. I was told I would just have to wait for an email and there was nothing they could do for me. 

So I waited and waited and today, Friday XX/XX/XXXX, I called again and the rep said she would re-escalate my case. I sent an email to Venmo asking for help and informing them I would contact you to file a complaint but first was hoping to hear from them. I emailed Venmo almost every hour and then at XXXX Friday XX/XX/2021 I received an email stating I violated their user agreement and my account would be deactivated. 

As if that isnt disturbing enough, the email goes on to state that my funds will be held for 180 days due to loss prevention and that they should be available for transfer and I would be emailed about that. 

I dont understand how they can hold my funds when the large deposits into the account are clearly from the United States Government. How is that a loss prevention issue? I have no clue what I did that was so wrong as to warrant a deactivation and hold of my funds. 

I am a single Mom who provides for my two special needs sons and my XXXX-year-old Mom. This money is basically ALL the money that I have to my name and now it is in limbo. 

Plus there was a credit coming to me from Air B and B ( {$580.00} ) that never even showed up on my Venmo account, I imagine due to the freezing of said account and now the subsequent deactivation. 

I immediately contacted Venmo to ask for clarification on the should be transferred wording of their email and the automated response was that its the weekend and Id have to wait until Monday. 

I am physically ill over this. How can they do this? It does not seem fair. 

Today, ( XXXX/XXXX/201 ), I received an email from XXXX of the Execute Escalations Department of Paypal. In his email he states that my Vemo was deactivated because " you are receiving payments for goods or services. ' '' I don't use Vemo as a business and if my activity were for business nature, then why are the people with whom I allegedly did business was also not frozen? Futhermore, the {$4200.00} deposited on my XX/XX/2021 clearly states it is from the US Treasury Department. As such, there won't be a risk of charge back that Vemo is concerned about. At the very Vemo/Bancorp should give me my stimulus payment.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief