Consumer complaint received 2024-02-05
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Managing, opening, or closing your mobile wallet account — 
Company: Paypal Holdings, Inc (TX)

PayPal digital payment platform refuses to close my account, fails to comply with required user agreement and generally abuses their power over customers using poor business practices.

PayPal needs to be thoroughly investigated for wrongdoing because, as a consumer, my rights were violated. 

On XX/XX/year>, I utilized an online Fax service called XXXX ( XXXX XXXX ). When I attempted to check out for the service, a PayPal XXXX appeared with all of my banking information as the only form of payment available. I havent used PayPal for years due to a horrible experience I had long ago. The charge was XXXX cents. 

I do not remember authorizing PayPal XXXX to install on my XXXX  or install as a part of the XXXX browser. I have no idea how it came to be on my XXXX. Anyone could have sat at my computer and purchased anything they wanted to with this wallet so easily available. 

Due to my dislike of PayPal and the XXXX appearing out of nowhere, I decided to cancel my PayPal account. I started calling to close the account on Friday, XX/XX/XXXX. I then made several calls on Monday, XX/XX/XXXX. In all, I probably called PayPal 15 times. Each time, a representative told me the XXXX transaction was pending and they would not close the account. Not only did it appear as completed on the PayPal website, but it also showed to be withdrawn from my checking account on Thursday, XX/XX/XXXX. I also called my bank and it was confirmed the transaction was completed on XX/XX/XXXX. At this time, I removed my personal payment sources from PayPal and also instituted a block with my bank against PayPal for any future transactions. 

The only place the transaction still appeared to be pending was in the PayPal system, which no one has access to other than PayPal employees. There was XXXX physical evidence of the pending status, only PayPal stating it verbally over and over again. PayPal has one level of support and it is all overseas. Only one agent successfully let me speak to someone at PayPal who they called a supervisor while the other representatives either hung up on me or left me on hold until I hung up. Every PayPal customer is assuming a huge financial risk with PayPal having access to their financial accounts and nothing but overseas representatives taking calls who have no power to actually remedy an issue. 

In a separate issue, on Monday, XX/XX/XXXX, I received an email stating I had a message from PayPal. I had hoped it would be a notice that they had closed my account. Instead, my PayPal inbox on the PayPal website held a message addressed to another customer stating a transaction had been completed. This listed the persons name, the business they purchased from and the transaction amount. This was a data breach and another reason why PayPal should be under investigation. 

The PayPal user agreement states that a user may close their account at anytime but will remain liable for outstanding obligations. I was not allowed to close my account at any time. It also states that in certain cases ( but not all ) you may not close the account due to a pending transaction. There are overrides in place at PayPal that would have allowed them to close my account but they refused. With no proof of any transaction actually still pending, they could actually use that excuse for the next XXXX years if they wanted to keep accounts open. 

I have supporting evidence and screenshots available.