Consumer complaint received 2024-07-14
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem caused by your funds being low — Bounced checks or returned payments
Company: Paypal Holdings, Inc (AL)

On XX/XX/XXXX I was on XXXX browsing items and came upon an item I was interested in purchasing. The item had an option for PayPal " Pay in 4 '' so I clicked the button to see how much the 4 payments would be. When I did this, it opened up a window to PayPal site, but it looked to want to charge me the full price for the item as opposed to breaking it down in 4 payments. I closed the window and exited the page, however, back on the XXXX XXXX, the item was still in my cart. A few minutes later, I get a notification from my bank that my card had been charged {$990.00} ( the cost of the item ). The amount was showing pending on my bank account under the name of " PAYPAL XXXX XXXX XXXX ''. I immediately contacted PayPal to ask how this could happen if I never completed the transaction? I was told that they automatically put a hold on the funds during the process, however, they claimed that they had released the funds back to my bank and to contact my bank for more information. I called my bank ( XXXX XXXX  ) and they said they were unable to see the " release '', however, I could check back on XX/XX/XXXX to see if it had been released. On the morning of XX/XX/XXXX, I checked my bank account to find that the pending charge was still present. I contacted PayPal again and asked if they could assist me getting these funds released as that's all I had in my bank account and it is now tied up with this transaction that I never processed. I got transferred to a few people due to my inability to understand what was being said ( language barrier ). I asked for my call to be escalated repeatedly, yet, I'm not certain that has been done. PayPal representatives now say that they don't show any record of the transaction in question and therefore can't really help me. I reminded them that their representative had confirmed the transaction on XX/XX/XXXX and that they should be able to validate this since their calls are recorded. I was put " on-hold '' for 20-30 minutes while they researched this. The representative later stated that no such call existed with that information. 
Due to a dinner date on XX/XX/XXXX, my account has now went into the negative because of this unplanned expense. 
I make several calls between my bank and PayPal urgently trying to get these funds cleared. My bank stated that if PayPal would fax them a LETTER OF AUTHORIZATION asking them to release the funds back to me, they would release the funds. However, PAYPAL is now saying they can't find the transaction, therefore, they can't provide the letter. I had an event planned on XX/XX/XXXX, however, I could not access the funds needed to attend this event. My bank is saying that the PENDING charge should drop off by Tuesday XX/XX/XXXX unless PAYPAL releases it. My bank says that it appears that PAYPAL is still holding the funds and after 5 business days, ( Tuesday ) it will release. 
I am very upset and frustrated with this experience. Primarily because I never purchased anything, and only had it in my cart. The vendor can attest to this as they at one point, called me to remind me that I left something in my cart. 
The problem, in my opinion, is that there was a software glitch with the PayPal process. But since they don't have a technical support team, or anyone willing to sincerely try to resolve serious issues, the problem went unresolved and that is unacceptable. 
No one at PayPal cares, or have made a real effort to help me resolve my issue. 

NOTICE : ATTACHED IMAGE VERIFIES THAT THE TRANSACTION IS STILL SHOWING ON MY BANK ACCOUNT TODAY, HOWEVER, PAYPAL SAYS THAT NO SUCH TRANSACTION EXISTS IN THEIR SYSTEMS.