Consumer complaint received 2025-01-29 00:00:00
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
State: WA

Complaint narrative:
Actions taken in trying to resolve a limitation placed on my account in summer XXXX ( which is an account for a nonprofit organization that has another person 's name on it as well as an authorized user, however the other person is no longer reachable in any way ) XX/XX/XXXX : I called PayPal and tried to reach a customer service representative but was not able to reach a human being. 

XX/XX/XXXX : Submitted an online form requesting information on how to switch a PayPal account that is associated with PayPal Giving Fund. 

XX/XX/XXXX : Tried calling PayPal again but was informed that I am not recognized as being an authorized user to discuss the account, even though my name has been on the account since its inception in XXXX. 

XX/XX/XXXX : I had changed the information in the account to allow PayPal representatives to discuss all issues related to the account with me. I called PayPal again and spoke to a representative who recommended that we e-mail an appeal. 

XX/XX/XXXX : Submitted the requested e-mail appeal for review by the PayPal back office team. 

XX/XX/XXXX : Called PayPal again. Was told that they can " discuss general questions with me but not anything specific to the account '' because I need to be verified to have permission to discuss account issues with customer service and resolve them. After this call I verified myself to have this permission within the account. I called back again at that time and PayPal requested that I submit my passport as a photo ID to verify my identity. After the second phone call, I submitted the passport photo via the PayPal website message center upload link. 

XX/XX/XXXX : Received a message from PayPal which appeared to be automated, suggesting that I change the account owner 's name. However this can not be done with a limitation on the account. Received a second message stating that my appeal was denied and that now I must submit a photo of my Social Security card and a letter of authority, which I subsequently did. 

XX/XX/XXXX : Sent reminder to PayPal requesting a response to the documents that had been submitted. 

XX/XX/XXXX : Sent a second reminder to PayPal via their message center, requesting a response. Received another apparent automated response that just restated a previous conversation without answering the question. 

XX/XX/XXXX : Received a response from PayPal requesting that a photo ID be submitted to complete a name change for the account owner - apparently the respondent had not noticed that we did that a month previously. 
I also called PayPal again on this day and the CSR I spoke to said that she had " expedited the case '' and I should hear back within 5 to 7 business days. 

XX/XX/XXXX : Had not received any response from PayPal, so I called again. The rep I spoke to on this occasion said our appeal had been denied. I said we hadn't received any notification of this, she said that because they did not approve it, they did not have to send any notification of their decision. She said she would send a note to the " back office '' again for review. 

XX/XX/XXXX : Sent a reminder to PayPal requesting a response to our re-appeal. Did not receive a response. 

XX/XX/XXXX : Called PayPal again. The CSR I spoke to reviewed our account and said that an appeal has been sent to the " back office '' 3 times and has been denied every time. She said the limitation is permanent and can not be removed because of " risk '', no further detail can be provided. I requested to close the account, and she says that PayPal does not allow accounts to be closed if they have a limitation on them. This means that my account can never be used again, but it can also never be closed. There was no option for a higher appeal or any other recourse. 

This was by far the worst customer service experience I have ever had with a financial institution, bar none. I wasted hours of my life on this apparently un-solvable problem. PayPal rarely ever responded to any message I sent to them, despite the fact that I have been their customer with this account for nearly 20 years. I had to call every time to find out that my appeals had been denied. And frankly the resolution is abysmal - I don't see how it can even be legal to force a person to keep a bank account open but also permanently ban them from using it. This is nonsensical.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief