PayPal - Three Strikes and OUT!

[chrystalline]

Well, I've had enough of this. After all the rigamarole they put me through with the namechange and emailing back and forth without actually reading my messages, I didn't have the energy to stay mad. I was just too tired of it all, and decided to just cancel it, but I sat on it for a while until I felt like getting around to it. It's not like they cared; if they cared, they'd have been more helpful in the first place. And, since PayPal is owned by eBay (and since I very rarely use eBay anyway) I decided to just cancel that, too. PayPal automatically sent me a survey, which I was quite happy to fill out, since it gave me a way to voice my displeasure with them (they also have a text box when you cancel, so you can tell them why you're cancelling, so I got to tell them twice!). The part that I found really interesting was that, when I went to eBay to cancel my account, they have a text box for you to request cancellation - you don't just cancel it yourself. A few days later, they sent me an email warning me that I wouldn't be able to create a new account using the same email address and asking why I'm cancelling and if there was anything they could do to fix it. (following my response they sent a generic "it's closed now" message) This was too good an invitation to ignore, so I sent them the whole PayPal mess:

From: Chrystalline Lauryl
Date: 02/14/06 21:25:28
To: eBay Customer Support
Subject: Re: (tracking number) - Account Closure Request (tracking number)

I do not use eBay very much in the first place, but when I recently changed my
name, I have had to make name changes at every website and offline business with
whom I have a relationship. Most have proven simple, but Paypal has given me so
much headache with it, I have given up on it. Since Paypal is owned by eBay, I
decided to sever both links. I have numerous email addresses and the ability to
create more any time I wish, so that is not really an issue for me. You know, I
think I'll attach the series of emails from going back and forth with them -
maybe your department will take my emails more seriously.

The vast majority of businesses have only required a faxed copy of the court
order changing my name (except the ones that only needed to know the new name).
Paypal provided no useful information on how to change one's name, so I
contacted them through their webform and asked for the fax number to send the
court order, assuming that would be needed. After a delay of a few days, I
received an email with the fax number. You can read the progression from there
in the emails I am attaching (or you can see most of it at my LiveJournal, too).
The sheer number of generic replies which made it obvious they had not read my
message frustrated me beyond my ability to bear. Frankly, the way things are set
up right now, it is easier to close a Paypal account and create a new one than
to change the name on an existing account. I wish I had done that in the first
place; it would have saved me a lot of time and frustration. Anger of that level
eventually becomes unsustainable, and I am now just tired of it all. I washed my
hands of it and closed my Paypal account and then went to eBay and, as the
instructions said to request account cancellation through that form, that is
what I did.

Chrystalline Lauryl
www.CDLauryl.com
www.TiltedWindmill.com
www.livejournal.com/users/chrystalline
Instant Messenger:
AIM: CDLauryl
YIM: CDLauryl
MSN: CDLauryl@hotmail.com
ICQ: 286260529

-------Original Message-------
From: eBay Customer Support
Date: 02/14/06 17:42:59
To: (my email)
Subject: Re: (tracking number) - Account Closure Request (tracking number)

Hello,

Thank you for writing to eBay.

We are sorry to hear you want to leave the eBay Community. Is there
anything we can do to change your mind? Please reply to this email, tell
us about any unresolved issues, and let us do our best to help resolve
them.

We would like you to be aware that closing an account is a major
decision and will result in you being blocked from eBay and Half.com.
You will also be unable to use the email address on another Half.com or
eBay account. While your contact information will be concealed, your
Feedback Profile will no longer be available.

For more information about the entire process, please review the
information located here:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/account/closing-account.html

Please be aware that closing an account does not relieve you of your
obligation to pay a balance due. eBay will attempt to collect any unpaid
balance through all available legal means, i.e., professional collection
services, attorneys, and credit reporting agencies.

If you have a selling account, you should check your balance and pay any
amount due in full or request and receive a refund if one is due. You
can reach your Account Status page by following the steps below:

1. Click the "My eBay" link at the top of any eBay page. You may be
asked to log in.

2. From your My eBay page, click "Seller Account" link located under the
"My Account" heading.

3. On the Account page, click the "View Account Status" link in the "My
eBay Seller Account" box.

If you definitely want to cancel your eBay membership, reply to this
email and restate your request. Please also let us know why you want to
close your account. Once we receive your reply, we will review your
email and begin the account closure process.

Thank you for using eBay for your online trading needs.

Regards,
Francis F.
eBay Customer Support
_____________________________________________

Marketplace Safety Tip: Protect yourself from fraudulent emails that ask
for sensitive personal information like credit card numbers, passwords,
etc. Just because an email message looks like it is sent directly from
eBay, that isn't always the case. To learn more about protecting
yourself from fake or "spoof" emails, see our online tutorial at the
following Web page:
http://pages.ebay.com/securitycenter/
_____________________________________________

For our latest announcements, please check:
http://www2.ebay.com/aw/announce.shtml
_____________________________________________

Original Message Follows:
-------------------------

Form Message (tracking? code)
Subject: (more code) account closure request [still more code]
User Feedback: (don't know what that number means)
User State: (another number)
Browser Info: (yes, I use Opera)
Closing Your eBay Account > account closure request
Message: Please close my account. Thank you.

PAYPAL CONVERSATION:
-------Original Message-------
From: customercare@paypal.com
Date: 01/16/06 14:28:04
To: Chrystalline Lauryl
Subject: Re: Re: GET ME A MANAGER was Re: Re: TICKED OFF was Re: Re: Request For
Additional Information (tracking number)

Dear Chrystalline Lauryl,

Thank you for contacting PayPal.

I was unable to open the attachment you had sent due to security
precautions. Please contact PayPal in text form at
https://www.paypal.com/wf/f=default and we will be happy to assist you
further.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us again.

Sincerely,
Traci
PayPal Resolution Services
PayPal, an eBay Company

Original Message Follows:
------------------------
Unfortunately I do not have a functional printer at the moment, so I
uploaded the scan to my website:

(link - it's not there anymore, so don't try;)

If that's not acceptable, it's going to have to wait a bit until I can make
it to a photocopy shop. In the meantime, PLEASE tell me that's the last
step I need to do. I don't like sounding like a hysterical, unreasonable
person, and this whole thing has spiraled insanely far.

If it will help keep this kind of mess from happening to someone else,
please use this string of messages to help train the staff to thoroughly
read incoming email.

-------Original Message-------
From: customercare@paypal.com
Date: 01/16/06 03:07:16
To: Chrystalline Lauryl
Subject: Re: GET ME A MANAGER was Re: Re: TICKED OFF was Re: Re: Request
For Additional Information (tracking number)

Dear (original name),

Thank you for contacting PayPal. I am sorry to hear about this situation,
and understand your frustration and concern over the issue.

In reviewing your account, I can see that your PayPal account has been
downgraded to a Personal account. Unfortunately, our system automatically
deletes any attachments that are received in an email. Please do fax a
copy of your driver's license so that we may complete your name change
request for you. Please send the fax to (number), Attn: PayPal Name
Change.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us again.

Sincerely,
Michala
PayPal Community Support
PayPal, an eBay Company

Original Message Follows:
------------------------
Does anybody read the messages that come in, or is this some kind of
twisted AI experiment? Do I have to swear that I have no problem with the
downgrade policy before you'll read what I wrote? Fine; I can guarantee
that I won't be upgrading this account to a business account. I doubt I will
ever want to have a business account with you again.

Why do I have to SCREAM to get a coherent response?

This latest message 1) tells me nothing new, and 2) does not address the
issue at hand. The issue here is: I have legally changed my name, and
after reporting it via webform and faxing the court order, received an email
requesting my driver's license, which started the most annoying
merry-go-round ever. READ IT BELOW! I have tried to follow your
procedures and provide you with necessary information, but it is becoming
increasingly clear that this email address is not the one I should be using.
Is there someone higher up to whom I could appeal for sanity? Or should I
give up and limit myself to Amazon?

Do you have any idea how this rigamarole looks to my friends?

-------Original Message-------
From: customercare@paypal.com
Date: 01/15/06 00:06:55
To: Chrystalline Lauryl
Subject: Re: Re: TICKED OFF was Re: Re: Request For Additional Information
(tracking number)

Thank you for contacting PayPal.

We appreciate that you have tried our PayPal Business/Premier account. Per
your request, your PayPal account has been downgraded from a
Business/Premier to a Personal account. Please note that with a Personal
account, you will no longer be able to receive credit card funded payments
and all payments received from eBay, auctions, and Website Payments
Standard buttons (e.g. Buy Now Buttons, PayPal Shopping Cart, or
Subscriptions payments), will be limited to the equivalent of $500.00 USD
per month. (This monthly limit applies to all US, UK and Canadian Personal
accounts.)

You are only permitted to downgrade from a Business/Premier account to a
Personal account one time. If you would like to upgrade your account to a
Business/Premier account in the future, it will remain a Business/Premier
account for the lifetime of the account.

If you receive a credit card payment to your Personal account or exceed
your monthly receiving limit, you will be given the choice to accept or
deny the payment. If you accept the payment, your Personal account will be
upgraded to a Premier account.

Note: If you receive a credit card payment for an eBay item, you must be
willing to upgrade your PayPal Personal account to a Premier or Business.
Refusal to accept a payment after the auction has ended falls under eBay's
Seller Non-Performance policy.

There are no fee adjustments or refunds on payments received as a
Business/Premier account.

You can change the name on your account only for a typographical error or a
legal name change. We cannot change account ownership (your name to another
person's name), for security reasons.

To submit a name change, please submit a request through our secure form.

1. Log in to your account at https://www.paypal.com/ by entering your
email address and password in the Member Login box.

2. Click 'Contact Us' in the footer of any PayPal page.

3. Click 'Contact Customer Service'.

4. Click 'My Account Profile' in the 'Choose a Topic' box and select
'Name Change' in the 'Choose a Subtopic' box.

5. Enter your question in the 'Summarize your question in one
sentence.' box.

6. Click 'Continue'.

7. Select the type of name change you would like to make.

8. Click 'Continue' and follow the online instructions.

Please allow 3-4 business days for your request to be processed.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us again.

Sincerely,
Rafaell
PayPal Community Support
PayPal, an eBay Company

Original Message Follows:
------------------------
The scan of my driver's license was attached to the email I sent on the
12th in response to Diana and has been attached to this message as well. My fax
machine is sheetfed; I don't have a way to run my license through it. The
scanner is separate. If your email is unable to receive attachments, I
swear I'll create you an email account on my own domain and send you the
login and password! This has just gotten WAY too complicated - nobody else
has given me this much trouble with updating my personal information.

-------Original Message-------
From: customercare@paypal.com
Date: 01/14/06 22:02:02
To: Chrystalline Lauryl
Subject: Re: TICKED OFF was Re: Re: Request For Additional Information
(tracking number)

Dear Chrystalline Lauryl,

Thank you for contacting PayPal. We apologize for the delay in responding
to your service request.

I do not see a receipt of photo id noted, though it could be due to the
unusual volume of post-holiday activity. Have you received an email receipt
of the fax? If not, and if you do not receive one within the next few days,
I would suggest resending.

We appreciate that you have tried our PayPal Business/Premier account. Per
your request, your PayPal account has been downgraded from a
Business/Premier to a Personal account. Please note that with a Personal
account, you will no longer be able to receive credit card funded payments
and all payments received from eBay, auctions, and Website Payment buttons
(e.g. Buy Now Buttons, PayPal Shopping Cart, or Subscriptions payments),
will be limited to the equivalent of $500.00 USD per month. (This monthly
limit applies to all US, UK and Canadian Personal accounts.)

You are only permitted to downgrade from a Business/Premier account to a
Personal account one time. If you would like to upgrade your account to a
Business/Premier account in the future, it will remain a Business/Premier
account for the lifetime of the account.

If you receive a credit card payment to your Personal account or exceed
your monthly receiving limit, you will be given the choice to accept or
deny the payment. If you accept the payment, your Personal account will be
upgraded to a Premier account.

Note: If you receive a credit card payment for an eBay item, you must be
willing to upgrade your PayPal Personal account to a Premier or Business.
Refusal to accept a payment after the auction has ended falls under eBay's
Seller Non-Performance policy.

There are no fee adjustments or refunds on payments received as a
Business/Premier account.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us again.

Sincerely,
Sean
PayPal Community Support
PayPal, an eBay Company

Original Message Follows:
------------------------
THIS *IS* A LEGAL NAME CHANGE! Stop sending me in circles! I submitted my
request via the webform, then I was given the fax number. I have already
faxed the court order. I got confirmation that you received it. Then I
got an email insisting on a copy of photo ID, so I scanned my new driver's
license and sent it. I'm not trying to transfer my account to another
person, I'm the same person with a new name! I have a scan of the old
driver's license, too, if that would help!

Oh, and no one has even commented on my request to back down to a Personal
instead of a Business level account. (Look down at the bottom, the webform
submission that started all of this) And, if you'll notice, my "business"
name is the name I chose for my LEGAL NAME CHANGE. The only reason I went
up to business status in the first place was so that I could use my chosen
name rather than my given name, since I am known on the web by my chosen
name! It's also my domain name! Google me, for crying out loud!

Can someone please keep up? Can anybody read? Do I need to copy and paste
the entire conversation in every email so someone can follow this? This is
why I left Verizon Wireless - a different person for each email, so nobody
knew what was going on and nothing ever got fixed. They still owe me money
I'll never see. I thought those impossibly long tracking numbers in the
subject lines were supposed to help you find all the pieces of the puzzle.
(Is eBay going to put me through this, too, or should I save myself the
trouble and just cancel my eBay account? It's not like I use it often
anyway.)

You already have my bank information; if you contact them,
they have my name as Chrystalline Lauryl. They had no trouble changing my
name information. I can't come to you in person, though, and I'm starting
to get *really* ticked off. I thought it might be nice to keep my existing
account, but if I can't get someone who knows what's going on, I'm going to
have to cancel and think about whether or not I want to start over fresh.
I'm willing to work with you and follow procedures, but this is getting
ridiculous!

Be glad I *haven't* gotten that survey email, because I am NOT happy.

-------Original Message-------
From: customercare@paypal.com
Date: 01/12/06 22:12:48
To: Chrystalline Lauryl
Subject: Re: Re: Request For Additional Information (tracking number)

Thank you for contacting PayPal.

PayPal is unable to change your PayPal account .For security reasons, the
only name changes that are allowed are modifications of the current name or
legal name changes. We cannot change account ownership (your name to
another person's name). All name change requests must be submitted through
a secure webform.

Last name edits (legal name changes or correct spelling of last name) will
need to be completed with the assistance of Customer Service by following
these steps:

1. Log in to your account at https://www.paypal.com/ by entering your
email address and password in the Member Log In box.

2. Click 'Contact Us' in the footer of any PayPal page.

3. Click 'Contact Customer Service'.

4. Click 'My Account Profile' in the 'Choose a Topic' box and select
'Name Change' in the 'Choose a Subtopic' box.

5. Enter your question in the 'Summarize your question in one
sentence.' box.

6. Click 'Continue'.

7. Select the type of name change you would like to make.

8. Click 'Continue' and follow the online instructions.

It is my pleasure to assist you. Thank you for choosing PayPal.

Sincerely,
April
PayPal Community Support
PayPal, an eBay Company

Original Message Follows:
------------------------
In addition to the court order? Okay, I've attached a scan of my new
driver's license.

email addresses:
(my addys that they had - I have over a dozen, I'm not going to list them all;)

home address:
(my addy)

home phone:
(mom & dad)

cell phone:
(my cell)

reason for name change:
I didn't like my given name and wanted to change it. That was enough for
the court. Besides which, I've been going by CDLauryl on the web for over
ten years. I wanted to finally make it official.

Thank you for your assistance,
Chrystalline Lauryl

-------Original Message-------
From: customercare@paypal.com
Date: 01/11/06 19:19:19
To: (original name)
Subject: Request For Additional Information (tracking number)

Dear (original name),

Hello my name is Diana, I am sorry to inform you that we will not be able
to complete your name change request at this time. I apologize for the
delay in responding to your service request.

To fulfill your name change request, we need additional information. Please
provide the following documentation:

A copy of a valid photo ID showing your new name. Acceptable forms of
a photo ID are a driver's license, passport, or any other state or
government issued photo ID.

To assist you more efficiently, please include a cover letter with the
primary email address, current name, address, and telephone number listed
on the PayPal account. In addition, please include the reason for the name
change and the new name being requested. Fax or mail the requested
documentation to:

PayPal, Inc.
Attn: PayPal Name Change
P.O. Box
Omaha, NE
Fax: (number), Attn: PayPal Name Change

Thank you for being part of the PayPal community.

Community satisfaction and your experience with PayPal are very important
to me. You may receive a survey from our third party vendor, Benchmark
Portal, about the service you received.

I would appreciate any feedback that you can provide.

Sincerely,
Diana
PayPal Global Services
PayPal, an eBay Company

-------Original Message-------
From: service@paypal.com
Date: 01/11/06 19:13:47
To: (my email)
Subject: Confirmation: We received your faxed documents

Dear (original name),

This message confirms that we have received the documents you faxed to
PayPal.

The documents have been successfully attached to your PayPal Account and
will be reviewed shortly.

We review faxed documents in the order in which they are received and
generally require 3 to 5 business days to process these documents. Once we
process your faxed documents, we will contact you about the status of your
PayPal Account.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation. If you have any questions,
please contact us using this link:
http://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_email_receipt

Sincerely,
PayPal

Please do not reply to this email. This mailbox is not monitored and you
will not receive a response. For assistance, log in to your PayPal account
and click the Help link located in the top right corner of any page. If
your inquiry is regarding a claim, log in to your PayPal account and go to
the Resolution Center.
PayPal Email ID (number)

-------Original Message-------
From: webform@paypal.com
Date: 12/22/05 10:27:11
To: (original name)
Subject: Re: MyAccountProfile (Routing Code) (tracking number)

Dear (original name),
Thank you for contacting PayPal. We apologize for the delay in responding
to your service request.
Please fax in the documentation to (number), Attn: PayPal Name Change.
Thank you.

Thank you for using PayPal for your online payment needs.

Sincerely,
Jordan
PayPal Business Support
PayPal, an eBay Company
Original Message Follows:
------------------------
Form Message
customer subject: Name Change and Downgrade Account
customer message: Additional Information: 'Two things: I changed my name
from (original name) to Chrystalline Lauryl, so I need the fax number to
send you the court order. Also, I wish to downgrade my account back to
personal instead of business and I don't know where to do that on the
website, if it can even be done there.
BTW: this is a very repetitive form.'

Comments

Re: Sheesh, that is a mess! :)

[chrystalline.livejournal.com]

Hadn't heard about that. I tend to like Google - Gmail is great (thanks for that, BTW;) but I don't know any more about this one. For now, I figure I can use Amazon's Honor System PayPages if I need to transfer money with someone who doesn't have a merchant account of their own. I really, REALLY don't want to go back to Paypal. Ever.