My Paypal account got blocked??!

[Mechanickal]

Just received an email from Paypal that my account got blocked.

So I logged in to their actual site (went to the link by typing it myself) and see that it's true!!

2 transfers over 2 months ago are the last signs of activity.
A payment of $10 to a member here and paying for the MTO cap.

What the F??

Anyone else had this??

[gerleatherberman]

Someone likely tried cracking your account and caused the block. You'll need to call paypal. 

[Mechanickal]

The site says that I'm permanently blocked for not following the user agreement.

My credit card details are blocked so I can not open a new account with them... wtf...?

Just what I needed...

An online search reveals other people went through the same and had to move on without Paypal...

[Dutch_Tooler]

Hmmm. I deleted a few "please update account details" mails that purported to come from Paypal because I had a feeling they were not genuine. I have recently used Paypal successfully, so it may have been the right decision, but who knows...?

[Top-Gear-24]

That sucks mate  .

I just checked mine and so far there's no problem.  But if this kind of things happens randomly I better keep an eye out and check it regularly ...

[Don Pablo]

That sucks, Nick. 
I've heard of Paypal screwing over both businesses and individuals, before I even signed up.... I'm just using it until something better comes along.
Hopefully you can get this resolved!

[Serena]

Everything works fine here. Bought my latest knife through PayPal.

[Poncho65]

That totally sucks man I think I work so try calling them if nothing else just to find out why it was blocked Good luck with it

[Mechanickal]

Had an email exchange with Paypal where they said to email the complaint dept directly, which I did... waiting now.

Furthermore, the internet is filled with people in the same situation...
-s

[Poncho65]

Maybe you will be able to get access to your account again

[ezdog]

I have had this happen a couple times and it is a complete bizarre pain in the butt but it has also always gotten worked out for me.
The last time I was buying a Light,of course,from someone on CPF and in the notes of the transaction I wrote the name of the light which was on some kind of bad watch list???

Same as you I was locked out and couldn't easily talk to them for it to fix it either?

So I ended up hammering until I reach someone on the phone that told me to Fax in an explanation of the deal and they would review it,I did,they did and it was over within a day if I remember correctly.

Paypal is not a Bank and that is not to say that a Bank is always any better either but they do come up with some crap at times that is insane and makes no sense!

If there were a better way I would be using it but for me every single time I have had an issue they have fixed it for me.
No one is on the Internet talking about how great they are though,only when there is trouble!

Also I am only satisfied after actually speaking to them using "Mouth Words" on a phone,know what I mean?
Get them to email ou the transcript of the call or try until you get someone who will.

Good Luck

[Whoey]

Is it possible that it might be because it is just a card linked to the account? (I can see how that might be seen as suspicious in light of the massive amounts of card fraud)

I know I went through a bunch of verification steps including linking bank accounts to one account in the past.

[Wspeed]

I am sorry to hear that you can’t use PayPal
And that they blocked you 

[Mechanickal]

I'm awaiting an email reply for now.

If nothing happens, I'll call them up on monday.

Thanks for the input so far guys!

[Wspeed]

Hope you can get it sorted 

[gerleatherberman]

I worry that sometimes, when we send payments for stuff to each other as friends & family, that they may have script bots that can link the deals to our accounts somehow. But, in that light, I won't stop doing it. I pay hefty fees to send money that way, so I don't feel bad about doing it.

[Wspeed]

Friends and family should be
able to sell things to each other
Without getting punished for it 

[Wspeed]

I would of thought 

[ezdog]

I worry that sometimes, when we send payments for stuff to each other as friends & family, that they may have script bots that can link the deals to our accounts somehow. But, in that light, I won't stop doing it. I pay hefty fees to send money that way, so I don't feel bad about doing it.

Like I said above,when this happened to me it was because there was a single word in the comment line of a transaction that I had written as a note to myself to remember what the payment was for that triggered something in the system to flag it and it was shut down because of that!
When they asked me about it,using this word I was skeptical to say the least and thought I might be getting scammed too?

So I googled the word and realized right away what the deal was but I had never heard this meaning of that word nor would I accept this right away for what they told me the reason was.
Now that I have had time to think about this it actually makes me feel better about the idea that they actually do have mechanisms in place to help deter fraud and maybe terrorism too! Really!!!

As for the Friends & Family thing that is a whole different deal and I will not use it unless it is for real and we all have agreed explicitly to do the same as well as to not charge a premium for using PP from either end in a transaction.

[gerleatherberman]

Friends and family should be
able to sell things to each other
Without getting punished for it 

Technically...technically it is for only sending money, and not for transactions. Since buyer protections are not afforded that way. But, I agree, it shouldn't matter as long as we, as buyers, understand that.

[gerleatherberman]

Like I said above,when this happened to me it was because there was a single word in the comment line of a transaction that I had written as a note to myself to remember what the payment was for that triggered something in the system to flag it and it was shut down because of that!
When they asked me about it,using this word I was skeptical to say the least and thought I might be getting scammed too?

So I googled the word and realized right away what the deal was but I had never heard this meaning of that word nor would I accept this right away for what they told me the reason was.
Now that I have had time to think about this it actually makes me feel better about the idea that they actually do have mechanisms in place to help deter fraud and maybe terrorism too! Really!!!

As for the Friends & Family thing that is a whole different deal and I will not use it unless it is for real and we all have agreed explicitly to do the same as well as to not charge a premium for using PP from either end in a transaction.

That is wild that they shut down the account over a word. Because, in reality, any seasoned criminal or terrorist wouldn't use any trigger words. But, just in case, I agree it is better that they do monitor those things. 
I only use friends & family payments for users I trust. And use insured/tracked packages for any shipment problems.

[Wspeed]

  I would only use F&F for people I trust 
Or if I already have the item but still owe them money 

[Mechanickal]

I prefer a warning mail allowing me to take appropriate actions like shutting stuff down (gmail does that?) Instead of getting shut down without any explanation.

[Wspeed]

  it’s a bit weird to just shut your account down 

[gerleatherberman]

I prefer a warning mail allowing me to take appropriate actions like shutting stuff down (gmail does that?) Instead of getting shut down without any explanation.

Yeah, that was just balls on PayPal's part. A true sign of a corporate monopoly doing whatever the hell they please. Knowing well that we are just stuck dealing with it.

[ezdog]

Like I said above,when this happened to me it was because there was a single word in the comment line of a transaction that I had written as a note to myself to remember what the payment was for that triggered something in the system to flag it and it was shut down because of that!
When they asked me about it,using this word I was skeptical to say the least and thought I might be getting scammed too?

So I googled the word and realized right away what the deal was but I had never heard this meaning of that word nor would I accept this right away for what they told me the reason was.
Now that I have had time to think about this it actually makes me feel better about the idea that they actually do have mechanisms in place to help deter fraud and maybe terrorism too! Really!!!

As for the Friends & Family thing that is a whole different deal and I will not use it unless it is for real and we all have agreed explicitly to do the same as well as to not charge a premium for using PP from either end in a transaction.

That is wild that they shut down the account over a word. Because, in reality, any seasoned criminal or terrorist wouldn't use any trigger words. But, just in case, I agree it is better that they do monitor those things. 
I only use friends & family payments for users I trust. And use insured/tracked packages for any shipment problems.

Maybe,Maybe not?

Remember the Rocket Surgeon Terrorist responsible for the 1st WTC bombing,he was discovered while trying to get his deposit back on the van used as the bomb!

This is excepted from a timeline of what happened;


"On Sunday, Feb. 28, Mr. Salameh and Mr. Yousef moved out of their apartment about midnight. In Manhattan, bomb speSmurfpillsts had already scored a crucial breakthrough, finding in the Trade Center wreckage that day a piece of twisted chassis with a vehicle identification number traceable to the Ryder company.

On Monday, Mr. Salameh was back at the Ryder office, saying it would take him three or four days to get the police report. In the meantime, he wanted his deposit back. "I said no, you have to show the truck was stolen," Mr. Galasso replied. "He got a little upset."

By Wednesday, March 3, the F.B.I. and Ryder had traced the van to Mr. Galasso's business. Visited by F.B.I. agents, he retrieved Mr. Salameh's rental contract.

It suddenly dawned on Mr. Galasso. "Don't tell me my van blew up the World Trade Center?"

The address on the rental contract, 17 Park Place, turned out to be the address of the Islamic Center in Jersey City. Large Hidden Audience

The next day, the F.B.I. returned with a video camera in a gym bag and an agent wired with a hidden recorder. They handed Mr. Galasso a sheet of paper drafted by prosecutors with questions for Mr. Salameh to fill out.

About 9:30 A.M., in a gloomy drizzle, Mr. Salameh entered the office. With agents posing as Ryder employees, he retold the story of the theft before the hidden camera and recorder. One agent, on the phone, relayed a running account to superiors, interspersing, "Did you hear that? Did you get that?"

The refund after Mr. Salameh's use of the truck -- with $17 a day insurance -- came to $154. But the F.B.I. agents had no change, only $200. They said they were awarding him $50 for some furniture he claimed to have lost and offered him $200 back.

Then, said Mr. Galasso, Mr. Salameh asked, "Could you give me my gas money back?"

They gave him $200 and Mr. Salameh, still protesting over the money, filled out the paperwork and left.

"For a moment, Mr. Galasso recalled, Mr. Salameh stood outside on the porch, looking out, his hands folded calmly. Beyond, a small army of F.B.I agents lay concealed in cars, stores and doorways. Mr. Salameh walked out of the car lot toward a bus stop. Suddenly agents seemed to pounce from every direction. They tackled Mr. Salameh and wrestled him into a waiting car that sped off."

[gerleatherberman]

I had forgotten about those details. Thanks for posting them, EZ!
Seems a screw up did help catch the smurf.

[Wspeed]

Did you hear anything from PayPal Mechanickal 

[Mechanickal]

Nothing...

[Wspeed]

That’s nice of them
I take it you will be phoning them on Monday