Hello Paypal would you like fries with that?

Last month I finally opened an account at Paypal, for years I have just used my partners to purchase stuff off eBay and receive payments, which did cause some eyebrows to be raised as in her email address the word "babe" is in there. Anyways I had done some content work for a foreign company, basically writing about ten pages of text for them and also had a couple of advertisers wanting to pay me that way, I thought, "Great, set my own up and then I am not bothering my girlfriend" So after 3 payments from 3 different companies I receive an email from Paypal saying they have limited my account. Basically what that means is I cannot send money or close my account, but can still blissfully receive payments

This is the email me they sent me.
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Dear xxxxx

As part of our security measures, we regularly screen activity in the
PayPal system. During a recent screening, we noticed an issue regarding
your account.

We have observed activity in this account that is unusual or potentially
high risk.

Reference Number: xxxxxxxxxxxx

We've limited access to your account temporarily .We'll review the
limitation once you respond with the information we've requested.

To respond and remove the limitation, go to the Resolution Centre. If you'd
like clarification on the limitation, please let us know by going to the
Help Centre and clicking Contact Us.

Thank you for helping to resolve this problem.

Yours sincerely,

PayPal Account Review Department
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So I log into the client and see what I need to do, being in the gambling industry and playing poker I am used to having to send photo and name id, so this is very straight forward for me.bur when I look I see they want much more

Begin a limitation review

Confirm your bank account
Photo ID
Check Email for Additional Required Documentation
Provide business information
Provide more information about payments

Okay no stress on this, they are looking after both myself and other peoples interests, so I begin to fill out all the info, send in the documents via their upload facility. I even give them a ring to make sure everything is okay at their end, my documents are readable etc and I speak to a great guy who checks everything for me, all I have to do is wait for 2 small payments to go into my bank account and confirm them, which usually takes 3 or 4 days

About 2 hours later I receive another email, entitled request for additional information

This is what it said

Dear XXXXXXXXXXX,

Your account access limitation cannot be lifted at this time. We need more
information about your account before we can proceed with the appeal
process. Please complete the steps below so that we may review your
account further:

PayPal requests that you provide additional information regarding the
following transaction(s):

Transaction ID: XXXXXXXXXXX,
Transaction ID:XXXXXXXXXXX,
Transaction ID: XXXXXXXXXXX,

In order to proceed with the investigation of these funds, the following
information must be submitted to PayPal:

A full description of the item that was purchased, and the value of the
item. If the payment was for a service, please describe the service
purchased.

Confirmation that you received the item or provide tracking if you shipped
the item.
Details of any other payments you sent or received that were related to the
above transaction.
Any information regarding the relationship or business affiliation you may
have with the above party(ies).
Email communication or written correspondence shared regarding the above
transaction.

We would like to obtain as much information as possible about the above
transaction(s), in order to expedite this investigation.

More information on how to complete the steps above can be found by logging
into your PayPal account and clicking on the "Resolution Center" tab. Then
click on the "Resolve" button under the "Action" column for the step you
would like to complete. If the step already shows completed, please refer
to the information above.

If you are faxing information, you must use the cover page provided by
PayPal. The cover page contains information specific to you and using it
ensures that your documents are routed and handled in a timely manner. If
you no longer have a copy of the fax cover sheet, please fax the requested
documentation to 1-402-537-5731 Attn: Account Review Department. Please
notate your email address and the following case number when faxing the
documentation:

Case Number:XXXXXXXXXXX,

Sincerely,
XXXXXXXXXXX,
PayPal Account Review Department
PayPal, an eBay Company


Now I am aghast, they want me to disclose information regarding my business and include private and confidential information.
It takes me a further two hours collating all this information, copies of emails, information, invoices attached, what is so annoying is that "WHY?" I can understand that they must be thorough but to me this is just downright invasive. And now the cherry on the cake is, I sent this all in an email, of which they returned telling me to go to the resolution centre, of which, the documents they require can only be uploaded in photo format.

Two things that REALLY REALLY frustrate me about this are

I wanted to purchase a watch off eBay to wear for the UK Team Poker Championships I am playing this weekend, this is now impossible because of this and the fact that if I used my girlfriends account she would get very upset on me spending money on some "Bling" that wasn't for her ;)

I am really annoyed because they almost monopolise the market and I have to use them to receive payments otherwise wait for cheques etc and as most of my business is done online this kind of antequates things

Now that I have written this all down in my blog I feel the therapeutic effect of the release of my rant oozing into the paragraphs, but i am still a little "irked" that tomorrow I will be continuing this saga to get this sorted, and a little unhappy that at the weekend I wont be blinging my new watch at the tables :)


Maybe, Just Maybe, they shoud adopt a policy of giving their customers a quick call to discuss matters and a more simplistic system

Rant Over (Steps off soap box)

Thanks for reading this I know its rather a long long long blog but still just a fraction of what you have to write to get a Paypal acount unblocked ;)