PayPal, what gives? I have been your customer for 8+ years (& an eBay customer for 12 yrs) Why would you treat me this way?

[wilddogsam]

Recently PayPal prevented me from completing a “Buy it Now” purchase for $400 (item #251212433435) & then, only a few hours later on, they allowed someone else to make the purchase for the same item.

When I called PayPal to ask why this happened they first told me it was because there were “concerns about the seller”, then they told me there were concerns about the security of my account & then they told me it was because: “our security system flagged the transaction” & when I asked why, no justifiable reason was provided, I was simply told the same pitiful excuse over again. Later on another PayPal representative told me it was because I don’t often make large purchases of this amount ($410) - even though over the course of the last 8 years I have routinely (as in; every month or so) put through purchases ranging from $500 up to $2,300.

Also for the record; I have been an eBay member since 2002 & have used PayPal since 2004. My feedback score is 100% with 233 positive comments. I have always paid for everything I have purchased, promptly (typically the same day).

This experience dealing with PayPal representatives, including a senior manager named Rick, has made me feel that my 8+ years as their customer is unworthy of a straight answer & is (ultimately) insignificant to them. They have not provided me with a justifiable answer as to why I was treated this way, even when I patiently & specifically asked them to do so. Instead each representative right up the line to Rick, simply hid behind essentially one (unjustifiable) excuse or another - culminating with the excuse: “our security system blocked the transaction” & when I asked one of their representatives named Jordan to look into why the system did this he responded with this, something that is beyond absurd:

“If it’s something that can be looked into as to the reason why a security measure is in place it will no longer be a security measure because it’s something that can be bypassed or worked around.”

Really? I’m supposed to accept this? Whatever happened to: "the buck stops here"?

Someone at PayPal designed this system, someone at PayPal knows what’s really going on – only I’m not worthy of a straight answer.

I'm on the verge of saying goodbye to both eBay & PayPal,

the abuse & the arrogant indifference isn’t worth the headache.

[heidilynn0_3]

What i don't understand is the sequence of events. You placed a bid on the item and apparently asked the seller to cancel and seller complied.

Immediate payment was not required but you did not purchase using the BIN. At what point did PP become involved.

Service Reps have little knowledge of PP rigorous security protocols and cannot give a specific response. Usually a payment is held for review and most often released. Can happen to any member.

[reallynicestamps]

As I understand it, your bid was blocked because the PP security system "had doubts about the seller".

Perhaps this was resolved, because another buyer was able to snap up the deal slightly later.

The listing number might help with our guesses.

The rest of your conversations sound like guesses on the part of the PP staff along with attempts to cover their "bases". I don't see any of it as accusations of dishonesty on your part, just a concern that your account may have been hijacked, which in combination with a relatively high priced item and "doubts about the seller" made PP go into Buyer Protection mode.

The original "doubt" may have been something as unimportant to you and the seller as slow payment of eBay fees. That can make a perfectly honest seller go NARU for a few hours. Maddening.

I accept that PP would not reveal the circumstances that would make an alert kick in. Secrecy on these parameters should be part of Buyer Protection. (And their lawyers probably have made a few notes about privacy concerns.)

The nice thing about eBay is that if you miss one bargain, another will be along in a few hours.