Don't Send or Accept Gift Payments Anymore

[ManInTheMirror]

BUMP THIS UP

[MasterPattie]

Seriously, Blowout should implement a policy where Paypal gift payments are not allowed on this site.

[WCTYSON]

To the top. Has anybody requested this to be a sticky? There still seems to be a lot of members that do not know this information.

[jlzinck]

Originally Posted by MasterPattie

Seriously, Blowout should implement a policy where Paypal gift payments are not allowed on this site.

Like people actually read the rules:

Use Paypal to protect yourself (Sending payment as a gift is the same as sending cash or a money order!). Paypal is convenient and safe for buyers, especially if you are buying from someone new or with someone you don't know. Please be aware that if you send payment as a GIFT, you will NOT be able to file a claim if there is a problem with the shipment. We do not recommend sending Paypal payments as a gift.

Blowout cannot stop people from using gift but if people are dumb enough to use it can get screwed and have no recourse.

[Highcheese4U]

I am still getting people asking to send $$ as gift... ppl clue yourselves in and READ!!!

[223]

Originally Posted by Rick

I've been trying to tell you guys this for months. lol

I have a Paypal account currently frozen since December 17th for 180 days (6 months) with $10k in it. It's locked until June 17th.

I was sending a lot of Gift payments to a lot of people & I was sending Gift payments for my thread on here:
http://www.blowoutcards.com/forums/n...s-etc-etc.html

They sent me an email saying there was suspicious activity & they needed my license, a bill to my confirmed address, phone bill to verify the number they had on file etc all to be faxed to them.

I figured no problem & sent them what they asked for.

They then emailed me back saying the fax wasn't clear. I went to Fedex/Kinkos & the fax was fine. So I did it again & they sent an email saying they needed a fax of my social security card & a credit card statement in my name to my confirmed address. I felt like that was way too much information to be sending to India. (And before you ask, this was not a scam, always updated IN Paypal & always verified by calling Paypal).

So finally when I told them I wasn't going to send them a copy of my SS# & credit card information, they told me they are locking my account for 180 days (6 months) & I'll have to wait until that time is up to withdraw my money or request a check.

After all this happened to me, I started doing my research & it seems Paypal shuts down a TON of accounts every day for any kind of reason.

I now never send any payments as gift or anything personal through the Paypal account that I still have running. If that account were to also be locked, my business would be devastated.

They are cracking down on money laundering and I guess with all of the gift payments being sent every which direction it's easy to launder money around.

EDIT:
I would advise to never keep any kind of substantial amount of money in the account because Paypal can lock it at any moment without a reason. Paypal is NOT a bank, they don't have the same rules as banks do. Paypal can & will lock your account for any reason they see fit. They have over 10k of mine locked up for 6 months invested in a money market account gaining THEM interest. Will I see any of that interest? NO.

I have read that at any given time Paypal has over $1 Billion dollars locked up collecting interest.

I had a friend in a very similar situation with Paypal although for just a little over $5000. They requested everything but the kitchen sink. He refused as you did and they locked his account and held his money as well.

Next day he calls an attorney, explains what happened. Said attorney sends a letter to paypal as well as listens in on the other line while my friend calls them. They give him the runaround and basically bs him to death however the conversation is recorded. Apparently what they said didn't comply with law A or B or whatever it was.

Final step was the attorney calling the fraud dept at Paypal, tossing some legal jargon at them related to seizing funds, playing the recorded message to them, and basically bulldogs his way into making them release the money under threat of legal action.

I suspect they realized that of all the fish they trap like this (seizing money), the probably figured he wasn't one to string along and save themselves the headache.

Best part was the attorney charged him nothing to do it because they froze his account some time back with $100 in it. Glady went after them for him.

[cking]

That is crazy that they can freeze your money like that without a court order or judgement or something along those lines. That is borderline theft. I think they do it all the time, but if you stand up too them and bring an attorney into the picture they just drop it.

[WCTYSON]

I just wanted to thank the O.P. and the Mods for making this thread and posting it as a sticky. Here is to looking out for B.O. members and trying to make this place as safe as possible to B/S/T. Thank you.

[Highcheese4U]

Thanks for making this stick. I am STILL getting newbies asking me to send payments as 'gift'...I guess some don't like to read

[Rick]

Update:

Today is the 6 month (180th day) that my Paypal account was frozen. I received an email this morning saying that my funds were available to be transferred to the bank account or I could request a check.

I requested a check, because I didn't want Paypal to be able to reverse the transfer. Lol.

Should get the check in 1-2 weeks, I'll let you know when I get the check.

My money is free at least, free at least....so far.

[Tyler]

Originally Posted by Rick

Update:

Today is the 6 month (180th day) that my Paypal account was frozen. I received an email this morning saying that my funds were available to be transferred to the bank account or I could request a check.

I requested a check, because I didn't want Paypal to be able to reverse the transfer. Lol.

Should get the check in 1-2 weeks, I'll let you know when I get the check.

My money is free at least, free at least....so far.

In my experience, Paypal only takes 3 business days to get you the check. It always says 1-2 weeks, but I've never had it take longer than 3-4 business days.

[Rick]

Same here, I requested a check from another account a couple months back & it only took about 5 days or so.

Hopefully it comes soon. Lol

[benshobbies]

More grown people arguing about fees. Seriously, doesn't anyone believe in "You pay to play the game" anymore? Seriously if you bilk the system, the system is going to bilk you. There is no such thing as a free lunch. If you can't afford to pay the fees, than you shouldn't be using their service. Why whine about it? Its like people arguing when the price of a double cheeseburger went above S1.00.


GET ON WITH IT!!!!!

[cruiserdaddy7]

6 months later someone chimes in... I just have never seen 3% as a huge issue on the average transaction. People on here want a gift payment for a $15 card. I mean, the fees are $1 at most. Who cares.

[NWOWOLFPACK]

crazy stuff.

[HadWayTooMuch]

The problem isn't necessarily paypal and their 3%.

Ebay $50 per month just to have the store
It's ebay's 5 cents per month per listing (store)
11% of the sale price (store)
taking a percentage of the shipping charge
3% paypal + 30 cents (can be a killer on a $5 or less item)
shipping charges going up what seems like all the time
supplies

Customers complaining that shipping charges are too high. How does someone sell a $2 item on ebay and charge exact shipping? Why bother?

[DaveTaplin]

I talked to Paypal today to make sure I wouldn't have a problem if I sent gift payments to my wife a couple times a week, this is what they said:

If both accounts are BUSINESS accounts then eventually the system will catch on and limit or shut down accounts. Businesses don't give other businesses money, so if it is happening too much they know it is just circumventing fees.

As long as one of the accounts is a personal account there will be no problems.

I imagine most of us have business paypal accounts even though we treat them more as personal ones. Any way you go, just don't do Business to Business gifts.

[reasonproducer]

you guys just need to have one paypal with micropayments for small orders and one account for sells over $12 that has regular fees. The micropayment fees are super low.

[paul06901]

The big issue for gift payments for me are to avoid being scammed internationally..and sometimes even domestically.

Even with insurance, DC and expedited S&H, a paypal payment can be easily reversed merely if the buyer states the package contained a different item than described!

HORRIBLE! and there is NO WAY AROUND THIS! I spoke with a Paypal rep for 2 hours and brought this up, he said they are working on it ... he has a Paypal/ebay account and he knows what it's like, its terrible what some people are doing with the leash, and ability to scam!