PayPal demanding photo ID and proof of residency etc

[StanleyB]

The thing to take note of that any genuine Paypal email sent to you requesting information etc. is also posted by Paypal in the action to be taken section of your Paypal account. If there is no message in there then be cautious. Double check with Paypal in that case by giving them a call at the number listed in your account. And never double click on the link in a supposed Paypal email.
You are more than likely to get asked for ID registration etc if you are a big spender and buy expensive things from far away places. You can also get asked for an ID check if you use a IP address blocker or a redirecting server to log into Paypal. So if you use the TOR network you are going to get some ID requests from Paypal.

All the above info is from personal experience.

[nat8808]

PayPal do get worse and worse. I think it's because they are getting scammed with fraudulent chargebacks and simply don't want to pay for proper investigation so would rather squeeze out customers in other automated ways instead. Have any kind of small problem with Paypal and you're out on your ear and they keep your money for 6 months without justification or even help from FSA (who pretty much refuse to do anything). Been there, done that!

PayPal have a flag system where a long list of activities will flag your account, waiting for an excuse to freeze it. Things like frequent access from different IP addresses (like people DO, at work etc), frequent access from different PCs without consistent cookies for that user (like you would if you used internet cafes, hotdesk at work or clear out cookies often), multiple account access from the same IP or with the same cookies on your computer (like people DO with families using the same PC), infrequent use (when it does then get used they protect themselves from account hijacking by scrutinising the real owner..) all sorts of normal activity they flag up as suspicious use.

Sometimes it's just risk managment and you hear stories of sellers doing really well selling loads of stuff and then suddenly PayPal freezes their account and ruins their business "just in case" , PayPal figure the newly popular business could go wrong at any point soon and the fast sales land them with problems and chargebacks. Not worth their risk so they shut the seller down ... and for ever!

Anyway. I don't have a PayPal acount any more but I still buy on ebay using PayPal... If you set up a new ebay account on a new email address, you can pay as guest as you click through to the checkout (is at the bottom of the PayPal payment page). Then PayPal just act as a card processor associated with that email address ID. If you need to lodge a case you can do it by phone instead of logging in to an account. There are some spending limits before they insist you open a PayPal account I think so at some point you might have to open a new ebay account and start again.. Still, I like to pick things up in person where I can and many people are ok with bank transfers if you ask (and you trust them).

[worrasf]

So chaps just to show you what's going on and that this is not a scam take a look at the photos.
I always only login from the web page and never open emails purported to come from PayPal.

This is the info demanded when I login. Looking through Google it seems this is very very common now. From what others on this thread have posted I can only assume it needs a "trigger" for PayPal to auto activate this on an individuals account - mine might have been that I recently sold a car (my wife's) on eBay.

Anyway, it is genuine but as others have posted I am damned if I am going to give them this detailed information.

[Kember]

So chaps just to show you what's going on and that this is not a scam take a look at the photos.
I always only login from the web page and never open emails purported to come from PayPal.

This is the info demanded when I login. Looking through Google it seems this is very very common now. From what others on this thread have posted I can only assume it needs a "trigger" for PayPal to auto activate this on an individuals account - mine might have been that I recently sold a car (my wife's) on eBay.

Anyway, it is genuine but as others have posted I am damned if I am going to give them this detailed information.

Stephen,

So if you refuse to comply, they are saying that they will refuse to close your account and give you your money? That is theft - taking ..with the intention permanently to deprive etc. The moral for the rest of us is to keep our credit balances as low as possible, I think.

Perhaps you should threaten them with the police and insist on the police recording your complaint. The police will undoubtedly try to fob you off by claiming it is a civil matter but if you stand your ground they have to take a record of your complaint and do something about it, even if it is to tell you that they don't have the resources to investigate.

Best

P

[The Grand Wazoo]

Sorry, Peter but I think you are mistaken - this can't be described as theft.
I think you'll probably find that Stephen has signed an agreement with Paypal which allows them to do this. They will argue that they are working in the interests of the security of Stephen and his money, by ensuring that they are dealing with who he says he is when he asks for it.

I don't suppose many of us like it, but I suspect that they are within their rights.

[Kember]

Sorry, Peter but I think you are mistaken - this can't be described as theft.
I think you'll probably find that Stephen has signed an agreement with Paypal which allows them to do this. They will argue that they are working in the interests of the security of Stephen and his money, by ensuring that they are dealing with who he says he is when he asks for it.

I don't suppose many of us like it, but I suspect that they are within their rights.

Chris,

With respect, if they were saying he could not continue to operate the account, I'd agree with you.

But if they will not let him close the account and get his property back, unless he provides additional information, that is completely different. They can decide to do no more business with him but they cannot keep his property.

Peter

[The Grand Wazoo]

But if they gave a large sum of money to someone who was claiming to be Stephen, he'd be rightfully pissed off, wouldn't he?

[Kember]

But if they gave a large sum of money to someone who was claiming to be Stephen, he'd be rightfully pissed off, wouldn't he?

Chris,

Not really. Any balance would be reimbursed to the linked bank account or credit card, which they have been happily interacting with hitherto. Looking at the permissions page Stephen put up, Stephen (or any impersonator with the right information) can still get his cash out anyway by sending a payment for the balance to another recipient. There is no additional protection for Stephen or PayPal by stopping him from closing his account. It is just heavy handed compliance practice and typical eBay/PayPal f@ck you attitude to their customers.

P

P

[Kember]

Stephen

You might also try this:

http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-righ...contract-terms

Best

P

[walpurgis]

This may not be directly related to the situation, but I recently had an email purporting to be from PayPal, asking me to confirm a payment by responding with various details. It all looked authentic, but I smelled a rat and forwarded the message to the PayPal protection unit, who confirmed that it was a fraudulent 'phishing' attempt!