Complaint Review: PayPal Inc. - Select State/Province

I tried to access my PayPal account. The system would not recongize my password. I had written it down, so it was not a slip of memory. I tried several times.

I followed instructions to get a new password. I entered it. The system did not recognize it either. I tried several times with the new password.

The system asked me to enter security questions I could answer. I did. I tried again. This time it did not recognize my new password or my security question answers, which were obviously right answers because I wrote them. I tried again.

Finally, I tried to get help. It took a long time to find how to email PayPal. The address is buried somewhere on the site. I got back a robot response saying they would get back to me within 24 hours. They have never got back days later.

With effort, I found a telephone number, also buried deep on the site. It is not even a 1800- number, so the call cost me. It connected to an answering machine that took me ten minutes to somehow say the right words to get me an actual human operator. I explained all the above to her.

She directed me back to the site and walked me through entering yet another password. The system said it was "weak", even though I was following directions. She said to add a capital letter. I did. Same response, "weak." She said add two capital letters. I did. Same "weak" reply.

She said add some symbols, some letters and two capital letters. I did. Still "weak." In frustration, I typed randomly anything, without regard to capitalizations, numbers or symbols. The system said "strong." Of course, I did not know what I had typed and could not "confirm." But I tried another series of random keystrikes and the system again said "strong."

I said the system was obviously broken because, when I followed directions, it did not work, and when I did not follow any directions it did work, except I could not replicate and confirm. I said to fix the system so I can get into my account. She said I was "the only one having this problem." I hate being intimidated by being "the only one." I said fix the problem or I would air my experience across the World Wide Web. I asked to speak to someone in charge.

She would not connect me. Finally she gave me the "corporate office" number. When I asked who to talk to, she said "anyone". I knew that was absurd. She could not give me a name and I hung up.

I called the so-called "corporate office" and it was yet another answering machine with the same options I had got when I called the previous number. I went online and found a list of numbers (one of which I have given here), and several others. One was no longer in service, another was the "circular" answering machine, another had a personal answering machine and an Adam Brassch, Sr. Agent, answered. I left a message and have not been called back.

I wrote to a Mr. S. Thompson at [email protected] to complain but my email was returned undeliverable, address rejected.

I have cancelled my PayPal account as a result of this frustrating customer service. As a consequence, it is going to take me weeks to get paid for something I have sold somebody.

I want their system fixed and reliable customer service.