So my 27 inch iMac dies (graphic chip gave up its ghost). The thing is like 7 years old and it's served its purpose. Anyway, I start the process of finding a replacement. I find a computer that I like on eBay that is just a little out of my price range. It has a best offer option and I start doing some digital haggling that would make Pawnstars proud. Finally, seller agrees to a price that I can manage and it's settled...or so I thought. I work in education and this week is my Spring Break. So my master plan is to get this computer purchased quickly so I can be up and running by the time vacation is over. I am on vacation with my family and I log in to make payment. Unknown to me, this trips some algorithm inside PayPal's security model and the problems begin. It starts with limiting my PayPal account. I've had my credit card company refuse payments before for security reasons, so I give them a call and they tell me everything is kosher on their end. I jump through the hoops that PayPal throughs my way to re-verfiy my account and they return my account to normal status. I attempt to make payments multiple ways. Credit card on eBay (which is still processed though PayPal), bank account on PayPal, credit card on PayPal. Each time the purchase is kicked back with an "Unable to process payment" message.
So, I figure the problem is with PayPal and I call and they tell me that everything is good on their end. They encourage me to talk to eBay and the original seller. I contact the original seller and tell them that I am having problems and they encourage me to talk to eBay...which I do. EBay tells me that my problem is definitely with PayPal. So, I do a little research and that's when I discover that it is probably a security issue with PayPal. I call up PayPal and spend 3 hours going in circles with them. They admit that their system is kicking out my purchase even though they have verified that it really is me. I ask to talk to a supervisor in hopes that by escalating the issue I can talk to someone with veto/override powers. The initial customer service agent was very hesitant to let me talk to a supervisor. He kept me on hold and kept coming back on the line and asking me to try something else (different browser, erasing cache/browsing history, standing on my head, etc.). Finally, he puts me back on hold to talk to a supervisor and 10 minutes later on hold I am hung up on. I call back and I get another customer service agent who tries to run me through the same problem-solving routine. I explain that I have already gone down this path and was waiting for a supervisor before the call was disconnected. Agent tells me that the supervisor cannot help me and suggests that I have the eBay seller send me an invoice directly to PayPal. I told them that I didn't think that was okay because that would be a transaction outside of eBay. Anyway, I finally get through to the supervisor and she runs me through everything again and even wants to verify my info again (which I explain I have already done, but would be more than happy to answer more questions). Finally, we get to the same conclusion...problem with security safeguards throwing up red flags and rejecting payment. I am hoping she can override. She tells me that she cannot. She tells me to have seller send invoice directly to PayPal because that will work.
So, I immediately call eBay because I think this is shady. Customer service agent at eBay says that sometimes people do this to get the payment through when PayPal is having trouble and seems to support me requesting this from the seller. I ask agent to email the seller and notify him of the problem prior to me contacting seller. EBay agent sends a msg that says :
Thanks for selling on eBay.
We were recently contacted by <removed> about an issue with item ********8482.
your buyer called in and was asking for assistance regarding paying for this item. They were getting an error message from paypal.
Please contact the buyer directly. We've also asked the buyer to contact you in order to work things out.
If the issue has already been resolved, please disregard this message.
This is a courtesy message to put you and the buyer in touch with one another to resolve an issue. Please don't reply to this message as it was sent from a mailbox that isn't monitored.
This msg isn't exactly what he and I discussed, but I put together a msg to send through eBay with my contact. Msg gets kicked back because I had my email in it. I called eBay back to ask them how I was supposed to get the seller my info if my email can't be included. The customer service agent reads me the riot act about violating eBay policies by trying make a sale outside of eBay. Anyway, I am glad that PayPal is working so hard to protect us from fraud. Too bad they are so reliant on their system that they can't allow an override here and there...
So I've emailed the seller, explained the situation to them. I am hoping that they don't think that they are being scammed.
Just wanted to tell you all about my experience.
