Request for Photo ID and proof of address

[RED666S]

I have been asked to provide photo ID and proof of address for my account restrictions to be lifted. However no-one at PayPal is prepared to answer my questions:

Why all of a sudden do you need this - you are not asking anyone else in my family?

My account is verified - does this mean nothing?

Can I hide my passport number when I send it over? If not why not?

Why can't I use my driving license as both - it fits the criteria for both!

Why can your call centre not answer the simple question of why you need this information*?

* called today and was rudely told to just send it as they need it and he cannot tell me why and if I dont send it I cant use PayPal.

If my bank asked for this information they would at least have the decency to tell me why.

[Talan2]

I contacted the Banking Ombudsman in Australia re the request to provide a scan of my passport, drivers licence and a utilities bill. They stated that this appears to be nothing more than an attempt by someone within Paypal to undertake ID theft. There is no regulation within Australia that requires PayPal to request Australian customers provide such documentation

[PaulSmith69]

@kernowlass

Dear Mr Troll, 

The comment about people knowing their job was about customer service and nothing to do with you, try reading properly.

And you knew it should be 48 hours all along then? yet you said days or weeks! Not very helpful info and in fact misleading, as this his a help forum I suggest if you have nothing helpful to say then you should say nothing.

Your comments were not helpful and were in fact misleading. Hence why I responded the way I did.

[kernowlass]

@PaulSmith69

Paypal states a lot of things are about 48 hours, in reality it can be days to weeks so once again as you have problems reading NO ONE ON HERE CAN TELL YOU HOW LONG THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE.

So you are correct on this occasion I could not be helpful as I stated '' no one here can know so phone them for an update''.

So glad you took my advise and got it sorted. 

[Talan2]

It's an attempt at ID theft by someone within Paypal. Australian Banking Ombudsman states do not provide PayPal with this sort of documentation

[Talan2]

If you don't live in the US and Paypal limit your account and demand you provide scans of your passport etc just go to your Banking Ombudsman and open a case against PayPal.

What PayPal are doing is illegal outside of the US and probably illegal within the US as well

[MattBoothDev]

I've just had this. I already had a verified account.

I've sent a bank statement over with my address but I'm not sending photo ID. I didn't need that information to create a PayPal Credit account and I've maintained that properly since getting it, so I don't see the reason for them to stop my PayPal account without photo ID. It's ismply not happening.

If the restriction isn't lifted, it's really no skin off my nose and my PayPal Credit balance will remain unpaid. I'll contact the financial ombusmen and inform them of the dispute and PayPal Credit will need to freeze my account and stop interest until it's resolved. I'm not one to shirk from debts, but if the company I'm indebted to wants to try and bully me for personal information I can happily use ym consumer rights to put them to right.