Alternate Address

[JJoker]

Why is it so hard to verify an alternate shipping address?  I completed a request, Paypal sent me a letter with the confirmation number, but the instructions did not match what show on their website (one of their own links they said to go to came up as "out of date" on their website!).

I emailed customer support, and someone there sent me a nice reply, but again, where she tells me to go does not appear for me.  I am supposed to go to "Notifications" but that is nowhere on the main menu, and it's not under any of the tabs - ideas would be much appreciated.

I've told Paypal - and not too politely - that they need to make this process easier.  WAY too cumbersome.

[Tycho]

@Paypal_Adrian, thank you for your assistance up to this point.  What are our options as a community to get this issue escalated?

I've been trying to come up with some hypothetical explanations of why an alternate address mechanism would be broken for so long.  My theories break down into four categories.

1. Talent. If the developers originally maintaining the feature were no longer available, and it was difficult for other programmers to pick up where they left off due to poorly documented or designed code;

2. Funding. If there was insufficient budget for internal or contract developers to address the issue;

3. Security. If it was discovered that the mechanism could be circumvented or "gamed", and a replacement mechanism would take more time or resources than would outweight the risk of keeping the old system available;

4. Bureaucracy. If senior technical or management personnel were not aware of the problem, or the "red tape machine" within the organization delayed such awareness.

As more and more sellers refuse to ship to any address other than a confirmed one, this can only mean reduced revenue for PayPal, so there must be a business case for addressing the issue, which (along with the probable lucrative nature of PayPal's business model) rules out #2.  Paypal_Adrian would certainly have conveyed this issue as feasible, so that reduces the likelihood of #4. 

With no knowledge of PayPal internals and speaking only hypothetically using the facts at hand, either A) the bureaucracy within PayPal has not yet disgorged the problem; B) the original system was overly complex and poorly coded; or C) there is a design flaw that makes the current system impractical or unsafe.

If A), Paypal_Adrian and others should be blowing the internal whistle to get this escalated. If B), PayPal should be opening the contractor wallet to revamp the bad code.  If C), I urge PayPal to publicly disclose any security issue.

@Paypal_Adrian, how can we assist you in making the escalation case?  The sheer number of views of this thread (3453 at this writing) must be showing up on some internal dashboard by now.

[DaffodilDesigns]

The response I received from the Paypal email machine follows.  I've added a few comments in green.  Note that "Briana" introduces herself at the beginning of the letter, but it is signed by  "Jan."  Also note how nowhere in the letter is any concern expressed over my obvious frustration with the system, or that so many people are having problems with this issue.  I'm convinced that this is a canned response, kicked out by a computer searcing for key words in my original email.

**************

Thank you for contacting PayPal, my name is Briana and I am happy to
assist you today.

There are 3 ways to confirm your address:

   * Add a debit card or credit card to your PayPal account. This is
the fastest method.  [Helooooo, same billing address as the bank account Paypal already has on file for me!  Not the right one!]
   * Be approved for PayPal Smart Connect or the PayPal Extras
MasterCard®.   [Right, I should use even more of your products, because you've been so helpful with this one.]
   * Request a confirmation code by mail. You can request a
confirmation code after you have your PayPal account for 90 days.  [So, you missed the part of my letter where I told you this doesn't work?  Did a human read that at all?  I suspect not!]

Here’s how to add a debit or credit card to your PayPal account:

  1. Log in to your PayPal account.
  2. Click "Profile" near the top of the page.
  3. Click "My money."
  4. Click "Update" beside "Debit and credit cards."
  5. Click "Add a Card."
  6. Select the "Card Type" and enter the required information.
  7. Click "Add Card."

Here’s how to apply for PayPal Smart Connect or the PayPal Extras
MasterCard:

  1. Log in to your PayPal account.
  2. Click "Products and Services."
  3. Click "PayPal Extras MasterCard" under "Ways to pay."
  4. Click "Apply Now."
  5. Complete the application.
  6. Review the terms.
  7. Click "Agree and Continue" to submit your application.

Here’s how to request a confirmation code by mail:

  1. Login to your PayPal account.
  2. Click "Security and Protection" at the top of the page.
  3. Click "Explore Topics" under "I want to learn about security and
protection."
  4. Click "Seller Protection."
  5. Click "Address Confirmation."
  6. Under "How to Confirm a Buyer's Address," click "Alternate Address
Confirmation."
  7. Select the address you want to confirm and click "Confirm
Address," or "Add a New Address."
  8. Follow the instructions.

After you receive your confirmation code, follow these steps to confirm
your address:

  1. Log in to your PayPal account.
  2. Click "Confirm location" under "Notifications" on your Account
Overview.
  3. Enter your confirmation code and click "Submit."

Don't forget, we're always around if you need us. Just click "Help" in
the top right corner of any PayPal page to visit our improved Help
Center.

Sincerely,
Jan
PayPal Customer Solutions
PayPal, an eBay Company

[Terrymc]

This process is absurd.

I clicked on "help",(LOL), and entered "confirm address"

I followed the instructions up to the point where it says to click on the link for "alternate address", BUT THERE IS NO LINK ON THAT PAGE!!!.

WHY DON'T YOU PEOPLE GO THROUGH YOUR SITE AND TRY TO FOLLOW YOUR OWN INSTRUCTIONS?

YOU'LL FIND OUT THAT SOME OF THEM ARE DEAD ENDS FOR ANYONE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING ON YOUR SITE.

I just want to have my new P.O. box confirmed, like my home address and my UPS "will call" addresses are.

I can't beleive a multi-billion dollar company like this has their head so far "up there".

After clicking around for so long just to try to find an answer about how to complete what should be a simple process, I just don't give a crap any more, and am giving up.

Thanks a ;ot Paypal for your bone headed system and for wasting my time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

SUGGESTION: GROW A BRAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CLT101]

The link is outdated.  I need to verify my pysical address as well.

[Starzfl]

I put an alternate address on my account; however, when I paid for an item, Paypal did not give me an option to pick an address for shipping.  The seller I'm dealing with is great, but it looks as if my item is being shipped to my home.  If so, I will have to pay to ship it again as a gift.  Please make gift shipping easier.  I would rather buy from an online store have pay for shipping one time.

Thank you.

[nicolemayhem]

The same thing happened to me, kind of. 

I changed my address with pay pal weeks ago. My old (as in 5 years old) address is no longer listed on my account but I couldn't verify my address before submitting my payment and I just received an email from my seller that the package was shipped to the old address. How did they even get this address if it's no longer on my account?!

[acutchin]

Wow, I am completely flabbergasted at the deliberate and conniving deceptiveness of Paypal!  This task should be simple, but Paypal has hidden it completely.  To think that Paypal controls so much e-commerce and has such disdain for their customers.

I'll repeat what one user discovered above:

1) log into Paypal

2) go to this URL: https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/?cmd=_account-aac

This will bring to to a simple form where you can (for now) confirm any address in your address list.

No idea yet if it really works...

[DaffodilDesigns]

My issue is that my bank account is tied to my home address, (which shows both P.O. box and street address, to cover all bases), but I have a separate P.O. box for my business.  I don't want my home address shown on any information given to customers, and I can't confirm the business address because there is no street address for it.  What can I do?

[attex2]

There is no place on the system to enter the confirm code that you sent me for my alternate address. I have tryied every thing possible.

[pjmarkert]

https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/?cmd=_account-aac link worked for me, let's see if I get the letter in the mail !