PayPal, Inc. Stole $426.90 account balance San Jose California

Events:

1. We registered for a PayPal Business Account in late 2015 for our local and online businesses.

2. PayPal approved our application and assigned us an Account ID.

3. On 01/13/2016, we received our first online sale of $426.90.

4. PayPal notified us the same day by email that they had received payment in full, and that we should ship the order immediately.

5. However, when we attempted to access the funds we received via PayPal, we were notified of a 21 day hold on funds.

6. We therefore had to use a different account to pay for the order to be drop shipped directly to the customer.

7. We immediately added a UPS Tracking Number, for which status showed "Delivered" within in a few days.

8. Meanwhile, we had to open another account with Square Payment Services to keep our business going, since we obviously were not going to be able to rely on PayPal.

9. On 02/03/2016 (after 21 days), PayPal notified us that they needed additional information for our account before they could release our $426.90 balance.

10. We supplied that information, but were then asked for even more information.

11. After we supplied additional information, we received a message that our PayPal Account was "Limited", and they would contact us after 180 days with information on how we could recover our $426.90 in funds at that time.

13.  On 07/20/2016 (after 180 days), we heard nothing, and received no response when we contacted PayPal via their Website.

14. On 07/21/2016, after we filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), we suddenly received a response back from PayPal.

15. PayPal informed us that they were using our funds to pay the negative balance on someone else’s account.

16. We contacted PayPal and they said it may be a case of mistaken identity, so they forwarded us to their “Fraud” department (note that the department was called “Fraud” and not “Identity Verification” or “Identity Theft” suggesting that the result of these “investigations” may already pre-determined without any impartiality.)

17. PayPal then closed our account, so we have no way to contact them (customers must login to contact PayPal.)

18. PayPal Collections Department then emailed us a phone number to call, requesting we pay them even more money.

19. Meanwhile our Square Payment Account works perfectly, with all funds available within minutes.

20. PayPal’s reply back from the BBB was again to contact their Collections Department to send them even more money.