Ramblings of an old Doc

 

 

So, PayPal and eBay are calling it quits on July first. Romance on the rocks.

Preview of PayPal’s new privacy policy:

“Amendments to the PayPal User Agreement, the PayPal Privacy Policy and the PayPal Acceptable Use Policy

Effective Date: July 1, 2015

PayPal is changing its User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Acceptable Use Policy.  The amended User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Acceptable Use Policy will be effective as to all PayPal users on July 1, 2015.  We encourage you to review this Policy Update to familiarize yourself with the changes that are being made. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THE AMENDED USER AGREEMENT, PRIVACY POLICY OR ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY, YOU MAY CLOSE YOUR ACCOUNT BEFORE JULY 1, 2015 AND YOU WILL NOT BE BOUND BY THE AMENDED TERMS.

1.10 Calls to You; Mobile Telephone Numbers. You consent to receive autodialed or prerecorded calls and text messages from PayPal at any telephone number that you have provided us or that we have otherwise obtained.  We may place such calls or texts to (i) notify you regarding your account; (ii) troubleshoot problems with your account (iii) resolve a dispute; (iv) collect a debt; (v) poll your opinions through surveys or questionnaires, (vii) contact you with offers and promotions; or (viii) as otherwise necessary to service your account or enforce this User Agreement, our policies, applicable law, or any other agreement we may have with you….” - https://archive.is/n53p1

You’d do well to read it through.

PayPal thinks it’s worth robocalls and spam on my phone? Seriously?

Buh-bye PayPal. They forget that competition will appear which will capitalize on that stupidity.

 

Sources:

http://www.ghacks.net/2015/06/03/paypal-accept-robocalls-and-automated-texts-or-close-your-account/?_m=3n%2e0038%2e1628%2ehj0ao01hy5%2e1ouh

https://archive.is/n53p1


Comments (Page 1)
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on Jun 07, 2015

You do not need a phone number to do business through PayPal. I have one but it is an old unused number and have never been asked to provide a working number. So I assume that if people do away with their PayPal account it is because of principle and not because they will be doing robocalls or text. There are so many ways around this (adding the number to spam numbers, blocking, giving a fake number or even a number at all. My old number on file was never even confirmed) for me to want to give up my account. If I did not need PayPal it would be one thing but I do a lot of online shopping. Some sites there are other options to pay but with Ebay its not that easy unless you can work something out with the seller. Do away with your account if you feel the need but I don't feel the need yet. Do I like the new Policy? no, but there are a lot of things I do not like about many companies, sites and even people but I make it work and still interact with them because sometimes there is no other choice.

Now let the ....... replies begin.

 

on Jun 07, 2015

JC...supplying a phony phone (oh well, sorry for that) is a violation of their TOU...and they'll kill your account. Hasn't happened up 'til now because they never had the need to contact you...but now, count on it.

on Jun 07, 2015

DrJBHL

JC...supplying a phony phone (oh well, sorry for that) is a violation of their TOU...and they'll kill your account. Hasn't happened up 'til now because they never had the need to contact you...but now, count on it.

They won't be contacting me because I did not supply a phony number. If you read again what I wrote I said it was an old number or to be more specific a sim card I no longer use. As to providing a phony number it may be a violation but were are the examples of anything being done about it. Besides that was only one option that I listed and there are many others for the ethically or morally conscious. I will deal with it if they out right tell me that I need to provide a working number and I am willing to bet that they won't.

Lets be clear on one thing, there is a difference between members and non members. "When a non-paypal member wishes to make a purchase they are presented with mandatory fields to enter their telephone number. For paypal members this option may be turned off (indeed there is a warning that turning it on may have a negative effect on conversion to sale - ie people don't always want to give their number.)

on Jun 07, 2015

Right...the intent is clear, however.

If you call them at any time from your phone (mobile), they'll have that number (it says in their Agreement they can do that), also, they can share that number with their affiliates and you'll be getting their numbers, too.

In fact, they might just make you update your account on July 1st...then where will you be? 

on Jun 07, 2015

DrJBHL

Right...the intent is clear, however.

If you call them at any time from your phone (mobile), they'll have that number (it says in their Agreement they can do that), also, they can share that number with their affiliates and you'll be getting their numbers, too.

In fact, they might just make you update your account on July 1st...then where will you be? 

 

Look I know you will talk about intent again with this response but if it concerns you that much here is what you do. Go buy yourself a cheap pay as you go phone or purchase a new sim card and designate these as your PayPal only phones. use them to call PayPal or to receive text or calls from PayPal. Yes they are still making contact with you but they are doing so on a phone that is not your daily user. I would have no problem doing this with a clear conscience and it would be worth it to me because of the amount of PayPal transactions that I do.

I guess time will tell what approach I will need to take.

on Jun 07, 2015

I've been using Paypal for years, and will continue to do so. This is a total non-issue for me. Even if I did suddenly get flooded with robo calls (I won't, by the way, because it makes no sense) I would just use one of the many call blocking apps to weed out the advertisers.

on Jun 07, 2015

Consider Square Cash as an alternative, for person-to-person payments, anyway.  Haven't looked at their TOU but I don't receive calls from them.  We use PayPal for a fair number of online purchases as a convenience, but it's hardly necessary and certainly not worth intrusive marketing harassment.  If it happens, I'll close the account for them.

on Jun 07, 2015

^ That. 

on Jun 07, 2015

This is the sort of thing that I don't care about being in a ToC. When they start doing it, I'll react. Until then it's not important to me.

on Jun 07, 2015

Daiwa

Consider Square Cash as an alternative, for person-to-person payments, anyway.  Haven't looked at their TOU but I don't receive calls from them.  We use PayPal for a fair number of online purchases as a convenience, but it's hardly necessary and certainly not worth intrusive marketing harassment.  If it happens, I'll close the account for them.

It is necessary for some people if they want to shop online who have no credit cards. In those cases PayPal uses your bank account. So your choice is to not shop online and try to buy your purchase locally or keep using PayPal. I like the ability to shop online because there are things I can buy that I cannot buy locally. I will continue to use PayPal for its convenience not to mention the quite good protection if a transaction goes bad. I really do not see a problem after June 30th but feel free to tell me I told you so if there is, I know some will.   

on Jun 07, 2015

Square Cash currently links only to a debit card, not directly to your bank account the way PayPal can.  So, yes, that's currently PayPal's leverage/advantage.  Pushback to the TOU changes may change that, however, and encourage Square (&/or others) to expand into the online payment processing market.

on Jun 07, 2015

JuniorCrooks

You do not need a phone number to do business through PayPal. I have one but it is an old unused number and have never been asked to provide a working number. So I assume that if people do away with their PayPal account it is because of principle and not because they will be doing robocalls or text. There are so many ways around this (adding the number to spam numbers, blocking, giving a fake number or even a number at all. My old number on file was never even confirmed) for me to want to give up my account. If I did not need PayPal it would be one thing but I do a lot of online shopping. Some sites there are other options to pay but with Ebay its not that easy unless you can work something out with the seller. Do away with your account if you feel the need but I don't feel the need yet. Do I like the new Policy? no, but there are a lot of things I do not like about many companies, sites and even people but I make it work and still interact with them because sometimes there is no other choice.

Now let the ....... replies begin.

 

 

also note that they may (will) use phone numbers they obtain by other means.... and our data is very easy to get by web sleuths... so don't count on 'hiding' your 'other' phone number.... paypal is hungry!  and copying the Google approach...

on Jun 07, 2015

ElanaAhova

also note that they may (will) use phone numbers they obtain by other means.... and our data is very easy to get by web sleuths... so don't count on 'hiding' your 'other' phone number.... paypal is hungry! and copying the Google approach...

I doubt very much that will happen seeing how the number they have on file will be the number that they will use to contact you. If I have a dedicated paypal number (which may sound silly to some) that will be the number they use to make contact, not the number they don't have on file. Like NGC7000 says this is a non issue for me because there are many options. I also do not believe that they will be flooding anyone's phone with text or calls, more likely only if there is a problem with your account such as not enough funds in your account and so on.

on Jun 08, 2015

I had trouble with PayPal some years ago when Microsoft closed the linked email address due to it being hacked and used for nefarious purposes.  When I next tried to use Paypal for a transaction it was blocked.  The reason given was that I no longer had a viable email addrees.  However, every time I tried to edit my account with a new email addy it wouldn't take because I already had another registered.  I tried several times without success to edit the account, and no amount of contacting them resolved it... so my final email to them said: "Shove yer fechen PayPal up yer fechen arse.

Now, whenever they send emails for me to sign up/rejoin, I just delete them.  Given how much bad shit I've read/heard about Paypal, and the bullshit they put me through,  I point blank refuse to ever use them again.

on Jun 08, 2015

I actually have a question regarding the above...

 

I've also noticed that ebay is also changing its TOS in the same way:

 

 

Authorization to contact you and record calls: We simplified and clarified the language for: (1) consent for eBay to contact you with auto-dialed or pre-recorded calls or by SMS; (2) eBay sharing phone numbers with our authorized service providers; and (3) for eBay recording/monitoring calls.

 

Authorization to Contact You; Recording Calls

You consent to receive autodialed or prerecorded calls and text messages from eBay at any telephone number that you have provided us or that we have otherwise obtained. We may place such calls and texts to: (i) notify you regarding your account; (ii) troubleshoot problems with your account; (iii) resolve a dispute; (iv) collect a debt; (v) poll your opinions through surveys or questionnaires; (vii) contact you with offers and promotions; or (vi) as otherwise necessary to service your account or enforce this User Agreement, our policies, applicable law, or any other agreement we may have with you. Standard telephone minute and text charges may apply.

eBay may share your telephone numbers with our service providers (such as PayPal, billing or collections companies) who we have contracted with to assist us in pursuing our rights or performing our obligations under this User Agreement, our policies, applicable law, or any other agreement we may have with you. You agree these service providers may also contact you using autodialed or prerecorded calls and text messages, only as authorized by us to carry out the purposes we have identified above, and not for their own purposes.

eBaymay, without further notice or warning and in its discretion, monitor or record telephone conversations you or anyone acting on your behalf has with eBay or its agents for quality control and training purposes or for its own protection.

 

Oh, and there's this:

 

 

While the PayPal corporate structure is new — this summer, it will be permanently separated from eBay, which acquired the payments giant in 2002 — the robocalling language is not really new. It is derived from eBay’s terms of service, which back in 2012 added the right to contact consumers “at any telephone number … you provide to us or from which you place a call to us, or any telephone number at which we reasonably believe we may reach you,

http://blog.credit.com/2015/06/paypal-draws-consumer-ire-over-robo-texting-rights-117695/

So everyone's cancelling their paypal accounts, but not their ebay accounts?

 

 

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