Sometimes there are nice auctions on e-bay and I wanted to be ready if there was something interesting that I wanted to buy. Because I know a payment via PayPal is very popular and I also knew it takes a few days to register, I created an account on PayPal to be ready (with no real intention to buy anything specific).
Once logged-in to PayPal account, I went to register my debit card. When entering my card details I was not warned at all about any fee. I thought my details would be just entered into the system and used only in case I wanted to buy something.
As soon as I entered my card details, I received the text message from my bank that I was charged 2 fees (1,50 EUR and 1 USD).
Only now it I was presented on the screen that I had been charged 1,50 EUR from my account. According to PayPal - just to verify if the card was really mine.information stated that I need to check some number on my bank statement and when I enter this number on the paypal website, I will be refunded this amount. I admit this fee is also mentioned in the user agreement (who reads this anyway?) but I would expect to be informed of any fees before actually making any transaction.
Ok. I wanted to find out the number in my bank statement. But there is none. I had to call my bank to acquire it, in a standard way I would not be able to get it.
Anyway, I entered this number and guess what? I was told this amount would be refunded within 24 - 48 hours. Strange when it comes to refund it takes ages but to charge it - it is done immediately. Nevertheless I waited. After few days I found out that they "refunded" my 1,50 EUR back but not to my bank account but to my "paypal account". Meaning if you won't use it you will never have it back. Moreover if you will not use PayPal service for 2 years (as I learnt later) you will loose even this virtual credit. Imagine thousands of people registering a few cards each - how much money they must make just on this fee?
What is even more interesting is the 1 USD fee for which I cannot find any explanation. My bank confirmed it was charged by PayPal together with 1,50 EUR fee. Nowhere in the user's agreement or anywhere else, I could not find anything about this fee. When I asked customer's service they deliberately ignored my question. They only stated that my 1,5 EUR fee was refunded and that is all. They did not even care it was not refunded to my bank account but useless paypal accound in the form of a virtual meaningless credit.
Conclusion: PayPal is stealing money from people, charging them fees they are not aware of, fooling them when saying they would refund but they will never really refund to your account anything.
If you ever use PayPal be aware that you may be charged anything without prior worning and you will never see your money back again.
Final addendum: by surfing on Internet, I discovered that many other people had the same or similar issue with PayPal. If I only knew that before. And from fools as I was this company lives of.
Martin
Este tajnejsie
Vietnam
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