Problems with shipping on PayPal/Ebay - Anyone else know what's going on?

[Chernabog]

Hey kids -- I'm having this annoying experience having things on ebay shipped to my work address. It doesn't seem like it should be this big a hassle, but... well, I'll paste the email I just sent to paypal and see if anyone has feedback or has run into a similar situation. I gather lots of us Disney online people have used paypal before...

TO: [email protected]

Dear Paypal:

I just got off the telephone with one of your associates, Lara at extension 1889 in customer service. I am having a problem having my work address confirmed. While Lara was sympathetic to my problem, she could not override your abysmal policy on this matter.

Yesterday I ordered three items through ebay and paid through paypal. All three sellers contacted me and said that they could not ship to my work address since it was not "confirmed". I have had items purchased on ebay, paid on paypal, and shipped to my work address before, so I went to the paypal site to look into the matter. I wasn't aware if any policy had changed.

My home address is confirmed, but I would rather things shipped to my work address since there is always someone to sign for items at work, but not at home. I do not want items being left at my doorstep with nobody around.

I tried to confirm my work address through your Alternate Address Confirmation system, but the website said I was ineligible to confirm the address, so I called your telephone customer service.

Both the first person I spoke with and her supervisor Lara explained to me that the reason I was not qualified for the Alternate Address Confirmation system is because I had a Community Participation number of 7, which reflected purchases made within the last three months. (On ebay, my user reputation is 11. All of these transactions were paid through paypal.) Therefore, I had to purchase 10 items within a three month period in order to have things shipped to my work address, i.e. I now have to go purchase three MORE items on ebay before any of those seven transactions become over three months old.

So now I have three options:

1) Open a Paypal credit card and link it to my work address
2) Buy more stuff on ebay
3) Get my credit card bills sent to my work, where my company will open my personal credit card bills

Frankly, it makes me incredibly angry to think that I need to open new credit cards, buy new crap on ebay immediately, or divulge personal financial information to my boss simply in order to have items from ebay shipped to my work. I use ebay and paypal on a regular basis, but if I cannot get things shipped to my work address I no longer want to use your system. I don't know how many people have complained about this policy.

What have you changed in your policy to make sellers now DEMAND that they only shipped to paypal verified addresses? In any case, it is hurting both your sellers and your customers. The fact that I have now spent time typing this letter AND being on your customer service phone line for over 20 minutes to discuss this horrid policy is enough to sour me on using your service in the future.

Please tell me if anything can be done to confirm my work address -- which is all I really ask out of this whole mess, as I want things off of ebay shipped to my work address without this incredible hassle.

Thank you,

Does anyone know why this (having a "confirmed" address) has suddenly become a hassle with the ebay sellers?

(From their website, to have a "confirmed" address you must have a credit card bill sent to that address, open a paypal credit card, or have qualified for this "alternate confirmation" deal,
ONE of the many requirements being that you need to purchase 10 items within 3 months!)

Frankly, this seems like a scam to me, a way to get you to purchase things or open credit cards with them. Or a class action lawsuit waiting to happen...

I'll post their reply when I get one.

[upov]

I really feel for you as I hate PayPal in general. I think it's pretty lame of them to pull an extortion of sorts on you to have to get a new card at your business address just to deliver to you there.

I just recently opened a PayPal account again( after a war with them back when they first started) becuase I was thinking of parting out a bike of mine. I'm rethinking about dealing with them now, as I don't feel like having to deal with this BS if a buyer buys something from me via PayPal and I can't ship to wherever they want it sent.

I wish you luck, hope you're able to get some sort of resolution without having to cave in to their pressure of getting their card.

[justjohn]

I had changed my address to my work address, confirmed the work address and then changed it back. I haven't had any issues since.

[Hakuna Makarla]

Since there is so much theft its a good practice to have it this way. I have my home address confirmed, but I do email the partys privately and ask that my packages be sent to my moms. with my feedback rating of over 600 and perfect rating they never have a problem with this. I would say contact the sellers, ask that you have it shipped to work so its not left on the door and maybe stolen, most will do so for you.
Good luck

[barfownz]

PayPal is confusing and lame.

I closed my account not too long ago.

[justjohn]

They let you have an account at 16?

[barfownz]

They let you have an account at 16?

Sure!!!

I used it and bought many good items from eBay.

[Chernabog]

I had changed my address to my work address, confirmed the work address and then changed it back. I haven't had any issues since.

So maybe then that's the simple solution to this problem -- call my credit card company, change my address to my work address, confirm it via paypal, and then call them back and change it again to my regular address.

I just didnt wan't:

a) My boss to receive my credit card statement, or

b) Any problems with the automatic payments linked to my credit account since THOSE show my billing address as my home address.

ALSO... if I change my credit card address, then my work will then appear on my credit report, and that could come back to bite me in the arse someday. I'd rather not go there.

I would say contact the sellers, ask that you have it shipped to work so its not left on the door and maybe stolen, most will do so for you.

My feedback rating is only 11 -- I've asked the sellers and they are all INSISTING I need to do it to a confirmed address.

On the paypal site it says that the sellers lose some kind of paypal protections if they ship to an unconfirmed address. I'm wondering if this is a recent thing.... since I've never even heard of confirmed/unconfirmed addresses before, let alone had problems with this.

[justjohn]

My feedback rating is only 11 -- I've asked the sellers and they are all INSISTING I need to do it to a confirmed address.

On the paypal site it says that the sellers lose some kind of paypal protections if they ship to an unconfirmed address. I'm wondering if this is a recent thing.... since I've never even heard of confirmed/unconfirmed addresses before, let alone had problems with this.

the transaction is insured as long as it ships to a confirmed address. This has been around for awhile, I remember having problems a long time ago.

[Chernabog]

I'm rethinking about dealing with them now, as I don't feel like having to deal with this BS if a buyer buys something from me via PayPal and I can't ship to wherever they want it sent.

From my understanding you CAN send it wherever they want it sent, but if the address is unconfirmed you lose the "paypal protection", whatever the hell that is.

But yeah, dealing with them stinks, even though I have to say their customer service is a) very nice on the phone and b) completely useless.

[justjohn]

From my understanding you CAN send it wherever they want it sent, but if the address is unconfirmed you lose the "paypal protection", whatever the hell that is.

But yeah, dealing with them stinks, even though I have to say their customer service is a) very nice on the phone and b) completely useless.

Actually, they lose the protection too. that is why they won't ship it to an unconfirmed address.

[pveticket]

I just bought some stuff a few days ago on ebay, and didnt confirm anything, just typed in my address and it was sent

[justjohn]

not everybody requires a confirmed address. Usually when the item is of value, they will require it.

[idzy]

They won't ship it if you say its a gift address ? I have never had an issue shipping to another address.

[Chernabog]

They won't ship it if you say its a gift address ? I have never had an issue shipping to another address.

I suppose it's possible that I just got massively unlucky with these particular sellers, that their insistence is an abnormality. It just seemed odd that I used Paypal a lot in the past with no problems, and then three sellers in one day say "hey, we can't ship to your work."