Unhitch from Paypal - DPChallenge Forums

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

09/23/2005 11:32:51 AM · #1

I know this is really more of a rant, and if it gets moved to that area, I won't be offended, but I felt it has to be said... again. Improve the website, find another way than Paypal. This is definite bias towards people actually living in America and possibly Canada.

I noticed today that there was an option to pay directly via credit card to join.

A quick look at my profile will show that I have been an unpaid member for around a year. This is not by choice.

Paypal has treated me with insolence and has proven to be a useless tool much as a 5 week old salmon left on the porch is useless as a hammer.

I check the payment options about every 3 months. I don't really remember if I walked down this path before or not.

Anyhow, I entered hte information about my credit card and personal information. I went to pay and BANG Paypal's dirty fingers reached out and touched me.

Paypal would not allow a transaction to go through on that credit card because it is registered to my paypal account. I don't really remember signing over all rights to my credit card usage to paypal. I feel like someone has just reached into my pants and given me a little squeeze just because he was an attending physician that once had a little look in when I was chatting with my doctor.

I was forced to log in to paypal to complete the transaction.

My problem with paypal is that I am a Canadian citizen who is resident in Taiwan. This calls up their automated fraud protection and this apparently cannot be overridden by human operators. I have already been through all the hoops with them 3 times and have given up all hope of EVER using paypal until I return to Canada (not in the forseeable future). This is in spite of the fact that the IP number that I use for internet purchases is the same now as it was when I created the account.

Therefore, I went in to my paypal account and tried to make the purchase with my credit card.

In spite of trying to make the payment via credit card (which is instantaneous), Paypal decides by itself to switch automatically to pulling it from my bank account which can take up to a week or more. I prefer to keep paypal's dirty little fingers out of my cookie jar.

I switched it back, knowing full well that there is no reason there would be any problem with a 30 canadian dollar transaction under these security VERIFIED circumstances.

Bottom line: Paypal reports: I'm sorry we're experiencing technical difficulties with this transaction.

PLEASE FIND ANOTHER WAY. The internet is global. The world (coincidentally enough) is global. Paypal is not.

See you in another 3 months or so.

alanfreed

Nikon Z9

09/23/2005 11:34:54 AM · #2

Not meaning to sound unsympathetic to your problems, but something tells me that the number of Canadians trying to register while living in Taiwan is probably a rather limited problem...

Message edited by author 2005-09-23 11:35:17.

rex

Canon PowerShot SD780

09/23/2005 11:39:35 AM · #3

You can mail a check or money order to DPC.....or just ask someone for a gift membership.

For me Paypal is instant when transferring from my bank account. Maybe you have to build up a certain credit with them. Either way it is good news for me...I know paypal is pretty secure now.

Art Roflmao

Canon EOS-6D Mark II

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

09/23/2005 11:41:03 AM · #4

Move to Iceland.

rex

Canon PowerShot SD780

09/23/2005 11:42:20 AM · #5

Originally posted by kpriest:

Move to Iceland.

Then you can start winning ribbons.

ElGordo

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS for Canon

09/23/2005 11:53:34 AM · #6

I use paypal frequently without problems, but I understand the frustrations. If an internet vendor has signed up to use paypal services and a client's credit card was at some time registered with paypal, then the vendor is obligated to pay the paypal service charges on the transaction. Does not matter if the client no longer uses paypal, that credit card number is cast in concrete at paypal. To avoid the problem, discontinue the offending credit card by paying off the balnce with a new card which will not be registered with paypal. Sounds convoluted, but that will work. I heard that there are pending lawsuits regarding this paypal policy.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

09/23/2005 12:18:51 PM · #7

Thanks for the info ElGordo.

New credit cards, checks and money orders are not really options right now (although I might be able to organize something through Canada Post on the internet, I will check into that).

I haven't been to Canada for about a year and I probably won't be back for either another 3 months or perhaps as much as a year.

Paypal's policies seem rather draconian and controlling to me. (can you tell I have cooled down a bit since posting? :) I just wish there was another way to do things simply.

I have never been able to make any transaction through paypal, from a few dollars to over 600 (all within my limits I might add), I have been denied and accused of fraud and had my account frozen.

It is probably notable that Ebay is almost a no-show in Asia. It is seriously dwarfed by Yahoo classifieds. I've seen a few attempts at advertising ebay, but with reliance on a system that is heavily biased towards convenience to American residents, I can't see them gaining much ground. I've not met any Taiwanese that use Ebay. Most people use Yahoo regularly though.

This is why I feel that (in accordance with other posters from other threads I don't feel like searching for and linking to right at this moment) Paypal constitutes a serious bias away from the international crowd.

As of right now, I appear to be the only user in Taiwan.

HBunch

HP PhotoSmart 315

09/23/2005 12:19:22 PM · #8

Or you could join the CC. I'll be giving away a FREE DPC Membership for my birthday in November.

Mick

Canon EOS-5D

09/23/2005 12:31:04 PM · #9

I'm with Keiran on this. I detest paypal. The only thing that I've ever used it for is paying for my DPC account, and that only because it was the only way to do it online. I buy lots of products on the internet all of the time, and if I'm shopping on a web site and the only payment option in paypal, then I go elsewhere.

Would it really be that difficult to allow people to pay for DPC membership with credit cards?

joezl

Nikon D200

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED

09/23/2005 12:34:56 PM · #10

Originally posted by alansfreed:

Not meaning to sound unsympathetic to your problems, but something tells me that the number of Canadians trying to register while living in Taiwan is probably a rather limited problem...

Probably true but PayPal problems are rather more widespread and don;t just affect Canadians living in Taiwan. PayPal has very limited country coverage.

EddyG

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

09/23/2005 12:37:01 PM · #11

Originally posted by micknewton:

Would it really be that difficult to allow people to pay for DPC membership with credit cards?

I'm pretty sure you can pay for your membership with a credit card. It's just that DPC has chosen PayPal as their "merchant account" processor, as opposed to say Wells Fargo Merchant Services...

As for PayPal detecting that the CC number is already registered... the easy way around that is to use a CC that allows you to generate "virtual" CC numbers on the fly. I do this all the time with my CitiCard CC. You can specify your own charge limit and expiration date for each virtual card, and once you use it, that CC number is locked to that single merchant.

Message edited by author 2005-09-23 12:46:43.

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

09/23/2005 01:30:05 PM · #12

Thanks EddyG. You are correct that paying for membership is possible through credit card. If that credit card (I hate credit cards and only have one for emergencies) is linked to Paypal, you must pay through PayPal. This is virtually impossible if you aren't resident in your home country and even worse if you aren't american I understand. (Canada isn't America yet I don't think)

I am not a citibank member. I am not even sure they have one in Canada. I come from Victoria and didn't even get to Vancouver very much. There is probably one there.

There is a citibank here in Taiwan, but I understand that they are not actually affiliated with Citibank of america. I would seriously doubt that the Citibank CC (which is a brilliant idea) has any similar thing here in Taiwan. My bank is the Canadian International Bank of Commerce. It is one of the largest banks in Canada. I will check on this later.

To be honest, I was burned out from wrangling with Paypal for 3 months and all I ever managed to do was move eight hundred bucks from my bank account to my virtual account and back again. This is largely why I rather closed-mindedly feel it is better to spend time ranting than trying to find alternative methods.

End result - I stay an unpaid member for another 3 months. I don't mind as I use the challenges to stimulate my shooting and often shoot stuff after the challenges are over as learning projects. I only wanted to become a member to do my part and support the site.

On the other hand, I'd be interested in a free membership, but that would be almost defeating the point because this would be taking something I don't really need and giving something (my words, thoughts and opinions) that others don't really need. Or really don't need, depending on your point of view.

The primary benefit to me would be being able to post some shots to my portfolio and not have to have my credibility shamed by my terrible solitary challenge shot.

I may be working on that tomorrow for the beverages challenge :)

Sonifo

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

09/23/2005 01:40:09 PM · #13

"Paypal would not allow a transaction to go through on that credit card because it is registered to my paypal account. I don't really remember signing over all rights to my credit card usage to paypal. I feel like someone has just reached into my pants and given me a little squeeze just because he was an attending physician that once had a little look in when I was chatting with my doctor."

I use my credit card elsewhere on line and also have it registered at paypal..Not sure why they would do that..I think it has more to do with your credit limit or lack of..you many want to check on that.

Message edited by author 2005-09-23 13:40:49.

EddyG

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

09/23/2005 01:43:53 PM · #14

What Keiran was saying is that if you go to some site that use PayPal as their merchant account to process credit card transacations online, and you enter a credit card number that is associated with a PayPal account, PayPal forces you to login to your PayPal account to complete the transaction -- you can't just enter your CC number and expiration date and proceed like normal.

DrAchoo

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

09/23/2005 01:43:54 PM · #15

I hear you about PayPal. I don't like anything that invades the way you do things. I refuse to use RealPlayer because it's a many-tentacled monster which practically takes over your computer when you install it.

OTOH, I don't really see why getting a money order for twenty-five dollars at your local bank or grocery store and mailing it is a problem. You've waited this long to become a member, so what is another 2-3 weeks if it actually takes that long to mail it via snail mail?

The only thing I can think of is that the $25 bucks is not available, and in that case I wouldn't recommend becoming a member.

coolhar

Canon PowerShot Pro 90 IS

09/23/2005 02:41:20 PM · #16

Originally posted by Sonifo:

Don't think it is a credit limit problem. It has more to do with PayPal collecting a fee for the transaction; and with PayPal collecting information about your, and your vendor's, transactions that they can sell.

Just in case anyone doesn't know it already, PayPal is owned by Ebay. And one of the reasons that PayPal is not available in many countries is that most countries have stricter consumer protection and privacy laws than the USA where such laws are particularly lax.

Neuferland

Google Pixel 2

09/23/2005 02:49:29 PM · #17

Originally posted by eschelar:

Paypal's policies seem rather draconian and controlling to me. (can you tell I have cooled down a bit since posting? :) I just wish there was another way to do things simply.

I have never been able to make any transaction through paypal, from a few dollars to over 600 (all within my limits I might add), I have been denied and accused of fraud and had my account frozen.

I've been using Paypal for 7 years, never a hitch, your posts make me wonder, when is the last time you checked your credit report? Someone else might be out there causing problems and you don't even know it.

Deannda