Paypal

[chinatyke]

In the past I've tried to send you a donation. I've given up due to problems with Paypal. But today I have lots of time and got around to doing this again. Well, sorry, you have missed out on the lucre once again. I HAVE GIVEN UP IN SHEER FRUSTRATION AT PAYPAL. Is there any other way without using Paypal?

Here is the problem. Donations to this site are made via Paypal. I have a Paypal account but rarely use it, the last time was 6 years ago. It was always very easy to use but not now. My Paypal billing address is an accommodation address, my brother's address in Kent. My visa cards drawn on UK bank accounts have my home address in China (Is that breaking banking codes?). Paypal UK will not allow me to change my address to a Chinese address and they will not allow my debit cards to be accepted because the addresses don't match up. Can I change the details that Paypal hold? NO. Frustrated? Very much so. OGFB - misses out again. I've spent the last hour trying.

I pay bills all over the World from here, it is simple and instant. Why does OGFB involve Paypal to receive a trifling sum?

[Stanley]

Because, if like me you have an old redundant Paypal account you can bypass it by simply taking the guest donation route. Secret is not to try to use your existing account, donate anonymously as a guest. It's what I do and it works perfectly.

[chinatyke]

Thanks. Isn't it easy when you know how? But I wonder how many others have given up in despair? If you make it hard people won't give.

Now we get the second crunch, Paypal says transaction complete and gave me a reference number, but OGFB says "transaction cancelled" - ungrateful lot!

I am in such a benevolent mood because of some good fortune, which has fallen upon me. This morning I received an e-mail informing me that I had won 3rd prize in a Microsoft Random Draw. The prize was £850,000 and – wait for it – a brand new lap top computer. I couldn’t believe it, £850K was OK but a laptop as well? As I don’t need the money I decided to be magnanimous and pass on this part of the prize to you. I will be keeping the laptop. I can only say that Bill Gates couldn’t get a more deserving winner. Perhaps he has heard of my philanthropy, giving money to the poor ladies of Nanning. These ladies don’t even have clothes, yet still manage to smile as they work long hours into the night. It's a joy to watch their faces light up, they are so grateful.

[Pluggy]

Since I just received Chinatykes donation, I've removed what I posted earlier.

Thankyou Chinatyke. It will help pay the the professional for the repair/changes to the site.

THeres more details for you in your email.

Thanks

Stephen T

[Stanley]

China, don't stop sending the begging letters out.....

[Tizer]

We have never taken out a Paypal account, we wouldn't trust them an inch after the problems we've seen them create for other people. Mrs Tiz has paid our donations to OGFB a different way. I think it was direct to Doc and then might have been direct to Pluggy - he would know, Mrs Tiz isn't here for me to ask at the moment.

[plaques]

Chinatyke. Clearly you’ve fallen foul of the dreaded quantum mechanics. The odds of winning that amount of money are billions to one. Now that you have won once there will be a whole raft of “winnings” in its wake. This effect is interaction at a distance where photons and particles know where to before they set off. The best known example is clearly evident in ERNIE where once you win you’re on a roll while other poor suckers never get a bean.
So once under the quantum spotlight you’re doomed to the Midas touch so give it all away as quickly as possible.

PS my PayPal account is Pqs @OGFB.

[Pluggy]

We have never taken out a Paypal account, we wouldn't trust them an inch after the problems we've seen them create for other people. Mrs Tiz has paid our donations to OGFB a different way. I think it was direct to Doc and then might have been direct to Pluggy - he would know, Mrs Tiz isn't here for me to ask at the moment.

I got donations from Mrs Tiz via paypal. It isn't clear whether it was direct from a Paypal account or via a credit/debit card. But it arrived here as Paypal. In fact, since I took over I haven't had donations other than by Paypal.

[chinatyke]

In all honesty, I think the problem lies with me and not Paypal. My computer IP shows I live in China and this probably sets up warning signals as I was trying to use a debit card attached to a UK bank account. It was my IP address that was responsible for my Lottery account being suspended, which was a good job because if I had won I would have been ineligible to receive a prize.

Sorry Plaques, I've come to my senses and decided to hang on to the £850K for now.

[Stanley]

In the early days some money was sent by post, either to Doc or me.

[Tizer]

We have never taken out a Paypal account, we wouldn't trust them an inch after the problems we've seen them create for other people. Mrs Tiz has paid our donations to OGFB a different way. I think it was direct to Doc and then might have been direct to Pluggy - he would know, Mrs Tiz isn't here for me to ask at the moment.

I got donations from Mrs Tiz via paypal. It isn't clear whether it was direct from a Paypal account or via a credit/debit card. But it arrived here as Paypal. In fact, since I took over I haven't had donations other than by Paypal.

Thanks Pluggy, that's what Mrs Tiz confirmed when I asked (and she said I should have known!). She paid in the usual way by a credit card but it goes into OG's Paypal account.

My antipathy to Paypal goes back to when I first joined Ebay many years ago (Ebay and Paypal were one company, probably still are). In the first week I spent about £10 buying a few collectable stamps from a couple of buyers. By the end of the week Ebay had labelled me a fraudster and suspended my account. They told the sellers that they'd stopped me due to fraud too. When you're account is suspended it's Catch 22 because you can't access your account to find out what's going on or write to the sellers you've communicated with. It was also difficult to contact Ebay and I ended up having to fax them at their office in Dublin. Eventually they started the account but then immediately repeated the same thing. I almost gave up but, being bloody-minded, I persisted and after a lot of `proving my identity' they opened the account again. I never did get an explanation or an apology. But you can see why I would never trust Paypal enough to set up an account - I heard some very bad stories about the company at the time I was trying to sort out the fraud allegation.

[hartley353]

Most days I probably do a minimum of 6 Paypal transactions, most of the companies I deal with are turning to paypal, and for me it is the easiest form of cash transfer. My total of transactions must be in the thousands by now and only one has ever failed, and was probably my fault that I submitted twice and a double payment went through. The remedy was very easy and sorted out quickly.

[chinatyke]

Yes, I'm sure I berated Paypal unfairly and I apologise to them. I was angry at wasting one hour chasing myself in circles. Paypal did e-mail me to say the payment had been refused, and then again to ask if I wanted to add a bank account, so the problem must have been flagged up at their end. It demonstrates the level of security they have to prevent fraudulent payments, so I was wrong to complain. The problem was down to them being unable to verify my billing address on the card I was using, which is different from my residential address. They later emailed me to say the payment had been made when I used Stanley's method in post number 2. So, full marks to them. I was having a grouchy day! (But then I AM old and allowed to be tetchy!)

[Stanley]

Of course you are and I had the same reaction when they cocked a payment of mine up a long time ago. I use the guest payment now.....

[hartley353]

As if the fates had stopped smiling on me, I donated a lottery win on wednesday to the fund today. message came back as transaction failed, but when I checked my account it showed the payment made, I hope it came through.