posted on July 12, 2001 09:11:45 AM
How to get screwed by PayPal in one easy step:
1. Use a proxy server.
PayPal's terms of use state:
"PayPal, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to restrict an account for... [the] use of an anonymizing proxy."
Many people, like myself, use a proxy server because we believe in a very simple concept called privacy. Just like the post office does not have the right to open your mail (well, in most cases anyway)... so long as I am obeying the law, my ISP has no right to see what I'm surfing.
In the last two months, my account has been restricted four times by PayPal. What nonsense.
I realize that PayPal is trying to protect users from fraudulent activity, but there are better ways to accomplish this other than punishing people who use proxy servers.
posted on July 12, 2001 01:28:32 PM
Its interesting how the use of the word "screwed" seems to be evolving from "I was unfairly punished" to "someone did something to me that I don't like, even though I knew what I was doing when I did it and just chose to ignore the possible consequences".
When my kids try to pull that game on me, they get a very quick and clear reply: nope, you knew the rules, chose not to play by them, now you are suffering the legitimate consequences. The choise is yours, but I won't listen to any moaning and groaning about the outcome.
posted on July 12, 2001 01:47:14 PM
>I realize that PayPal is trying to protect users from fraudulent activity, but there are better ways to accomplish this other than punishing people who use proxy servers.<
Sure, there are 'better' ways, but this is also one.
>PayPal's terms of use state:
"PayPal, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to restrict an account for... [the] use of an anonymizing
proxy."<
Well, pretty hard making a case for sympathy when you state PayPals own TOS right in your post.
An another note...
A couple of days ago I was talking fellow eseller and we were discussing the PP debit card. He had just started using his and had his first 'problem'...
...he used it twice to pay the same person in one day. PayPal held the second charge until they cleared it with him! For his protection, they noticed 2 charges very close together to the same PP account and would not process it until ok'd!
That type of intervention I like.
Sorry about the proxy server deal but as others have said.....
posted on July 13, 2001 05:36:39 AM
Lacking someone with more specific knowledge to answer, a proxy server is a server that disguises the origin of internet traffic so they can't be traced back to you, so you can email, post, etc. in privacy.
Obviously being able to do stuff in privacy is good for activities both legimate and illegitimate, hence paypal's concerns.
