PayPal Deposit Oddity - Opinions

[SW CQB 45]

Howdy y'all... looking for opinions as something has happened to me on my PayPal that I have never had to deal with before.

5:37am I get an email from PayPal indicating a person sent me a few hundred dollars. I don't know this person nor am I expecting anything. I did not click on anything on the email however I went into my PayPal and sure enough... I show the few hundred dollars in my PP account.

4:51pm, I get another PayPal email from the same name who sent me the $$$ saying I have a message from them. I did not click on anything on the email however I entered my PayPal, and I show no notification or messages (its empty). Hmmmmm.

I called PayPal and go through the silly automated recordings before I speak to someone who I feel offered no help. He felt it was a mistake, as it came from a real account and provided the email address of the person that sent me the $$$.

I asked, if I refund the $$$ and it turns out to be fraudulent, am I responsible for payment of the funds. He said to call them back and I would be covered. That was not very reassuring. Why can't PP take it out of my PP account, and they return it, if he felt it was safe to do so.

I asked the PP rep, if you feel this is safe to return, why did I get an email from PP saying I have a message from the person who sent the funds. But yet my messages are empty. He said to check my messages later. I think this dude wanted to go home. Not sure I want to trust his word/advice or laziness.

I did check my messages some 4 hours later, still nothing.

I don't want to get scammed. Those funds can sit there for now. I am thinking about closing my PP account when this is cleared up.


has anyone encountered a similar situation with PP and what did you do?

 

[46er]

I think I'd wait for PP tell me there was an error and let hem handle it. Check the senders address of the emails!!!
Odd scams going on... someone requested a new credit card, was to be sent to my address, HUH?

 

[grover99]

Howdy y'all... looking for opinions as something has happened to me on my PayPal that I have never had to deal with before.

5:37am I get an email from PayPal indicating a person sent me a few hundred dollars. I don't know this person nor am I expecting anything. I did not click on anything on the email however I went into my PayPal and sure enough... I show the few hundred dollars in my PP account.

4:51pm, I get another PayPal email from the same name who sent me the $$$ saying I have a message from them. I did not click on anything on the email however I entered my PayPal, and I show no notification or messages (its empty). Hmmmmm.

I called PayPal and go through the silly automated recordings before I speak to someone who I feel offered no help. He felt it was a mistake, as it came from a real account and provided the email address of the person that sent me the $$$.

I asked, if I refund the $$$ and it turns out to be fraudulent, am I responsible for payment of the funds. He said to call them back and I would be covered. That was not very reassuring. Why can't PP take it out of my PP account, and they return it, if he felt it was safe to do so.

I asked the PP rep, if you feel this is safe to return, why did I get an email from PP saying I have a message from the person who sent the funds. But yet my messages are empty. He said to check my messages later. I think this dude wanted to go home. Not sure I want to trust his word/advice or laziness.

I did check my messages some 4 hours later, still nothing.

I don't want to get scammed. Those funds can sit there for now. I am thinking about closing my PP account when this is cleared up.


has anyone encountered a similar situation with PP and what did you do?

I often get something from PP about they owing me money or they have something for me that I need to give them just a little more info. I have no PP account and have never dealt with them. I want nothing to with them and delete anything I get from them.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

I probably would take no action.
Something weird going on, but when it comes to PayPal, everything is weird!

 

[45Smashemflat]

They ask me to update my credit card info all the time, saying it’s approaching expiration, even though it’s not. I just ignore it.

 

[Denverd0n]

Good on you for not replying to the email, but instead logging directly into PayPal. That was the right thing to do, and you obviously know that you need to keep doing that. At this point, I would let the money sit with PayPal and see what happens. I would wait at least a full month. After that, I would say it is yours to do with what you please.

Good luck.

 

[H Richard]

Just another reason why I don't have any dealings with Paypal, or any of the "on-line" payment systems other than an acknowledged Credit card. Same as I don't have any dealings with other social media. Just too much hassle an danger.

 

[Photog]

Sort of off topic in a way, but I fail to understand why anyone who deals in firearms, is a shooter, reloader, collector, whatever, would use PayPal. It has been established they are very anti gun. I have discussed this with others and they say that is an "urban legend". My simple answer to those who do not believe is this, sell a firearm and declare that you are selling a firearm while using PayPal. Let me know how that works out. Also, if you have to file a claim over a missing item, and PayPal finds out it was a firearm, good luck in getting any of your money back. My favorite method is a personal check. Hold till clear, 3-5 business days max, and you are covered. If a check is not accepted, then a credit card, which is easily disputed.

 

[Tom S.]

Sort of off topic in a way, but I fail to understand why anyone who deals in firearms, is a shooter, reloader, collector, whatever, would use PayPal. It has been established they are very anti gun. I have discussed this with others and they say that is an "urban legend". My simple answer to those who do not believe is this, sell a firearm and declare that you are selling a firearm while using PayPal. Let me know how that works out. Also, if you have to file a claim over a missing item, and PayPal finds out it was a firearm, good luck in getting any of your money back. My favorite method is a personal check. Hold till clear, 3-5 business days max, and you are covered. If a check is not accepted, then a credit card, which is easily disputed.

Here we go again... No, it has NOT been established. Paypal prohibited use of their service to pay for certain items based upon the advice of their lawyers. What do you think would have happened if the Sandy Hook killer's mom had used Paypal to buy her guns? If Paypal were anti gun, they wouldn't let you pay for the thousands of gun parts on ebay. Nor would they allow people to make contributions to this forum.

 

[65-2x2]

I like PP. I find it a very handy and safe way of paying for goods. The alternative is giving a card number and I don't like to do that if I can help it.

 

[65-2x2]

I like PP. I find it a very handy and safe way of paying for goods. The alternative is giving a card number and I don't like to do that if I can help it. If putting a few hundred bucks in your PP account is some kind of scam, rather than a mistake, I would like to know how it works. If you pay into someone's PP account can you claw it back? I don't know.

 

[AlHunt]

I would remove any credit or debit cards PP has on file and delete all my personal info from that account. I'd never do anything with those funds unless directed by law enforcement and never use PP again.

There's a scam of some kind going on. Let PP clean up their mess.

 

[Pete99004]

Used PP to purchase a stuffed animal for a grandchild. They charged me 2x and I never was able to get the additional charges refunded. That was back in early 2000's. PP still owes me $54 and change. Needless to say I have never used PP since. I don't do business with companies that require me to pay with PP. I find other suppliers.

If you have funds in your account at PP, I would cash out. Then once you have the funds in your pocket you can decide how you would like to refund it to the person who sent that money to you - that you do not know, or you could donate it to a good cause, like this forum.

Pete99004

 

[Muss Muggins]

Are you sure it was actually from PayPal?

 

[Jon651]

Howdy y'all... looking for opinions as something has happened to me on my PayPal that I have never had to deal with before.

5:37am I get an email from PayPal indicating a person sent me a few hundred dollars. I don't know this person nor am I expecting anything. I did not click on anything on the email however I went into my PayPal and sure enough... I show the few hundred dollars in my PP account.

4:51pm, I get another PayPal email from the same name who sent me the $$$ saying I have a message from them. I did not click on anything on the email however I entered my PayPal, and I show no notification or messages (its empty). Hmmmmm.

I called PayPal and go through the silly automated recordings before I speak to someone who I feel offered no help. He felt it was a mistake, as it came from a real account and provided the email address of the person that sent me the $$$.

I asked, if I refund the $$$ and it turns out to be fraudulent, am I responsible for payment of the funds. He said to call them back and I would be covered. That was not very reassuring. Why can't PP take it out of my PP account, and they return it, if he felt it was safe to do so.

I asked the PP rep, if you feel this is safe to return, why did I get an email from PP saying I have a message from the person who sent the funds. But yet my messages are empty. He said to check my messages later. I think this dude wanted to go home. Not sure I want to trust his word/advice or laziness.

I did check my messages some 4 hours later, still nothing.

I don't want to get scammed. Those funds can sit there for now. I am thinking about closing my PP account when this is cleared up.


has anyone encountered a similar situation with PP and what did you do?

This has all the feel of a scam but I can't really see how it benefits the other person unless you get talked into sending money back to them. I say wait, not in an effort to keep any money but if it is a genuine mistake then PayPal will deal with it from their end. They've been known to claw back money for various reasons so don't withdraw it, don't spend it, just wait. If the other party tries to contact you in any way don't reply, just forward it all to PayPal's fraud department and let them handle it.

As always, whenever I see something like this I always recommend changing your password just as a basic precaution. Honestly, PayPal is nothing special. Visa Checkout is out there, Zelle is fine for sending money, Google Pay exists, and so many more. Yes they offer certain buyer protection and refund services, but if you are not comfortable with how they handle this there is really no special need to have a PayPal account. Good luck!

 

[SFury79]

No, it has NOT been established.

It has. PayPal has a very vague policy in place today. An anti-gun one at that.

They did refuse to allow firearms companies to use their service for a while. As in stores selling firearms and ammunition. They could do no transactions through PayPal as they had been. That occurred the same time Amazon stopped selling many firearms related gear too, and when some credit card companies also dropped firearms stores as clients.

One massive move by very liberal minded owners of businesses that put their beliefs over profit. It's what made Midway USA and Brownell's make a fortune at that time.

Due to a rather large loss in revenue, PayPal management relented partially on their former very anti-gun stance, which became this weird policy. One that isn't enforced for sales, but if there is a dispute over a fraudulent sale of a firearm or ammunition, the scammers win because PayPal won't look into the matter.

They also do shady things like freezing or removing business accounts with an uneven application of their vague anti-gun policy.

Don't take my word for it. This article outlines some of what I'm saying.

 

[Rustyt1953]

I have had a PP account for many years. I have no complaints.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Remember- all of these sometimes complicated and hard to comprehend scams rely on you to respond.
The real folks in most cases won’t contact you in this manner.
And if it’s really a real situation, you will hear from them again.
Long time member - ready, fire, aim Club.

 

[rwsmith]

Paypal seems to be more trouble than it's worth anymore.

 

[SW CQB 45]

The funds will sit in my PP. There has been no attempt to contact me anymore.

PP wanted me to contact the sender.... nope. I called PP hoping they would take the ball and run with it.

It appears; I will have to call them again.

Are you sure it was actually from PayPal?

There is a couple of hundred dollars sitting in my account. I got an email verifying that. I did not click on anything in the two emails I got. However, the 2nd email was from PP indicating the name who sent the funds, has sent me a message.

In my PP message center, there is no messages from the person. I smell scam, but PP does not.

So, PP verified the funds sent to me, and they believe it's not a scam. The person I spoke with at PP was very hard to understand at times, I had to repeat myself a couple of times and he did not provide a secure feeling that this is not a scam.