Paypal - get verified - questions

[kuhio98]

I've evidently reached some spending limit so Paypal tells me that I need to get "verified". To do that, they want me to attach my bank account to my PayPal account or get a PayPal credit card.

I don't want to do either of these. Do you know if there is anyway to continue to use Paypal without giving them access to your bank account?

Those of you who have given them access, have you ever experienced any problems?

[pomtzu]

It was genuinely from Paypal, and not a scam - right??? I'm always getting spoof mail from the scammers claiming to be Paypal, saying I need to update all my info for security reasons, etc. Yeah - sure!

Anyway - I keep no balance in my Paypal account, and they do have my checking account info. It works like a debit card - when I pay for something thru PP, that amount is decucted from my checking account. I have been doing this for several years now, and I've never had a problem yet.

[Karen]

As Pomtzu said - make sure, first of all, that it really is PayPal contacting you. I get spam - some of it cleverly done - claiming to be from PayPal all the time. Check the headers to make sure of its origin.

[kuhio98]

Thanks everyone. Yes, I'm sure it's really PayPal. I called them on the phone to make sure and spoke for quite a while about alternatives.

I am just not comfortable with giving them access to my bank account. And I don't want transactions going through my bank account. I prefer everything to be on my credit card.

So, it looks like I'll canceling my Paypal account. Will make it harder to purchase things, but my Paypal account has been hijacked before and I had the support of my credit card company to get the charges reversed. I wouldn't have that if they got into my checking account.

[pomtzu]

I keep next to nothing in my checking account, so if my PP account got hacked, they sure wouldn't get much, but it would still be a hassle to get straightened out. Someone could do a whole lot of damage with my credit card tho - that's why PP doesn't have that info.

[sparks19]

I couldn't run my business without paypal. it's a must have for me. I have it connected to our bank account and our credit card but I almost always have a balance in paypal so nothing ever comes out of the bank account. I haven't ever had any trouble. One time paypal said there was some suspiscious activity and shut down the account until we called in directly to verify ourselves and once they unlocked the account we had to change our password before we could do anything. Paypal has excellent customer service and they really do everything they can to help if there is a problem

[sasvermont]

Make SURE it is from PayPal and not a scammer. You might want to log onto Paypal customer service and ask them to verify the email.

I like Paypal and have never been hacked. My bank account was hacked once, but we think it was from a charge I made with the debit card attached to the account. I had my Ebay account hacked too. Each time, I was handled nicely by the people involved in fixing the problem.

Becareful.

[Freedom]

Go to the paypal site, not using any link, to be sure you are dealing with Paypal.

I did this verification years ago when I started using Paypal. You just have to remember to change your payment method on each purchase, as the default will be your bank account. You have the option EVERY TIME, and I just change it to my credit card.

Once in a great while (maybe once a year, probably less) I will forget, and the payment will be done as an automatic withdrawal from my bank account. Not a big deal, and once I've done it, I make sure to watch for that change options place every time I make a purchase.

[wombat2u2004]

Go to the paypal site, not using any link, to be sure you are dealing with Paypal.

I did this verification years ago when I started using Paypal. You just have to remember to change your payment method on each purchase, as the default will be your bank account. You have the option EVERY TIME, and I just change it to my credit card.

Once in a great while (maybe once a year, probably less) I will forget, and the payment will be done as an automatic withdrawal from my bank account. Not a big deal, and once I've done it, I make sure to watch for that change options place every time I make a purchase.

Yes, that's the best way to go. I do that to.
I was a bit concerned when they asked me to verify my account by adding my main bank account details.....I think they allowed me to use the credit card for about a year before they wanted the change. But I did check it out at the time and believed it was safe enough.
But yeah, you have the option of changing the payment method....that's a good idea.