Over 180 days passed but withdrawal still not available

[Alexs]

I have stealth lithuanian Paypal with Visa card which accept withdrawals. Account was registered in November of 2010 and then verified by entering PP code from bank statement.
I started using it in January 2011. In the end of February I received standard e-mail from PP that limit of 1800 Euro is reached and I need to provide ID and proof of address. It was not limitation, it's only notification that I need to provide requested information within 180 days. I still able to receive/send payments and make withdrawals.
Final limit (2500 Euro per calendar year) was almost expired. I stopped used this account when limit was 3 or 4 Euros and all money were sent to my Visa card.
I even forgot about this account when after 2 weeks one of my buyers decided to order item again and without my permission sent about 20 Euros to this account. In the same minute I received the following e-mail from PP:

Hello x xxx,

We are sending you this notice because you have received more than
2,5000 Euro in total payments to your PayPal account.

Access to your account has been limited because you didn't provide the
information we requested by month/date/2011 to comply with EU regulations.

When PayPal limits an account, your funds may be held until we've confirmed
your identification per the User Agreement.

-----------------------------------
To lift your receiving limit:
-----------------------------------

1. Log in to your PayPal account at https://www.paypal.com
2. Click the "Resolution Center" tab and complete all required steps.

Please provide the requested information as soon as possible. Once all the
steps have been completed, we will review your PayPal account and email you
to let you know if we have sufficient information.

If you cannot complete these steps, click "Contact Us" to go to the Help
Center for more information or to contact Customer Service.

We appreciate your business and apologize for any inconvenience.

Case ID: private

Thanks,


PayPal Account Review Department


I did nothing because I know about 180 days period.
180 days period expired over 2 weeks ago and I still haven’t received any e-mails from PP. I logged into my PP and message still the same – I can’t send or withdraw the money. Withdrawal option also is not available.
About week ago I sent question to PP about money on account but they have not responded on it.

Any ideas ?

p.s.: 20 Euros is not big money but I want to know the reason why PP still hold the money.

[nandika]

I guess it's because the EU anti money laundering rules. It's like the IRS limit with USA accounts.
You should upload an ID card , and a utility bill, not so hard to do.

[last3379]

Call them...

[Alexs]

3 days ago e-mailed PP.

Just received e-mail:

From: webform@intl.paypal.com

Dear X X,

Thank you for contacting PayPal regarding the funds that you wish to withdraw from your account.
Please be advised that I have now requested from our Account Review department to allow you to withdraw your funds from your account by permanently closing it.
They will contact you within the next 24 to 72 hours.
I understand your frustration regarding this matter and regret any inconvenience this might have caused.

Yours sincerely,
Dzeneta
PayPal

p.s.: today is ~200th day after limitation.

[Alexs]

Just received one more e-mail from Paypal, totally different from the 1st one
I e-mailed them twice about ability of withdrawal - through webfrom and by e-mail executiveoffice@paypal.com

Here is the 2nd answer.

From: service@intl.paypal.com

Hello X X,

Thank you for responding to our requests to further verify your customer
information. As we cannot lift the EU-Receiving Limit on your PayPal
account until all requirements have been met, we would appreciate your help
with completing the steps below, so that we can review your account further.


> Proof of identity <
________________

PayPal is required to comply with the European Union anti-money laundering
and 'Know-Your-Customer' regulations. This regulation requires us to verify
your identity and address given to us. This sounds complicated, but it is
not!

All we need is a proof of identity.

What is a valid proof of identity?

We accept:
- A copy of your ID card
- Your driver's license
- Passport
- Other photo ID that was issued by a government body.

Please note that all the information below must be visible on the document:
- First and last name
- Date of birth
- Date of issue and/or expiry

Note: The document needs to be fully visible. Partial documents cannot be
accepted as a valid proof of identity.


> Proof of address <
_________________

PayPal is required to comply with the European Union anti-money laundering
and 'Know-Your-Customer' regulations. This regulation requires us to verify
your identity and address given to us. This sounds complicated, but it is
not!

All we need is a proof of address.

What is a valid proof of address?

We accept:
- Utility bills (phone and broadband services, health insurance, gas,
water, electricity or the like),
- Bank or credit card statements.
- a copy of your driver's licence (if issued within the last 12 months)
- a copy of your printed payslip


We do not accept:
- Invoices
- Partial Documents

Please note: The document must show your full name and address as
registered on the PayPal account. If the document only shows initials, a
proof of identity is needed as well. The document cannot be older than 12
months and needs to be fully visible.

You can easily upload the documents through the Resolution Centre in your
PayPal account, or fax it to 0044 (0) 8707-307-197.

If you fax the documents:
- Please use a cover sheet.
- On the cover sheet please include the e-mail address registered on your
PayPal account and the Case ID that you’re supplying this information for
(i.e. PP-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx).

Note: We are unable to accept documents attached in an email. If you attach
documents in an email we will not be able to view them, so we ask that you
choose one of the above methods to send your information to us instead.

After you have completed the steps please notify PayPal by sending an email
to complianceverifications@paypal.co.uk.

We appreciate your patience and understanding regarding this matter and
regret any inconvenience it may cause you.

Sincerely,
Padraig
PayPal

[LoopHole]

Wait 2 days for them to contact you back. If they don't call them and let them know the 180 mark has passed and you want your funds.

[Alexs]

Very funny, just received the 3rd totally different e-mail from PP:


From: service@intl.paypal.com
Sunject: PayPal appeal denied

Hello X X,

For the safety and security of the PayPal network, we often review accounts
for potential risks. After reviewing your account, we have decided to close
it because of security issues.

We are making every effort to minimize any disruption to your business.

If your PayPal account balance is zero, and you have no unresolved buyer
complaints or chargebacks, your account will remain limited.

-----------------------------------
Disbursement options
-----------------------------------

Option 1. If you owe refunds to any of your buyers, you can use the money
in your PayPal account to refund them.

To refund your buyers:
1. Log in to your PayPal account.
2. Click "Contact Us" at the bottom of any page.
3. Click "Contact Customer Service."
4. Under "Choose a Topic," select "Sending/Receiving Money."
5. Under "Choose a Subtopic," select "Refund/Cancel a Payment."
6. Click "Continue" and follow the instructions to refund payments.

Option 2. Money in your PayPal account will be held for 180 days. After 180
days, we'll email you information on how to receive your funds.

We regret any inconvenience this may cause.

Thanks,
Daniela
PayPal


They even not read my initial question, they reply with copy-paste patterns.
Of course, I'll call them after 2-3 days.

[LoopHole]

Get ready for a 4th one!

[LoopHole]

So what happend? Did you get your funds?

[Gman91189]

Lol wouldn't it be funny if they are like...we just sent u that 3rd email, after a deeper look into ur account we have decided to hold ur funds for an extended 180days

[GreenBean]

PayPal Account Review Department
[/I]

I did nothing because I know about 180 days period.
180 days period expired over 2 weeks ago and I still haven’t received any e-mails from PP. I logged into my PP and message still the same – I can’t send or withdraw the money. Withdrawal option also is not available.
About week ago I sent question to PP about money on account but they have not responded on it.

Any ideas ?

p.s.: 20 Euros is not big money but I want to know the reason why PP still hold the money.

Ah no, you made an error there. The 180 days only starts when YOU reply.
So by doing nothing, paypal did the same, nothing.

What you should have done way back then is made a reply.... so now you are getting the delay.

TBH, you might end up waiting a while for the monies because paypal is thinking you have not done anything correctly.

[rsot]

@GB,

Ah no, you made an error there. The 180 days only starts when YOU reply.

Not really - everytime my account has got the limited message, I do nothing and 180 days later (about) I have been ok to withdraw.

This situation for the OP is an unusual one.

[GreenBean]

Originally Posted by rsot

@GB,

Not really - everytime my account has got the limited message, I do nothing and 180 days later (about) I have been ok to withdraw.

This situation for the OP is an unusual one.

No, this is not unusual. This is what gets applied for no response to a request to comply with EU anti-money laundering regulations.

paypal wants a response to be seen to comply with those requirements.
On paper, they may not have 'applied' the 180 days because of a lack of response.

On the whole, Canadian & US accounts have no such limitation and funds may be available after 180 days.

[Alexs]

Finally I've got withdrawal option today

On 18.11 I sent one more e-mail to PP support.

To: executiveoffice@paypal.com

Dear Daniela from Paypal support,

I appreciate the level of risk PayPal is taking on by offering their services.
My account has had zero credit card chargebacks at any time and I have zero open disputes and claims. There is no justification for holding (amount) since (date) 2011 - over 180 days period already passed. From the research I have done, there is no legal justification to hold my money for this amount of time either, regardless of what your terms of service say.
I will be filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. I will forward the complaints to your office as well.
I am a reasonable person and all I am asking for is the release of the funds now. If you look over my account I am sure you will see that there is zero risk of loss to PayPal.

Thank you for your attention and I am sorry we were not able to come to an amicable solution.

Mr.Private



After sending this e-mail I haven't received automated response about receiving my question by Paypal.

But today, after 10 days, I received two e-mails from Paypal.
The 1st one was standard e-mail with subject 'Your PayPal Funds are Eligible for Withdrawal' and after 1.5 hours I received one more e-mail:



From: ppelce@paypal.com
Subject: Executive Escalations PayPal - Your Inquiry (KMM0000000000000000KM) pk4

Dear Mr.Private,

Thank you for contacting us in relation to the above. You are now able to withdraw the remaining balance on your account.
Please allow me to explain the reason for the account limitation, and how this can be lifted.

To comply with EU anti-money laundering and 'Know Your Customer' regulations, we're required to collect and verify information about you. We must do this before you receive £1,900 into your PayPal account (in total) within a year of you receiving your first payment.

To ensure there is no disruption to you or your business, we'll notify you of this requirement when you receive £1,650 in total. This will display as an open issue in your Resolution Centre. Once notified, you'll have to complete a number of requirements to satisfy these regulations.

If you expect to receive funds in excess of this amount you can deal with this requirement as soon as you open your account. If you reach or exceed the £1,900 limit before completing the requirements, your PayPal account's functionality will become limited. Some account features will become unavailable. Details of the limitation can be viewed in the Resolution Centre of your account.

If you don't complete the requested steps, your PayPal account's functionality will be limited further. In addition to the previous limitations on your activities, you'll no longer be able to receive payments.

This action is taken to ensure that both PayPal and our customers remain compliant with all necessary European regulations.

As we cannot lift the EU-Receiving Limit on your PayPal account until all requirements have been met, we can review your account further once these have been provided.

Proof of address
PayPal is required to comply with the European Union anti-money laundering and 'Know-Your-Customer' regulations. This regulation requires us to verify your identity and address given to us.

What is a valid proof of address?
We accept:
- Utility bills (phone and broadband services, health insurance, gas, water, electricity or the like),
- Bank or credit card statements.
- a copy of your driver's licence (if issued within the last 12 months)
- a copy of your printed payslip
We do not accept:
- Invoices
- Partial Documents

Please note: The document must show your full name and address as registered on the PayPal account. If the document only shows initials, a proof of identity is needed as well. The document cannot be older than 12 months and needs to be fully visible.

Proof of identity
PayPal is required to comply with the European Union anti-money laundering and 'Know-Your-Customer' regulations. This regulation requires us to verify your identity and address given to us.

What is a valid proof of identity?
We accept:
- A copy of your ID card
- Your driver's license
- Passport
- Other photo ID that was issued by a government body.
Please note that all the information below must be visible on the
document:
- First and last name
- Date of birth
- Date of issue and/or expiry

Note: The document needs to be fully visible. Partial documents cannot be accepted as a valid proof of identity.

To review your limitation, please use a PayPal cover sheet provided. If you don't have a copy of the fax cover sheet, please fax the requested documents to 00353 143 69 819 and mark the documents to my attention with the above reference number quoted.

You can also post these documents to my Attention, and with the above reference number to the following address:

PayPal (Europe) S.à r.l. & Cie, S.C.A.
FAO: Executive Escalations
P.O. Box 9473
Dublin 15
Ireland
-
Once these Documents have been received, we will be able to review the account limitation immediately.
-
If you would like to speak to us, please let us know the most suitable telephone number at which you can be reached and also a time that would be convenient for us to contact you.

You can email these details to us at ppelce@paypal.de.
We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Petra Goepfert
Executive Escalations
PayPal

Copyright © 1999-2011 PayPal. All rights reserved. PayPal (Europe) S.à
r.l. et Cie, S.C.A. Société en Commandite par Actions. Registered
Office: 22-24 Boulevard Royal, L-2449, Luxembourg, RCS Luxembourg B 118
349

Original Message Follows:
------------------------
Dear Daniela from Paypal support,

I appreciate the level of risk PayPal is taking on by offering their
services.
My account has had zero credit card chargebacks at any time and I have
zero open disputes and claims.
There is no justification for holding (amount) since (date) -
over 180 days period already passed.
From the research I have done, there is no legal justification to hold
my money for this amount of time either, regardless of what your terms
of service say.
I will be filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.
I will forward the complaints to your office as well.
I am a reasonable person and all I am asking for is the release of the
funds now.
If you look over my account I am sure you will see that there is zero
risk of loss to PayPal.

Thank you for your attention and I am sorry we were not able to come to
an amicable solution.


Mr.Private

[maels]

I've got the same issue now. Seems that PayPal doesn't automatically allow people to withdraw their money after 180 days from restriction, when the reason for limitation is breaching EU limit.

So far I received one "copy-paste" response, mentioning about securing the funds in case of claims or chargebacks. When I explained once again it's virtually impossible after 180 days, I received a bit more "human" response, since I noticed a typo This time all the babble was about EU regulations.

I guess threatening PP with Better Business Bureau seems to be the next step.

BTW, thanks Alexs for this interesting thread.

[brickswall]

Originally Posted by GreenBean™

Ah no, you made an error there. The 180 days only starts when YOU reply.
So by doing nothing, paypal did the same, nothing.

What you should have done way back then is made a reply.... so now you are getting the delay.

TBH, you might end up waiting a while for the monies because paypal is thinking you have not done anything correctly.

Got a bit confused here, I got limited almost 2 months ago and I didn't upload any documents because I haven't got some of them and most people recommended me to wait the 180 days hold. Does it mean that my 180 days countdown haven't started yet because I didn't contact them ???

[Alexs]

I never contacted PP and in Apr-May 2012 three of my limited accs got e-mails 'Your PayPal Funds are Eligible for Withdrawal', exactly after 180 days passed and money were OK for withdraw.
By the reason of limitation was: We've noticed some unusual activity in your eBay and PayPal accounts and would like to learn more about some of your recent account activity.

[maels]

Sadly, I'm still unable to withdraw my funds. After I threatened I will forward my case to Polish equivalent of BBB (called UOKiK), I received a really long and comprehensive, non-standard response with information that PP is obliged to comply with EU rules.

A representative also added a link to EU regulation about it:
EUR-Lex - 32005L0060 - EN

I found something like this (Article 11):

5. By way of derogation from Articles 7(a), (b) and (d), 8 and 9(1), Member States may allow the institutions and persons covered by this Directive not to apply customer due diligence in respect of:

(...)

(d) electronic money, as defined in Article 1(3)(b) of Directive 2000/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 September 2000 on the taking up, pursuit of and prudential supervision of the business of electronic money institutions [16], where, if the device cannot be recharged, the maximum amount stored in the device is no more than EUR 150, or where, if the device can be recharged, a limit of EUR 2500 is imposed on the total amount transacted in a calendar year, except when an amount of EUR 1000 or more is redeemed in that same calendar year by the bearer as referred to in Article 3 of Directive 2000/46/EC,

I've used the text in bold and sent another message to PP claiming I have every right to withdraw my funds and in fact to get my limitation lifted. I wonder if it works, because frankly I have no other idea how to get my money back and sending ⊗⊗⊗⊗ ID is too risky for me (I can end up in jail for that).

Alexs, can you tell me why did you threatened PP you will contact BBB? It operates in USA and Canada only and since you're from Lithuania I don't get it. Or maybe it's the principle: "don't believe in everything you see"?

[maels]

PP answered me with another standard message about supplying ID and proof of address

I have absolutely no clue what to do next. Any suggesstions? Besides waiting forever and hoping someone will let me withdraw my funds, I'm hinking of telling this is a ⊗⊗⊗⊗ account. It sound silly, but what else can I do

Does anyone tried this or knows what could happen next?

[rsot]

Whatever happened to the OP?

[maels]

I'm bumping this thread, because the problem still remains for me. Anyone from Poland, who successfully convinced PP to lift the limitation?