PayPal not taking Simon or Staples giftcards to lift $500 limit on 2.5+ year old acct

ploughman · #1 05-05-2009

We cannot send the 4-digit PayPal code to this card. Please choose another card.

That's the error message I keep getting when I try to go through the "lift limit" screen for a recently reimposed $500 monthly withdrawal limit on an account that is over 2 years old.

But the giftcards ARE added to the account profile with the billing address confirmed (i.e. It passes AVS).

As background, the PayPal account is a stealth account, opened in late 2006 using advice from the Robert Windsor book (Street addr for a PO, different other details). The original card to verify was from giftcards.com, and a Simon card was used to renew last year when the giftcards.com card stopped working.

Account has done appx. 150-200 transactions a month at average final value of $12 or so.

Anyway, the Simon card used for limit-lifting had until Aug. 2010 to expire (though with a balance of $2.89, last I checked). But I see 3 days or so ago that the account had been abruptly limited to $500/month in withdrawals, even with that Simon card still on the profile.

I don't know what could have triggered it. The best guess is 2 recent bank reversals from Canada, one for $28 and one for $15. I don't know why they occurred and they don't look justified, but compared to overall volume it looked like a small thing.

Anyway, I buy a new Simon card this weekend, register on Simon site, then try to "lift limit" with it and get "We cannot send the 4-digit PayPal code to this card. Please choose another card."

It DOES add the card to the profile, though, and with a confirmed address. Looks like it passed AVS, just like before. It just doesn't want to play ball for expanded-use purposes.

I tried it with a Blackhawk (Staples) card tonight. Same error message, same results. Card was added to profile with address confirmed, but not usable for lifting the $500 limit.

I still don't have any e-mail communication regarding the reimposition of the $500 limit that would give a clue as to why.

The bank account associated still works (WAMU). Today I made the last withdrawal of any size from PayPal to there to get in under the $500 limit.

The PayPal account's a stealth, so I couldn't unlock with an SSN even if I wanted to provide it, and other documentation demands from PayPal would be tough if not impossible. I resist the idea of talking to a person except as a last resort.

Has anyone else seen this?! It's maddening. I'm doing what their screens say to do but it's not accepting any of my newly-purchased giftcards for expanded-use.

About the only thing I can think of, besides trying even more cards, is to maybe give it a new phone number in the details, as the phone number on the profile is a general number a voicemail system at an old job, and maybe somebody tried to call it.

Anyway, please pardon the rambling nature of this post. HEEELLLLPPP!!! Has anyone seen this before? Is it a backdoor way to try to force me to give an SSN?

Am watching the funds pile up now past the $500 limit, knowing in the worst case they could be "stranded". It's my primary income on the line as well.

GreenBean · #2 05-05-2009

fhs, you have the same thread in another part of the forum. Have you read the advise that Lydia has given you TWICE. Remove all the cards, wait, then try again.

ploughman · #3 05-05-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenBean

fhs, you have the same thread in another part of the forum. Have you read the advise that Lydia has given you TWICE. Remove all the cards, wait, then try again.

Have done but can try to do again. How long a wait?

I gave more details here because I figured it's a more private area.

Lyda · #4 05-05-2009

Wait a a day or two.. That's what I did and it worked. If you are trying TOO hard, they'll think you are desperate, lol.
They may not even send you email, not sure. But you will know it when the limit is removed. It will show on your screen

ploughman · #5 05-05-2009

OK, all cards now removed from profile. Plan to try adding gift Amex Friday.

There's a Chinese restaurant near here that basically takes any cards accepted by their machine. Looks like I'll be eating a few lunches there to burn off some gift cards.

GreenBean · #6 05-05-2009

ploughman,
Sure I understand that this is a worry. From time to time, simon cards muck up: especially if they were obtained between late Thursday afternoon & Sunday night. Of course this delays anyone trying to deal with paypal. Remove the cards as suggested, then try again. Not sure of the % of users here that have simons cards but there have been no other reports like yours.

gurusgrafx · #7 05-05-2009

I've never had that happen before, but I dont use simon. call them if you need to. treat it like you would if you where using an account in your real name and something went wrong. not doing something you would normally do would draw more suspicion than bringing a problem to their attention.

Lyda · #8 05-05-2009

Calling them is the last resort and should be avoided if possible. The less contact with them, the better - and it may not be necessary. Just try first what I said, it really did work for me.
Have the matching address already in Amex registered, so if they check, you are covered.
Let us know Friday how it went. Good luck!

gurusgrafx · #9 05-05-2009

paranoid just a little huh Lyda? now that you got that atm card from them you'll be calling them soon too.. I have to call at least once a month to get it turned back on because of suspicious activity. even tho I use it at the same 4 or 5 places every time I use it.

ploughman · #10 05-05-2009

Thanks for any & all comments/suggestions. Still plan to take a run at it with Amex Friday, prepping the Amex card beforehand. I did write down & save all the security information used when the PayPal stealth acct. was created, but I tend to share the mindset about trying to avoid human contact if possible, since I can see 'em looking at it and wanting me to fax or send some nosy piece of paper I won't be able to produce. Supplying SSN also isn't an option.

Would imagine this forum would start going gangbusters if they suddenly make everyone give SSNs. I have enough gross to be over a $20K threshold (though not as much over lately as I'd like).

Lyda · #11 05-05-2009

Nope, Gurusgrafix. I just think it's safer not to talk to them, unless you really must. I use my debit card for one purpose only- get my money out of there. I don't buy into their 1% back on purchases bribe.
Besides, looks like I won't be needing this card for a while anyway, since it's time to switch my listings to another account.. Tried to list something tonight and they wouldn't let me because I got MC019 few weeks ago for legit item..lol. Now I found a receipt for that legit item, scanned it, took different pictures and will add this to my new listings on another account tomorrow. Funny, I had auth. vero sold just last week , but today, they said NO and I am not pushing it. Oh, well......

Lyda · #12 05-05-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by ploughman

Thanks for any & all comments/suggestions. Still plan to take a run at it with Amex Friday, prepping the Amex card beforehand. I did write down & save all the security information used when the PayPal stealth acct. was created, but I tend to share the mindset about trying to avoid human contact if possible, since I can see 'em looking at it and wanting me to fax or send some nosy piece of paper I won't be able to produce. Supplying SSN also isn't an option.

Would imagine this forum would start going gangbusters if they suddenly make everyone give SSNs. I have enough gross to be over a $20K threshold (though not as much over lately as I'd like).

If and when they will, we'll be ready for them.

ploughman · #13 05-07-2009

Update: Bought $25 Amex giftcard today. No links on their Website to register the card, and if you call the 800 number it tries to put you in "voice mail jail" (i.e. there's not even an option for the situation, even though I'm sure it comes up a lot). I zeroed out finally & gave the agent all the stealth address info. She didn't ask for a phone number or an e-mail. She said it takes about 3 minutes for the address to post.

Ebay account is thus far unaffected and can still take new listings. It appears payments sent for items bought on eBay aren't counting against the w/d limit and those can still go out. OTOH, the w/d limit is almost exhausted with $200 piling up in the PP acct., and counting.

Plan is still to try adding the Amex card tomorrow.

Am still stumped as to how this could happen. The Simon card used for expanded use since about 8 months ago was working fine until suddenly it was apparently disqualified for being used for expanded use. No communication on that, just an automated notice to update a credit card that had long expired.

When I get the "We are unable to send the 4-digit PayPal code to that card" error message it's after entering all the information and having it go through an AVS check, which the card apparently passes. The card gets added to the profile with address confirmed. But something also generates that error message and keeps it from being used for expanded use. Maybe trying to authorize a larger charge amount than is on the card? (they've been $25 cards so far)

The other theory is they tried some kind of check and it failed. The street address is a post office and the phone number is to a voicemail system. No communication about any of that, though.

This all definitely has me thinking about putting some time into Amazon and other places.

ebaykilla · #14 05-07-2009

this must be a user error...many other members on this forum use simon everyday to create paypal accounts (i would say the majority of the USA members do) and no one else is reporting this issue. in fact i am curious and i think i will run a test myself this weekend.

ploughman · #15 05-07-2009

Well, I'm reassured somewhat if it's not looking like a widespread policy change (though it DID happen right at the first of the month...maybe coincidence). I had 2 bank reversals from Canada in the space of about 3 days the week before, one on something mailed 2-3 weeks ago and one on something 3-4 days old (different recipients, different provinces). But the amounts were small ($15-ish and $28), the actions are unusual and came without any warning (i.e. no buyer complaints of non-receipt to me), and against a backdrop of about 150-200 low-dollar transactions per month it'd hardly seem significant. Feedback on eBay has been excellent (always above 99.8%).

Lyda · #16 05-07-2009

Ploughman, I had to lift my $500 withdrawal limit TWICE since the account was open in August 2007. Why they did it to me I don't know, but I was getting the same error message as you did even with normal credit cards.
I am curious to see what is going to happen with Amex tomorrow. They do have website where you register the card, but maybe different one. Look for the Amex Gift Card button and you will go from there. Go look at the package the card was in, it's there somewhere on the bottom of that sleeve but in quite small print. You will definitely need on line access for expuse number.

ploughman · #17 05-08-2009

Well, it looks like the Amex giftcard and registering address on that via phone worked! I didn't get the error message, got the screens for the next steps with expanded use, etc. The statement at present has the -$1.95 and -$1.00 entries with no detail, so I'll wait for the code to post.

FWIW, I cleared cookies and used the "enter new address" screens, even though the address was the same. I also like it that the Amex card doesn't expire until 2013, though they'd burn off the balance with their "administrative fee" well before then.

I know not to count chickens until they hatch, but it's good to get something other than that error message. Thanks to Lyda & others who posted.

Lyda · #18 05-08-2009

Just an advice for the future, don't post the same question in two separate threads.. It' the same questions, requiring same answers and no need for that. I wonder if GB can merge somehow Ploughmans threads...

ebaykilla · #19 05-08-2009

i successfully did an EXPUSE today in less than 5 minutes with Simon (pretty standard I may say). i bet that you got the zip code wrong or something.

ploughman · #20 05-08-2009

Well, all the address details were the same (written down, not done from memory) across all cards through all of this, and that was keyed from what was written down during the 2006 and 2008 registrations. Also ran the address through Endicia to make sure it wouldn't come up as invalid if they did that kind of check.

And indeed, it added the Simon and Staples cards in every instance, showing the address as confirmed. It just wouldn't play ball for expuse purposes.

Plan B was to try address/phone variants, though, unless someone had another idea.

YMMV, of course. All's well that ends.