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Unfortunately, while a lawyer can certainly make a request to PayPal, their user agreements are loud and clear on the issue of freezing accounts. Essentially,

Unfortunately, while a lawyer can certainly make a request to PayPal, their user agreements are loud and clear on the issue of freezing accounts. Essentially, you agree that they can close your account and hold your funds for any reason or no reason at all. The freeze can last for up to 180 days from the date of your last chargeback, or from the date they froze the account, whichever is later. As you can see, they apply this policy liberally and always to their benefit. TBH, you have already played your best card by getting this to the front page of Hacker News. You may well get your money released relatively soon because someone at PP has or will soon see this. It's sad that this is what it takes just to make them be honest, but that is what you get when you deal with PayPal. Good luck, and never use Paypal again. Use Bitcoins or Stripe.

einhverfr 14y ago
> Unfortunately, while a lawyer can certainly make a request to PayPal, their user agreements are loud and clear on the issue of freezing accounts. Essentially, you agree that they can close your account and hold your funds for any reason or no reason at all. Every lawyer I have ever talked to formally or informally have said such things may be challengeable in court. That's why you want to talk to a lawyer. > The freeze can last for up to 180 days from the date of your last chargeback, or from the date they froze the account, whichever is later. Again quite true. If it is only 180 days though, that's one thing, but only to the point they are reasonable (again talk to a lawyer). If they hold onto it indefinitely that is theft. > Good luck, and never use Paypal again. Use Bitcoins or Stripe. Yep. Use anything else.
- chris_wot 14y ago
  >> Unfortunately, while a lawyer can certainly make a request to PayPal, their user agreements are loud and clear on the issue of freezing accounts. Essentially, you agree that they can close your account and hold your funds for any reason or no reason at all. > Every lawyer I have ever talked to formally or informally have said such things may be challengeable in court. That's why you want to talk to a lawyer. It's because it's what's called an unenforceable contract [1], because if they close the account for any reason, that reason could be because you are selling some goods, but PayPal doesn't like it. A court shouldn't uphold that, and I'd love to see PayPal be brought to task by someone with enough money, time and anger that they pursue a lawsuit to it's logical conclusion. 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unenforceable http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unenforceable
gojomo 14y ago
PayPal has a bad rep, but I think you're reading more arbitrary malice into the situation than is in evidence. OP specifically reports that PayPal froze the account because he couldn't provide a necessary tax-reporting number. Getting the necessary number, and passing it to PayPal, may be all that is required. Talking to lawyers will just help the OP understand the situation... the lawyer may never need to communicate with PayPal at all.

einhverfr 14y ago

> Unfortunately, while a lawyer can certainly make a request to PayPal, their user agreements are loud and clear on the issue of freezing accounts. Essentially, you agree that they can close your account and hold your funds for any reason or no reason at all. Every lawyer I have ever talked to formally or informally have said such things may be challengeable in court. That's why you want to talk to a lawyer. > The freeze can last for up to 180 days from the date of your last chargeback, or from the date they froze the account, whichever is later. Again quite true. If it is only 180 days though, that's one thing, but only to the point they are reasonable (again talk to a lawyer). If they hold onto it indefinitely that is theft. > Good luck, and never use Paypal again. Use Bitcoins or Stripe. Yep. Use anything else.

chris_wot 14y ago
>> Unfortunately, while a lawyer can certainly make a request to PayPal, their user agreements are loud and clear on the issue of freezing accounts. Essentially, you agree that they can close your account and hold your funds for any reason or no reason at all. > Every lawyer I have ever talked to formally or informally have said such things may be challengeable in court. That's why you want to talk to a lawyer. It's because it's what's called an unenforceable contract [1], because if they close the account for any reason, that reason could be because you are selling some goods, but PayPal doesn't like it. A court shouldn't uphold that, and I'd love to see PayPal be brought to task by someone with enough money, time and anger that they pursue a lawsuit to it's logical conclusion. 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unenforceable http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unenforceable

gojomo 14y ago

PayPal has a bad rep, but I think you're reading more arbitrary malice into the situation than is in evidence. OP specifically reports that PayPal froze the account because he couldn't provide a necessary tax-reporting number. Getting the necessary number, and passing it to PayPal, may be all that is required. Talking to lawyers will just help the OP understand the situation... the lawyer may never need to communicate with PayPal at all.