Paypal won't let me use my email address without legal action

[bmmpxf]

I have had a paypal account for about as long as they've existed, but the email address on the paypal account is linked to an old university account that I'm concerned I'll lose access to. I tried to add my current primary email address (a gmail address that I've had for 13 years) to my paypal account and found that somebody else attempted to register that address with *their* paypal account some time ago (and obviously was never able to verify it). The short of it is that after a two-hour phone call with customer service, they refuse to drop the email address from the other account that never verified it and let me add it to mine, and basically told me to get a subpoena if I want to pursue it further.

I'm concerned about this because if folks try to send me money, it's likely that they'll accidentally send it to the wrong account since this is the only email address I give out. The whole thing is just absurd that somebody can type an and never verify any email address that they want and paypal will lock it down permanently, but legal action seems like such a ridiculous hammer to address it with. Is there anything reasonable I can do here?

 

[adjusterjack]

Is there anything reasonable I can do here?

No.

As long as Pay Pal is complying with its own rules there is nothing you can do about it unless you want to seek an injunction against the other person using the email address. You would have to file a John Doe lawsuit and then subpoena Pay Pal for the identity of the other person.

In other words, it's not Pay Pal's problem, it's between you and the person using the email address.

 

[quincy]

Are you still able to access your PayPal account through your university email?

Am I correct that there is currently no PayPal account with your current email account, because PayPal could not verify it (whoever tried to use it was unable to)?

 

[Taxing Matters]

The short of it is that after a two-hour phone call with customer service, they refuse to drop the email address from the other account that never verified it and let me add it to mine, and basically told me to get a subpoena if I want to pursue it further.

Then move up the food chain at Pay Pal from the customer service flunkies who either don't have the power to solve your problem or are simply unwilling to do the work needed to fix it. The customer service suggestion of getting a subpoena is clearly wrong, so they have no clue as to how the legal system operates. A subpoena is a method to either secure documents or other evidence or to compel a person to appear and testify to give evidence. It is not an order that compels anyone to do anything.

In order to force Pay Pay to allow you to use your gmail account you'd instead need to get an injunction. The problem with that is that you must prove to the court that you are entitled by law to that remedy. But in this case Pay Pay does not have any legal obligation to you to do that and it is not violating any of your rights. So there isn't any basis for the court to issue the order.

You have the same problem if you try to sue whoever it was that tried to use the e-mail before you. It's not his/her obligation to you to fix this to make Pay Pay happy. I disagree with Adjuster Jack that your problem is with that person. It isn't. That person owes you even less than Pay Pal does. At least you have a contract with Pay Pal and they get money from you, so they ought to have some motivation to work with you. Your problem is with Pay Pal. Pay Pay is just being inflexible here because it can. And the only way to realistically fix it and get to use the e-mail you want to use is to persuade Pay Pal to budge and allow you to prove you are the legitimate user of that address.

Your other option would be to create a new e-mail address to try that hopefully does not have the blocked history with Pay Pal.

 

[bmmpxf]

What difference (if any) does it make if the person who mistyped my email address is deceased? I obviously don't know anything for sure since PayPal is not forthcoming with information, but I have the name they registered under (because I get the emails to them) and it's an uncommon enough name that a simple Google search turns up consistent results of only a recent obituary.

 

[quincy]

What difference (if any) does it make if the person who mistyped my email address is deceased? I obviously don't know anything for sure since PayPal is not forthcoming with information, but I have the name they registered under (because I get the emails to them) and it's an uncommon enough name that a simple Google search turns up consistent results of only a recent obituary.

If PayPal thinks it's a problem, it's a problem. And if you are getting emails for someone who is not you, that is a problem as well.

I recommend you change your email address.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

1. Create a new Gmail address.
2. Forward all of that email to your current Gmail address.
3. Use new Gmail Address for PayPal.
4. Live Long and Prosper.

 

[Mass_Shyster]

Try this:

My email address is [email protected] (not really - it uses my real name).

Email sent to [email protected] comes to me.
Email sent to [email protected] comes to me.
Email sent to [email protected] comes to me.
Email sent to [email protected] comes to me.
Email sent to [email protected] comes to me.
Email sent to [email protected] comes to me.
Email sent to [email protected] comes to me.
Email sent to [email protected] comes to me.
Email sent to [email protected] comes to me.
Email sent to [email protected] comes to me.
Email sent to [email protected] comes to me.
Email sent to [email protected] comes to me.
Email sent to [email protected] comes to me.

I don't think Paypal knows gmails rules. Play with the "." and register your gmail address with a some variation that paypal doesn't recognize, but will come to you.

Or follow post #7

 

[quincy]

All things considered, changing the email address seems to be a lot easier.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

If I were the OP I'd use bmmpxf[email protected] and simply forward it to my main gmail account.

 

[cbg]

I only discovered this yesterday. I have an old gmail account that I only check about every six months and it's the one I use for retailers and things. It's (using my actual name) [email protected]. Apparently back last February [email protected] got onto the mailing list for a middle school in Niagara, Ontario and all the emails started coming to me. While I am originally from Ontario and Niagara was a favorite family vacation spot, I never lived there and my kids are a long way out of middle school, but I can tell you all about the weather related cancellations and fund raising bake sales that have been going on. I'm not sure if knowing that gmail works like this helps the OP or makes it worse, but gmail can get messy. Maybe a new email, but through yahoo, would be helpful.

 

[quincy]

I only discovered this yesterday. I have an old gmail account ... It's (using my actual name) [email protected]. Apparently back last February [email protected] got onto the mailing list for a middle school in Niagara, Ontario and all the emails started coming to me. While I am originally from Ontario and Niagara was a favorite family vacation spot, I never lived there and my kids are a long way out of middle school, but I can tell you all about the weather related cancellations and fund raising bake sales that have been going on. I'm not sure if knowing that gmail works like this helps the OP or makes it worse, but gmail can get messy. Maybe a new email, but through yahoo, would be helpful.

Murphy Brown is your actual name?

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

I only discovered this yesterday. I have an old gmail account that I only check about every six months and it's the one I use for retailers and things. It's (using my actual name) [email protected]. Apparently back last February [email protected] got onto the mailing list for a middle school in Niagara, Ontario and all the emails started coming to me. While I am originally from Ontario and Niagara was a favorite family vacation spot, I never lived there and my kids are a long way out of middle school, but I can tell you all about the weather related cancellations and fund raising bake sales that have been going on. I'm not sure if knowing that gmail works like this helps the OP or makes it worse, but gmail can get messy. Maybe a new email, but through yahoo, would be helpful.

I don't see how Gmail is at all to blame for your issue. I have several versions of my name @gmail.com one account never gets email addressed to another just because there is a "." between them.

 

[cbg]

Sorry, but [email protected] and [email protected] are not the same. It's not a big deal and I'm not upset about it, but if gmail is not at fault, who is?

 

[quincy]

Sorry, but [email protected] and [email protected] are not the same. It's not a big deal and I'm not upset about it, but if gmail is not at fault, who is?

The sender who enters the address incorrectly?