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#274429 - 15/01/2006 18:36 PayPal weirdness (WTFism, actually)
bonzi
pooh-bah

Registered: 13/09/1999
Posts: 2401
Loc: Croatia
Advice needed:

PayPal does not normally allow accounts from Croatia (something to do with local rules on sending and reveiving money or something), but I was able to open one anyway, I think from eBay, and use it for payments via my credit card (that is the only function available, but that's what I need it for). So, I was hapilly spending my money, buying DVD's on eBay, memory board from Patrick, sending donations to those wireless Katrina relief guys and to Wikipedia and so, up to and including day before yesterday, Friday 13th.

Yesterday I tried to buy VoIPStunt* credits, and all of a sudden I got this message:

Error 3028. You have been accessing your account from a sanctioned country. Per international sanctions regulations, you are not authorized to access the PayPal system. For more information about your PayPal account status, contact [Email]ofacappeal@paypal.com.[/Email] For further information regarding international sanctions, please refer to the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control at www.treas.gov/ofac, or to the UK Bank of England at www.bankofengland.co.uk/sanctions.

I am getting this as soon as I log in - I dont have a chance to even review my past transactions.

Mail to the address mentioned only produced what looked as stock answer to the effect that Croatia is on some kind of sanctions list. I checked on OFAC site and found only two executive orders, the most recent two and a half years ago, and pertaining only to freezing assets of individuals promoting the war on Kosovo and doing similar nasty things.

I don't have any money on my PayPal account (they only let me pay transaction by transaction using credit card, which is OK with me) so it evaporating or being blocked is not a danger, but I need the damned service occasionally, and I feel decidedly uncomfortable when someone having my personal and credit card data something decides they don't like me.

I seem to remember we have someone working for eBay here, and certainly many people are experianced PayPalers. Please advise.

Thanks!

*) The VoIPStunt is a Skype copycat, except that you get a service equivalent to SkypeOut (PC to POTS) free for most of Europe, USA, NZ & Australia, Singapore etc.


Edit: I followed the link to Bank of England, got 404'ed, searched, and found equivalent of said executive orders in more or less palin English. The mentioned sanctions (freezing of assets) apply to a grand total of one Croatian citizen, Ante Gotovina, who, BTW, comfortably rests in ICTY's prison in The Hague.


Edited by bonzi (15/01/2006 19:08)

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#274430 - 16/01/2006 10:19 Re: PayPal weirdness (WTFism, actually) [Re: bonzi]
pedrohoon
enthusiast

Registered: 06/08/2002
Posts: 333
Loc: The Pilbara, Western Australia
If your concern with using a credit card is regarding unauthorised transactions, I understand that credit card providers have safeguards in place which limit your liability to $50 (I think - in Australia anyway).
The alternative I use is a Visa debit card linked to a separate account which I transfer funds into on a per-purchase basis.
The debit card functions just like a credit card, but is limited to whatever is in that account.
_________________________
Peter.

"I spent 90% of my money on women, drink and fast cars. The rest I wasted." - George Best

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#274431 - 16/01/2006 10:43 Re: PayPal weirdness (WTFism, actually) [Re: pedrohoon]
tman
carpal tunnel

Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
Quote:
If your concern with using a credit card is regarding unauthorised transactions

His concern is that PayPal have his details and have now decided that they don't like where he lives.

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#274432 - 16/01/2006 10:49 Re: PayPal weirdness (WTFism, actually) [Re: tman]
pedrohoon
enthusiast

Registered: 06/08/2002
Posts: 333
Loc: The Pilbara, Western Australia
Ah, OK

Can't help with that one.
_________________________
Peter.

"I spent 90% of my money on women, drink and fast cars. The rest I wasted." - George Best

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#274433 - 17/09/2006 13:51 Re: PayPal weirdness (WTFism, actually) [Re: bonzi]
bonzi
pooh-bah

Registered: 13/09/1999
Posts: 2401
Loc: Croatia
In the unlikely case someone is interested, PayPal suddenly decided they like my money again, and that ridiculous nonsense about Croatia being under sanctions has disapeared. No word of explanation that I could find. Oh, well...

BTW, about that VoipStunt service I mentioned: their SkypeOut-like service is no longer free. I did not bother to compare prices between the two.

Cheers!
_________________________
Dragi "Bonzi" Raos Q#5196 MkII #080000376, 18GB green MkIIa #040103247, 60GB blue

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#274434 - 17/09/2006 15:17 Re: PayPal weirdness (WTFism, actually) [Re: bonzi]
hybrid8
carpal tunnel

Registered: 12/11/2001
Posts: 7738
Loc: Toronto, CANADA
Croatia is not yet on PayPal's list of accepted countries for Credit Card payments *without* an account. Which to me does seem completely ludicrous. Serbia is missing as well, but that's arguable. As I've mentioned in another thread, Romania and Russia are also blacklisted from PayPal.

Here's the full list of countries PayPal will allow to charge credit card purchases (as of 5 minutes ago):

Anguilla
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
Chile
China
Costa Rica
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Malta
Mexico
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Venezuela
_________________________
Bruno
Twisted Melon : Fine Mac OS Software

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#274435 - 17/09/2006 18:21 Re: PayPal weirdness (WTFism, actually) [Re: bonzi]
Daria
carpal tunnel

Registered: 24/01/2002
Posts: 3937
Loc: Providence, RI
Their SkypeOut service is still free if the call is otherwise free, according to their web site?

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