This is another rant, today about PayPal. It all started when I tried to buy some credit for the skype callout feature. The overlords at PayPal decided that besides the Post Ident I did to open my account, the verified bank account that is stored in my data I will now need to enter my German Identity Card number. Too bad that the number they have stored is from a card that expired maybe five years ago.

How comes they think the Number is secret after hotels, car rentals, dvd rentals, airlines, …, started making photo copies of these documents? But to make it worse they have implemented this ‘security check’ in a way that prevents me of using the normal contact form.

So I took it up with the support, and they proposed me to reset my password, they kept on proposing to reset my password. They offered me to call me, I gave them my hotel + room number but they were not able to figure out the prefix for dialing to China. After three more support emails and proposals to reset my password I know have the instruction to close my account and transfer my balance to my reference account. All they want is my first born though.

I was a bit lazy and have not collected the information they need yet, today I wanted to buy something online, the company is using PayPal Express Checkout, and I am not allowed to pay with my VISA card as Paypal knows some combination of my name and forces me to log into my paypal account (which of course does not work).

Please, someone, fix this payment mess.