| | | | | Usage (AU)’ group is only available via email. I |
| Have you been a victim of PayPal and their | | | | was instructed that the next step was to send an |
| horrific business ethics? If you are like me and | | | | appeal to ‘AU’. Within hours I composed |
| millions of individuals and business owners you | | | | and sent the email explaining that we were not |
| have. I own a self defense and security | | | | aware of any violation but we would happily make |
| business. We sell non-lethal personal protection | | | | any changes requested, in order to continue |
| items like pepper spray, stun guns, personal | | | | offering the PayPal option to our customers. |
| alarms, tasers, etc. We also carry items such as | | | | |
| folding knives, throwing stars, kubotans and more. | | | | Our appeal was denied in less than five minutes |
| As a service to our valued customers we decided | | | | via email. No explanation, just an email to say |
| to add PayPal as a payment option. | | | | “sorry but PayPal feels it is in our mutual best |
| Things were running smoothly for over six | | | | interest to part ways. This decision is final, |
| months, and then one afternoon we received an | | | | etc” And I almost forgot; “all funds |
| email from PayPal stating that we (Guardian Self | | | | currently in your account are inaccessible for at |
| Defense & Security Products) violated their | | | | least 180 days”. At this point to say I was |
| ‘Acceptable Usage Policy’ and that our | | | | mad is a severe understatement. I felt like a |
| account had been permanently limited! I logged | | | | victim of a crime, like someone stole from me! |
| into the account only to find out that I could no | | | | |
| longer send or receive funds, in addition all of the | | | | I began to research PayPal and the problems |
| money in our account was frozen. This means we | | | | other have had. To my surprise hundreds of |
| cannot access it in any way for at least 180 days! | | | | thousands of former PayPal customers had |
| PayPal advised that because we sell knives and | | | | received the very same email! I’m sure some |
| kubotans we were in violation, this was the | | | | of the actions PayPal took were legitimate, but I |
| reason for our account being locked or limited. | | | | am also convinced that the majority are not. As |
| Thinking this must be a joke or some | | | | I continued my research it became evident that |
| misunderstanding. I picked up the phone and called | | | | PayPal has serious customer issues that include |
| PayPal only to be told that the ‘Acceptable | | | | outright theft of money! |