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PayPal’s Abysmal Email Support

[Update]

Twice in the past few months I’ve used PayPal’s email support and twice I’ve amazed at how abysmal it is.

Both times after sending email requests for problems I’ve had with the service, I’ve received a generic email that reads:

Due to an increase in seasonal email volumes, we may not have been able to answer your email. 

If your inquiry has not been resolved or you have further questions regarding your PayPal account please call 1-402-938-3531.

I’m sorry, but I didn’t realize that the week leading up to Martin Luther King weekend put such a strain on your email servers.

Not only are you telling me that you have no clue if you even answered my question, you’re putting it back on me to make a long distance telephone if you didn’t do your job.

Now, you have to understand: I use PayPal, I’m a PayPal merchant, and I reguarly recommend it to clients. Which is why I find this so frustrating.
PayPal offers a good service at a reasonable price. I just wish they
cared more about their customers.

Network Solutions used to treat their customers like an entitlement, too, until competition arrived. Now they regularly lose business to companies like GoDaddy. Will PayPal wise up in time, or will I start promoting Google’s payment service soon?

Rich Brooks
Looking for Options

Update: PayPal called me at home this weekend (which is weird, because this is a business account, but I must have left my home number as well) to follow up with me. However, I was at home, it was the weekend, and it was the middle of the 2nd quarter of the Pats/Chargers game (I’m a big Pats fan) so I told them to call me at work.

They did, and were able to answer my question in one minute and twelve seconds, according to the clock on my phone.

The lesson for PayPal: invest more money in customer support.

The lesson for you: get a blog and complain loudly.

Also, I found a few people who had gone through the same problem:

The list goes on….

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  • http://cqoutseller.blogspot.com/ ED

    I agree – I hate Paypal I really really do, but what can you do when they have monopolised the whole payment system on Ebay? Surely they are breaking some laws here?… I am hoping we all see a slow painful death for Paypal, they have caused me & my family much stress over the last few years & yes their email support/customer support is as diabolical as every one says (that is only the very tip of the iceberg though) If you want my advice, stay clear of Paypal & try someone else, it will be worth it in the long run. No seriously it will.

    http://cqoutseller.blogspot.com/

  • http://cqoutseller.blogspot.com/ ED

    I agree – I hate Paypal I really really do, but what can you do when they have monopolised the whole payment system on Ebay? Surely they are breaking some laws here?… I am hoping we all see a slow painful death for Paypal, they have caused me & my family much stress over the last few years & yes their email support/customer support is as diabolical as every one says (that is only the very tip of the iceberg though) If you want my advice, stay clear of Paypal & try someone else, it will be worth it in the long run. No seriously it will.

    http://cqoutseller.blogspot.com/

  • http://www.flyteblog.com Rich Brooks

    ED,

    They haven't monopolized the payment system on eBay. eBay bought them out because so many sellers were choosing PayPal over eBay's internal payment system.

    I'm sorry to hear your stress. Although PayPal isn't perfect, I have gotten much better response from them since I posted this. I guess they're paying attention.

    If they don't offer good customer service customers like you will probably find greener pastures elsewhere. However, if they turn themselves around and offer better services than they have a fighting chance and all consumers are better off.

  • http://www.flyteblog.com Rich Brooks

    ED,

    They haven't monopolized the payment system on eBay. eBay bought them out because so many sellers were choosing PayPal over eBay's internal payment system.

    I'm sorry to hear your stress. Although PayPal isn't perfect, I have gotten much better response from them since I posted this. I guess they're paying attention.

    If they don't offer good customer service customers like you will probably find greener pastures elsewhere. However, if they turn themselves around and offer better services than they have a fighting chance and all consumers are better off.

  • Pete

    Rich, it's not for want of interest. Ebay in Australa is right now having a go at making Paypal the only allowed payment method here.

    I imagine we're a test case to see whether regulators will allow it elsewhere.

  • Pete

    Rich, it's not for want of interest. Ebay in Australa is right now having a go at making Paypal the only allowed payment method here.

    I imagine we're a test case to see whether regulators will allow it elsewhere.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, January 13th, 2007 at 4:06 pm and is filed under Business Philosophy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.