Question For Australian Paypal Users

I am persistently bugged by Paypal for photo ID and proof of address. The Paypal customer service people say they are required to ask for these documents under Australian law.

I find it odd that no one I know with a Paypal account other than me has ever been asked for these documents. What's more, I wasn't asked for them when I opened my Paypal account in March 2010. If they were required, why weren't they asked for back then?

Can any Australians here who have Paypal accounts confirm that they've also been asked for photo ID and proof of address?

Thanks.

What do you mean "bugged". Do you speak with them?

Every few weeks they block a transaction and I get a message saying that I have to provide these documents before the transaction can go through.

Prior to using Gmail as my email client,
I would get 3 paypal scams a month.
I don't seem to get any since then.
Never been asked for a photo or proof of address,
I wouldn't give it to them or a scammer anyhows.

Been on Paypal for many years and never had a transaction blocked. Methinks skullduggery is afoot

It's definitely the real Paypal. I contact the customer service people (who are in the US) every time this happens, using the regular Paypal customer service number and using the pin number I'm provided with on the site.

The Paypal people insist that this is an Australian government requirement for all Australian Paypal users.

I haven't received anything in writing from Paypal about this, but the last customer service person told me it's been a requirement since 2001. This makes me wonder why no one else seems to have been asked for photo ID or why I wasn't asked for it when I opened my Paypal account nine years after the legislation supposedly came into force.

As I say, it's never happened to me, so more info is needed

I've tried to get 'more information' but I just face a brick wall.

Paypal never give me straight answers to my questions.

I have to empathise,
it is part of the electronic age, I am afraid.

I have not been billed for my internet usage,
and I have rang on 4 occaisions, as to why, and to (politely) complain
(Telstra Australia)
It has cost me $40 on my mobile phone due to "waiting time"
whilst some guy in India checks my account.

He cannot find me, I have to supply the IMEI number on my
wireless dongle.
I call the nxt day (last Friday) he says my account is clear I owe
no money as yet.

Monday I receive an overdue account with a $15 impost
for late payment.

It does test one's serenity.

Start a new browser session or tabor window, sign on to the https://www.paypal.com.au site (or dot com if you joined there) and read your user agreement. See if it mentions anything like this.

I am on dot com PayPal but have never been asked for this info.

Maybe it depends on what financial info you are providing to them, that is, how you are choosing to pay? If you are not verified maybe that makes a difference? Just guessing.

I've never been asked for such things by PayPal either. I've never sold through ebay, though I have received a few payments through PayPal. I've also made some four-figure payments (not for stamps) through PayPal to China.

The only thing I can think of is that you've made a $A10,000 or more transaction and run foul of AUSTRAC, or someone thinks you're trying to smurf payments that would otherwise be subject to AUSTRAC.

Puzzler, it wouldn't apply to you as you're in Canada.

Paypal say that they are required to obtain these documents as a result of an Australian law which, I was told over the phone, came into force a few years ago.

tonymacg, I have never made any transactions over about $100.

The first time I spoke to a Paypal customer service person about this he said it had something to do with money laundering laws.

However, this struck me as ridiculous: Paypal can trace the source of all the moneys paid into my account: 95% of it has come from ebay sales. The remainder consists of trivial sums deriving from one or two sales on Delcampe.

In any case, the second Paypal person I spoke to says the law applies to all Australians. Nothing was said about transaction size or volume.

If you Google "paypal photo id" you will see it is not just Australia, but it appears to be random request.

I am a long time ebay seller in both Canada and the USA and I have not been asked for, nor would I provide, photo ID. Paypal has my credit card details and that's enough.

Besides, what good is photo ID when they can't see your face?

Our photo ID is a government approved type of one, same as a driver's license but no license, just the other info, and also done by the Registry of Motor Vehicles. So, maybe it would be one that is trusted in Australia if similar?