Can't use Ebay/Paypal!

Oh this is terrible. I have been buying things on Ebay since I arrived here, using my British cards, and getting things delivered either here direct or to my mother's house in Cambridge. Now suddenly I keep getting a message that I am in a 'non-Permitted Country' and my cards are refused. I have to apply to the US or UK Treasury/CUstoms someone to validate that I am not a money launderer or something. And I can't - because they want utility bills in my name that I haven't got as all those things are in either my landlord's name or my ex-tenant's or my mother's! I have got myself in a right mess as I have just bought a cat crate on ebay (obviously I am getting getting ready to transport the kits over to France) and I don't now know how to pay for it. I shall have to contact the seller and ask if he will accept a personal cheque which will take a week to arrive and then my crate won't arrive at my mother's in time for me to pick it up when I am in the UK on the 30th May. I am so angry.

I'd contact eBay and PayPal administrators - it may be simply a security code issue.

I've done all that - they confirmed it and that is how I know I have to send a driving license, birth certificate and utility bill to verify my identity and citizenship and address. Then they can unlock my account (which has money deposited in it). But even then, they say, I cannot use Paypal from a non Permitted country! This is new, because I have been doing it for 4 years! I even paid for my jeep through Paypal in January of this year. And I thought Bosnia was getting closer to the international community!

Jenny, that's terrible for you! I didn't realise that they had brought such a thing in!

If there is anything I can do to help, just let me know!

Jenny, can you give PayPal a direct debit mandate for your giro account? That's been possible here for about a year, I suppose because so many Germans mistrust credit cards. Or will the crate supplier accept a credit transfer? I bought some DVDs on ebay, and the U.K. supplier didn't want to go through PayPal. When I insisted, he set it up so that I transferred the money to PayPal, and they then transferred it to his account. It took about 8 days.
Or: Send your mother a check, and set up a PayPal account using her name and credit card numbers/giro account. You'll probably need to open another email account using googlemail.com, hotmail.com, or the like. My mom refuses to use the Internet or her credit cards, or to transfer money, so my sister and I, having gotten disgusted with her misplacing/forgetting bills, or sending checks to places that won't accept them, decided to work things out that way. My mom gets a bill for a magazine subscription, e.g., faxes it to me, and I pay it by direct debit or credit card (her accounts).

Does your mum have internet access at home ? Can she pay your bill by setting up a paypal account ?

We have paid companys via paypal (not eBay) for Harley parts, fish tanks, concert tickets etc. The only problem i can foresee is that by doing this you may not be covered by eBay payment protection?

Which country are the crates being sent from ? Are they already in the Uk ? If so can your mum send a cheque to save time ?

It seems to me that eBay should honour any existing purchases, especially as you have received goods previously with no problems.

Best wishes.

I smell trouble with ebay. A person I know, who now lives in another country but is german, has opened several accounts, using other countries and different names, adn this person has even used my bank details to take money off for ebay fees can you believe it??
It wouldnt suprise me if this law was enforced with in the last week, incase it was caused by the person.

I really hope Jenny that this gets sorted soon!

Wow, that's really frustrating, Jenny!

I think it is just Bosnia that is the problem. Ebay have a list of permitted countries, including all the EU, but not of course Bosnia. But this is new. Anyway, I have sent a cheque and the vendor will be OK with that, it just delays things from my end. And I only have a few weeks till I'll be in France and it will all be Ok again. The annoying thing is that I did transfer money to Paypal three months ago and now the account is locked and they won't transfer it back to me or to anyone I buy from. I will just have to wait.

As far as the utility bill they will usually accept a bank statment or anything else 'official' looking, once you move to France, you can always set up the account there and let ebay know you have moved, they will transfer the funds, they did when I moved from England to Canada, they can't just keep your $$$

I am glad its sorted out.

Moving is always difficult without problems like this rearing its head

Originally Posted by jennyranson

Oh this is terrible. I have been buying things on Ebay since I arrived here, using my British cards, and getting things delivered either here direct or to my mother's house in Cambridge. Now suddenly I keep getting a message that I am in a 'non-Permitted Country' and my cards are refused. I have to apply to the US or UK Treasury/CUstoms someone to validate that I am not a money launderer or something. And I can't - because they want utility bills in my name that I haven't got as all those things are in either my landlord's name or my ex-tenant's or my mother's! I have got myself in a right mess as I have just bought a cat crate on ebay (obviously I am getting getting ready to transport the kits over to France) and I don't now know how to pay for it. I shall have to contact the seller and ask if he will accept a personal cheque which will take a week to arrive and then my crate won't arrive at my mother's in time for me to pick it up when I am in the UK on the 30th May. I am so angry.

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Jenny maybe you can do a money transfer, or Money order...You can maybe just transfer the money into the sellers account...Good Luck with that

E bay actually suggest you don't do money transfers with people you don't know. I have it OK for nowe and I guess I won't do any more ebay purchases till I get to France.