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Anyway, the writer of the regretsy blog occasionally does charity projects for regretsy fans who are having a tough time financially. Most are etsy sellers themselves, and times are tough for crafters right now. Sometimes it is just linking to a particular sellers shop on her blog, often American sellers with medical concerns that they can't afford to sot out because they apparently live in a third work country healthcare wise.
She wanted to do something special at Christmas for those regretsians who are struggling who have kids: a toy drive. Some of the applications they received were really quite upsetting. All applicants were carefully vetted and they chose 100 kids in the regretsy community to help. Then they asked for donations via PayPal from regretsians.
The result was overwhelming. They received enough donations to send toys to 200 children, AND. A small monetary gift to the families to make Christmas dinner a bit more special, or to help with bills. It was all really quite lovely and warm and fuzzy.
Then PayPal decided to be utter asshats about it. Apparently the "donate" button was used incorrectly, and can only be used by non-profit organisations. This is contrary to their own advice in a PDF tips sheet about using the donate button. After much arguing, the regretsy blog writer had to refund all donations that hadn't yet been processed, set it up again with a "buy" button, and ask for the money again. PayPal meanwhile KEPT THE TRANSACTION FEES. because they Felt like committing PR suicide regarding giving Christmas presents to poor kids. Great move.
It doesn't end there though, because they then decided this also breaks paypals rules. For no apparent reason... And have frozen the PayPal account of the regretsy blog writer entirely. No money for poor families at Christmas. But apparently it would have been ok if they were sick cats (see conversation extracts below)
Here's a petition to try and get PayPal to stop being such utter paypals. (a new insult I'm trying out)
Please sign, and share. I want my money to not be sat in a frozen paypal account. I want it to be buying a kid a toy truck. Thanks.
http://www.change.or...hildren-in-need
Here follows some rather excellent bits of a phone conversation had with paypal...
Quote
PAYPAL: Only a nonprofit can use the Donate button.
ME: That’s false. It says right in the PDF of instructions for the Donate button that it can be used for “worthy causes.”
PAYPAL: I haven’t seen that PDF. And what you’re doing is not a worthy cause, it’s charity.
ME: What’s the difference?
PAYPAL: You can use the donate button to raise money for a sick cat, but not poor people.
ME: The problem is I’ve already bought all of these toys, so now I’m really in a position like any other merchant – which is to say, I have inventory I need to sell. Why can’t I sell them as gifts, like any other retailer?
PAYPAL: Don’t you think it would look suspicious if the same people bought them again?
ME: Why? These are my customers!
PAYPAL: If you wanted to do that, you’d have to start a new website.
ME: What? Why would I start a new website?
PAYPAL: I’m not going to argue with you.
PAYPAL: The only way you’d be allowed to sell these as gifts is if you sent them directly to the person who bought them. And we will track your shipments and make sure it goes to the buyer.
ME: That’s discriminatory! You don’t make other retailers send purchases to the buyer only, especially not at Christmas.
PAYPAL: No one but a nonprofit would send gifts to someone else on buyer’s behalf.
ME: What about Amazon?
PAYPAL: We know what you’re doing and we’re through playing games with you.
PAYPAL: You say you’re selling these as gifts but there is no information as to what the gift is.
ME: People sell mystery gifts and grab bags all the time. What about sites where they say, let us choose for you?”
PAYPAL: It doesn’t say that on your site.
ME: Is that the problem? If I say it’s a mystery gift would that be sufficient?
PAYPAL: You aren’t going to be able to get around this. It’s too late, we know what you’re trying to do and we’re not going to let you do it.
ME: But there are hundreds of toys! Do you think it’s reasonable to create a drop down menu for hundreds of gifts, all of them different, and create an inventory for each as “one?” So that every time one sells, it’s sold out, and the customer has to keep choosng options and going through check out to see if they can find a gift that’s still available?
PAYPAL: Yes, I think it’s reasonable.
ME: That’s false. It says right in the PDF of instructions for the Donate button that it can be used for “worthy causes.”
PAYPAL: I haven’t seen that PDF. And what you’re doing is not a worthy cause, it’s charity.
ME: What’s the difference?
PAYPAL: You can use the donate button to raise money for a sick cat, but not poor people.
ME: The problem is I’ve already bought all of these toys, so now I’m really in a position like any other merchant – which is to say, I have inventory I need to sell. Why can’t I sell them as gifts, like any other retailer?
PAYPAL: Don’t you think it would look suspicious if the same people bought them again?
ME: Why? These are my customers!
PAYPAL: If you wanted to do that, you’d have to start a new website.
ME: What? Why would I start a new website?
PAYPAL: I’m not going to argue with you.
PAYPAL: The only way you’d be allowed to sell these as gifts is if you sent them directly to the person who bought them. And we will track your shipments and make sure it goes to the buyer.
ME: That’s discriminatory! You don’t make other retailers send purchases to the buyer only, especially not at Christmas.
PAYPAL: No one but a nonprofit would send gifts to someone else on buyer’s behalf.
ME: What about Amazon?
PAYPAL: We know what you’re doing and we’re through playing games with you.
PAYPAL: You say you’re selling these as gifts but there is no information as to what the gift is.
ME: People sell mystery gifts and grab bags all the time. What about sites where they say, let us choose for you?”
PAYPAL: It doesn’t say that on your site.
ME: Is that the problem? If I say it’s a mystery gift would that be sufficient?
PAYPAL: You aren’t going to be able to get around this. It’s too late, we know what you’re trying to do and we’re not going to let you do it.
ME: But there are hundreds of toys! Do you think it’s reasonable to create a drop down menu for hundreds of gifts, all of them different, and create an inventory for each as “one?” So that every time one sells, it’s sold out, and the customer has to keep choosng options and going through check out to see if they can find a gift that’s still available?
PAYPAL: Yes, I think it’s reasonable.
God I hate PayPal.
I will look again later to see if it is just one of those things that takes a little time. Mum White.
