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We'll find out whether people care or not when there's an alternative.

I've asked that question a lot. The answer is that there are several other options.
Most of the rest of the world uses Moneybookers as one option of several. It is allowed to use more than one, though most people appear not to know that.

It's inexplicable that sites that otherwise spend effort on usability and accessibility then say 'fsck you' to their potential customers when choosing ways to transfer money. It's very rare to walk into a store and see 'paper money only, no coins' or 'Visa credit cared only, no cash' or 'Mastercard debit, no credit cards and no cash' and so on. Why should the same be tolerated online? I've contacted some of these same sites that have paypal as the only payment option and found that they wonder why they get little to no business yet won't add other options for payment.

If you provide only one avenue for payment, and many people don't use it or even like it, don't be fscking surprised that many people won't give you money.

The functionality isn't what's important, it's the community that is.

Yup, critical mass is extremely important. It's the reason we're stuck with eBay and Paypal even though BOTH PRETTY MUCH SUCK.

how about these folks? or these? or perhaps this group or maybe one of the paypal horror-story contributors on this site?

but chances are it was probably just this guy.

The correct URL is http://paypalsucks.org/.

http://www.paypalsucks.org/

When they say the account is frozen, they are talking about your bank account (as well as your paypal account). Search the internet for paypal horror stories or pay a visit to paypalsucks.org. If they freeze your account, and it's your only bank account, guess what? You are absolutely fucked! There is no way for you to get money out of your bank account until paypal unfreezes it. Got rent? Mortgage? Car payment? Too bad. Looks like you're going to be late on those.

Now anyone who's smart, doesn't keep all their money in one account. I have 95% of my money is a savings account, which no one can touch except for me, at the bank window itself. Anyone who's really smart and uses paypal often enough, would open a seperate account specifically for paypal. Now they would have to do what you mention, withdraw everytime you get money in it. So you transfer from paypal to your paypal bank account, then do an online bank transfer from that account to either your "real" account or your savings account. If they freeze your bank account specifically opened for paypal, oh well, no biggie. Fuck 'em and start using a new service :)

Paypal is certainly a shady company. To find out why, go to www.paypalsucks.org

Obligatory paypalsucks.org link with all the fun horror stories of people getting screwed over by Paypal.

-- Dr. Eldarion --

I just paid a visit to www.paypalsucks.org and there was nothing there. Just that same old Network Solutions "Page under construction" garbage. begin sarcasm Maybe PayPal doesn't suck after all. end