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PayPal Will Be Able To Robo-Text/Call Users With No Opt-out Starting July 1

Posted by Soulskill on from the change-your-listed-phone-number-to-their-customer-support-line dept.

OutOnARock notes that as PayPal separates from eBay in the coming months, new terms of service are set to take effect on July 1st. Most of the changes unexciting, but one provision has consumer rights groups up in arms: PayPal is granting itself the ability to use automated systems to call and text users. These robocalls could happen for something as serious as debt collection or as frivolous as advertisements. What's more, the company grants the same rights to its affiliates. Activists are questioning the legality of these changes. "Given that both the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (which created the Do Not Call list) and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ban most robocalling and texting, this seemed in direct opposition to consumer protections granted Americans by Congress." PayPal says it will comply with all laws, but their actions may spark a legal debate about whether terms of service can qualify as "written consent."

3 of 116 comments (clear)

  1. Yet another on the pile. by Truekaiser · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Of reasons to not use paypal again. On top of them randomly freezing and seizing accounts and continuing to pull money out of your bank accounts for subscriptions you no longer have.

    1. Re:Yet another on the pile. by Bacon+Bits · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Wow, so if I decide to stop using your payment service or even decide to cancel a third party service which happens to use your service for payments, I only have to change my bank account to get you to stop charging me.

      It doesn't have to be difficult in order to make it completely ridiculous.

      --
      The road to tyranny has always been paved with claims of necessity.
  2. opted out entirely by bkr1_2k · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The last time I used paypal I decided was the last time, period. If a transaction requires paypal in the future, I'll pass on the purchase and tell the seller exactly why. They wouldn't let me delete expired credit cards, they wouldn't let me remove a closed bank account, fuck them. I closed my account entirely after putting in bogus contact information since I'm sure they don't actually delete any account data.

    This is just one more reason to hate paypal.

    --
    "Growing old is inevitable; growing up is optional."