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

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."

Comments

Yet another on the pile.

[Truekaiser]

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.

Re:Yet another on the pile.

[Bacon Bits]

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.

You have given Paypal your phone number?

[Anonymous Coward]

Why?

Re:You have given Paypal your phone number?

[wooferhound]

Just Give PayPal the phone number of someone you dislike

Try it in the EU first

[ledow]

Go on, I dare you.

Because when the Data Protection people jump on you for having something opt-out rather than opt-in, even with warning, then you'll realise what they do all day (i.e. fine companies that do this).

Just because the US authorities are toothless in this regard, doesn't mean the rest of the world is.

Go on. Send me a text or robocall that I didn't specifically authorise (and, no, agreeing to the new "forced" terms and conditions isn't the same). The absolute worst scenario? I tell you that I'm opting-out of them all. You EVER phone after that, you're going to end up having to answer to data protection lawsuits and - in my country at least - things like the Telephone Preference Service.

I didn't give you explicit permission to do this, therefore you have no permission to do this. We can argue about the definition of "explicit" in court if you like, but the case law is pretty clear in this regard.

Re:Try it in the EU first

[jonnyj]

Yup. A massive fine awaits any business that attempts to behave in this way in the UK. The ICO is definitely not afraid to take enforcement action against organisations that flout data protection laws - see https://ico.org.uk/action-weve...

Re:Customer recourse

[w3woody]

Well, you could always change your phone number to 888-221-1161, which is Paypal's customer support number.

Wow ... asshole much?

[gstoddart]

So the asshole company who acts like a bank except where there are regulations they ignore, is going to be the asshole company who gives itself and its asshole affiliates the right to call or spam you because they say so?

I'm sorry, but what the hell are these clowns thinking?

The sheer arrogance of that is mind boggling. And this whole shit of "see, we have terms of service, we can do anything we want" is just crap.

Tell you what, PayPal, our terms of service say we can tar and feather you before the castration and lynching.

Once again, I am reminded of the many reasons why I would never deal with this company. A bunch of shady, self-entitled weasels.

Elwood Blues

[dangle]

They don't have my address. I falsified my renewal. I put down 1060 West Addison.