OT RANT: Paypal is easy???

[losinit@usa.net (Cathy Boyko)]

Okay, sorry to vent, but maybe you can offer me some insight here. I set =
up an
account with paypal in the summer on my Amex card - I NEVER use this card=
=2E So
I accidentally used it once to buy some gas ($21) and then ended up payin=
g it
late (by a few days). They suspend my card, which I can understand. Long =
story
short, I call to check on the status after making the full payment of $21=
=2E33,
and they tell me, no, my account is suspended until I pay another .33 in
interest. Fine. =


Off I go to town, pay the .33, and then try to use my paypal. WRONG. Oh, =
my
Amex account is in fine shape, according to two different Amex folks and =
that
was confirmed by the nice person from Paypal. And there is no problem wit=
h the
seller either. The "transaction"  had a "high risk profile", so got bounc=
ed by
their software. ?????? So it's okay on my end, okay on the seller's end, =
but
somewhere in Cyberspace (aka "the transaction") there is a huge inherent
risk?? I'm SO confused. But I really had nothing else to do tonight. =


I can understand there needs to software that prevents fraud and all that=
=2E But
what on earth could be even vaguely fraudulent about a simple transfer of=

money from an approved buyer to an approved seller?  (on a side note, Ame=
x has
really awful "waiting music" compared to Paypal)

And the real kick in the teeth? Paypal has an exchange rate of $1.95 for =
USD.
Last I saw in the paper was $1.56, 20% profit may be a wee bit greedy.
(reminds me of a Curt Cobain song...first word rhymes with "ape")

So I'm back to snail mail for payment after all. I set up the Paypal acco=
unt
to make exactly this sort of purchase easy.

Did I mention what car I was buying stuff for?

Cathy, still having a headache.