I Did Not Ask For This

     

     Really, I didn't.

     I'll just lay out the facts as simply as I can, even though this problem is getting more complicated with every call to a Help Desk.

     Before I went to the store today, I checked my bank balance. That's always a good idea before using your debit card, right? Only doing so today turned out to be a better decision than usual. Because, instead of the nearly $200 I expected to see in my bank account, I discovered that I had, instead, a $73+  overdraft.

     Apparently, without rhyme or reason, my bank saw fit to return to Paypal a $198 instant transfer I'd made back on January 30th. The first time I'd tried to make it, it got bounced back within seconds. After panicking a little, I put it through again and that time, it had stuck. But it turned out to be the harbinger of things to come.

     When I'd discovered that my bank had mysteriously reversed an instant Paypal transfer I'd made over a week and a half ago, thereby lulling me into a sense of false security that I wouldn't, in fact, have 11 days later, the last three debits I'd made were after I'd retroactively been put in the red through no fault of my own, I checked my Paypal balance.

     The $198 was, indeed, placed back in my Paypal balance without any explanation. I've tried eight times to transfer the same amount of money to both my checking and savings accounts and each one got bounced back within seconds.

     I called Paypal to ask what was going on, since it made no sense for my bank to make an unauthorized withdrawal from my checking account to send back to its origin knowing that I could not cover a debit that size.

     After spending almost an hour on hold waiting for answers, Paypal said they had none. My account had not been limited, suspended or put on hold for any reason. They also said that. while they'd heard from my bank several times today because of the reversed transfers, they had gotten no reason from them as to why they were rejecting my transfers. I asked both them to open an investigation into this and, because of the direness of the situation, I'd asked them to prioritize it. As it is, the bank's not even seeing a record of the reversals on their end.

     There's a chance that my bank may open a temporary line of credit for me during their investigation, at least for the amount of money they'd inexplicably abducted from my checking account. But that's not assured. Right now, Barb and I are living on the $51 I'd given her for spending money but obviously that won't last long. Another few days, we'll be eyeing the bottle redemption receipts we get from the supermarket (I'm not kidding about that).

     It seems that right now, the only way to get money into my bank accounts is by check deposit. We're still waiting for Barb's tax return to get processed and her two stimulus checks to get sent to us, if they ever do. We're frightened out of our minds and, for now, Paypal isn't the viable option to keep my bills paid as it has been for close to 12 years.

     If you read this and are ready, willing and able to help, please email me and ask for my street address if you don't have it already and please send a check in any amount. I have no confidence this will get resolved in a timely manner but my new cell phone needs to get topped up by midnight tomorrow and, if I don't, it'll get shut off.

     Then utilities will get turned off, like gas and electric, and during a bitter cold snap here in Massachusetts. This is how I pay my gas, lights, phone, internet, car insurance (which is threatening to revoke my registration in nine days if they don't get nearly $500 out of me by the 19th). This is how I pay my $800 monthly rent. And if I don't get this resolved in 18 days, our heartless landlord will gladly serve us with an eviction notice (our lease also expires at the end of the month, making us tenants at will).

     I truly hate being a burden on all of you but I honestly did not ask for this to happen to us. We have just $51 to live on until this gets resolved, I'm kept from accessing my own money and both parties involved are unable, or unwilling, to give us answers. And, plainly, this is happening at the worst possible time of the year for us. I can prove everything I'm saying here and can furnish proof on request.

     But Ms. JP and I are, understandably, scared shitless out of our wits and we have no idea why this is happening to us. As far as I know, I am in good standing with both Paypal and my bank. And this needs to get resolved immediately, if not sooner. If you can send a check, then please try to overnight it, if you can so I can obtain some liquidity ASAP.

     Thank you in advance. My email is crawman2@yahoo.com.